I’ve seen a lot of different compos happen with Renoise and other programs that have had some really great results, but I haven’t seen any that focused on not following common standards.
I think it would be kind-of cool to have a compo that has a different set of rules: No 4/4 timing. There must be at least one key change somewhere in each person’s contribution. Each person would be able to contribute 3-10 minutes. Only freeware samples, vsti’s, and vst’s allowed.
sounds nice, but what kinda key changes do you mean?
I think, if we do this, the scope or framework must be kind of strict. At this moment a similar kind of compo is held at the dutch synthesizer forum. The only rule is that it must be in 3/4 measure.
In only one month there are more than 10 pages filled with a discussion of what is 3/4 and what is not. Most tracks are 6/8 and do we except that.
To avoid these kind of discussions, i’d propose to lay down a strict frmawork in which we have to operate. After all, it has to be a nice compo and not a preamble to endless discussions and arguments…
From wot I understand, anything that ISN’T 4/4 would be allowed…
Oh yeah … and wot isn’t 8/8 methinks … ? Or 16/16 ? 4/16 ? 8/16, etc … ?
Been doing some 7/8 and 7/4 tracks to get the whole signature thing under control.
In the end, it’s just fun to experiment with different time signatures so
a compo with that in mind could open whole new worlds for us.
i don’t think it should be strict like that, i think the whole purpose of this compo is to NOT be strict, and to get a bunch of songs that all sound really different and not like anything else ever before done. if they all have to be 3/4 or 7/8 it kinda ruins that freedom. i don’t think there will be any problems/arguments, if somebody submits a 4/4 track or one with no key change(s) it will just be thrown out of the judging
It might start using, for instance, a c major scale and change to a c# major scale and/or a wholetone scale and/or a mixalideon (sp) scale and/or an egyptian scale. It could be changing the key from, let’s say, an A minor and change to an A major, and/or a diminished, and/or an augmented. A key change. Something that requires playing a different scale to fit the chords/background-ambiance. At least one keychange in the contributed material–as many as you want, but at least one.
I wouldn’t want any other constraints put on this.
I will try to put together a web page for this occasion. I have webspace, but I need to look into how I can put an upload option onto a page–like on the websites that host mp3’s. I need to look into the scripting for that sort of thing. If anyone has any good pointers for that, let me know.
Now for a name… The Weird Compo… no… something will come up…
the reason i ask is because out of the 30-50 songs or so i have done over the past 8 years, i think only ONE of them has been non 4/4, and it was 3/4 - not too challenging … so i don’t really want to try anything really scary hard like 7/4 or anything right now, i was thinking 12/8 would be an interesting thing to try since i can actually understand how it works
i was just thinking, if you played 12/8 fast enough, wouldn’t it sound like 4/4 ??
edit: like seriously, you know how a 12/8 blues beat has the kick drum on the 1st beat, and the snare on the 2nd, what if you put a kick drum on all of the beats and sped it up, it would sound just like a 4/4 house beat … but i wouldn’t do that just to technically skirt the requirements of this compo, that would be stupid
If someone did do that, if the smaller rhythms between couldn’t be heard in some way that designate it AS being 12/8, it wouldn’t technically be 12/8–maybe when looking in the sequencer window, but not by ear. If someone did do a kick drum like you mentioned, but there ARE smaller rhythms audibly there that designate it as 12/8, there should be no problem.
For people that don’t know much about alternate timings–
The number on top is the number of beats counted and when the bottom number is a 4, it can be counted slowly and when the bottom number is an 8, the count is quick.
Dave Brubeck–Take Five 5/4
Theme from Mission Impossible 5/4 (the original, not the stupid Limp Bizkit version)
Jethro Tull–I think it’s called “Living in the Past” 5/4
Pink Floyd–Money 7/4
Wendy Carlos–Theme from Tron 7/4
Manheim Steamroller–Fresh Aire III title track (I think it’s the title track) 10/8
Kizzume–Seven Fractalization (on www.kizzume.com ) 7/8
Kizzume–Cry Grey Wolf (on renoise songs) 13/8
Kizzume–This Line of Eve (on www.kizzume.com ) 7/4
un-rar the file at http://www.infraxes.com/12345.rar for an example of 5/4 in renoise, vocals speaking 1,2,3,4,5 with it. If THIS method is helpful, I can do the same for other time signatures.
Here’s another example of a 9/8 song, this is one I did back with MED in 2001 instead of doing a poorly executed vocal take of Blue Rondo ala 123456789.
You can count this song fast in 9/8, or, you can count it slowly in 4/4, but since there’s a 9/8 backbeat, it’s 9/8. It’s entitled “Techscholic”.