Sample Challenge 2020

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Hi All,

you may be familiar with Andrew H’s (of youtube fame) sample challenge. Wouldn’t it be a nice idea to start one here so that people in lockdown can use that as a diversion or just because it is a fun way to explore your musical skills and the gear/software you have?

The rules I’m thinking of are these:

1 - the sample (I have one ready that is quite challenging, but not impossible to make something from) is the only sound that one should hear in the end result, whether in its original condition, filtered, chopped up, transposed, etc. etc. NO other instruments or sounds of other instruments should be audible. The source of all audible sound is the sample.

2 - you get 1 month to complete your track, opus, soundscape, jam or whatever you want to call it

3: all tracks will be published via this forum (send a link to wherever you have stored your masterpiece)

4: entries will be listed as anonymous. The artist’s name will be published after the voting.

5: all posted tracks will be published at the same time after which the voting period starts

6: the voting period is 1 month

7: participants can vote on the tracks, assuming they do not vote on their own.
However you can only vote if you have listened to all tracks.
You can vote on as many tracks you like.

8: apart from the link to the entry participants can send a description explaining what they did to the original sample to get to the musical masterpiece they entered.

The winner will earn everlasting fame during 2020.

@lookmumnocomputer : I’m not sure how we can get an anonymous voting system running on this forum, but I bet this is possible. Any ideas?

Any thoughts? Any changes to the rules?

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Discourse polls:

There’s a “show who voted” setting in the poll builder, and if you turn that off they’re at least somewhat anonymous. Seems admin can query the database, though.

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It appears this post does not get a lot of following. Too bad. Is it too soon (this forum has been in existence for only a few months) because everybody is (still) busy making modules and not ready to make music? Or are participants of this forum more hardware minded and seeking advice for their own builds? Any thought?

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I’m definitely down for a sample challenge, I was just busy with stuff when I saw your post and then forgot about it. Thanks ADHD!

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Well, starting with a sample sort of implies that people have a sample player (or a looper or something similar). And if people work daw-less then they need to have hardware for that, so I started doubting that this was the right group.

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I’m still trying to fit my composition schedule into my theremin tuition. I had an idea for an adaptation of Vivaldi’s Tecum Principium (the version in RV594) the other day (you could call it baroque and roll, I suppose) but it’s still beyond my production capacity. The alto solo would be great on the theremin, and I don’t know whether anybody has ever tackled it before. The underlying chord progression and rhythm of the piece, shorn of its period stylings, could be very fresh. It could be adapted to rap or some other poetic form.

Nevertheless I support this idea and, subject to the success or otherwise of my endeavours elsewhere, I may find myself able to contribute a small something. I’m unclear as to how I would enter, though.

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Im primarily a DAW user and can absolutely work with a sample challenge. Ive just been feeling like shit this past week.

Did i miss when you posted the sample? Additionally, if we are doing voting you shouldnt allow multiple votes unless you just want the voting to be meaningless. I am pretty sure this group would vote for everyone’s if they could. Not even convinced a voting system is strictly necessary. Could be fun though.

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I have not yet posted the sample. I wanted to know whether the voting could be done anonymously. I will try to find out tomorrow.

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I’m interested in this challenge!

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I’m all up for a challenge as well. My proprosition though would be to consider a shorter time frame, like a week. @ChristianBloch already mentioned ADHD, and as I also work with that condition I usually feel that shorter time frames work better to actually get things done :slight_smile:

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Hmm, should this be a challenge with or without voting for the ‘best’ entry?

Consider this:

if we decide on voting, then the voting should be honest and anonymous.
By honest I mean: every person that votes will only vote after listening to all entries.
That sounds logical, but there are sometimes challenges organised where people start voting on the first few entries and do not bother to listen to and therefore not vote for late entries.

By anonymous I mean: entries are anonymous, so that voters can only go for the music, not for the person entering a track, opus, sound scape, jam or whatever

Consider that if we leave out the voting the challenge is still real, because it takes skill and ingenuity to start with the sample I will provide and come up with something musical. Of course with no voting then entries need not be anonymous and the time frame could maybe be less strict.

Any thoughts?

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I’d vote for no voting :slight_smile:

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I’m ok with either, I was just pointing out the futility of allowing multiple votes. I also think a week is good. I don’t want to commit more than that to a simple challenge. This sounds fun, so let’s just set a date/time to start and get ready!

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Ok, I will wait until midnight CET today for other comments / opinions and then post a setup ( and the sample ).

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Thats a good idea and i bet its a lot of fun too.

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A sample challenge would force me to learn how to operate a DAW. So there’s that.

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What DAW you got? I could probably assist.

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Ok people, this is what it is going to be. The Sample Challenge will be without voting. So everybody will be a winner!

Rules: there is only one rule and that says: you can only use the sample !

This means:

You can not add other sounds or use oscillating filters. You may of course cut the sample to pieces and use that to generate a new sound or modulate it with other sounds, transpose it and add reverb or whatever effect you like, but ultimately what we hear may only be the sample or a derivative there of and nothing else.

I hope this makes sense.

The sound sample I would like to propose is taken from nature, you may even have heard it today.

As a compromise between procrastination and ADHD I think a 2 weeks period will be adequate to finish the entry.

Please let me know if there are any problems with downloading the sample or if you have any questions.

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I’m trying out the free version of PreSonus Studio One. My genius son seems to understand it intuitively, but I can’t rely on him being around to hold my hand every time I get stuck.

I’ve previously made half-hearted attempts to do stuff with Reaper and LMMS.

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Welp, low end was a bitch, but here is my song:

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