[COMPO] Synth Programming Exercise

SoundCrafter · June 09, 2007, 18:34:48

Here's the idea: I'm going to give you an abstract statement, and the contestants (which may or may not include me), write a pad/sound to express that statement. I.e. my friend told me to write what it would sound like if "The sun set the sky on fire".

So I opened up Reason, popped open a couple Malstroms and came up with this: http://www.box.net/shared/b5becny00s

Get the idea? it's very abstract.

COMPO BEGINS JUNE 12!

THEME: Write a pad that sounds like "A broken heart"
DEADLINE: July 12th

RULES:

Judging:

Criteria: Entries will be judged based on complexity, expertise, and relation to the subject
Judges: Me.
Prize: Bragging rights!

I'll post one entry, judging-exempt.

Snu · June 10, 2007, 00:39:36

hmm, interesting, sortof a compo for making a pad instead of a song, i like the idea.
ill have to give it some thought

SoundCrafter · June 10, 2007, 22:50:42

oOh...it could be a compo. Didn't even think of it.

I'm going to edit the first post now.

LPChip · June 11, 2007, 07:30:36

Quote from: "SoundCrafter"
Judges: Me, and whoever's interested. I'm extending an invite to LPChip as well as Sam_Zen.

I'm not so sure if its a good idea if I'd be a judge.

Not only do I have little time, I also am not that attracted to this compo because its a bit too abstract for my taste.

Pesho_Zmiata · June 11, 2007, 16:42:17

I'm so totally in!

Its a simple and fun kind of contest all can enjoy... Here's a 5-minutes-of-work sound for the sun setting the sky on fire.

Asharin · June 11, 2007, 17:59:59

a couple of minutes mess around making a preset for the ZebraCM plugin (comes free on the computermusic cover dvd)

Same preset (I called it z0mg-Modplug) in 4 different octaves.
I think it kinda sounds like somethign that might have set the sun on fire

http://z0mg.myzen.co.uk/mp3/ZebraCM.mp3

Pesho_Zmiata · June 11, 2007, 21:49:14

Hey, Asharin, that sound reminds me to try some FM synthesis next time instead of Polivoks:P You got a link to that CMI plugin?

Sam_Zen · June 11, 2007, 23:00:45

Well, I overlooked the invitation until now.
Probably because usually, I don't want to review things made with Reason.
And i have no idea what a pad is.
I will consider this, but chances are little.

2 Pesho_Zmiata
http://y0u-file.narod.ru/PolyvoksStation.zip
Or isn't this what you're looking for ?

Pesho_Zmiata · June 11, 2007, 23:25:49

Quote from: "Sam_Zen"2 Pesho_Zmiata
http://y0u-file.narod.ru/PolyvoksStation.zip
Or isn't this what you're looking for ?

No no, i mean thats the one i used for the sound (and use all the time...)
I wanna try out Asharin's plugin.

SoundCrafter · June 11, 2007, 23:53:37

Ok, SO! Here goes. We're starting the compo as of tommorow. Sam, LP: Perfectly fine if you don't want to judge.

I'm going to edit the first post with some rules, as well as the theme.

@Sam: A pad is just a (usually ambient) layered sound. It's somewhat abstract and often sounds 'big'. Think high attack settings, LFO filter sweeps and the like. Oh and any software, MPT, Reason, Cubase, etc., it all goes.

Sam_Zen · June 12, 2007, 00:18:11

I see. But is a pad per definition a short thing of about some tens of secs ?
My possible contribution is ruled out anyway, because i refuse to make things in mp3.

SoundCrafter · June 12, 2007, 00:30:29

You're a peculiar one, Sam_Zen...haha

I've heard pads anywhere from 1 to 100 seconds long. The interesting about a pad is it's basically a mix of sounds. As a general rule most pads are long, used to create ambience by playing chords.

Sam_Zen · June 12, 2007, 00:46:26

Forgot to say : i use ogg instead of mp3.

If a pad is a short piece with mixed sounds, i already made pads a long time ago without knowing it.

Because then i left the idea, that a sample must consist of a single sound. A sample can be anything.
A snapshot of a movie, with a piece of the music, plus streetnoise and somebody talking.
Or an instrument playing a phrase of six notes. Or drums, bass and percussion playing two bars together.

SoundCrafter · June 12, 2007, 00:57:25

Hmm...meant to include ogg.

Althogh, pads are more meant as instruments...in this case not so much.

Asharin · June 12, 2007, 04:02:43

Quote from: "Pesho_Zmiata"Hey, Asharin, that sound reminds me to try some FM synthesis next time instead of Polivoks:P You got a link to that CMI plugin?

You can get a free version of Zebra on the Computer Music cover DVD, it's slightly restricted over the commercial version, but not by a lot, and its certainly good enough for my liking