Tune Contest - Oct. 27 to Nov. 2

[Gregjazz]

Hi,

So here's the rules for this week's contest:

Make a song (or cover of a song) that sounds as realistic as possible without using any live instruments.

By "realistic", I mean that the instruments in your songs should sound like they were preformed by real players. For example, if you have a guitar in your song, you could add a few fret noises to make it sound more realistic. You get the idea.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Good luck!

[brady_ef]

I think it might be a good idea to limit the format of the song being submittied, becuase someone might have access to very professional equipment where the samples may sound like real instruments and just upload a .wav file.



maybe only allow .mid submissions?

[EldKatt]

This shall be very very fun indeed. Though, brady_ef asked a very good question here. Shall we make them midi-realistic or sample-realistic?

[Trapezoid]

Why limit it to MIDI? It's too subjective. I might make something that sounds incredibly realistic on my soundcard, but not on Geoffkhan's.

[Ben]

You could limit the file size of the samples. For example, you can't exceed a total of 2 mb..

Also, what counts as a live instrument? Obviously that includes acoustic (or non-synth) instruments you record yourself, but what about instruments you sample from something that's already been recorded?

[loominous]

How about recorded midi? That is, crappy soundcard midi, that s recorded.

Since there s a hugh difference in the equipment people have access to this seems to be the way that would be most fair.

[Gregjazz]

Ben: It has to be sampled from one-shot samples. (I.E. You can't have use a soundfont called "Sick Guitar Riffs in Eb maj")

You can use acoustic instruments (I.E. violin), or electric instruments (I.E. electric guitar). You probably don't want to use any analog synthesizer sounds.

You know what, I don't want to limit it to midi. As Trapezoid says, it could sound pretty unrealistic on other people's soundcards. Use anything you want. I'm not looking for high-quality, either. I find that you can have amazing samples and still sound unrealistic. It takes skill to make it sound real.

I want to be able to close my eyes and see that drummer nodding his head with a smile on his face, tapping those drums. I want to see the string bass player walking up the strings with his fingers, slapping them with his other hand. I want to see the pianist with a look of determination, hammering out jazzy voicings with his left hand, while ripping on a killer solo. It's alive.

By the way, I won't be prejudiced against certain genres. I won't give you any more points for making a jazz tune than a polka tune.

The one thing I ask everybody is to keep their entries under or around 1-2 megs. I don't have time to download a ten-minute song. I won't judge on the length of your song, either. (I won't say, "Your song was great, but it was too short")

I'll have you know that I have very little equipment, and most of the stuff I use is free. I don't find that that limits my ability to create realistic music.

Just have fun!

[brady_ef]

Ok so no live instruments then?


Ok i guess i cant sample the realisitc sound of banging my head with a frying pan over how hard this is going to be.



hmmm

[Gregjazz]

I'm not sure you understand me... You can sample instruments and stuff, you just can't record anything live. For instance, you can't whip out your trusty 6-string acoustic guitar and jam out a few chords into the microphone, add some drums, save it as an MP3, and submit it into the contest.

What you can do is use synthesizers, soundfonts, gigafonts, or whatever, and recreate what would seem to be live players performing.

[Trapezoid]

Well, who cares. I got my entry:

Yellowfish

Enjoy!

[remixor]

hmm.... I think I'll have to sit this one out.  I know absolutely nothing about sampling, or soundfonts, or anything.  If I want to make a MIDI, I open up Sibelius and type in the notes.  If I want to make anything else, I plug in and record.  

Sounds interesting, but definitely too complicated for me.

[EldKatt]

If I want to make a MIDI, I open up Sibelius and type in the notes.

I'm going to do that, and record it with good soundfonts. Well, it's worth a try.

[Ben]

I like Trap's entry. It sounds like the demo song on my Casio keyboard.

[Gregjazz]

Nice job, Trapezoid. I was boogie-ing all through the song.

[A]

||: Am  |  D7  |  G  |  Emin7 :||



||: F (#11) |  %  |  Amin9  |   %   :||

[remixor]

So how exactly do soundfonts work?  Or if not exactly, how about generally?

[Gregjazz]

A soundfont basically is a file that contains samples of instruments that can be used in a sequencer (like Cakewalk).

You can use soundfonts without buying additional software or soundcards, etc., by using MegaFont, a free soundfont controller.

Soundfonts are like "virtual instruments" that are stored on your computer's harddrive.

[m0ds]

LoL. Well, at least you've got one entry

I think we need to be careful with this competition in the future, because some of us just can't do what you're asking.

Still, here's something I made thats kind of what you're asking. I'm afraid its 3mb to download because its a full track for Urban Joe;

http://screen7.adventuredevelopers.com/fun/ujoey.mp3


m0ds

[loominous]

Simple arrangement n melody. Will most likely update with a more elaborate arrangement.

Btw, it s supposed to be played very softly (~p) so dont turn up the volume too much.

Entry_~500kb

[Ghormak]

I'm going to do like mods and submit a tune I made some time ago for another purpose (it's an "unreleased" tune anyway, so I don't really consider it cheating ). I sort of tried to make it sound as realistic as possible when I made it, but there are quite a few things I'd like to go back and change when I listen to it today. Too bad I don't have the original .IT file anymore.

~2.3mb

http://www.agagames.com/ghormak/minstrel.mp3

[PureGhostGR]

I don't know much about music..

but Ghormak that is one delicious little piece of music..

[EldKatt]

I'm most certainly in, and, as I haven't had the opportunity to start until now... hopefully I'll be done tomorrow.  

[Gregjazz]

Don't worry, I'll give you a little extra time if needed.

[Ben]

Here's my last-minute entry.

Poogoblins

[Gregjazz]

Should I wait another day before declaring a winner? Do you think you will have your entry done by then, EldKatt?

[Migs]

I was going to make an entry, but I ran out of time before I could even start one.  :'(

[m0ds]

Right, I think all entries should be in by the end of today so Geoffkhan can pronounce a winner tomorrow

m0ds

[Gregjazz]

Quite right, Mods. It's already the 5th!

The winner is... Mods!

I will give details on the songs:

Ghormak: It sounds pretty realistic, but the percussion instruments are far to repetitive. Live players vary their beats more.

Mods: That's an awesome brass section you got there. Very realistically done with the brass swells. I realize that this is soundtrack music, but it would be cooler if you developed the beat more. You could bring in heavier techno kicks and mix an acoustic kit with the synthesized one.

Trapezoid: Let me tell you, you were SO close to winning the contest. I love how you skip an eighth note in the intro. I think you were on the right track with that bassline. You should add more fret noises and stuff like that. Sometimes you just have to play the real instruments to understand how all their imperfections sound. I suggest a trip to your local music store/guitar center.

Ben: What a snare roll! I am still in shock. You have a nice theme going there,  but that's not what this contest is about.

Loominous: Well, it sounds fine, but it sounds like you just used plain instruments. Not enough emotion.

I hope you all weren't overly offended by my criticisms.

[Trapezoid]

Congrats m0ds.

Ghormak: I'm not sure what you mean by the eigth note in the intro... As for bass frets and stuff, I would've, but I don't really have any good bass fret samples. Oh well.
If anyone's interested in listening to what I've done with my song, here's the MP3. Other than my voice, it's still completely programmed.

[m0ds]

Woo Thanks Geoff, ta Trap. I'll come up with a new tune contest today or tomorrow. I thought all the entries were good. Better than mine, especially. LOL.

m0ds

[Gregjazz]

Why I chose Mods was because of that brass section. If it had not been there, Trapezoid, you would've won.

What I mean by the "skipping an eighth note in the intro" was because the fourth bar of your song is in 7/8 time -- leading into the A section.

I will download the improved song. I have been thinking of trying to sequence it myself. I'll even dust off my bass guitar. Then you'll be able to hear the real fret noises and stuff!

I was working on a Soundfont called "Gig Bass", and I sampled every other fret with my index, middle finger, vibrato, and hammer on. I also sampled the release noises. It took two days to sample the first two strings, and already it takes up like 84 megs! You can guess why I stopped working on that project.

Maybe sometime when someone is willing to host my soundfont site (hint, hint), I'll make realistic soundfonts of my bass and stuff.

It's too bad Bjorn Lynne took his soundfonts off his site. He had some great bass fret noises.