Recording Review Contest Ideas?

[rexde]

Comrades,

I am kind of partial to the idea of trying to let someone with more need win the prize. (Disclaimer: I think I’m kind of middle-of-the-pack on this scale, I’m not poor, but my setup is far from some of what I’ve seen on this site.) Although, I am sure it is impossible to determine that, I think maybe you could do some things to limit "unfair" advantages.
I would suggest some kind of “limits”. Something like submissions must be less than two minutes, maximum of three tracks, and everybody does their own interpretation of the same song. Something simple and well-known, like maybe, oh… The Internationale. This way, creativity and talent should dominate. This also puts the focus on the entire recording/production phase, not just mixing, and not at all on composition. You could also be penalized for excessive use of effects (obviously, a judgment call).
I think the idea of everybody starting with the same raw tracks and mixing their own entry, will end up being counter productive. While it might be fun to participate in creating your own entry, I think you’ll quickly lose interest in other people’s entries. How many different mixes of the same tracks can you listen to? I think that would drive Brandon crazy(er).
If you wanted more variety, you could open it up to any public domain song, or some limited list of songs. This would still eliminate songwriting from the contest.
Anyhoo, just my two rubles.

[thesilentdrummer]

I disagree. I think that there are some many different things that you can do with a mix. Have you ever revisited a mix a couple weeks after you started it?? Even one person could come up with dozens of different mixes. I think it would be surprising and interesting to do this contest.

[TLTD]

I think the contest should be a demonstration which is carefully explained and whoever creates the most useful sort of tutorial on how to sound like a million dollars on a small budget wins. A video would be nice to actually see someone point out the key parts of what they have done. A voice track explaining the goal and how they achieved it would be nice too.
With this in mind, it wouldn't be as much about who can get the best metal guitar crunch and impress everyone here but who best carried out the concept of what THEY wanted.
I don't think there are going to be posts from people that already have what they need because they understand the "prize" and have a conscience. But who knows.

[brandondrury]

How many different mixes of the same tracks can you listen to? I think that would drive Brandon crazy(er).

Is that possible?

[magno]

Hey Brandon, if the big dealio falls through with the big sponsor boys you should give away your old delta1010.
Not that you should take in to account that that's what I plan on getting in the future to increase my track count...but you could probably write it off on your taxes too!!!

[Ibanez_shredder]

any updates as to when this things gonna go down?

[brandondrury]

I was supposed to have a talk with the rep today. She was moving or something. I never got an email so I just emailed her.

I've been getting torn between 4 different recording projects, all the stuff going on at Recording Review, keeping up with all the damn forum posts (which have been in very high quantity lately!), and trying to finish my damn recording book I wanted finished 6 months ago. AAHHHH!!! ha ha

When I get this stupid recording book finished, I really hope to kick RecordingReview.com in the butt with all kinds of cool contests and such. Until then...I'm just trying to stay above water.

Brandon

[craw]

Fantastic Brandon. Although being a newbie here,( and even though i've recorded loads of songs) I believe that if I were to even be in with a chance i would have to be researching, researching, researching (i include experimenting in researching). Now isn't that what it's about for people like me? Gaining knowledge? What a fantastic idea. And to be in with a chance of winning something, which 1, i cannot afford and 2, if i did own would help slow down the onset of recording induced insanity.

I also agree, that you have to have some level of control(constants). However, I cannot see how a competition based on mixing/recording can be workable and fairly adjudicated. Limiting resources and or creativity to allow low lifes like me to be able to enter, surely blows the entire ship out of the water, and goes against the entire ethos of the site.

I really don't know what the answer is. I can see you want to do something exciting for the site. And don't get me wrong a competition is a great idea, but one based on mixing etc is going to be your maaaaassssive headache dude.

cheers
craw

[brandondrury]

I believe that if I were to even be in with a chance i would have to be researching, researching, researching (i include experimenting in researching). Now isn't that what it's about for people like me? Gaining knowledge?

Yes, but you have it backwards. You should be recording, recording, recording, and then researching.

A mixing contest with already recorded tracks allows you to have a standard to go by. It's easy for you to ask "How did you do this?" and "why did mine sound like this?". So in that regard it's probably the best lesson ever.

With a handful of exceptions, the people that are giving extremely specific advice in regard to techniques usually don't have a clue what they are talking about. I almost entirely write about concepts specifically because you learn nothing when I say "set a compressors attack to 5ms" which is the same thing as saying "use this preset". So I think that getting your hands dirty is always the best way to learn audio recording.

The other way to really learn is to have a real person showing you in person.

Having the right concepts illustrated to you puts you in a position where you avoid certain pitfalls, understand exactly what you are trying to achieve, etc but they don't make you a good audio engineering necessarily. They just make the getting your hands dirty part more effective.

Brandon

[craw]

totally agree, but by reaserching i was meaning recording.