SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC076 December 2023 - Winners announced

[VCA-089]

phpBB [media]

WAV | FLAC | MP3

"These colorful lights, an attribute of a really special season where you feel cold and warm at the same time, brings back memories from your childhood..."

One of my recent experiments in making lo-fi chillout music is now put in the right context. I still experiment with those sounds, so you may tell me if there is too much processing.

Instruments & techniques:

1. Drums are stock FL Studio loop slowed down and processed with delays, filters and cassette emulation;
2. Additional percussion comes from "Bucket Pops" vintage rhythm machine emulation from Full Bucket;
3. The main synth parts (bass, bells and unison lead) made with U-He's "Repro-5";
4. The synth arpeggio and noise texture comes from newly released Cherry Audio's "Synthesizer Expander Module";
5. The synth strings are "Oxid" from Full Bucket;
6. The FM bell sound in the outro made with "VirtualCZ";
7. A few samples from free 99Sounds libraries (reversed cymbal and chimes);
8. Eventide's "Blackhole" is used as a main reverb send.
9. All tracks including master processed with Wavesfactory "Cassette" tape emulation.

Technical information

► Show Spoiler

Produced in FL Studio 21

Used plugins:

Generators:

x3 U-He "Repro-5"
x2 Cherry Audio "Synthesizer Expander Module"
x1 Full Bucket "Bucket Pops"
x1 Full Bucket "Oxid"
x1 Plugin Boutique "VirtualCZ"

Native effects:

x2 Balance
x6 Delay 3
x2 Reeverb 2
x1 Love Philter
x1 Wave Candy
x1 dB Meter

VST effects:

x10 TDR & VoS "SlickEQ GE"
x1 Analog Obsession "PreBOX"
x2 D16 "Frontier"
x4 AdHd "Leveling Tool"
x1 Thomas Mundt "LoudMax"
x2 NUSofting "Echobis"
x1 TAL Chorus-LX
x1 Audiothing "Outer Space"
x2 U-He "ColourCopy"
x2 Audiority "Xenoverb"
x1 Eventide "Blackhole"
x10 Wavesfactory "Cassette"

Master chain:

TDR "Nova"
Wavesfactory "Cassette"
TDR "Limiter No6"

Total:

x8 Generators
x53 Effects
x11 MIDI Patterns
x13 Mixer Tracks
x4 Audio Clips
x24 Automation Clips

[Lady Incognita]

"These colorful lights, an attribute of a really special season where you feel cold and warm at the same time, brings back memories from your childhood..."
One of my recent experiments in making lo-fi chillout music is now put in the right context. I still experiment with those sounds, so you may tell me if there is too much processing.

Very lovely textures and spacey instrumental lines. My only suggestion is a personal preference: I'd like to hear the melodic lines (the ones that I think start around 1:30) a little louder, so the ear can latch on to them over the underlying textural/noise layers and through the main lead later on. I wouldn't mind the thicker textural/noise layers dialed down just a tad for the same reason. This was a nice immersive textured soundscape!

[JeroenZuiderwijk]

Hi all,

it's been a while since I last participated in the SWC. I was writing a lot of music lately and the theme this month gave me inspiration for a new track. I wrote this song totally in SunVox, this is an amazing musical tool for creating songs and sounds that I recently discovered. The nice thing about Sunvox is that I am not busy with mixing details. Mostly because mixing in this program is not straightforward....it has no mixer to begin with (so mixing needs some extra work for this track.....). I would recomment everybody to check it out...it's free (unless you use it on an Android system). I really like trackersoftware, it is for me a very fast and intuitive way of writing music. For this months challenge it started with a synth sound I created in SunVox with lots of distorion, delay/echo....as if the sound is clipping...that is intentional, I like that weird broken-down sound. The rest (piano / beat) evolved around it. This is a W.I.P. ....needs some more work.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ahp8xH6KRIfbgwL_Ujt ... 8?e=1ywAO3

Hope you enjoy it.

Cheers,

Jeroen

[colorado weeks]

hi everyone!

here's my (WIP) track for this month's SWC. it's a little ditty called "LEDs." nothing like a little heartbreak for the holidays!

phpBB [media]

download (mp3)

edit: adjusted vocal levels, bumped up drums, added a bit more delay to vocals

lyrics:

► Show Spoiler

verse 1:
pacing the streets
to find the faintest spark of cheer
still searching
traffic light colors
run together through the tears
they're blurry

verse 2:
this neon funk i've been in
will not go away
still hurting
i've not been the same
since you packed up and walked away
was it worth it?

pre-chorus:
to go upstate to start a brand new life
to go upstate with your lovely wife

chorus:
it's sad to see
a million LEDs
couldn't light a path
that leads me back to you
i know i've wandered far
i lost the northern star
these city lights,
they drown my point of view

i don't know what to do
without you

verse 3:
i lost my way
and found myself outside your door
(or was, before)
thought you would stay
i thought that we'd be something more
why was i so sure?

pre-chorus:
you went upstate to start a brand new life
and with your boxes you left me behind

chorus:
it's sad to see
a million LEDs
couldn't light a path
that leads me back to you
i know i've wandered far
i lost the northern star
these city lights,
they drown my point of view

i don't know what to do
without you
yet what you put me through
was so cruel

bridge:
do you really feel conflicted,
or is my pain self-inflicted?
i know just what you'll say
"it's out of love," but anyway,
the situation that we have --
am i the scapegoat or the lamb?
and i don't care if i crossed a line,
this isn't fine

last chorus:
i'm glad to see
a million LEDs
didn't light a path
that led me back to you
and i know by and far
the type of guy you are
no city lights
will drown my point of view

to myself i'll stay true
through and through
it's time to start anew
without you

track information:

► Show Spoiler

DAW: Ableton Live 11

plugins used:

• Scaler 2
• Trackspacer 2.5
• Analog Lab V
• Ableton "Celestial Pad" stock instrument
• Ableton "Music Box Basic" stock instrument
• Addictive Keys
• RC-20
• Ableton Utility stock plugin
• Synthmaster 2
• LD Core Kit (stock Ableton drum rack preset)
• Auto-Tune Artist
• TBTECH Kirchoff-EQ
• Nectar 3
• ValhallaVintageVerb
• ValhallaDelay
• TAL-Chorus-LX
• MetaTune
• LittleRadiator
• Melodyne 5
• Ozone 10

samples used:

• Black Octopus Sounds Leviathan Pack (Lev_Reverse_Crash_12.wav)

hardware used:

• Behringer U-Phoria UMC1820
• dbx 286s
• modded Blue Bluebird

[KukoBass]

... Hope it helps.

I found your comments very helpful.

Here are the changes I made for the final version:

• adjusted the loudness of the toms of the drum

• adjusted the timing and velocity of the horns and the clarinet

• added some more vibrato to the clarinet

• split the horns track in two, one for the melody part and one for the background chords

• made the melody horns a little louder

• added some saturation to all the instruments with the Softube Saturation Knob

[Mister Fox]

A friendly reminder:
Including today, 7 days left to submit your production.

So far, we have 5 entries, and already plenty of interaction. Please keep it up!



If you want to access the extended game mechanics of the Songwriting Competition (asking for feedback during production), please try to release your first edits within the next 3 days to have enough time to get possible feedback (if needed/wanted) and continue to work on your song. Please also remember, vocals are not mandatory -- instrumentals are just as welcome.

And to those sitting on the fence - please don't feel scared off and think "the bar is set too high, I will never make it" - set yourself a shorter private deadline. Just make music, submit your entry, join the conversation. See where this goes.

By joining, you're already a winner. The rest is bonus.

[merci ferdi]

hi everyone!

here's my (WIP) track for this month's SWC. it's a little ditty called "LEDs." nothing like a little heartbreak for the holidays!

phpBB [media]

download (mp3)

lyrics:

► Show Spoiler

verse 1:
pacing the streets
to find the faintest spark of cheer
still searching
traffic light colors
run together through the tears
they're blurry

verse 2:
this neon funk i've been in
will not go away
still hurting
i've not been the same
since you packed up and walked away
was it worth it?

pre-chorus:
to go upstate to start a brand new life
go upstate with your lovely wife

chorus:
it's sad to see
a million LEDs
couldn't light a path
that leads me back to you
i know i've wandered far
i lost the northern star
oh these city lights,
they drown my point of view

i don't know what to do
without you

verse 3:
i lost my way
and found myself outside your door
(or was, before)
thought you would stay
i thought that we'd be something more
why was i so sure?

pre-chorus:
you went upstate to start a brand new life
and with your boxes you left me behind

chorus:
it's sad to see
a million LEDs
couldn't light a path
that leads me back to you
i know i've wandered far
i lost the northern star
oh these city lights,
they drown my point of view

i don't know what to do
without you
yet what you put me through
was so cruel

bridge:
do you really feel conflicted,
or is my pain self-inflicted?
i know just what you'll say
"it's out of love," but anyway,
the situation that we have --
am i your scapegoat or the lamb?
don't care if i crossed a line,
this isn't fine

last chorus:
i'm glad to see
a million LEDs
didn't light a path
that led me back to you
and i know by and far
the type of guy you are
no city lights
will drown my point of view

to myself i'll stay true
through and through
it's time to start anew
without you

track information:

► Show Spoiler

DAW: Ableton Live 11

plugins used:

• Scaler 2
• Trackspacer 2.5
• Analog Lab V
• Ableton "Celestial Pad" stock instrument
• Ableton "Music Box Basic" stock instrument
• Addictive Keys
• RC-20
• Ableton Utility stock plugin
• Synthmaster 2
• LD Core Kit (stock Ableton drum rack preset)
• Auto-Tune Artist
• TBTECH Kirchoff-EQ
• Nectar 3
• ValhallaVintageVerb
• ValhallaDelay
• TAL-Chorus-LX
• MetaTune
• LittleRadiator
• Melodyne 5
• Ozone 10

samples used:

• Black Octopus Sounds Leviathan Pack (Lev_Reverse_Crash_12.wav)

hardware used:

• Behringer U-Phoria UMC1820
• dbx 286s
• modded Blue Bluebird

it's very cool! I really like the atmosphere.
I think the kick and snare are a little too low-key and lack impact; adding a compressor and/or another kick and snare with a lower register could improve things (I like it when the drums hit hard ahah).
you could also add some delay to certain parts of your melody, to add movement
you could also try changing the rhythm of your bass (which works really well as it is) but again, with the aim of adding movement
In any case, the melodies work really well!

[merci ferdi]

hello everyone, I'm new here!
here's what I've done so far:
https://on.soundcloud.com/sM9T8

i'd like to know what you think, do you feel the light through the music even if the lyrics are in french?

i used roland's srx keyboard, rc 20 retro color, valhalla plugins, fabfilter pro c 2 and pro ds, halftime, little alterboy, rx9 mouth de-click and drum sounds from lots of different drumkits.

[JeroenZuiderwijk]

Hello fellow contestants,

this is my entry for this month's competition:



The WAV-version is here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1onMwnk ... drive_link

I was inspired by the picture for the challenge and also by the time of year.
It is a simple but hopefully memorable song. My goal was to write a melody you can easily hum along the day after you heard it.

Now that is cool, a proper Christmas song. I was thinking about that...but decided to go another route. But well done!

[KukoBass]

One of my recent experiments in making lo-fi chillout music is now put in the right context. I still experiment with those sounds, so you may tell me if there is too much processing.

It is a beautiful soundscape. The only thing that feels off for me is the intro, because it sounds like an intro to a different song. I'd think the song would be better starting right off with the part around 0:48.