UPDATE! TRACK CHALLENGE: Bootleg Beats [Working with Distortion]

The Lounge Mission Briefs
#1

Hello Again

Want to kick off a new Mission (Beat Challenge) and get things moving.

This challenge’s objective is to focus on using Elektron device’s processing FX and to showcase your creativity using overdrives & analog distortion.

UPDATE

I read some of your comments and I decided to make changes to this event so that it works out for everyone. Please see the new rules below

–Here are the rules–

  1. Our main focuses are the Analog Rytm, Analog Drive & Analog Heat. However,
    I highly encourage those who have these devices to use them for this challenge.
    BUT… I will allow other uses of equipment for this challenge.

Elektron gear is not a must, but I do highly encourage it

  1. The theme of this mission is 90s Hip Hop Break Beats & Drum & Bass. Bootleg style.

  2. You must Create a hip hop break beat style or D&B beat and use distortion processing. Has to sound dirty! Please mix your tracks to your best ability.

  3. Beats must be between 1 - 1:30 mins. No more. No less. I will allow -/+ 3 seconds for the tail end.

  4. BPMs must be be between 80 - 95 & 160 - 170

Final Rule…

  1. As an extra, you must include 1 sample from these sources:

–DEADLINE UPDATED–

JUNE 15th 11pm US PST

PLEASE post your tracks to this thread before the deadline, for voting.

Your track title info should look like this in this order:

[“song name”][artist name][(bpm)]_[equipment you used]

I will do a long mix of all tracks onto a .wav file that’s bounced from a cassette tape with the entire track list and posted to here for everyone to download and enjoy.

–THE WINNER–

will be decided on this thread where the downloadable mix will be posted for you to keep.

Be sure to reply to this thread if you are willing to participate, so I get an idea of how many people there are. This challenge will work if we get at least minimum a few participants

Good Luck!

5 Likes
#2

it would be cool if the winner were to be given a real-world cassette tape as the prize.

i recently won a cassette tape prize along with four other lucky people, and it was so cool. along with a sticker displaying a dinosaur.

pretty interested in entering something as i’ve been exploring the use of a preamp/drive pedal as a Cue send effect.

kind of expands the low-mid frequencies, although i’m noticing that then putting the beats through the highly-respected “EQ Eight” effect of Ableton is phenomenally useful in controlling the unwanted extra low-mids. i might just go ahead and resample the cleaned-up beats realtime using Ableton an the EQ Eight effect as a realtime Cue send effect from the Octatrack.

1 Like
#3

I’m game - just the right timing for me to explore the nastier side of the Analog Heat! I have one question though - how much mastering of the track is needed? I’m no pro, but I can sort out a mix with decent levels in Ableton, is that sufficient?

1 Like
#4

to your best ability or send it to an engineer

#5

I’m in!

Just to clarify some points:

  • the only Elektron gear I have is the Digitakt. Can I use, let’s say, my Digitakt plus a Pro Co Rat for distortion? Or should we only use onboard processing?
  • not too sure about the bootleg aspect of it. Care to post one example or two?
1 Like
#6

basically it means a lo fi beat that samples another source. In this case it’s a toonami bootleg beat. Really though, “Bootleg” was just a name I came up for it. As long as it’s a hip hop or D&B beat that goes by the guidelines, you’ll be golden.

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#7

Interested, yes… but deadlines… yeah not sure if i’ll get to a satisfactionary point in time. Kids and what not…

1 Like
#8

Stoked for this one, I was hoping someone would bring back the Mission Briefs. This will be my first one since joining the forum. Great choice of required sample sources btw.

2 Likes
#9

I’m in

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#10

nice one @mnroe for getting this going, i never really work dramatically with distortion so it’s a fun challenge, here’s a phone mic capture from the first 5 minute mess around, probably nothing like it’ll end up.

2 Likes
#11

Holy shit… I’m excited for this

#12

I’m down.
But the only Elektron device I have is an Analog Heat.
I would run all sounds thru it as well as the master outs.
& I would make the beat on either an MPC 2500, MPC 500, MPC 1000 or sp404sx…
If anyone prefers I use 1 over the others I’ll use whatever…
But I don’t think of any of these devices to be superior to Elektron devices that’s for sure…

I get this is an Elektron battle tho, so let me know if this would be an issue.

1 Like
#13

Gonna cut some of the samples up tonight and spend the weekend working.

#14

No issues.

Only requires the use of 1 or more elektrons.

Youre qualified :+1:

1 Like
#15

Cool…was leanin that way, so I’ve already been playin around with the material you provided :sunglasses:

#16

Alright, so I ripped the audio from these videos earlier and I’m going to see if I can come up with something before the end of next week. I really dig this idea and the source material seems like it has a bunch of possibilities. :grinning:

#17

bumping this for any last minute distortion fanatics who may have missed it.

elektronauts needs more creative community collabs like this

#18

Man, I’ve gone through hell with my vehicle in the past couple weeks. However, I still managed to get the basis for my track down this morning. With a little luck, I’ll finish it off tonight or tomorrow evening (thank goodness for the late deadline in my time zone!). I’m having a tough time deciding between Rough Crunch and High Gain. This mission has helped me explore the nastier side of the Analog Heat, and I don’t know if I’ll ever go back to the nice side! :japanese_ogre:

#19

I’m not going to make the deadline i guess, my youngest has chicken-pox and is letting me have very little spare time (and sleep). I might send in later just for fun.

1 Like
#20

Yeah, same, bad timing on my side… will probably put something online later for the sake of it.