| rhyeking 13.11.2011 02:11 |
Just curious. |
| mooghead 13.11.2011 03:13 |
I would but I know for a fact the end result would be nothing like what is in my head. Plus the only sound editing software I have is Audacity which isnt really very good |
| PiotreQ 13.11.2011 03:30 |
I am :-) |
| Daniel vZ 13.11.2011 07:31 |
I am too. But it's a difficult song to remix. |
| Kacio 13.11.2011 08:53 |
yeah ;D I am too ;) |
| A Word In Your Ear 13.11.2011 09:50 |
I was going to, but don't think I'll bother now that 2 of the masters "Daniel Vz" & "PiotreQ" are entering. Look forward to your mixes + "Lord Fickle" might come out of mixing retirement and do a mix :-) already had a tinker (work in progress, but not entering) Don't Stop me Now (word mix -work in progress) http://www.mediafire.com/?4ijeh8dgsa1l4p5 thoughts would be welcome. |
| rhyeking 13.11.2011 09:56 |
To answer my own question, I am as well. Or at least I'm trying remix it and as pointed out above, it's not an easy song to work with. There aren't that many layers to play with and what is there is fairly minimalist. It works for the finished regular mix, because it's so tightly wound, but taking it apart and putting back together to try to get something different is a challenge. And yes, I'm working with audacity at the moment, which is like trying to paint with a bowling pin when it comes to delicate editing. I'm plowing through and will share my results here for criticism. |
| PiotreQ 13.11.2011 10:18 |
I am not surprised they give us DSMN and not some other song to remix - it's quite difficult to create something really special. However I am almost done but will hold on for a while as still some ideas are arriving daily lol |
| rhyeking 13.11.2011 10:43 |
I'm fine-tuning a mix I did yesterday and may even do another. I have a few ideas. I don't think there was a limit to how many mixes one can submit, was there? I can also see why they said we could only use these original tracks for the mix, since it prevents a thousand generic dance/techno mixes with the lead and backing vocals just laid over them. As well, there are no copyright issues with sampling, say, an orchestrated version of the song. |
| PiotreQ 13.11.2011 10:59 |
It's impossible to submit more than one remix as when you click the submit button there is no option to do it again. The only way is to set up another account on Talenthouse ;-) Regarding other sources used for a mix, your own self-produced samples should be OK. Of course adding another song to DSMN mix is forbidden I think (in that case it would be mash-up) but I already added a small portion of another version of DSMN to my mix lol |
| rhyeking 13.11.2011 12:23 |
What I meant was: QPL will not have to deal with copyright issues if they keep it strictly about using the multitracks provided, therefore *no sampling either*. As to adding music we ourselves create, that may be less-sticky, but QPL may still not want to bother with them. I interpreted the rules as *just these multitracks" and am mixing accordingly. If we're allowed to use our own performances of original material, that's just more creativity available for people. One per account, huh? I better make mine good, then. :-) |
| PiotreQ 13.11.2011 12:38 |
rhyeking wrote: I interpreted the rules as *just these multitracks" and am mixing accordingly. My interpretation is a bit different: must create a remix which contains supplied stems ;-) |
| TomP63 13.11.2011 12:50 |
I also will enter with a possible "new" mix of DSMN. I have made some various mixes, and I am not that keen on the result, so there much more work to do. My fellow mixes on this site, I wish you all the best.........Let's hope that the winner may come from the zone.................. Ciao, Tom Have to have some fun......................Brian May |
| rhyeking 13.11.2011 14:01 |
PiotreQ wrote:rhyeking wrote: I interpreted the rules as *just these multitracks" and am mixing accordingly.My interpretation is a bit different: must create a remix which contains supplied stems ;-) +++++++++++++++++ You could be entirely correct. I honestly don't know if we're allowed to exceed the tracks provided. They probably ought to have made that clear one way or the other. Either way, I wouldn't use other stuff even if we were allowed, because most of the alternate mixes I enjoy from Queen are those that work with what was recorded for the song, rather than adding previously-unrelated material. Anyway, best of luck to everyone. I'm eager to hear what ideas we all come up with! |
| PiotreQ 13.11.2011 14:21 |
Yeah, good luck to all of you! :-) |
| queenrocks23 13.11.2011 16:59 |
great! |
| Vali 14.11.2011 04:20 |
I'm half way through my own remix as well; I know there's much more talented people out there and my baby will look like a child's play, but my Cubase skills are improving veeery slowly day after day and, yeah, I'm quite satisfied with the results so far. Can't wait listening to so many new remixes done by REAL fans !! :) |
| Djdownsy 14.11.2011 11:24 |
Aye, I'm doing one as well, it's nothing special, but it's actually quite fun to do(albeit extremely irritating at moments :P) |
| rhyeking 14.11.2011 11:46 |
Djdownsy wrote: Aye, I'm doing one as well, it's nothing special, but it's actually quite fun to do(albeit extremely irritating at moments :P) +++++++++++++ Regarding irritation: I hear you! I love the challenge, even though using only the stems provided it's a narrow playing field that we've been given. No complaints, just constant the adjusting of ideas in order fit that range. Still, some of the best results can come from limited resources. I spent two hours trying to come up with an solution to a segment of the mix that needed filling. After I finally worked it out, by trial and error, I'm quite pleased with the result, even though it wasn't my original, ideal idea. |
| nplmdthfan 16.11.2011 10:51 |
Yes, I am entering. Absolutely. I downloaded the stems last week, and WOW!! I don't care aboot any mistakes in the performances, just hearing the isolated tracks is quite a treat. The first thing I listened to was Freddie's lead vocal on my laptop with the internal (crap) speakers and I got all tingle-y. Once I popped them into a proper ProTools session down at my studio that feeling was intensified. As a 15-year-old kid back when Jazz was released I could never have imagined such an opportunity to hear something like this. At that point I had only begun to learn the guitar, and I was still a few years away from my first 4-track. I agree with those above that, if all we can use is the stems, there's not a lot of ways to go. Just sprucing it up is probably not what's gonna win the contest. Let's get creative folks... Best of luck to all!! Cheers... |
| rhyeking 16.11.2011 16:05 |
My mix is done. I shared it with some friends and colleagues and they liked it (these are people who would tell me if any of it didn't work). I think it's the best I can do with the resources provided. I wish we'd been given the raw tracks, not the versions mixed for the albums (with fade outs, etc.) The extra "lost" guitar track would have been awesome isolated and available for additional options, but narrower the parameters, the more creative we have be, I suppose. On the other hand, we could end up with hundreds of mixes that sound similar. I'm keen to find out what the rest of you are coming up with. |
| Lord Fickle 16.11.2011 17:11 |
My mix is nearly complete, but I still have a couple of tweaks to do. People who say there's not a lot to work with are right. in so far as it's a very basic track, but I've managed to put my own spin on it. :) One thing I'm not sure about, when you go to the page to enter your mix, there's a bit where they are asking for an image to be uploaded. What's that all about? They don't want photos of the contenders, do they? Also, how does each mix get to receive votes? Is some sort of link provided once the mix is submitted? |
| rhyeking 16.11.2011 23:59 |
I just submitted my mix, so here's what involved: (I suggest you READ BEFORE SUBMITTING) Nothing nefarious, just some things worth knowing in advance... Yes, it does ask for a picture. I just copied the live photo from the contest header onto my computer and submitted it, not wanting to infringe on copyright (I figured that image was safe since they're using it for the competition). It turns out, the picture appears with the track, similar to how YouTube looks (image on top, track progress bar below it). So I seriously advise NOT TO USE A PIC OF YOURSELF unless you're fine with it being viewed by everyone as they listen to your mix. Play it safe, use the pic they provided in the header or another Queen-owned image (not sure if there's a good faith copyright exemption for these for the contest, but I would imagine so). Then, upload the track (MP3 form) below the image submission prompt and click "SUBMIT" in the bottom right corner. It takes a few moments to upload. My Google Chrome counted up the % as it uploaded. When it's up loaded, it should take you straight to the page where your song and image are. It looks kind of like YouTube. All around the page there will be ways to link it Facebook, Twitter and those sites, to share with friends before voting begins (the links take them to the track page). It informs you there are X days left until voting begins, as well. IF YOU WANT TO STAY ANONYMOUS TO THE PUBLIC: before you upload anything, go to your profile settings and change your name. If you don't, everyone will know who you are (which you may not want). It won't mess with your account and they'll still be able to identify you if you win (they'll look up your account form and email you, I'm guessing). So, if you're "Fred Smith" and don't want the world (or Queenzone posters or whomever) to know, change your name to "Mr. Awesome" or "Sgt McCool" or whatever. Also, I included my real name in the MP3's ID3 tag, under the Comment section. I think that's about it. May the best mixes win. |
| Lord Fickle 17.11.2011 01:13 |
Cheers, that's useful. Good luck! :) |
| nplmdthfan 18.11.2011 12:34 |
I'm finishing up my mix now, and will live with it over the weekend. I expect to submit on Monday or Tuesday. Cheers... |
| Vali 18.11.2011 12:37 |
Btw guys, here's my attempt, hope you appreciate it ! http://www.talenthouse.com/creativeinvites/preview/a5abcc7cb0c2391b4c0bb3d17a599cf0/352 cheers Vali |
| PiotreQ 18.11.2011 13:11 |
Quite creative, Marc :-) |
| rhyeking 18.11.2011 13:47 |
Nicely done, Vali. Here's mine, uploaded the other evening: link |
| Bohardy 19.11.2011 05:44 |
Rhyeking: do you realise that where you have the 'piano solo', where the guitar solo normally would be, the piano's horribly out of time? I'm not sure whether this is a case of bad editing by you, or if in fact you're using a piano part and rhythm section part from different sections of the song where the tempo's slightly different. Either way, it doesn't sound good I'm afraid. |
| rhyeking 19.11.2011 09:48 |
I didn't alter that section's performance at all, it's simply what was played, without the guitar solo over top, whose entrance I added a few bars later. If it sounds bad, oh well. I did my best. (Update) I just compared that section to the stems mixed together, minus the guitar, and it sounds the same to my ear, but obviously I'm not hearing what you're hearing. I even went so far as to drop my entire remix into Audacity with the unaltered stems, line that section of my mix with the same section of the unaltered stems and played them at the same time and they synch up perfectly (as they should). I built my mix up in layers and the section from the breakdown ("Don't stop me! Don't stop me!) through to the end of the last verse was the full backing, without guitar, with each stem lined up correctly (all the stems are the same length, so this is done automatically by Audacity, which defaults the start of every added track at 0:00. I then saved that entire mix as one track and, long story short, mixed, rearranged and edited around it, but never changed that portion. |
| Bohardy 19.11.2011 11:32 |
My bad, listening again, I explained the bit I was talking about badly. It's not the bit where the guitar solo would be, but the extended instrumental verse you put in between the "one...two..." and the middle section "don't stop me, don't stop me". That's off. It's OK for about 3 bars, off for about the next two, OK for about the next five, and and then the last four are terrible. Odd. |
| rhyeking 19.11.2011 13:48 |
That bit did take some doing: In the unaltered stems, the tempo changes going from the 3nd verse to the breakdown in the middle. Roger ups his playing a fraction at the breakdown portion. It goes: "...Supersonic man outta you!" then Roger starts playing slightly faster. I wanted the piano from the third verse repeated over that breakdown, but had to account for the tempo change. I tried to solve it by separately mixing the the piano, bass and full drum+percussion backing, isolating the portion I wanted, saving it as one track ("Piano + Drums Verse 3"), laying that portion (P+DV3) next to the breakdown and adjusting the speed so that the tempo matched. I noted the numeric value I'd used to adjust the tempo, set the P+DV3 track aside (it was only created to find that number) and, after looping a long enough breakdown of only Roger's drum, I laid the original piano and bass over top, adjusted the speed to that numeric value(making it match the breakdown tempo of Roger) and later added the drumroll as a lead in. And added the "One...Two..." which I'd isolated separately. This is also where I "fixed" Freddie's flubbed note on the piano of the third verse, dropping in the same note from earlier. It is an odd fit, but I thought it sounded okay. I guess I was wrong. Nothing I can do about it now. (Update) The piano and bass have an increased speed by 0.470 via Audicity in that section. I redid the process for that section, from scratch, and lined the result up with my finished mix and they remain identical. I don't know what else to tell you. Basically, that's how that third verse of piano backing sounds when sped up by 0.470. |
| Lord Fickle 19.11.2011 18:47 |
Is there anything in the rules against entering more than one mix? |
| rhyeking 19.11.2011 19:08 |
It appears you can only submit one per profile. So, unless you set up multiple profiles, you get one grab at the apple. |
| Daniel vZ 20.11.2011 07:44 |
@Vali Your take on the song is nice, but you added the handclapping, is that actually allowed? adding stuff? Enjoyed your mix :) @rhyeking I hear what Bohardy was talking about, it's a too bad, indeed it sounds a bit like the piano part is just a fraction behind the timing, I noticed it as well that speed isn't always the same in the whole song, so that'll take some extra care. But enjoyed your mix as well :) Don't know exactly when I'm gonna put up mine, still working on it, but when it's done I'll share it here. |
| PiotreQ 20.11.2011 09:45 |
Daniel vZ wrote: @Vali Your take on the song is nice, but you added the handclapping, is that actually allowed? adding stuff? I think that's OK. My remix has some additions as well... not sure if not too much! :P but I'll take a chance I think lol |
| rhyeking 20.11.2011 11:18 |
Here are the guidelines and rules as listed on the Talenthouse site which is hosting the competition: How Winner(s) Will Be Chosen: The host will choose the winner(s) from all qualified submissions with special consideration for the top voted entries. A qualified submission is one which meets all the Terms & Conditions, Guidelines and Official Rules. Guidelines: Participants must download the provided stems to create their song. Music submitted must be no longer than 6 minutes. Music must be submitted in mp3 format (up to 10MB). Participants should retain the higher quality version of their song which will need to be sent to Queen should the participant be chosen as the winner. Official Rules • In order to be chosen as the winner, the selected finalist shall grant ownership of all rights in and to the intellectual property to the winning submission to Queen. This assignment of rights agreement will be arranged directly between representatives of Queen and the winner. • The winner will be allowed to use their submission for portfolio purposes. • Queen has the right, but not the obligation, to use the winning submission. What isn't clear is the useof material (original or otherwise) outside the stems provided. The first guideline says you "must" download those stems to create the song, but says nothing about if that's all you can use. It also doesn't say anything about one entry per person, but the site itself won't let you enter more than one per *account,* so setting up different accounts is a way around this. Otherwise, there's a certain level of interpretation involved in the Guidelines (the Rules seem more legalese and binding if you enter), but your interpretation may not align with Queen's, and they're judging the 1st Prize, so that's something to keep in mind if you're worried about "can I do X?" |
| PiotreQ 20.11.2011 11:48 |
Yes, the rules are not so clear. But look at the previous SHA video contest. They said you can submit a video wich must contain original content. This mean you can not create a video with pre-existed Queen videos (that's why they provided their video from the Bowl). And now take a look how many videos with re-edited Queen material was qualified to the 2nd round and then how many of them were in top 10 (which have been awarded!). So, it seems like if they are not gonna choose a submission with any material which is not in tune with their rules, they still give a chance in other votings like talenthouse's choice, runner-up maybe. |
| rhyeking 20.11.2011 12:49 |
Here's the outline for the prizes awarded [my thoughts in square brackets]: Host's Choice [basically the 1st Prize]: One winner will be selected by Brian May, Roger Taylor and guest judges Justin Shirley-Smith and Kris Fredriksson and will be invited to an attended mastering session at the Metropolis Studios in London* - Europe's premiere independent recording and mixing studio complex. In addition, the winner will receive: - Global exposure for having their remix featured and promoted across Queen's social media channels and queenonline.com '- Days Of Our Lives' Blu-Ray'Live at Wembley Stadium' Deluxe DVD' - 40 Years of Queen' Book - Signed copy of 'Jazz'' - Deep Cuts' - Volumes 1, 2, and 3. - Avid 'Pro Tools 10 + M Box - '$1,000*Travel and two nights' accommodation in London will be provided [2nd Prize] One runner-up (as selected by Brian May and Roger Taylor) will receive: - 'Days Of Our Lives' Blu-Ray - 'Live at Wembley Stadium' Deluxe DVD' - 40 Years of Queen' Book - Signed copy of 'Jazz'' - Deep Cuts' - Volumes 1, 2, and 3. - Avid® Recording Studio People's Choice [3rd Prize] The highest voted artist will receive: - 'Days Of Our Lives' Blu-Ray - 'Live at Wembley Stadium' Deluxe DVD' - 40 Years of Queen' Book - Signed copy of 'Jazz' - 'Deep Cuts' - Volumes 1, 2, and 3. - Avid® Recording Studio Get InvolvedSubmit by: December 13, 2011 Vote: December 14, 2011 - December 21, 2011 Winner(s) Announced: January, 18, 2012 The People's Choice Award goes to the highest voted, so if an entry drifts too far from the Guidelines and the judges' official interpretation, here is where they still might get awarded and recognition, so there's some democracy involved. The preamble to the Guidelines, as seen in my earlier post, do say special consideration is given to highly-voted-on entries, so that's worth keeping in mind, too. Maybe a popular remix will sway Roger and Brian's vote? |
| Vali 20.11.2011 12:50 |
Daniel vZ wrote: @Vali Your take on the song is nice, but you added the handclapping, is that actually allowed? adding stuff? Enjoyed your mix :) ----------------------------------------------- Thanks very much Daniel, and thanks to everybody else here for the nice words. I am also enjoying your stuff as well :) Yes, adding our own stuff is allowed. The Administrator at the QOL Forum, "G", said that adding our own bits is ok; on the other hand, it is not allowed using bits from any other Queen song. cheers Vali |
| Lord Fickle 20.11.2011 13:04 |
What exactly does "Global exposure" mean for the winning entry? |
| PiotreQ 20.11.2011 13:35 |
Lord Fickle wrote: What exactly does "Global exposure" mean for the winning entry? It means the winning video will be posted on Queen's social sites like Facebook, YouTube and so on. |
| nplmdthfan 21.11.2011 09:08 |
I saw the following this morning on FaceBook: "From disco to Eastern European folk... there has been a wonderful array of styles already submitted for our 'Don't Stop Me Now' remix competition. Get yours in by December 13, 2011." To me, "from disco to Eastern European folk" implies that the person re-mixing the song can introduce outside elements. And as Vali noted a few posts ago, an admin at QOL says it is OK to add our own bits. My original plan was to add bits. I'm now re-thinking my entire treatment as I stuck purely with the stems. Plenty of time left, thankfully. Cheers... |
| MERQRY 21.11.2011 18:10 |
i made a mix too maybe it's similar to the original, is just a mix with some extra guitars, vocals with stereo pan and some EQ ing: http://www.talenthouse.com/creativeinvites/preview/a577e75140205aea5abb74e4ff824f6b/352 Isn't soooo good but i did my best (and frankly i did it just for play) Cheers! |
| rhyeking 21.11.2011 21:34 |
I like the panning effect. And the fade out of the drums part way through. |
| rhyeking 22.11.2011 11:00 |
Sorry for the double post. I attempted to repair the seeming drift in timing of the piano solo by using a different piano verse (verse 2, the first uptempo one) and rather than trying to match it to the breakdown drum performance, I kept it mixed with the drums of verse 2, which Freddie was using to keep his own time. So, using the stems, I mixed the Kit, Kick, Snare, Piano and Bass for the entire song, isolated the portion I needed and upped the speed by 0.470 to match the speed of the breakdown (so it didn't appear to suddenly slow down again). I then inserted it into my mix, replacing the earlier piano solo that seemed to be off-time. I hope it sounds better. Cheers! link |
| Bohardy 22.11.2011 16:22 |
Sounds spot-on now Rhye. Good job. |
| rhyeking 22.11.2011 17:13 |
Thanks for the feedback, Bohardy. I guess after working on it so much it's easy to lose objectivity. I let it sit for a few days and when I came back, I was like, "Well, I can probably easily swap out that part with a new mix." I'm glad I did. I think the different piano verse sounds better anyway (not to knock Freddie, but he plays that verse tighter [and no bad notes] than the 3rd verse). Still not sure why the original method didn't work. It ought to have. Well, live and learn. Cheers! |
| Djdownsy 22.11.2011 20:56 |
Right, it's done, it's a little shitty, but I think it's a good attempt for a first try. I've never mixed a song before. link |
| cream 23.11.2011 03:25 |
Great job to every mix so far. Its a really hard song to do anything new with. It is obvious they didn't record it to a click so in the end you just have to patch things together using your best judgement. The workmanship in the basic stems is very enjoyable to dissect also. Best of luck to all. Its reassuring to know we're all suffering the same headaches! |
| rhyeking 23.11.2011 09:03 |
In my opinion, their '80s material and beyond seems to lend it self better to remixing, extended mixes and single mixing. I think it has to do with the organic nature of their music in the '70s, that basic formula of piano, guitar, bass, drums and vocals, which was the back bone of their sound at that point, was utilized so tightly that taking it apart and putting it back together in a different way was a lot harder. The introduction of synths, electronic drums and such seemed to blow the remix door wide open. Suddenly cutting, pasting, rearranging and extending would not cause the whole thing to fall apart; it retained it structure better. Maybe. Just my opinion. I'm diggin' a lot of the ideas I'm hearing in other people's mixes as well. I'm like, "I never would have thought to do that! Neat." I played to my strengths and what I thought I could create well instead of experimenting too much. My basic idea for my mix was that I wanted it to sound as if the band had performed it this way originally and that the version we all knew was the single edit, like the difference between the album and single version of "Fat Bottomed Girls." So I set about expanding on what was there. Anyway, great showing so far from everyone. |
| cream 23.11.2011 09:27 |
well my mix is probably buggered before its even finished because I used a very short drum pattern from another Queen track in the middle of it. Ho hum |
| rhyeking 23.11.2011 09:37 |
Is there no way to work around it, Cream? It sucks to have limitations, but figuring out clever solutions can create some effective results. Or, you may just have to let the idea go is it doesn't work, or in this case doesn't qualify. |
| rhyeking 23.11.2011 09:37 |
(duplicate post for some reason :-) |
| cream 23.11.2011 10:44 |
there may be ways round it but the overall product would suffer. its obviously not going to be a winning entry so i might just fire it in there anyway. it is subtle and short use of drum patterns, nothing too 'in your face' |
| nplmdthfan 24.11.2011 11:37 |
OK, I'm in. Here's the link: link This was fun to do. And now I can listen to what everyone else has done without feeling any influence. Best of luck to all. Cheers... |
| nplmdthfan 24.11.2011 12:59 |
HA!! I listened to the 4 previous submissions linked here, and they're all really cool. It's funny how some of us focused on the same elements. Great job everyone. Looking forward to hearing more re-mixes. Cheers... |
| Lord Fickle 24.11.2011 13:54 |
I think some similarities are inevitable. Mine is fucked. It got too loud and started to sound distorted, so I'm going to have to go back several stages and hopefully recreate it. :( |
| rhyeking 24.11.2011 14:25 |
Yeah, this particular song is probably going to lend itself to many similarities between mixes, but so far I'm impressed by the different directions. Nplmdthfan, I like the drums and processing on yours. |
| nplmdthfan 24.11.2011 15:52 |
Thanks Rhyeking, much appreciated. I tried to take great care with my version, but after posting it I've heard an error. Might be fun to see if anyone finds it. Is there a way to listen to the entries before 14 Deçembre?? Cheers... |
| rhyeking 24.11.2011 15:58 |
I don't think so, unless people share their links here (or somewhere else). I'm not sure what happens on Dec. 14th, either. Will all the entries be listed and able to be listened to? So far, all I've heard are the handful of submissions the rest of you have graciously shared on this thread. I'm curious about what else is out there. |
| TomP63 24.11.2011 15:59 |
Heya Rhyeking, I've just been listening to your remix of DSMN, superb, specially the piano parts and the let lose honey bit. Excellent, I dare to tip you as a winner, and I'd like to add, should I really enter with this kind of high level?? I better patch up and try to make a better effort...........still days to come before closing time.... Tom |
| rhyeking 24.11.2011 16:37 |
Thanks, Tom, I appreciate that. I don't know if mine will win, though it would make me happy. From what I'm hearing here and what QPL have hinted at, the competition is getting fierce. I'd say take a chance and throw your hat in. You've got nothing to lose. If you're uncertain of your capabilities, my advice is to play around until an idea comes to you and build around it. You may have to let ideas go, that either don't work at all or don't work for the mix your making. And save your work at every stage. Every layer I added, I then saved the mix as is, incomplete, so that if I ran into trouble later, I could go back a few steps and fix it. It made life a lot easier when I *did* have to fix and adjust things. You won't have to remix the entire thing from scratch. It also might help to get some graph paper and map it out before you start cutting the WAVs. Map out what you want the sequence to sound like. Every little snippet,like the "one...two..." I saved separately, so I could drop them in where ever I wanted. I spent a lot of time just making little sample bits, just in case I needed them. Some I used and some I didn't. Some I thought would sound good in places and it turned out that no, it didn't work. And always keep the original Stems unaltered. If you make a quick mix of all of Roger's parts (Kit, Kick, Snare and Percussion), for example, save it as something new ("Full Drums + Perc"). Always note what a saved track is exactly and what you did to it ("Full Drums + Perc + Bass - Double Tracked"). My method involved creating small mixes of the parts I knew I'd need, like Roger's drums. I made the basic drum mix of his four parts (Kit, Kick, Snare, Perc) unaltered, saved it as one track and used it for my backing (tweaking it later). That way, for me, "drums" were only one track to worry about, not four separate tracks which had to be tweaked individually. It also helped my mixing program (Audacity) be less crowded visually, which made for easier editing. After that, I'd just focus on one section at a time, get it to where I wanted it and move on to the next, then I'd see how they transitioned and fix timing or clean up bad edits. Sometimes it meant going back a step to rework a section, knowing I had to include a new bit to help carry it from the earlier part. And on and on. That's the meticulous part, but it always pays off. Take breaks, too. Leave a section alone and come back later, refreshed, and you might hear what is or isn't working. And just be prepared to accept that some attempts may not some the way you want and there's nothing you can do. Whatever serves the mix the best should stay. |
| GratefulFan 24.11.2011 16:44 |
Rhyeking's mix with the fixed piano is very good. Barring a little abruptness at the beginning and ends that is probably a limitation of the tools it sounds like a totally credible alternate mix rather than a fun amateur thing. That said, no matter what else is out there nobody should be discouraged from participating. They are all fun to listen to and nobody really knows what Brian and Roger will appreciate or reward. |
| rhyeking 24.11.2011 17:06 |
^^I agree. Don't be intimidated. I went in thinking, "I'm not a full-time sound engineer or DJ. I know a bit and got some practice doing basic remixes over the summer and that's about it. I'm sure there are pros and semi-pros just itching to show what they can do, which will probably leave anything I do in the dust." I still believe that, so as not to get my hopes up. I'm glad enough that my mix is at least presentable. Like I said in a previous post, play to your strengths. Think about the remixes (Queen or otherwise) which you like and think about what it is you like about them. That might be a good place to start. Listen to the stems and see if anything grabs you. Here are some free ideas: A drum-heavy mix, with layers and layers, like the Part II of "My Country". Cut, paste and get several different rhythms going. Slow the song right down with some clever editing. Can it work on that level? Reverse some parts, like "Ogre Battle" or "Rain" by the Beatles. |
| Lord Fickle 06.12.2011 15:36 |
I submitted my mix a week or so ago, but this evening have received an email from Talenthouse titled, "We Saw You Were Interested", with the following text: SUBMIT BY: Tuesday, December 13th, 2011 We noticed that our Queen Creative Invite Creative Invite at Talenthouse caught your attention, and you were interested in participating. You took the first step by clicking Participate - now you need to upload your submission. You are in luck - there is still time to enter. Need a refresher on the Creative Invite details? Click here Maybe you decided this wasn't the right opportunity for you, or maybe you simply haven't had time, or perhaps you had a problem uploading your work. If there's anything we can do to help you along in the submission process, please contact us at support@talenthouse.com. We'd hate to see you miss out. We're on the edge of our seats waiting to see your amazing work! Good luck! – The Talenthouse Team link ----- Has anyone else received this? I have logged into my Talenthouse account, and my mix seems to be there. |
| PiotreQ 08.12.2011 09:26 |
I have received the same message recently. I guess this happens when you focus on some events there. It might be delayed a bit since you have submitted your remix already, nothing more comes to my mind... |
| Lord Fickle 08.12.2011 10:36 |
I e-mailed Talenthouse and have just had a reply. They have received my mix and the email was sent in error. |
| PiotreQ 10.12.2011 05:43 |
Hey, here is my submission: http://www.talenthouse.com/creativeinvites/preview/ac8930a41d7fea8d90fefc7afb8c9715/352 Cheers! |
| Lord Fickle 10.12.2011 06:27 |
That's bloody good, Piotre, good luck! Here's mine: link |
| PiotreQ 10.12.2011 08:26 |
Thanks! Your version is also great I must say! Love that raw sound of the drums! And the impro is so original! |
| Lord Fickle 10.12.2011 09:26 |
Thanks! I've always hated the drum sound on the original, and on the whole of Jazz. It would actually be nice to get the stems for the rest of the album and remix the whole damned thing! |
| PiotreQ 10.12.2011 12:00 |
Lord Fickle wrote: It would actually be nice to get the stems for the rest of the album and remix the whole damned thing! Haha, true! |
| Lord Fickle 10.12.2011 12:15 |
I don't know if it's just me, but when I click a link to a mix from here, I then have to refresh the page to get it to play. A browser issue, or another 'curiosity' of this forum software, perhaps? |
| PiotreQ 10.12.2011 12:20 |
For me everything works well. |
| Gregsynth 10.12.2011 23:52 |
You guys have done an excellent job with your respective remixes. I can't judge on who's better, but I wish the best of luck to everybody. |
| Daniel vZ 11.12.2011 09:39 |
Hmm, I really have to hurry, my mix isn;t even nearly complete.. It's really nice to hear the different ideas from everybody. :) |
| rhyeking 12.12.2011 09:18 |
Piotre, nicely done! I had a similar idea of trying to recreate the live energy of the song and even messed around with that before deciding to go in a different direction early on. Cool to see that someone else had the idea, too, and executed it better than I could do. Fairly seamless blending between the studio and live material, too. I like the rearranged bits, as well. Lord Fickle, also nicely done! Your mix captures the live feel also. There are a lot of great details throughout and the energy and aggression is certain captured. My oh my, things are heating up in this competition. Brian and Roger have their work cut out for them, I think. Best of luck to everyone! |
| theinnuendo2004 12.12.2011 22:47 |
Hello Everybody!! Here's my mix, hope you like it!! link Cheers Ariel |
| rhyeking 13.12.2011 08:53 |
Theinnuendo2004, very well done! I like the rearranged structure and effort you put in certainly resulted in a top quality mix. All the little details are effective and don't seem forced. It comes across with a more or less natural feel throughout. As more mixes are shared, all I can think is: Clever, all these ideas. Isn't it great hearing things you never would have thought of? I certainly find it inspiring and feel a number of these could pass the test as legit single remixes. Many are certainly better than some of the authentic third-party remixes and edits released over years. |
| cream 13.12.2011 10:36 |
link hope this brings you some joy. It has no chance of winning because a few sacred rules have been broken! best wishes x |
| cream 13.12.2011 10:48 |
or try this link link love and best wishes and good luck one and all x |
| PiotreQ 13.12.2011 10:48 |
Lots of nice and very creative surprises there! :-) |
| theinnuendo2004 13.12.2011 14:59 |
Hello Everybody! Here's my mix: link Hope you like it! Cheers Ariel |
| rhyeking 14.12.2011 17:02 |
According to Queen's publicity dept. 350+ remixes were entered into the competition. The polls are open and you can hear all the remixes on talenthouse here: link |
| Lord Fickle 14.12.2011 17:11 |
That is, if you're prepared to plough through them all, clicking random thumbnail images. It's not a great system to audition the mixes, is it? I'd rather have seen some info, such as the title, and at least who each mix was by. |
| rhyeking 14.12.2011 17:54 |
Roger and Brian are going to never want to hear that song again after they wade through 350 remixes. I imagine, though, that they'll first whittle away the ones that exceed or violate the Guidelines. Then, if it were me, I'd make three groups: Good, Bad, Maybe One by one, put each track into their subjective group and throw away the Bad entries first. Then review the Maybes for any that might turn out to better than initially thought and move those to the Good group and throw away the rest. Then keep repeating the process until you have two winners. Easier said than done and they may forgo the Maybe pile and just have Good and Bad piles. They've given themselves a month, so we'll see what happens! |
| Lord Fickle 14.12.2011 18:11 |
I can't honestly see any but the top few actually getting to Brian and Roger. They will have minions to weed out the chaff and they will only get to hear the best of what's left. I only hope that it's not all based on votes, as people who are big in social networking will have quite an advantage over those that aren't. |
| rhyeking 14.12.2011 20:21 |
No, they've got a separate award for 'most voted,' If I recall. |
| GratefulFan 15.12.2011 09:31 |
I put the chances that the plan is to have Brian & Roger listen to every last mix at exactly zero. They'll probably get the top 50, which is a shame given how dumb the showcasing/voting system is. The advantage goes to people who are most hooked into social networking and most willing to barter with other people to rig the votes. A truly talented artist may be interested in neither of those things and have his or her work virtually overlooked. I'm sure there is awareness of how hopelessly skewed these things can be on things that have little to do with art or talent, and I would hope that there would be the will to have somebody in the Queen camp go through all the mixes and find ones that deserve to be looked at regardless of how many 'friends' they have. Uncertain though, because these Talenthouse things have been about marketing and a Queen presence in the Zeitgeist more than anything else I think. |
| Lord Fickle 15.12.2011 13:40 |
If this does all come down to votes, officially or not, it will be the last time I take part in one of these contests. |
| PiotreQ 15.12.2011 15:22 |
This is Talenthouse... I wonder if they even consider some alternative voting rules... |
| Lord Fickle 15.12.2011 18:23 |
The one with the most votes at the moment makes a mockery of the whole thing. It's by no means a great mix. Oh well... |
| theinnuendo2004 15.12.2011 19:49 |
Lord Fickle wrote: The one with the most votes at the moment makes a mockery of the whole thing. It's by no means a great mix. Oh well... yes! and I think he has fakes votes, you can see his sponsors: Queen Love Mercury The Queen Freddie The Queen Gaga Gaga Love Queen Queen Mercury Just for example ... |
| HexenderHolzfaeller 18.12.2011 17:32 |
http://www.talenthouse.com/creativeinvites/preview/ae10c4d243a3ce737dd7e5963075cfcd/352 My Remix. A listen and maybe a vote would be very, very appreciated. <3 |
| Kacio 19.12.2011 15:31 |
Come on people ;) Please vote for me ;) link |
| xrosie07x 20.12.2011 11:04 |
One of The Few remixes submitted that stayed with the unique straight forward Rock n Roll sound that Queen is known for .. IT ROCKS ! ,,, Vote if you haven't already or repost for your friends to listen + vote ... thanx My friend really rocked this! http://www.talenthouse.com/creativeinvites/preview/ace7c1e050fd82922a93b91940bb0d9c/352 |