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Song a Week Season2: Week 2

3K views 37 replies 10 participants last post by  Nick 
#1 ·
Week 2, remember, no eliminations, everyone welcome to join in!

Scores after week 1 are as Follows:

Iron1: 10 points
Nick: 10 Points
7 Dying Trees: 10 points
Blankplank: 10 points
Markus: 10 points
The rest of MG.org: a shameful 0 points

Instead of eliminations, we will work like thus:

We'll attempt to submit one song a week.

- The first scores you 10 points.
- The second in a week scores you 5 points
- The third, 2 points
- The fourth 1 point, and 1 point for every further song.

If you miss a week, you score 0 points, but, it allows everyone to keep playing until the end. It means people falling ill or ending up with heavy workloads don't get eliminated due to bad luck, and it also means people can start and join in whenever, and play a bit of catch up if they want. 10 points is an incentive to submit weekly, but if something happens, and it's late, you can still play a little catch up.

We'll keep a rolling tally all the way through to week 8, at which point someone will be rewarded with the coveted season 2 crown(*)

Rules:
1) All Submissions by end of play 19th of April
2) Even if noone can check, the spirit is writing a song a week
3) No rules on genre, you don't even need to do the same style next week
4) Must be a song, unless you have a very (and I mean the kind that is beyond the ability of mere mortals) good argument for playing the same riff for 3+ minutes it won't fly
5) Entries composed on a tascam or without drums, whatever, also welcome, this is about writing a song, not dressing it up in lipstick and a short skirt
6) If you don't submit, you're don't score points.
7) Remember that quality outstrips quantity, don't just post up tons of rubbish to try and win, we're doing this to get writing, someone winning the coveted season 2 crown is a bonus(*)
8) Mixtests don't count, there's another forum for that (ss.org)
9) Submissions to be posted as soundcloud links

We will not:
1) Make people feel bad about mixing skills by turning this into a mixtest competition, it's about getting a load of us writing to a deadline, this is about writing, not about how awesome your headless kiesel sounds through an axe fx with superior drummer
2) Make people feel bad about how well it's recorded
3) Spam thread with songs we've had lying around for ages or anything non relevant to this competition and it's rules
4) Discourage anyone from participating
5) Tell anyone they suck. Songwriting is a skill, you learn it, some people will be better, others worse, this isn't a pissing competition
6) Steal others work or ideas.

Lastly, when commenting on other peoples work:


(*) crown may not be real and instead be made of internet kudos
 
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#6 ·
I don't have enough midi packs to be able to do that. I found the drum sounds that came with Metal Machine to be good, but most of the beats are way too busy for me - then I bought a Progressive pack and it didn't have anything else than 4/4 beats :wallbash:
 
#7 ·
I don't have enough midi packs to be able to do that. I found the drum sounds that came with Metal Machine to be good, but most of the beats are way too busy for me - then I bought a Progressive pack and it didn't have anything else than 4/4 beats
I have the prog one and it has 3 4 5 and 7 /4 if I remember right? Are you just talking about the kit or the midi pack?

I would recommend the standard 'metal beats' pack just for a variety of good rock and metal stuff that's not either blasts thrash or double kick patterns. Also the doom/core one is good for dome hard hitting beats that aren't double bass etc
 
#10 ·
I've been up since 7am working in the studio, already have a song written out with scratch tracks, taking a small break and getting into the real work of layering the shit out of it. This is a really simple tune and I'm hoping I can deliver on the vocals because it very much has the possibility of turning into a shitty pop tune. I already know I can stuff a ton of riffs into a tune and program crazy drums, so this time I'm doing the opposite, not many changes and melody is going to be the focal point instead of riffage. I've been listening to a LOT of Big Wreck lately and it's definitely had an effect on where I'm at right now with the writing. If I can bang this out today I'm starting another one tomorrow I came up with when farming for inspiration earlier. Back in the day, a lot of stuff I wrote came from being inspired by some weird effects I'd try out and this new tune came from exactly that.

Edit- Well this was certainly unexpected. I spent ALL day on this tune yesterday, layering it up and recording non-scratch tracks. The familiar self-doubt started kicking in and I was feeling that this tune was way too basic, the chord progressions could be used in a Blink182 song and I started to lose sight of the original inspiration that made me want to record it. Then I played something by accident while trying to layer this octave melody and it COMPLETELY changed the entire song's feel and jumped out like "This melody is the reason you pulled the this song out of your ass, you just had to find it." After a straight 10 hours of tracking/programming it was like a shot of caffeine and I just kept going for another 2-3 hours. Very anxious to hear this in it's completed form....bass and vocals are today, after I clean up a couple sloppy guitar takes.
 
#12 ·
Edit- Well this was certainly unexpected. I spent ALL day on this tune yesterday, layering it up and recording non-scratch tracks. The familiar self-doubt started kicking in and I was feeling that this tune was way too basic, the chord progressions could be used in a Blink182 song and I started to lose sight of the original inspiration that made me want to record it. Then I played something by accident while trying to layer this octave melody and it COMPLETELY changed the entire song's feel and jumped out like "This melody is the reason you pulled the this song out of your ass, you just had to find it." After a straight 10 hours of tracking/programming it was like a shot of caffeine and I just kept going for another 2-3 hours. Very anxious to hear this in it's completed form....bass and vocals are today, after I clean up a couple sloppy guitar takes.
That happens to me a lot - in fact most of my stuff is one of two ways, either I have it all in my head and it flows in one quick shot, or my inspiration fades and I have to keep working at it til something new emerges. Not sure which I like better, but either way is fun. Excited to hear what you've come up with as I dug your stuff in Season One.
 
#11 ·
Here's my entry for week two. Not sure I'm done tinkering, and it looks like I *might* have a window Friday to put vocals on it, but in case I don't here it is.

 
#24 ·
Nick, you have a physical HM-2 or an emulation? I kind of want to hear an HM-2 version of this track.

Check out the Kazrog Stockholm if you don't have an emulation, love that one. VST HM-2.
Funnily enough I have just left the ulcerate gig in Glasgow and can tell you that I will never reach that level of awesome. Fucking unbelievable.

Otherwise this is all axe fx 2 thordendale patch with Mesa bass
 
#28 ·
Here's mine. Something completely different this week - only recorded acoustic guitar and vocals this time.

Nick and Mike coming out with some awesome brutal death metal - and here I am with a pop song. :lol:
I just write what makes me happy - if a pop song makes you happy keep on keeping on brutha! :james:
 
#27 ·
Here's my final version for the week - still no vocals - man, I gotta get my act in gear on that...

I tinkered with the intro a little more, rearranged one part in the middle, added some FX to another middle part, and then cleaned up the tracks/sync etc.

 
#30 ·
Here's my track, it's pretty short but I've never written a song in only a week before.



It may need a trigger warning, the mids are somewhat... strident. It's the first song I've recorded with my 7621 w/ Crunchlab/Liquifire combo.

I have to say I'm pretty pleased with the vocals considering I've been sick the entire fucking time :lol:
 
#33 ·


I didn't finish the vocals today and I'm definitely not going to rush them out for this one. I need to get out of this studio for the night, my ears and throat are done. Going to wait 'til the morning before I listen to everyone's submissions, my ears can't take anything else right now.
 
#34 ·
Definitely interested in hearing this with vocals! Sounds like it has good potential.

Not happy with this, got some bits in I like, but structurally it's a mess. Still, better to do something and move on that have nothing
I really liked this - the synth part in the intro is really cool

Here's my track, it's pretty short but I've never written a song in only a week before.



It may need a trigger warning, the mids are somewhat... strident. It's the first song I've recorded with my 7621 w/ Crunchlab/Liquifire combo.

I have to say I'm pretty pleased with the vocals considering I've been sick the entire fucking time :lol:
Yeah, it's pretty difficult to write 8 minute epics in a week - none of my songs have been that long either :lol: But I think this is a good way to come up with ideas that can then be developed into more complete songs.

I thought the sounds totally worked. Really wouldn't have guessed you were sick from how the vocals sounded - sounds good. The riffing was cool and the jazzy clean solo totally took me by surprise. :metal:

I thought the
Here's my final version for the week - still no vocals - man, I gotta get my act in gear on that...

I tinkered with the intro a little more, rearranged one part in the middle, added some FX to another middle part, and then cleaned up the tracks/sync etc.

This sounds great - I also think this probably has the best sounds you've posted so far in the SAW.

have at thee



did this in one sitting so its rough, will tidy it up though because I like it.
Brutal :metal:
 
#38 ·
I still need to make time to listen to all of these.

I listened to iron1s and James' and both are cool af.

I'm going to finish this season out by turning mine into a mini album as I have a vocalist lined up.

Means I need to stick to the same style though....
 
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