This competition has been cancelled due to the fact that there were no entries submitted when the deadline was passed.
Welcome to The Soundical Illusion Competition
This time, its not about musical skills, but audio skills in general.
Let me first explain what I mean with an Soundical Illusion.
What is a Soundical Illusion?
Actually, I made up the word Soundical. I couldn't find a word that is right. Its based on the word optical illusion. An optical illusion, for those that doesn't know it, is a visual image that has a hidden image or somehow just is not possible. An example of an optical Illusion:
(http://www.math.technion.ac.il/~rl/M.C.Escher/2/escher-stair.gif)
A soundical illusion basically is the same, but the "image" now is a waveform.
So, what exactly is the assignment?
The idea is to make any kind of soundical illusion. Make a waveform that forms some kind of illusion, or has a hidden thing in it or something. You'll have to make 2 files. One called entry and one called proof.
The extensions for the entry can only be: .xm, .it, .mp3 or .ogg.
The extensions for the proof can only be: .xm, .it, .mp3, .ogg, and anything that can be locally opened using a browser, including html etc.
Once you've made your soundical illusion and saved it as entry, you'll have to make a proof that tells, shows or otherwise explains why its an illusion. You can use reference to online websites or just explain how to make it happen yourself, but do note that if someone fails to recreate your entry using the proof you've given, you will loose points. If you require to have more than one files, name them entry, entry2, entry3 etc, and proof, proof2, proof3. This doesn't apply to files that are part of a proof.
For example:
proof.htm
image1.jpg
image2.jpg
image3.jpg
In this example only proof.htm will be watched, but as it has the images embedded, its okay.
What are the rules?
* If you use plugins in your modules, also make an mp3, wav or ogg file to accompany your entry or proof.
* You are ofcource allowed to use your entry as part of your proof by giving a reference to it from your proof file. (example: entry.it, and proof.htm saying: see the entry.it on how it was created.)
* Even though it is possible that your entry is self-explainatory, ALWAYS add a proof, even if its just a txt file explaining what you tried to archieve.
* Only use these files: .xm, .it, .ogg, .mp3, .wav and anything your browser can open, like .htm, .txt, .jpg, .png, .gif. (no .php files)
* If you need to point to an online website, make a html or txt page and put the link in there. You are however responsible if the site in question stopped working, and you can loose points for that. To counteract, find multiple sources and give more links.
* Your entry cannot span more than 5 mb zipped.
* Multiple entries per artist are allowed, but requires to be threated as single entries. So if you want to send in 2 entries, I will receive 2 zip files.
Deadline
You might've seen the date already in the topic title. The deadline is set for the 1st of june. Yes, thats right, 2 full months to work on your entry.
I am aware that this challenge requires some thinking and inspiration in a very unusual way, so you'll need the time to get to a good entry. And in case you have a theory, and it failed, you still have enough time to try it for a 2nd time. You must have uploaded your entry prior to this date. If you find that the upload script doesn't allow you anymore to submit your entry, then you're simply too late. Don't complain, cus you've had 2 full months.
Submitting your entry
Its not possible anymore to submit your entry. The compo has been cancelled.
Judging and voting
This time, I want to use a few independend judges. My question therefor is: If you do not want to participate, do you want to be a judge?
If no one volumnteers, I will not submit an entry and be the judge.
Judges will only vote for the best entry. Judges will give extra points for .xm or .it files if present.
Who are the judges?
* xTr1m
* Sam_Zen (maybe?)
* LPChip (maybe?)
and... Maybe you?
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Well, I basically think that I've covered everything here. If you have questions, feel free to ask them. Also if you want to be a judge, please tell me. :)
For once, this compo will be posted over at ctgmusic.com aswell. :)
:) nice!
Two things: You posted this on March 28th, 2 months would be May 28th. But deadline is May 1st. That's more like 1 month...
And I want to be judge :)
Quote from: "xTr1m":) nice!
Two things: You posted this on March 28th, 2 months would be May 28th. But deadline is May 1st. That's more like 1 month...
And I want to be judge :)
You're right... Deadline is going to move to 1st of june :D and I'm glad to have you as a judge :D
Aural Illusion maybe?
This is quite some info and I will read this carefully. First I will need to investigate my definition of an illusion here.
If I refer to LPChip's example of the Escher-drawing with the staircases, I can imagine a soundical equivalent in some pieces of music, where the groundtone seems to rise and rise and rise.
I'm not sure if I will be able to produce a contribution yet, so I offer myself as a judge anyway. If I decide to make a contribution after all, I will withdraw as a judge on time.
Hmmm....sounds interesting...I might be up for it.
Although I can't guarantee anything would be very musical...But I DO have a really cool idea...But my .it would probably just be one sample with a single C-4 note. Would that be alright?
Quote from: "SoundCrafter"Hmmm....sounds interesting...I might be up for it.
Although I can't guarantee anything would be very musical...But I DO have a really cool idea...But my .it would probably just be one sample with a single C-4 note. Would that be alright?
Ofcource. Even if you'd make noise, it would be okay, as long as you have proof that its an illusion ;)
hmmm....
I think I'ma give this a shot....
One month to go :)
Quote from: "xTr1m"One month to go :)
Right... I need to work on the upload script. :)
Crikey! We've got a deadline!
For those that have been creative in the meanwhile, the upload script is ready.
I've updated the 1st post to add the link there, but if you're too lazy to scroll up (hey, I'd be too :D) you can use this one (http://upload.lpchip.com/soundicalillusion/index.php) too! :D
True, I have basically ripped my old upload script from The modplug Compo 2007, but hey, it works! :D
If you have any trouble to upload your entry, feel free to post a message here.
Oh, one more thing, the upload script has a link on the bottom to either upload your entry (which you'll have to use to get it up there) or one to download the entries. This 2nd link is password protected, and is only there so the judges can listen to the entries. :)
I haven't heard anything besides people wanted to give it a go.
How are things going?
Deadline is getting near, and no entries so far.
If I don't get atleast 2 entries before the deadline passed, the compo will be cancelled, unless people tell me that they have an entry.
I've got one...in theory, at least...but I need XLR cables! haha.
If there are no entries on the deadline, I'll turn the compo into a discussion topic :P
I hereby announce that the competition has been cancelled.
There haven't been made any submissions.
That makes me wondering. Was this competition too hard?
Did people had idea's and if they had, what was their idea?
actually, it was too hard for me (i think), i had absolutely NO idea how i should do this ;) :|
Hmm, kind of strange, as I had atleast 4 to 5 different ideas that were possible, so I though people would be able to come up with something.
My idea (which I was going to do this weekend!) (and I also hereby claim all rights over) was a reverse-backmask. It essentially involves recording speech, reversing it, and writing out a "script" of what the backwards speech sounds like. Then you rerecord while reading the script, reverse THAT, and there's your entry.
Oh! Nice :)
It isn't exactly what I was referring to as soundical illusion, but its a clever trick.
The idea of a soundical illusion is presenting something, where you can find something else if you know what to look for, or present something that sounds theoretically impossible.
I had some idea's too.
The infinite toneladder has been mentioned before as conversion of the infinite staircase.
Next its also possible to make notes/noise and put it in such way, that if you play it while using a spectral analysis, you'll see an image pop up. Like a smily or a face or whatever.
Another idea I had was to make a very static 4/4 beat, and use a special techique to make it transform into a 3/4 beat, which sounds technically impossible becaues you either need a fill or fade technique, which could make the beats sound overlap getting a mess. But using clever tricks you can layer them over eachother and carefully apply tweaks to make it go from one to the other.
Another idea I had was by finding a vocal sample, and use somekind of technique to seperate it in different layers that would not make you recognise that they're vocals. Then you make a song with each of them playing seperatelly, and then at some point, make them slowly blend togehter so you suddenly hear the voice that initially was recorded.
I had more ideas but I can't think of them at this moment.
Do you guys have more ideas? maybe even thinking of them now after reading mine?
I see that the ideas now coming are about the soundmaterial, in what I would call 'technical compositions'.
But this wasn't the hard part for me. I also have ideas and material.
The hard part for me was the fact that I had to deliver 'proof', and I just was puzzled with the concept, and couldn't
figure out what to do with it.
damn, LP...those are some fantastic ideas.
Well the only reason mine would be impossible is because, for whatever reason, when I attempt a reverse backmask, I sound asian. Haha.
I could see the infinite toneladder easily...particularly with an organ sound. You might be able to switch octaves without anyone noticing ;-)
And the spectral analysis one is awesome...would've been a bitch to program, though.
And have you ever heard of BeatMorpher? It's a VST that makes a smooth transition between two different drum patterns. Not sure about time signatures, tho.
Thanks, SoundCrafter !
This BeatMorpher looks promising, but (OT) in my search for a DL I also found a page with other freeware VST's :
http://www.freesoundeditor.com/incagen.html?VSTSynth.htm~main
No prob, Sam! Glad I can be of assistance...I'll have to check that link out. You should add it to the sticky.
Oh...I'm reminded of another idea...with Vocals. Which I'm ALSO claming all rights over, lol. This is explicit...at least it was originally. My friend had written a parody of Cascada's "Everytime We Touch" called "Everytime We F***"...and so I got the idea to get an acapella, find all the syllables needed, and then pitch-shift so you've got someone's voice saying a word they may never have said before...of course it only exists in theory...I have yet to actually do it.