The More Cowbell Challenge

Great fun, great prizes! Good luck!
User avatar
MrFigg
Competition Winner
Posts: 9123
Joined: 20 Apr 2018

15 Jul 2019

In light of all the recent song challenges I thought it would be a great idea if we could do a song challenge using my favourite RE ever...More Cowbell or MC-1 as it is otherwise known.
The rules:

1. Your song can use only one instance of More Cowbell. No other instruments, samplers, effects, utilities or Players may be utilized in your composition. Drawing in notes on the sequencer is also not allowed.
2. No automation of any kind. (Thanks to TritoneAddiction for this amendment)
3. Songs using any of the preset Round Robins will not be accepted.
4. Your song must be 6 hours long or more, with tempo of no more or less than 120bpm.
*5. No audio channels.

I'm pretty sure this is something we can all enjoy considering the scope and range of this amazing instrument.


Challenge ends as soon as 23 entries have been submitted.

No prizes.

The winner will be informed by carrier pigeon.

Please note that the judge has been awake for the past 3 days.
Last edited by MrFigg on 15 Jul 2019, edited 8 times in total.
🗲 2ॐ ᛉ

User avatar
TritoneAddiction
Competition Winner
Posts: 4219
Joined: 29 Aug 2015
Location: Sweden

15 Jul 2019

I like it, but I feel like the rules leave the participants with too much freedom. I mean what if someone starts playing around with the tempo. Maybe add the rule ”No automation allowed”. Otherwise great challenge. 👍

Looking forward to hear the 138 hours of cowbell music when everyone’s done.

User avatar
MrFigg
Competition Winner
Posts: 9123
Joined: 20 Apr 2018

15 Jul 2019

TritoneAddiction wrote:
15 Jul 2019
I like it, but I feel like the rules leave the participants with too much freedom. I mean what if someone starts playing around with the tempo. Maybe add the rule ”No automation allowed”. Otherwise great challenge. 👍

Looking forward to hear the 138 hours of cowbell music when everyone’s done.
Noted and amended. Many thanks for the input.
🗲 2ॐ ᛉ

dezma
Posts: 268
Joined: 02 Jun 2015

15 Jul 2019

Anything below 6 hours would simply be way too short to showcase this piece of genius.

Is mastering allowed?

User avatar
MrFigg
Competition Winner
Posts: 9123
Joined: 20 Apr 2018

15 Jul 2019

dezma wrote:
15 Jul 2019
Anything below 6 hours would simply be way too short to showcase this piece of genius.

Is mastering allowed?
No. Sorry. Raw sounds only.
Please note that 6 hours is the minimum length.
In the event of a tie, song duration may ultimately play a major role in deciding the winning entry.
🗲 2ॐ ᛉ

User avatar
MrFigg
Competition Winner
Posts: 9123
Joined: 20 Apr 2018

15 Jul 2019

In the name of fairness, the Contest is not open to employees, friends, immediate family members (i.e. spouses, or biological, step or adoptive parents, children or siblings) or anyone domiciled or affiliated with any employee of Robotic Bean.
🗲 2ॐ ᛉ

User avatar
artotaku
Posts: 652
Joined: 09 May 2015
Location: Munich, Germany
Contact:

15 Jul 2019

Is it allowed to record one or more cowbells and put it as a low level atmosphere noise on an audio channel? It would give the six hours more analogue feel. I live in Bavaria where so many happy cows and cowbells in the mountains are around.
The rules say no samplers are allowed but an audio channel is not a sampler.

User avatar
MrFigg
Competition Winner
Posts: 9123
Joined: 20 Apr 2018

15 Jul 2019

artotaku wrote:
15 Jul 2019
Is it allowed to record one or more cowbells and put it as a low level atmosphere noise on an audio channel? It would give the six hours more analogue feel. I live in Bavaria where so many happy cows and cowbells in the mountains are around.
The rules say no samplers are allowed but an audio channel is not a sampler.
I beg to differ. Please refer to number 5 in the rules section :).

As regards the cows and cowbells in your immediate surroundings...you are a very lucky person. I envy you. One day...
🗲 2ॐ ᛉ

dezma
Posts: 268
Joined: 02 Jun 2015

15 Jul 2019

artotaku wrote:
15 Jul 2019
Is it allowed to record one or more cowbells and put it as a low level atmosphere noise on an audio channel? It would give the six hours more analogue feel. I live in Bavaria where so many happy cows and cowbells in the mountains are around.
The rules say no samplers are allowed but an audio channel is not a sampler.
That's some dangerous thinking sir. Next you could adjust pitch or even put a pitch envelope on the audio track and I think we all agree that would leave way too much space for imagination.

User avatar
MrFigg
Competition Winner
Posts: 9123
Joined: 20 Apr 2018

15 Jul 2019

Volume adjustment up or down in order to reach a target peak level of -12 dBFS is permitted.
🗲 2ॐ ᛉ

User avatar
diminished
Competition Winner
Posts: 1880
Joined: 15 Dec 2018

15 Jul 2019

Sorry but this is nuts. If I'm not allowed express my inner self and the colours of my soul musically with one inverted sample at the 4 hour mark, I don't consider this challenge a challenge for real musicians.
:reason: Most recent track: resentment (synthwave) || Others: on my YouTube channel •ᴗ•

User avatar
Loque
Moderator
Posts: 11170
Joined: 28 Dec 2015

15 Jul 2019

ezgif.com-optimize.gif
ezgif.com-optimize.gif (708.23 KiB) Viewed 8298 times
Reason12, Win10

User avatar
MrFigg
Competition Winner
Posts: 9123
Joined: 20 Apr 2018

15 Jul 2019

diminished wrote:
15 Jul 2019
Sorry but this is nuts. If I'm not allowed express my inner self and the colours of my soul musically with one inverted sample at the 4 hour mark, I don't consider this challenge a challenge for real musicians.
Diva!


:)
🗲 2ॐ ᛉ

User avatar
artotaku
Posts: 652
Joined: 09 May 2015
Location: Munich, Germany
Contact:

15 Jul 2019

diminished wrote:
15 Jul 2019
Sorry but this is nuts. If I'm not allowed express my inner self and the colours of my soul musically with one inverted sample at the 4 hour mark, I don't consider this challenge a challenge for real musicians.
But... since no players are allowed according to the rules this should really proove that you are a real musician. If nothing else I would give it a try even if you can´t use one inverted sample somewhere in the song. I even doubt that listeners of today will reach the 4 hours mark.

dezma
Posts: 268
Joined: 02 Jun 2015

15 Jul 2019

artotaku wrote:
15 Jul 2019
diminished wrote:
15 Jul 2019
Sorry but this is nuts. If I'm not allowed express my inner self and the colours of my soul musically with one inverted sample at the 4 hour mark, I don't consider this challenge a challenge for real musicians.
But... since no players are allowed according to the rules this should really proove that you are a real musician. If nothing else I would give it a try even if you can´t use one inverted sample somewhere in the song. I even doubt that listeners of today will reach the 4 hours mark.
We should inform what MrFigg consumed before composing this thread, I assume it's possible listening to MC1 challenge songs for 72 hours non-stop.

User avatar
TritoneAddiction
Competition Winner
Posts: 4219
Joined: 29 Aug 2015
Location: Sweden

15 Jul 2019

I still haven't decided if I'm gonna render my track in 44100 kHz or 96000 kHz. Or maybe something in between. Hmm... There are so many creative ways one could go with this. All these choices are so overwhelming.

User avatar
MrFigg
Competition Winner
Posts: 9123
Joined: 20 Apr 2018

15 Jul 2019

TritoneAddiction wrote:
15 Jul 2019
I still haven't decided if I'm gonna render my track in 44100 kHz or 96000 kHz. Or maybe something in between. Hmm... There are so many creative ways one could go with this. All these choices are so overwhelming.
432 Hz vs 440 Hz
🗲 2ॐ ᛉ

User avatar
artotaku
Posts: 652
Joined: 09 May 2015
Location: Munich, Germany
Contact:

15 Jul 2019

TritoneAddiction wrote:
15 Jul 2019
I still haven't decided if I'm gonna render my track in 44100 kHz or 96000 kHz. Or maybe something in between. Hmm... There are so many creative ways one could go with this. All these choices are so overwhelming.
You are opening a can of worms now. Consider changing the master tune frequency for perfect resonance with your inner self or dare to change any of the other Reason song preferences for maximum impact on the cowbells syncing to the universe. I suggest the OP should add rules to disallow changing any of these settings so nobody can silently take advantage.

dezma
Posts: 268
Joined: 02 Jun 2015

15 Jul 2019

artotaku wrote:
15 Jul 2019
TritoneAddiction wrote:
15 Jul 2019
I still haven't decided if I'm gonna render my track in 44100 kHz or 96000 kHz. Or maybe something in between. Hmm... There are so many creative ways one could go with this. All these choices are so overwhelming.
You are opening a can of worms now. Consider changing the master tune frequency for perfect resonance with your inner self or dare to change any of the other Reason song preferences for maximum impact on the cowbells syncing to the universe. I suggest the OP should add rules to disallow changing any of these settings so nobody can silently take advantage.
Still plenty of options left with the dithering checkbox

User avatar
artotaku
Posts: 652
Joined: 09 May 2015
Location: Munich, Germany
Contact:

15 Jul 2019

Since I´m normally producing dance tracks longer than six hours with at least one cowbell in the drop at about the 3 hour mark I´ll share a little nifty producer tip/cheat to get you going with the challenge.

Produce your song at the double tempo at least to move on at a faster pace and have more time with your family or G.A.S.

To make an example. Your final track should have groovy 128 BPM. Double it to 256 or higher while producing. With a little ear training you can easily distinguish two cowbells playing at 16th notes.

Upload it for the challenge at 128 BPM. The judges won´t notice.

User avatar
MrFigg
Competition Winner
Posts: 9123
Joined: 20 Apr 2018

15 Jul 2019

artotaku wrote:
15 Jul 2019
Since I´m normally producing dance tracks longer than six hours with at least one cowbell in the drop at about the 3 hour mark I´ll share a little nifty producer tip/cheat to get you going with the challenge.

Produce your song at the double tempo at least to move on at a faster pace and have more time with your family or G.A.S.

To make an example. Your final track should have groovy 128 BPM. Double it to 256 or higher while producing. With a little ear training you can easily distinguish two cowbells playing at 16th notes.

Upload it for the challenge at 128 BPM. The judges won´t notice.
The difference between used bpm and the stipulated 120bpm will be calculated and the composer awarded that number of beats over the head with a bamboo stick.
🗲 2ॐ ᛉ

User avatar
artotaku
Posts: 652
Joined: 09 May 2015
Location: Munich, Germany
Contact:

15 Jul 2019

dezma wrote:
15 Jul 2019
artotaku wrote:
15 Jul 2019

You are opening a can of worms now. Consider changing the master tune frequency for perfect resonance with your inner self or dare to change any of the other Reason song preferences for maximum impact on the cowbells syncing to the universe. I suggest the OP should add rules to disallow changing any of these settings so nobody can silently take advantage.
Still plenty of options left with the dithering checkbox
Good catch. That one is subtle. I´m convinced we will clearly hear a difference after uploading the track to soundcloud.

User avatar
motuscott
Posts: 3420
Joined: 16 Jan 2015
Location: Contest Weiner

15 Jul 2019

Wow. Pass out for a few days and see what you miss.
So, late start and all, I had this thing clocking in at around 26 hours and if I do say so myself, it was a staggering work of breath taking whatevs, destined to change the face of music as we know it.
Then Reason crashed (again!!), ate the song, ate my computer, drank all my booze, ate my apartment and took down half of Manhattan. It was that good.
Trust me on this one fellas.
Who’s using the royal plural now baby? 🧂

User avatar
MrFigg
Competition Winner
Posts: 9123
Joined: 20 Apr 2018

15 Jul 2019

Loque wrote:
15 Jul 2019
ezgif.com-optimize.gif
Would it be ok to use this as the promo video for the forthcoming 9 LP deluxe box set?
🗲 2ॐ ᛉ

User avatar
Loque
Moderator
Posts: 11170
Joined: 28 Dec 2015

15 Jul 2019

MrFigg wrote:
15 Jul 2019
Loque wrote:
15 Jul 2019
ezgif.com-optimize.gif
Would it be ok to use this as the promo video for the forthcoming 9 LP deluxe box set?
As soon as i have finished the soundtrack we can sign a contract about MOAR COWBELL!
Reason12, Win10

Post Reply
  • Information
  • Who is online

    Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest