SAMPLE PACK COMPETITION // DISCUSSION

[Electric_Head]

First of all panel or no panel?

It depends on who is selected for the panel.
If the panel is made out of a neutral group of artists who are willing to judge anything and everything regardless of style or sub genre.

What do members feel about having track critiques in the rules and guidelines as part of submitting to the competitions?

I`m all for this.
This should be a tool to help everyone at all stages of production.

How many votes would you like to have per track? I was feeling three votes per entry, that way users have their choice of top three.

The voting system works within the DSF forum. No issues there.

Along with bragging rights, perhaps we could have actual prizes next time around, perhaps ones choice of digital release? Any other ideas for prizes?

I won`t get involved there, you guys decide.
I`m happy with us all sharing valid feedback.
A prize is not bad though.
We just don`t want 4000 people entering utter garbage thinking they`re winning a prize.

Furthermore I have no issues with the past comps.
Keep it up Haack.

[Sparxy]

I don't feel there should be much changed from the last comp, the only thing flawed was the voting. Which is easily fixed assuming the tracks are released to the public on time and the voting is kept within DSF.
In terms of prizes well, I have a label, I might be up for putting out the winner as a release but there would be a few contractual things we would need to discuss beforehand. Let me know if you'd like to talk about that.

Having a release on your record label as the prize would make you ineligible for entering, you do realise that? Conflict of interests and all.

That's a good point, obviously I would take no part in the contest from a competitive perspective. I can put any of my own tunes I want out on the label. For me it would be about actually doing something positive with DSF. It would also help the promotion of my label and increase awareness, and on top of that it would add an incentive for more people to take part and show off their best work if they know there's a chance of release at the end of it.

Having said that I just threw it out there that I might be willing to consider it, I haven't put much thought into it and still not 100% of whether it is a good idea so open to discussion.

[wub]

I don't feel there should be much changed from the last comp, the only thing flawed was the voting. Which is easily fixed assuming the tracks are released to the public on time and the voting is kept within DSF.
In terms of prizes well, I have a label, I might be up for putting out the winner as a release but there would be a few contractual things we would need to discuss beforehand. Let me know if you'd like to talk about that.

Having a release on your record label as the prize would make you ineligible for entering, you do realise that? Conflict of interests and all.

That's a good point, obviously I would take no part in the contest from a competitive perspective. I can put any of my own tunes I want out on the label. For me it would be about actually doing something positive with DSF. It would also help the promotion of my label and increase awareness, and on top of that it would add an incentive for more people to take part and show off their best work if they know there's a chance of release at the end of it.

Having said that I just threw it out there that I might be willing to consider it, I haven't put much thought into it and still not 100% of whether it is a good idea so open to discussion.

that's fair enough. You'd have to commit up front through, irrespective of what track won. For example, Solstice won the last contest but would you consider releasing it on a Dubstep label?

[Sparxy]

I don't feel there should be much changed from the last comp, the only thing flawed was the voting. Which is easily fixed assuming the tracks are released to the public on time and the voting is kept within DSF.
In terms of prizes well, I have a label, I might be up for putting out the winner as a release but there would be a few contractual things we would need to discuss beforehand. Let me know if you'd like to talk about that.

Having a release on your record label as the prize would make you ineligible for entering, you do realise that? Conflict of interests and all.

That's a good point, obviously I would take no part in the contest from a competitive perspective. I can put any of my own tunes I want out on the label. For me it would be about actually doing something positive with DSF. It would also help the promotion of my label and increase awareness, and on top of that it would add an incentive for more people to take part and show off their best work if they know there's a chance of release at the end of it.

Having said that I just threw it out there that I might be willing to consider it, I haven't put much thought into it and still not 100% of whether it is a good idea so open to discussion.

that's fair enough. You'd have to commit up front through, irrespective of what track won. For example, Solstice won the last contest but would you consider releasing it on a Dubstep label?

Well yeah, the contest is genre-free so I have to bear that in mind. Also if contests are monthly, that's quite alot of stuff getting put out. Maybe it might be more realistic to do some kind of DSF Comp EP or album, have further rounds of voting and have the best 4 over 6 months put out or something along those lines? That would require much more organisation however so the task could quickly get very big.

There is alot to consider about doing this, but its not out of the question

[HAACK]

Definitely, I feel that its necessary to maintain the amount of people entering as well, the last competition was probably the largest I had seen for some time. Sparxy, I like this idea about top four at the end, maybe this could go by most votes from 1st to 2nd, 3d, etc.

[alphacat]

I think we should have always done voting in thread. I think it would be a good idea that you would have to post your top three faves, and descriptions of why you chose them.

^ This... although there's still room for shenanigans if people corral their friends offline, the whole "I won because I got 8 of my friends to vote" shit is beyond lame - it's damaging to credibility and morale. Nobody's gonna want to enter a contest if they think it's already stacked against them.

Top 3 vote is cool. Descriptions - a good idea, but not everybody knows how to objectively critique: unqualified "not really feeling it" comments are useless, but not necessarily bad in themselves I guess.

As for prizes - I've always thought this could be a good incentive to get new producers involved, and seeing as it's a sample pack production contest - why not a commercial production download or credit towards music-making something? Not sure if there's a single site that'd have something for everybody, but at the very least something along those lines. I also understand that you'd need to get someone to sponsor the prize, and many commercial music production sites might balk at the rowdy DSF crew ("Eh! Why's the prize _____? I hate that company!")...

still...

And big large props to Haack for being El Hombre, as ever.

[SLASH]

Maybe it might be more realistic to do some kind of DSF Comp EP or album, have further rounds of voting and have the best 4 over 6 months put out or something along those lines? That would require much more organisation however so the task could quickly get very big.

There is alot to consider about doing this, but its not out of the question

I think the top 3 get a DSF EP faux release is a great idea, it's good promotion for the producers and for the board.
they can all get uploaded to youtube individually with a DSF moving graphic (I'm pretty sure I can have that taken care of)
And you can do Volume 1....etc. for every comp. Available as a free .zip download in a sticky.
of course that puts DSF in a hard spot cause they are running the risk of putting their name on some wack shyt depending on who submits and how the voting turns out.

Soundcloud

[legend4ry]

I think the top 3 get a DSF EP faux release is a great idea, it's good promotion for the producers and for the board.
they can all get uploaded to youtube individually with a DSF moving graphic (I'm pretty sure I can have that taken care of)
And you can do Volume 1....etc. for every comp. Available as a free .zip download in a sticky.
of course that puts DSF in a hard spot cause they are running the risk of putting their name on some wack shyt depending on who submits and how the voting turns out.

No one is allowed to use the DSF name apart from Dubway and the Moderators and even us Mods have to ask Dubway if its ok to use it. This is why a production forum label has never worked because we're not allowed any primary affiliation with the board.

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I think the actual sample packs need more ironing out..

I know the whole idea is to mash up samples but theres been like 10 sample packs since the one I won ( like #9 or something) which are utterly poo, no correct chopping (having to re-chop drum samples is just poor sample pack building) lack of clean wave forms (have seen endless distorted wave forms like for subs or saws), lack of anything interesting and clearly catered for a certain audience.

If anything, the winner should make a sample pack of a popular break, a clean wave form, some actual musical samples they haven't flipped before, some layering drums, a vocal hit or two and some ambience/fx. This should be the bare minimum - I think the reason we don't have hundreds of entry's is due to the sample packs..

I think there should be a committee which approves the winners sample pack..

If there is over 12 entries, a community voted panel narrows down the best 8 and then they duke it out.

Other than that;

Vote in thread with at least a line of feedback.

Prize has been bragging rights since day 1 and should stay like that.

[AllNightDayDream]

The lack of any tangible prize is part of the magic of it, I think. It controls how many people are willing to enter, and makes it less of a competition and more of a community round table type thing. I personally hate the idea of submitting tunes for a competition so it can be voted "the best" and getting some "prize" cause you shat out a tune everyone liked. That's why whenever you guys promise a label release or something else, the competitions always get screwed up.

The main focus should be how to get the community talking bout the tunes that stand out for whatever reason, and that's something that's not up to HAACK.

EDIT: If a panel is formed, all the details should be sorted out by the mods. A bunch of bickering in a thread is gonna just muddy that up.

[wub]

If anything, the winner should make a sample pack of a popular break, a clean wave form, some actual musical samples they haven't flipped before, some layering drums, a vocal hit or two and some ambience/fx. This should be the bare minimum - I think the reason we don't have hundreds of entry's is due to the sample packs..

Oh hell, are you going to enjoy the sample pack I've done for the next contest

[tavravlavish]

I think the actual sample packs need more ironing out..

I know the whole idea is to mash up samples but theres been like 10 sample packs since the one I won ( like #9 or something) which are utterly poo, no correct chopping (having to re-chop drum samples is just poor sample pack building) lack of clean wave forms (have seen endless distorted wave forms like for subs or saws), lack of anything interesting and clearly catered for a certain audience.

If anything, the winner should make a sample pack of a popular break, a clean wave form, some actual musical samples they haven't flipped before, some layering drums, a vocal hit or two and some ambience/fx. This should be the bare minimum - I think the reason we don't have hundreds of entry's is due to the sample packs..

I think there should be a committee which approves the winners sample pack..

naaaahhh. If someone wants to make a crazy pack I will take it with open arms, I don't care if it isn't friendly that makes it more fun. I don't think these comps should be about making dance floor hits, or that every pack needs to have the elements catered towards popular electronic dance music. If anything about the pack should be regulated it should be file size. NO HUGE PACKS, keep em small boyz.

[Electric_Head]

naaaahhh. If someone wants to make a crazy pack I will take it with open arms, I don't care if it isn't friendly that makes it more fun. I don't think these comps should be about making dance floor hits, or that every pack needs to have the elements catered towards popular electronic dance music. If anything about the pack should be regulated it should be file size. NO HUGE PACKS, keep em small boyz.

Agreed.
Half of the fun is the experimentation.

[legend4ry]

You lot are no fun .

Lets play with white noise and a 808 snare for the next 4 contests.

[wub]

You lot are no fun .

Lets play with white noise and a 808 snare for the next 4 contests.

I did consider that briefly

[jrisreal]

how about a vocal sample and nothing else? make a song out of a vocal sound

[wub]

how about a vocal sample and nothing else? make a song out of a vocal sound

TBH, we have the VST contest that runs sporadically where the pack consists of a single VST and a single sample (like a drum break or whatever). So I think the more experimental weird shit should be left for the specific contests.

[jrisreal]

how about a vocal sample and nothing else? make a song out of a vocal sound

TBH, we have the VST contest that runs sporadically where the pack consists of a single VST and a single sample (like a drum break or whatever). So I think the more experimental weird shit should be left for the specific contests.

Gotcha. I want to see this competition happen though.

[Electric_Head]

how about a vocal sample and nothing else? make a song out of a vocal sound

TBH, we have the VST contest that runs sporadically where the pack consists of a single VST and a single sample (like a drum break or whatever). So I think the more experimental weird shit should be left for the specific contests.

That`s a very valid point.

[hudson]

how about a vocal sample and nothing else? make a song out of a vocal sound

TBH, we have the VST contest that runs sporadically where the pack consists of a single VST and a single sample (like a drum break or whatever). So I think the more experimental weird shit should be left for the specific contests.

That`s a very valid point.

I think there has been one of these in the short time I've been here... I remember not being able to participate because the VST was windows only or something. I might be thinking of something else, but it was pretty disappointing.

[alphacat]

Not to threadjack, but... the VST contest needs a new organizer. PM me if you're up to the task.


And +1 on smaller packs.