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Are you tired of choosing between all those synths you've bought? Analysis paralysis? Maybe you bought a synth a long time ago that you felt you should revisit and learn at some point. Well why not now?

This thread is for anyone who wants to produce some music with some limitations. It's based around the theme of the Song Challenges, only this time you do it strictly for the challenge of writing a full EP (3-6 tracks) with only one synth. No prizes involved. The reward is the music itself, finishing an EP and sharing your music with the people here at Reasontalk.

Rules:

1. Choose one RE or VST synth to work with for the entire EP.
2. Set your own deadline for when the EP has to be finished.

Make your synth choice and deadline official.

Now get going, tweak that synth, write that tune. Good luck!


People who have joined so far (Deadline / Artist / Synth):

(none right now)

Finished EPs/albums:

modecca (TEFLONTOMB) - Nostromo - (page 3)
Kuranes (Ghosts In The Attic) - Nostromo (page 4)
teddymcw-playground - Korg synths (page 4)
TritoneAddiction - Chip64 (page 5)
Peter - Viking (page 5)
artotaku - Antidote (page 5)
East Island - Nostromo (page 6)
Sorped (Alio Modo) - Orbis (page 6)
teddymcw-playground - Antidote (page 6)
Despondo - Nostromo (page 6)
Peter - Nostromo (page 7)
siln (Akita Dub) - Thor (page 7)
TritoneAddiction - FM4 (page 7)
Arrant - Thor (page 8)
Flavolous - Vibro (page 8)
Ahornberg - Malström (page 9)
Ahornberg - Subtractor (page 9)
Ahornberg - Pulsar (page 10)
TheGodOfRainbows - RYM2612 (page 10)
TritoneAddiction - Legend (page 11)
TritoneAddiction - Snakebite (page 11)
Auryn - Oberon (page 11)
miscend (Nites Kronikx) - ReSpire (page 12)
ravisoni (ravisonioffical) - Lithium (page 12)
TritoneAddiction - The new Soundiron instruments (Klang, Pangea, Humana) (page 13)
modecca (Nostromo Radio) - Nostromo (page 13)
TheGodOfRainbows - JPS Harmonic Synthesizer (page 14)
TritoneAddiction - Champagne SuperNova Vintage Synthesizer (page 14)
Ahornberg - Parsec (page 14)
teddymcw - Subtractor (page 14)

I'll try to check in and update the list once in a while. Don't panic if doesn't happen right away. I'll get to it eventually.

For me:

1. The Legend
2. 4 april (my birthday)

As soon as I tried The Legend I knew I wanted to learn it inside and out and what better way than to write a bunch of tunes with it?
I'm gonna include the song I wrote for The Legend Song Challenge, but I'm gonna write at least 3 new songs for the EP.

Ya, i'd vow something like that, but also wanted to use the Legend for now, haha

1. Legend
2. from Black Friday to Feb 1st

Thanks for the challenge. It sounds fun. I think I should go for Oberon. It's been mostly sitting there on the shelf since I bought it on sale last year.

Commiting to give some feedback between the "contestants" could be a nice sort of reward.

Ok, I'm in:

1. Oberon
2. January 6th (my birthday )

I'm already most of the way through an album with almost the same rules; only I am using one synth per track (as opposed to the whole project)*. As for a deadline, I don't give them to myself but I expect it will be within this year as I already have close to an hour of music.

That means I can't join you fully, but I am there in spirit and wishing you all well with this smart plan.



*I did come close to a one-synth record with The Body Pool using Subtractor (and some NN-XT) for this older album (Reason 2.5)

Libraquaricorn wrote:Commiting to give some feedback between the "contestants" could be a nice sort of reward.

Giving each other feedback is a great idea. Still I'd like to keep it voluntary. I'm sure most people here will give some sort of feedback anyway since it's interesting to hear what other people have come up with.

I'm thinking this could become a great demo thread for synths once people start writing some tunes. Hopefully we'll get a good variety of synths too.

We all know how hard it can be to commit to something and actually finish a project. Sometimes you need a deadline or some sort of self-imposed pressure to get the work done. And by making your deadline official we will hold you accountable. Oh we will so you better finish those tracks in time as you promised.

Looking forward to hearing your EP once it's finished

Great idea! Maybe this will finally see me break out of my comfort zone and actually learn a synth. I'll do some exploring before I set out with which synth and what deadline. Thanks for coming up with this, Tritone!

Hi Tritone, I totally like your idea, because in fact it is exactly what I was thinking after the end of the recent challenges: That I need something kicking my ass to sit down and not just create one idea after another, but BRINGING IT TO AN END.

So, what I want to say - I'm in!

I'll use Nostromo - although I've used it already in many instances, I still have not managed to complete a track with that great synth. And certainly I'll use it in combination with PSQ 1684, this breathtaking tool, on which I've only scratched the surface, so far. Yes, I'm dead serious, I'm ready to work me trough the complete manual!

Seriously: In the last couple of days I already experimented with PSQ, and I can tell you, I'm honestly blown away! This thing is awesome. 20 Minutes ago I played a bit with it, and I created a sequence, that is now meandering endlessly in beautiful ways I never could have imagined.

My deadline? 3 Tracks at years end, 31.12.2016!

Kuranes wrote:Hi Tritone, I totally like your idea, because in fact it is exactly what I was thinking after the end of the recent challenges: That I need something kicking my ass to sit down and not just create one idea after another, but BRINGING IT TO AN END.

So, what I want to say - I'm in!

Great. We all need a kick in the ass sometime to get things moving. Yeah the hardest part is finishing a project, starting is easy. A deadline can many times be the solution.

Glad to have you onboard

The song contests have been great. They have forced me to focus on finishing a song, even if it requires spending an hour or two every day working on it. I may contribute on this one, and if I do, I definitely choose the Nostromo. It's my favorite synth and a goal like this could force me to fully explore it top to bottom. It's still mysterious to me but I love the range of sounds I can get from it.

Nice idea I'm in the same boat as plastic above needing some incentives to finish a song and the challenges have been great for that. Also I think it can be good to limit oneself to certian tools since it's so easy to drown in the multitude available.
Never made an E.P. before, so why not, I'm in. Will wait to see what I can score during black friday before comitting on a synth though.

Also, Tritone, it could be a good idea maybe to update the original post with a list of participants, tools and deadlines?

TritoneAddiction wrote:

Kuranes wrote:Hi Tritone, I totally like your idea, because in fact it is exactly what I was thinking after the end of the recent challenges: That I need something kicking my ass to sit down and not just create one idea after another, but BRINGING IT TO AN END.

So, what I want to say - I'm in!

Great. We all need a kick in the ass sometime to get things moving. Yeah the hardest part is finishing a project, starting is easy. A deadline can many times be the solution.

Glad to have you onboard

It's a pleasure to me! And yes, I think deadlines can really be helpful. The adrenaline that kicks in, when the deadline is coming closer and closer, can substantially fuel the creative process - as long as you don't get into panic-mode. Then you are royally f***d

Arrant wrote:Also, Tritone, it could be a good idea maybe to update the original post with a list of participants, tools and deadlines?

Yeah why not. I'll check once in a while and update the list of participants.

You know what, I'll do Thor (inspired by Panda). Deadline April 1st. I can feel the pressure already

Only synth used: Nostromo 11-21-16 to 1-21-16


3 tracks.

All presets made by me.

Drums: All redrum patterns made by me; Dr octo will not be used.

Sparing with external stock and re effects, to allow Nostromo to be the hero.


---------------------
At first I was thinking I was going to do Expanse. Then I started messing with Nostromo and it began to start spitting out alot of unique rythmic grooves ( due ot its many odd lfo shapes) and thats when a vision began.

I'm in...

Nostromo for March 7th (My Birthday)

I've recently (more like in the last 6-8 months) purchased: Iridium, PX7, Solaris & won Vibro. I'm thinking instead of creating new songs entirely to create ViPs with the tracks I made for the recent splurge of song writing contests, using each synth to recreate the ViPs. So that would be 3/4 different ViP edits for 4/5 songs. But I'm going away on holiday soon so can't really commit to this project until the new year, and set any deadlines until I'm back!

Great idea. I'm in. I'll make a 5 track EP using the RYM2612 with a deadline of March 1, 2017.

I'll improve on my two entries for I submitted for the Mathieu Demange's RYM2612 Iconic FM Synthesizer Song Challenge, and make 3 new songs, for a total of a 5 track EP. Good luck everyone!

(edited for formatting)

Based on the sales this weekend I'm gonna change my synth from 'The Legend' to 'Korg synths'
If I have to choose one, I'd choose the PolySix but I figure they are so similar that it wouldn't be cheating to learn / use both. It would help and accentuate the exercise in this case.

Thank you for starting this and keepin it up Tritone!

teddymcw wrote:Based on the sales this weekend I'm gonna change my synth from 'The Legend' to 'Korg synths'
If I have to choose one, I'd choose the PolySix but I figure they are so similar that it wouldn't be cheating to learn / use both. It would help and accentuate the exercise in this case.

Thank you for starting this and keepin it up Tritone!

Yeah let's make an exception this one time. The Korg synths look like they belong to each other anyway

But that's it guys, I don't wanna hear any "Can I use Expanse... and Legend... and maybe just a little bit of Parsec 2?"
No dammit, it's the "One synth EP challenge"

I made a post about this EP Challenge in the Black Friday thread.
I'm thinking lots of people might want to test drive their new REs and hopefully they find a challenge like this useful for that.

I feel like this is a reaaaally great idea...so great i want to do this with multiple synths, but before i get ahead of myself lets see if i can get one done haha

Parsec 2 - 4 songs Due Date January 3rd ...i'm going to have alot of time off work the last 2 weeks of the year, so this should be doable

Mystile wrote:I feel like this is a reaaaally great idea...so great i want to do this with multiple synths, but before i get ahead of myself lets see if i can get one done haha

Parsec 2 - 4 songs Due Date January 3rd ...i'm going to have alot of time off work the last 2 weeks of the year, so this should be doable

Thanks, great to have you with us. I know the feeling. I too have had thoughts of making more EPs in this way. I would like to do this with many of my other synths as well, Expanse, RYM2616, Snakebite, JPS Harmonic Synthesizer, Megasaur and so on...

But like you said, it's probably best to focus on finishing one project before thinking about the next one.

i choose Thor, deadline: 31. March 2017

for drums i try to use Thor aswell...