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Libre Music Challenge #17: Surge XT
Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 1:19 pm
by nyxeles
Welcome to the Libre Music Challenge #17, for the month of April 2023.
This is a friendly contest where we make music with free (libre) software exclusively. Everyone is welcome to join, at any skill level.
This is a place for learning and sharing knowledge, and an opportunity to explore creativity through limitation.
But most importantly, we just hope it inspires you to make some music!
The challenge for this month is to make a track using only one synthesizer: Surge XT.
You can obtain it for free from here: https://surge-synth-team.org/surge/
All sounds must be created with this synthesizer. You can use as many instances of the synth as you like, and you're allowed to use all of its features, including the built-in presets. Samples are not allowed.
You are allowed to use any DAW and any effect plugin, as long as everything is free software, as per the rules.
Happy music making!
Rules below.
I and many of us hang out on unfa's Rocket.Chat / Discord server. Come join us on #libre-music-challenge at https://chat.unfa.xyz/.
Submissions
https://archive.org/details/libre-music-challenge-17
Results
Code: Select all
1. A-Lin - Huscendance - 15
2. MyLoFy - Tubawub Brolka - 13
3. sg75 - Locrian Surgeon - 11
3. nyx eles - Dancing In The Dark - 11
Re: Libre Music Challenge #17: Surge XT
Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 1:20 pm
by nyxeles
Rules
General
- The challenge starts on the 1st of each month and runs for the entire length of the month.
- All submissions must be made with free (libre) software only. This includes the DAW and all plugins. A non-free operating system is allowed.
- Submissions must be original work produced specifically for this contest. No covers, remakes, or remixes of existing work.
- There is no track length limit.
- Collaborations are allowed.
- We might request project files to ensure that the track complies with the rules. Failure to provide this will result in disqualification.
Submission
- You must submit your entry before the end of the month.
- When submitting an entry you agree that your song will be made available under the CC-BY-SA license.
You can publish your song under a different license if you like, but CC-BY-SA is the license that we will apply to your song once it's in the archive of the challenge.
- You must announce your submission in this forum thread, providing a link to your song.
You must also include a short description of how it was made. Specifically, list all of the software and plugins that you have used.
- You can upload your track anywhere you like. However, you must in any case provide access to the song audio file. This is so that we can store the tracks into our archive.
- Publishing your project files is not mandatory but encouraged, in the spirit of learning and sharing knowledge with each other.
- You can keep working on your submitted track until the challenge is over. Only the final version will be considered for voting.
Voting
- Voting runs from the 1st to the 15th of the month following the end of the challenge. Failure to vote in time will result in disqualification.
- Voting is done by giving all submissions a score from 1 to 5 (where 5 is best). You don't vote on your own submission.
- All participants are required to vote on ALL of the other tracks. Not doing so will result in disqualification.
- The submission with the most points is the winner.
- There is no prize other than eternal glory.
- All submissions will be stored on archive.org and freely available under a CC-BY-SA license.
Re: Libre Music Challenge #17: Surge XT
Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2023 9:03 pm
by bsg75
@nyxeles
May we use SurgeXT presets?
I try my best, but making every sound from scratch may be too hard and too time consuming at the time.
Re: Libre Music Challenge #17: Surge XT
Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2023 9:21 pm
by nyxeles
Hey @bsg75, of course! Built-in presets are absolutely fine.
(I've now added this clarification to the first post too)
Re: Libre Music Challenge #17: Surge XT
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 7:54 am
by bsg75
That's great!
The presets in SurgeXT are among the best compared to the other open source synths.
Can be a great starting point and should lower the threshold for participation in this friendly challenge 
Re: Libre Music Challenge #17: Surge XT
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 10:21 am
by nyxeles
Absolutely! Especially the effects presets I think are super useful. I don't think I've seen effects presets in other synths and I think it's a brilliant feature!
Re: Libre Music Challenge #17: Surge XT
Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2023 7:13 am
by asublin
Here's my contribution
https://soundcloud.com/asublin/huscenda ... 82dfffac24
Software used:
- Ardour
- Surge XT
- DragonFly Reverb
- Calf Vintage Delay
Enjoy.
Re: Libre Music Challenge #17: Surge XT
Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2023 8:30 am
by nyxeles
@asublin nabbing first submission, nice! :D
The soundcloud track is not accessible at the moment. Did you maybe leave it as private?
Re: Libre Music Challenge #17: Surge XT
Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2023 12:19 pm
by asublin
Thanks nyxeles, I have corrected the link and pasted it below as well
https://soundcloud.com/asublin/huscenda ... 82dfffac24
Re: Libre Music Challenge #17: Surge XT
Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2023 6:19 pm
by MyLoFy
Is it Brostep? Is it Polka? No! It is Brolka!
My submission for LMC 17, all patches and tubawubs created from init in SurgeXT.
https://soundcloud.com/mylofymusic/tubawub-brolka
Here is the Ardour project, install the plugins listed below for the full Brolka experience:
https://mark.nl.tab.digital/s/Z6RFqNRdYoYSg4w
DAW: Ardour 7.4 on Archlinux
Plugins used in this session, all free and open source:
Code: Select all
CNT | TYPE | NAME
1 * LV2 clean-machine (by amalgamatedsignals)
3 * LV2 ZaMultiCompX2 (by Damien Zammit)
1 * VST2 Slew2 (by airwindows)
1 * LV2 LSP Compressor Stereo (by LSP LV2)
2 * VST2 Galactic (by airwindows)
13 * LV2 LSP Multiband Dynamic Processor Stereo x8 (by LSP LV2)
2 * LV2 MIDI Strum (by Robin Gareus)
5 * LV2 ACE Compressor (stereo) (by Ardour Community)
2 * LV2 Wolf Spectrum (by Patrick Desaulniers)
6 * LV2 Dragonfly Hall Reverb (by Michael Willis and Rob vd Berg)
37 * LV2 Surge XT (by Surge Synth Team)
1 * LV2 LSP Gate Stereo (by LSP LV2)
1 * LV2 Calf Vintage Delay (by Calf Studio Gear)
16 * LV2 LSP Parametric Equalizer x16 Stereo (by LSP LV2)
1 * LV2 Calf Analyzer (by Calf Studio Gear)
1 * LV2 PeakEater (by T-Audio)
1 * LV2 EBU R128 Meter (by Robin Gareus)
1 * LV2 DR-14 - Crest Factor Loudness Range Meter (Stereo) (by Robin Gareus)
1 * VST2 MultiBandDistortion (by airwindows)
1 * VST2 Monitoring (by airwindows)
3 * VST2 ToTape5 (by airwindows)
1 * VST2 ReFine (by Lkjb)
1 * LV2 x42-dpl - Digital Peak Limiter Stereo (by Robin Gareus)
Re: Libre Music Challenge #17: Surge XT
Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2023 8:22 pm
by bsg75
Fellow contestants,
here is my contribution for #LMC17.
https://soundcloud.com/sg75_2/locrian-surgeon
Four of the eleven SurgeXT patches are created from scratch.
I knew before, how great SurgeXT was. Now I know its awesome 
The waveshaper and the voice synth just rule
Sorry, to bother your all again with the Locrian mode. I am a little obsessed with. 
This time I tried hard to make it work using repetition ...
Here is the Ardour session:
https://sonnengesicht.de/sg75_-_Locrian ... on-archive
Code: Select all
CNT | TYPE | NAME
1 * LV2 x42-dpl - Digital Peak Limiter Stereo (by Robin Gareus)
3 * Lua ACE Amplifier (by Ardour Community)
1 * VST2 Galactic (by airwindows)
1 * LV2 DR-14 - Crest Factor Loudness Range Meter (Stereo) (by Robin Gareus)
9 * LV2 LSP Parametric Equalizer x16 Stereo (by LSP LV2)
1 * LV2 Calf Analyzer (by Calf Studio Gear)
1 * LV2 Calf Vintage Delay (by Calf Studio Gear)
1 * LV2 Luftikus (by Lkjb)
1 * VST2 GlitchShifter (by airwindows)
3 * LV2 LSP Sidechain Compressor Stereo (by LSP LV2)
11 * LV2 Surge XT (by Surge Synth Team)
3 * LV2 LSP Compressor Stereo (by LSP LV2)
1 * LV2 Dragonfly Plate Reverb (by Michael Willis)
1 * VST2 ToTape5 (by airwindows)
1 * LV2 LUFS Meter (by Klangfreund)
1 * LV2 Tal-Dub-3 (by TAL-Togu Audio Line)
Re: Libre Music Challenge #17: Surge XT
Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2023 9:22 pm
by nyxeles
Here's my submission:
https://soundcloud.com/nyxeles/dancing-in-the-dark
This track was made in Ardour 7.3 on Linux.
Plugins used:
Code: Select all
CNT | TYPE | NAME
1 * LV2 x42-comp - Dynamic Compressor Stereo (by Robin Gareus)
1 * LV2 Dragonfly Hall Reverb (by Michael Willis and Rob vd Berg)
1 * VST2 ToTape5 (by airwindows)
7 * Lua ACE Amplifier (by Ardour Community)
1 * LV2 x42-dpl - Digital Peak Limiter Stereo (by Robin Gareus)
1 * LV2 Luftikus (by Lkjb)
2 * VST3 LibreArp (by The LibreArp contributors)
2 * LV2 ACE Compressor (stereo) (by Ardour Community)
5 * LV2 LSP Parametric Equalizer x16 Stereo (by LSP LV2)
13 * LV2 Surge XT (by Surge Synth Team)
Ardour project:
Re: Libre Music Challenge #17: Surge XT
Posted: Mon May 01, 2023 5:54 pm
by asublin
Here's my voting.
Code: Select all
+-------------+--------------------+--------------------+---------+
|Author |Title |Feedback |Score |
+-------------+--------------------+--------------------+---------+
|nyxeles |Dancing In The Dark |Nice melodies though|4 |
| | |could probably be | |
| | |richer; nice | |
| | |arpegios; nice synth| |
| | |soundspace though | |
| | |could probably | |
| | |benefit from more | |
| | |variations such as | |
| | |vibratos and other | |
| | |effects; Great | |
| | |musicality overall | |
+-------------+--------------------+--------------------+---------+
|bsg75 |Locrian Surgeon |Nice use of the |3 |
| | |voice synthesizer; | |
| | |the synth in | |
| | |mid-range is a bit | |
| | |too monotone; the | |
| | |string however is | |
| | |nice and well | |
| | |balanced; around | |
| | |1:30 when the | |
| | |arpegio enters the | |
| | |soundscape it is a | |
| | |bit messy | |
+-------------+--------------------+--------------------+---------+
|MyLoFy |Tubawub Brolka |Excellent |5 |
| | |realization; the | |
| | |beginning and the | |
| | |end are reminiscent | |
| | |in the nicest | |
| | |possible way of the | |
| | |soundtrack of the | |
| | |Unreal game; the | |
| | |"polka" part is fun | |
| | |eventhough it is not| |
| | |my type of music; | |
| | |the various melodic | |
| | |lines and sound | |
| | |effects are | |
| | |perfectly interlaced| |
+-------------+--------------------+--------------------+---------+
Re: Libre Music Challenge #17: Surge XT
Posted: Mon May 01, 2023 8:39 pm
by nyxeles
Archive upload with convenient playlist for listening:
https://archive.org/details/libre-music-challenge-17
Voting is on!
Re: Libre Music Challenge #17: Surge XT
Posted: Mon May 01, 2023 9:16 pm
by bsg75
Thanks @nyxeles
Some more thought on the voting as done in previous LMCs.
Please correct me, if this round has other rules.
Everyone here is allowed to vote.
The grades range from 0 to 5 with 5 being the best.
Providing feedback is considered nice but it is not mandatory!