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05-01-2023, 12:24 PM
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#1
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: the Bay
Posts: 701
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reaMIXed: The Reaper Mixing Contest - May 2023 - Four Graham
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This month's track, Four Graham, was chosen by last month's winner Punchipum. It's by Nova-One Studios, and it's squarely in the pop-punk genre. Raw tracks available courtesy of Cambridge Music Technology.
Note: This month we'll be trying to incorporate Tukan plugins (all current versions from ReaPack as of the 1st of the month) into the base installation for the contest, so if you're using plugins from this version of tukan, you don't need to include them in your submission. These are now included in mixcheck.
Non Reaper / Tukan JSFX are still allowed, you just need to include them with your submission.
Please remember:
-NO GLUING OF FILES / RENDERING OF EFFECTS
-ONLY NATIVE REAPER FX -or- non-Native JSFX files that you include with your submission.
It's recommended that you take advantage of the normalization settings in the reaper rendering dialog to meet the LUFS and dBFS requirements by:
1. Normalizing to -14 LUFS.
2. If your mix peaks at or under -1 dBFS, you're done!
3. If your mix peaks over -1 dBFS, rerender it normalizing to -1 dBFS.
MixCheck ( https://reamixed.com/mixcheck/) is still beta, it can help you by analyzing your .rpp files before you upload to:
- Make sure your they don't contain disqualifying audio files
- Make sure your they don't contain disqualifying VST/AU plugins
- See what non-native JSFX files you need to include in your zip file
- See what impulse files you need to include in your zip file
NOTE that Mix Check DOES NOT upload your mix, only checks your project file on your local machine.
Once Mix Check has been tested I may not require you to send in the mixed flacs, just the project files, jsfx and impulses. I'd like to hear your thoughts on that.
You can download the multitrack from the website or clicking on this link.
Happy mixing!
-Daryl
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IMPORTANT
Last edited by darjama; 05-01-2023 at 12:24 PM.
Reason: days of the month
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05-02-2023, 12:50 PM
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#2
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2022
Location: Warsaw
Posts: 37
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Ehh... My mix is a mess, one huge improvisation... How to make a step forward?
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05-02-2023, 12:51 PM
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#3
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Mallorca, Spain
Posts: 234
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Hi, everyone. Here fighting with the drums, especially with the snare 🤦🏻
I have to finish the mix tomorrow because I'm changing my soundcard and I will be some days without any.
Good luck 🤞
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05-02-2023, 12:53 PM
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#4
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Mallorca, Spain
Posts: 234
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bitgo.space
Ehh... My mix is a mess, one huge improvisation... How to make a step forward?
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Do you mean the mix of this song or your mixes in general?
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05-02-2023, 01:05 PM
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#5
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Swiss Zürich
Posts: 813
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Punchipum
Hi, everyone. Here fighting with the drums, especially with the snare 🤦🏻
I have to finish the mix tomorrow because I'm changing my soundcard and I will be some days without any.
Good luck 🤞
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For this snare my tip : JS Waveshaping distortion
Last edited by Wallaby; 05-02-2023 at 01:20 PM.
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05-02-2023, 01:08 PM
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#6
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Mallorca, Spain
Posts: 234
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wallaby
My tip : JS Waveshaping distortion
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I was trying with white noise buy I'll try that 👍
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05-02-2023, 01:40 PM
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#7
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2022
Location: Warsaw
Posts: 37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Punchipum
Do you mean the mix of this song or your mixes in general?
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Are you ready for The Story?
This mix can be an example. I turned off all of the system-wide sound enhancements. I did this just to be sure that I'm hearing what I supposed to, not what I could to hear. (btw, do you do comparisons with and without them?)
And what I hear?
The drum kit sound very bad. Kick drum is a one big swamp. Sounds like some unrecognizable woofing and the cymbals break through (so is on the snare stem).
This woofing is ducking my mix. I'am struggling with separation / shaping of the kick drum sound. As a result, I'm starting to improvise with HPF on all other tracks, just to leave some room for the drums. Then parametric compressors, then parametric EQ's. After few hours of trials and errors (ending with many errors), I can start all over again.
Simmilar sceanario happened also during last competition. Few times.
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05-02-2023, 02:33 PM
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#8
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Mallorca, Spain
Posts: 234
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bitgo.space
Are you ready for The Story?
This mix can be an example. I turned off all of the system-wide sound enhancements. I did this just to be sure that I'm hearing what I supposed to, not what I could to hear. (btw, do you do comparisons with and without them?)
And what I hear?
The drum kit sound very bad. Kick drum is a one big swamp. Sounds like some unrecognizable woofing and the cymbals break through (so is on the snare stem).
This woofing is ducking my mix. I'am struggling with separation / shaping of the kick drum sound. As a result, I'm starting to improvise with HPF on all other tracks, just to leave some room for the drums. Then parametric compressors, then parametric EQ's. After few hours of trials and errors (ending with many errors), I can start all over again.
Simmilar sceanario happened also during last competition. Few times.
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Don't stress, the drums on this song are really problematic 😂
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05-02-2023, 06:04 PM
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#9
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: New, New York
Posts: 221
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Well it is a "Punk" song??
Thanks for the Readme!!!
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05-03-2023, 12:43 AM
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#10
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Jul 2022
Posts: 140
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Wow. Time to learn how to edit drums, I guess.
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05-03-2023, 01:01 AM
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#11
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Feb 2022
Posts: 119
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bitgo.space
Ehh... My mix is a mess, one huge improvisation... How to make a step forward?
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First step: keep it simple, no improvisation, only do what is needed.
1. volume: see how far you can go only using the faders
2. make space for individual instruments using panning and eq (HPF all the tracks to make room for the kick and the bass). I would not overdo eq-ing in this stage...if you need very large boosts or cuts....maybe the problem lies somewhere else...in automation or the need for some compression
3 compression and automation for more precise level balancing
now you should have a somewhat balanced mix and have a good base for the next steps....the more creative work and tonal shaping if needed.
I would advise you to a/b every now and then between the very basic mix you've made with step one and the processing in the next steps.....to make sure you are not overprocessing and undoïng the balance you've made in step 1...that is something that can actualy happen.
Jeroen
Last edited by JerZee; 05-03-2023 at 01:12 AM.
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05-03-2023, 09:15 AM
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#12
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Forest City
Posts: 336
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I hear rather piercing resonances in the lead vocals at about 5.8k and 2k to 2.5k and some more especially when the singer is getting loud.
I tried saturation, volume automation, pre-amp and EQ cuts, but the overall tone is still resonant and harsh - and very tiring for the ears.
edit. I think automation is the key here - Well, obviously more automation, than when I wrote the lines above
Last edited by WaveTrans; 05-08-2023 at 03:40 AM.
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05-03-2023, 11:03 AM
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#13
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Mallorca, Spain
Posts: 234
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I think the worst thing about it is the drum sound, and since we can't use samples I think it's impossible to make the song sound really good..
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05-03-2023, 03:06 PM
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#14
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Feb 2022
Posts: 119
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ok....I just listened to the drumsound.....forget everything I just wrote....a solution for that drum sound goes beyond any rational approach ;-)
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05-03-2023, 08:54 PM
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#15
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Mallorca, Spain
Posts: 234
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I have finished my mix. It will be interesting to listen to all the mixes 👍
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05-04-2023, 01:36 PM
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#16
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Feb 2022
Posts: 119
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Punchipum
I have finished my mix. It will be interesting to listen to all the mixes 👍
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That is fast! Especialy with a mix like this. The interesting thing with tracks that are badly recorded is that it takes lots of work, time, creativity and luck to make it sound right. So I predict that no mix will sound even remotely the same this month :-)
Oh, I just uploaded my feedback on the mix-challenge forum including my feedback on your mix...I thought you would like to know ;-)
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05-04-2023, 11:05 PM
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#17
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: La Raya
Posts: 147
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JerZee
Oh, I just uploaded my feedback on the mix-challenge forum including my feedback on your mix...I thought you would like to know ;-)
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And you nailed it, regarding mine 👍
Very kind of you, huge effort giving feedback for every single mix.
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05-06-2023, 06:30 AM
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#18
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Feb 2022
Posts: 119
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Wow, Punchipum, thank you for your great choice this month. Now that my mix is finaly taking form and I am tackeling the issues I realize what a powerfull kick ass song this is. Very cool. It is a very good band, too bad the recording is of such a low quality. But all the more satisfaction if it finaly starts to sound as it should.
Cheers,
Jeroen
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05-07-2023, 10:44 PM
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#19
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Mallorca, Spain
Posts: 234
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JerZee
Wow, Punchipum, thank you for your great choice this month. Now that my mix is finaly taking form and I am tackeling the issues I realize what a powerfull kick ass song this is. Very cool. It is a very good band, too bad the recording is of such a low quality. But all the more satisfaction if it finaly starts to sound as it should.
Cheers,
Jeroen
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Yep, a great band with a bad recording 🤦🏻
Lucky you if you think you can make this song sound good, I think I can't 😂
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05-10-2023, 01:57 AM
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#20
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Mallorca, Spain
Posts: 234
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So, how is going? 😂
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05-10-2023, 06:54 AM
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#21
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Feb 2022
Posts: 119
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Punchipum
So, how is going? 😂
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Almost ready with the mix!
Did you see my feedback on the mixes on mix-challenge, including yours?
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05-10-2023, 07:29 AM
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#22
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Mallorca, Spain
Posts: 234
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JerZee
Almost ready with the mix!
Did you see my feedback on the mixes on mix-challenge, including yours?
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Oh, yes! Thank you so much!! All feedback helps me to improve 👍
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05-13-2023, 02:00 AM
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#23
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 30
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I thought I'd jump in on this but just wanted to make sure I did things correctly as this is the first time doing ReaMix. I saw someone say no samples. Sometimes I like to mix a one-shot sample into drums, say like on a snare. I actually use stock Reaper plugins when I do. Is this allowed? I saw 3rd party IR's for Reaverb are allowed. Just want to be clear and abide by the rules of the contest.
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05-13-2023, 02:20 AM
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#24
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Mallorca, Spain
Posts: 234
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Quote:
Originally Posted by InvalidInk
I thought I'd jump in on this but just wanted to make sure I did things correctly as this is the first time doing ReaMix. I saw someone say no samples. Sometimes I like to mix a one-shot sample into drums, say like on a snare. I actually use stock Reaper plugins when I do. Is this allowed? I saw 3rd party IR's for Reaverb are allowed. Just want to be clear and abide by the rules of the contest.
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You can't render or change the original files. You can't make a new file. Only external IRs are accepted.
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05-13-2023, 03:20 AM
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#25
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 30
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I use ReaGate and Reasamplomatic5000. I use Reagate to send midi info and it triggers a sample on RS5k (the sampler). I usually blend the sample in with the original tracks.
Is that allowed if I don't glue the samples to the track, but just keep the sampler as an insert on the track; trigger the sample in real-time?
That is how I usually do it anyway. It's all stock Reaper plugins that would transfer to any session that has Reaper installed as long as I also supplied the sample as well.
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05-13-2023, 04:20 AM
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#26
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Mallorca, Spain
Posts: 234
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Quote:
Originally Posted by InvalidInk
I use ReaGate and Reasamplomatic5000. I use Reagate to send midi info and it triggers a sample on RS5k (the sampler). I usually blend the sample in with the original tracks.
Is that allowed if I don't glue the samples to the track, but just keep the sampler as an insert on the track; trigger the sample in real-time?
That is how I usually do it anyway. It's all stock Reaper plugins that would transfer to any session that has Reaper installed as long as I also supplied the sample as well.
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You can't use a sample because you can't use external files except for the IRs 🤷
Last edited by Punchipum; 05-13-2023 at 04:44 AM.
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05-13-2023, 08:03 AM
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#27
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Swiss Zürich
Posts: 813
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ReaSynth
Quote:
Originally Posted by InvalidInk
I use ReaGate and Reasamplomatic5000. I use Reagate to send midi info and it triggers a sample on RS5k (the sampler). I usually blend the sample in with the original tracks.
Is that allowed if I don't glue the samples to the track, but just keep the sampler as an insert on the track; trigger the sample in real-time?
That is how I usually do it anyway. It's all stock Reaper plugins that would transfer to any session that has Reaper installed as long as I also supplied the sample as well.
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Instead of the sampler use ReaSynth and create some sound you wish to add.
The ReaGate Midi output has a Note number you can set to where it fit.
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05-13-2023, 08:27 PM
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#28
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Punchipum
You can't use a sample because you can't use external files except for the IRs 🤷
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Ok gotcha! Thanks for the clarity.
What if I made a one shot from the drum kit from the recording? I swear I'm not trying to be a pain in the ass. Just want to see what is possible.
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05-13-2023, 08:29 PM
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#29
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wallaby
Instead of the sampler use ReaSynth and create some sound you wish to add.
The ReaGate Midi output has a Note number you can set to where it fit.
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hmm interesting idea. Not sure if you could get a decent snare sound, but you certainly could with the kick or maybe even toms with a sine wave. I really like JS Tone Gate for sub kick action. I use it all the time!
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05-13-2023, 10:03 PM
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#30
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Jul 2022
Posts: 140
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Just submitted my mix! I got 4th place last month after doing my mix in under 24 hours (mixed one evening and then touched things up a bit the following afternoon), and I decided I would try my hand again this month with more time to work on my mix.
I was pretty worried when I heard the multitracks that I wasn't going to be able to get a good mix. However, now that I've finished my mix I'm pretty proud of how it came out. I learned how to edit drums (which is something I've never had to do before, because I've mainly worked with MIDI drums in the past), and it made a huge difference. I also did a little bit of editing to the vocals and the guitars to tighten things up. After doing my edits, the rest of the mix pretty much came together in an evening, and since then I've just been finetuning it a tiny amount with fresh ears each day. Today was the first day I didn't hear any obvious need for edits, so I've sent it in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by InvalidInk
Ok gotcha! Thanks for the clarity.
What if I made a one shot from the drum kit from the recording? I swear I'm not trying to be a pain in the ass. Just want to see what is possible.
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That's what I did. I felt that I needed to do that to make things sound reasonable.
One of the checkboxes you agree to says "No additional samples, gluing, or destructive editing was done in the mix."
IMHO it's not using "additional" samples if you're just sampling the original recording. Just make sure your project references the original audio file, so that others can open your project.
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05-13-2023, 11:18 PM
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#31
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Mallorca, Spain
Posts: 234
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Quote:
Originally Posted by InvalidInk
Ok gotcha! Thanks for the clarity.
What if I made a one shot from the drum kit from the recording? I swear I'm not trying to be a pain in the ass. Just want to see what is possible.
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If you can make a one shot without making a new file is ok.
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05-14-2023, 02:57 AM
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#32
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 30
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Awesome thanks for the clarity guys!
@Malandro
Yeah The recording isn't the worst but its not great either. The performances are sloppy imo. I should really edit the audio even though I really don't want to lol.
Hey I guess it wouldn't be a challenge if you just pull up the faders and it sound great right away right?
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05-15-2023, 09:22 AM
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#33
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Mallorca, Spain
Posts: 234
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Now submitted. I'm not so confident this time 🤷
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05-15-2023, 11:38 AM
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#34
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 8
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I've also entered. Good mixes and good luck for everybody.
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05-15-2023, 08:54 PM
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#35
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: May 2022
Location: Long Beach, CA
Posts: 104
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Got mine in! I made some big changes last minute so hopefully I don't regret it.
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05-16-2023, 01:29 AM
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#36
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Forest City
Posts: 336
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I would like to thank Voter 13 for the encouraging words on my mix last month. I haven´t figured out yet who it is, but thanks all the same. Your input is most appreciated.
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05-16-2023, 02:54 AM
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#37
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 52
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Mix submitted !
With those guitar/bass players blasting 8th notes all the times, that was pretty satisfying to play with compression
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05-16-2023, 09:10 PM
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#38
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: May 2022
Location: Long Beach, CA
Posts: 104
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Broken Glass Audio
Got mine in! I made some big changes last minute so hopefully I don't regret it.
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So I listened to my mix today with my last minute revisions and hate it. lol. Note to self, stick with your gut.
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05-22-2023, 01:55 AM
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#39
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Mallorca, Spain
Posts: 234
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Listening to the mixes. Mine isn't the best, but it's not the worst either 😂
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05-22-2023, 11:39 AM
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#40
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Kansas City, MO USA
Posts: 190
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Quote:
Originally Posted by InvalidInk
I thought I'd jump in on this but just wanted to make sure I did things correctly as this is the first time doing ReaMix. I saw someone say no samples. Sometimes I like to mix a one-shot sample into drums, say like on a snare. I actually use stock Reaper plugins when I do. Is this allowed? I saw 3rd party IR's for Reaverb are allowed. Just want to be clear and abide by the rules of the contest.
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I don't know about SOMEBODY, But the RULES state quite clearly there are No Samples...so no you can't do that!
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