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Old 09-02-2021, 06:40 AM   #1
darjama
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Default reaMIXed: The Reaper Mixing Contest - September 2021 - Big Dummy Shake

REAPER CONTEST - September 2021
(ONLY REAPER PLUGINS ALLOWED)



OFFICIAL WEBSITE: reaMIXed.com


MIXING: 1-16 September
VOTING: 20-26 September
RESULTS: 28 September
FEEDBACK: 29-30 September



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This month's track, chosen by last month's winner Dex, is "Big Dummy Share" by Moos Music. Moos Music is the songwriting team of Kristen Bishop and Duncan Eeles.

Please remember:

-NO GLUING OF FILES
-ONLY NATIVE REAPER FX -or- non-Native JSFX files that you include with your submission.

Also, I'd recommend taking advantage of the new normalization settings in the reaper rendering dialog to meet the LUFS and dbFS requirements. My suggested workflow would be:

1. Normalize 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.

I'll be adding a Mix Check feature to the website soon. It's not done yet, but I may add it before the contest is over. With it you can check your projects 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 non-native impulse files you need to include in your zip file (or maybe just which tracks have ReaVerb for you to check)

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.

Again, no prize this month, aside from the customary track-picking privileges for the next month's contest.

Happy mixing!
-Daryl

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Last edited by darjama; 09-02-2021 at 06:37 PM.
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Old 09-06-2021, 04:28 AM   #2
westie07
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Hey Daryl, "Mix Check" feature sounds like a great idea. I stuffed up last month and didn't include a JSFX, giving you a bit more work to do, and holding up the competition.

Should make it a little less daunting for new comers like me.

Thanks
rob
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Old 09-08-2021, 12:17 PM   #3
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Hi all,
Such a great initiative, this whole ReaMixed thing is! I'm new to Reaper so this is a great way for me to learn. I've submitted my mix too, hopefully I managed to follow the rules.
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Old 09-09-2021, 09:53 PM   #4
darjama
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Okay, I've added a beta of the Mix Check feature, please test it out and give me some feedback:

https://reamixed.com/mixcheck/

thanks!
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Old 09-10-2021, 05:45 AM   #5
REDTone Studio
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Looking pretty good on the Mix Check.

When I check multiple files it doesn't refresh the first column. It keeps the list of VST's from the previous upload and continues to add to the list.

I assume a good work around would be to just refresh the page, but it seems to work fine for the other columns.
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Old 09-10-2021, 06:36 AM   #6
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Thanks, should be fixed now.
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Old 09-10-2021, 04:11 PM   #7
westie07
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Thanks Daryl, it works a charm.

I gave it a bit of a test and it picked up some VST's that I had purposely included, also picked up some wav files, and asked for a jsfx that is obviously not a standard plug.

I used ReaVerb with a default IR (I think) and it said "No impulse files found" but the text was in green so I guess that is OK.

Great work.

rob
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Old 09-13-2021, 01:37 PM   #8
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oops, mixcheck wasn't checking the master, should be fixed now.
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Old 09-14-2021, 02:56 PM   #9
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The mixcheck didn't work for me. It let me browse for my file (but it wouldn't let me select a zip file), and when I uploaded my .rpp to it, it went immediately to a blank screen.
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Old 09-14-2021, 04:36 PM   #10
darjama
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Dex, thanks for the heads up. I'll see if I can hunt down the bug.

Just to be clear, though, the mix check isn't an upload, it just searches your file for the jsfx and impulses you'll need to upload in your zip file and checks for any audio files or vst's that aren't allowed. I may incorporate it in the upload process at some point in the future, but we're not there yet.
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Old 09-14-2021, 09:15 PM   #11
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Ok, thanks.

I also went through the normal upload process, and I think everything is in order with my submission there this month.
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Old 09-15-2021, 02:02 PM   #12
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ten hours to go, don't forget to get your submissions in!
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Old 09-15-2021, 02:20 PM   #13
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Default Mixcheck: already finished

only 10 hours left. I'm on the last meters ...
Mixcheck works in principal okay.
But: After checking I removed one JS (Saike Stereo Bub III), saved the changes to harddisk and run mixcheck again. Then Saike Stereo Bub was still in the list of used JSFX (but hasn't been within the .rpp file anymore). Only closing my .rpp file by closing Reaper and starting Reaper again had the effect that Saike Stereo Bub III did not show up anymore.
And secondly: I do use JS Event Horizon extensively but it does not show up in the mixcheck list. The same applies for JS Convolution Amp. So, I'm not sure whether these 2 JS are "additional JSFX" or are part of the Reaper base load.
having a checking tool: yeah, great. Good work !!
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Old 09-15-2021, 05:19 PM   #14
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Only 10 hours!!

Man I suck at finishing projects, trying to get that final mix to sound just right.

And then when I'm reasonably happy with it sorting out LUFs and True Peaks, it's really doing my head in. lol.

I'm sure that in the last couple of months I have improved but still got sooo much to learn.

Well, that's enough of a break back to the mix.

rob
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Old 09-15-2021, 05:40 PM   #15
darjama
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See my first post about using the new reaper render options to sort out the LUFS and dBFS. It's not true peak it's just the dBFS peak.
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Old 09-15-2021, 09:01 PM   #16
westie07
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Thanks Daryl, I think I got it sorted.

I think I just beat the deadline for submissions. But I had to remove one of my favourite js plugs and that has screwed up the overall balance of the song. But never mind, it was fun.

rob
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Old 09-17-2021, 02:50 AM   #17
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Oh man, I just missed participating for this one apparently. Pity, I liked the Song. I might compare my mix with the gangs anyway, just to see.
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Old 09-17-2021, 05:09 AM   #18
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Here's hoping that my submission this month was "legal"! I finished it rather quickly compared to other months. I really enjoyed mixing this track. I felt it was a pretty straight forward tune and not all that difficult to mix. We'll see how it fares against the others. Crossing my fingers!

FYI in the JSFX is my edited custom PultecEMU. I edited the Stillwell RBJ 7-band EQ and plugged in some numbers I found posted in these forums to get an approximation of a Pultec EQ. Regardless of if you like my mix or not, feel free to use that if it works for you. No need to give me any credit, I just found some numbers and plugged them into the edit window.

In my opinion it works like a very sterile sounding Pultec-ish EQ. The difference is the hardware emulation which of course it doesn't have with the JS edited effect. My advice there is to use saturation very sparingly in conjunction with each instance of the PultecEMU. When not limited to stock or JS stuff I would add tape emulation which of course we don't have with the JS stuff so far as I know.

For anyone curious as to the WHY of doing this. There is a technique often used in pop music with Pultec into LA2A into a second Pultec called "The Pultec Push-Pull technique". Basically you cut the lows around 60hz and boost the highs around 8-10khz going into the LA2A and go for around 3-6db of gain reduction in the LA2A and then boost back the lows and attenuate the highs roughly the same amount as previous to the compression. The effect of this is that it makes the vocals cut nicely with a very in-your-face sound.
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Old 09-17-2021, 10:48 PM   #19
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Hi Daryl, if possible could you pull my entry for this month.

As usual I left everything to the last minute and I had to change an illegal jsfx and make a substitution which ruined the mix. I only just listened to it again and it is an embarrassment.

If it is any trouble to pull it, leave it in and I will cop the criticism that it deserves. It will teach me a very valuable lesson to get organized earlier. LOL.

Cheers
rob
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Old 09-18-2021, 01:10 AM   #20
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Could you not have just included the jsfx with your submission?

Or is it private or something?
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Old 09-18-2021, 02:09 AM   #21
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Hey Dex, the truth is I couldn't find it.

I had downloaded a several versions of RCInflator from a recent thread (both with and without GUI) and had gotten myself so confused I wasn't sure which one was which. I was smack up against the deadline and panicked a bit and just used the JS Saturation plug instead. It wasn't till I listened to it the next day that I realised how much I had relied on Inflator.

Never-mind, I learnt a good lesson, to be better prepared.

rob.
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Old 09-21-2021, 03:07 PM   #22
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Voting is open: https://reamixed.com/vote

enjoy!
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Old 09-23-2021, 07:47 AM   #23
darjama
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Just a reminder, this is a friendly competition. There's no cash prize.

If you've given everyone the lowest possible score and left no comments your vote will be discarded. Don't try to game the system.

If you haven't given other mixes a score over 2, you may want to reevaluate how you are listening.

Try to listen with an open mind. Just because someone handled something differently than you did doesn't make their mix wrong and yours right.

Over the last year I can tell you that the people who have improved their mixes the most definitely have a more open mindset.
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Old 09-25-2021, 03:56 PM   #24
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8 hours left to vote!
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Old 09-27-2021, 05:38 PM   #25
Dex
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Hey Daryl,

Are the results prepared to be released tomorrow? I'm just curious because the website homepage is still listing the results date for last month's competition.
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Old 09-27-2021, 07:55 PM   #26
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Dex, yes. I have the same issue here. Website showing previous results.
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Old 09-27-2021, 09:03 PM   #27
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The site will update in 3 hours (midnight pacific time) with the results. Good catch though, I hadn't updated one of the dates in the database properly.
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Old 09-28-2021, 09:27 PM   #28
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Congrats to Dex, Grundton and Maskmagog, nicely done!



See https://reamixed.com/results/ for comments and project files
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Old 09-29-2021, 05:45 AM   #29
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Well, this was fun! Congrats Dex, well deserved.
Thank you to everyone that commented, really appreciate you taking the time. Very healthy to get other peoples opinions.
Hopefully I'll find the time to do this again soon. Also interesting to learn the ReaPlugs and JSFX better.
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