Note: the deadline for this contest is extended to December 20th!

In the process of making music I take inspiration from many things. One thing I tend to do a lot is to take a sound or idea and let everything flow from there. Using pictures is a great stimulus to get my creative juices going.

For this contest, the idea is to take a photograph as your “muse” for a piece of music. Kind of similar to how you would write a soundtrack for a film. Use an image of a person, object, environment, or whatever might inspire you. Just make sure to keep it “G-rated” and free of copyright, your image will be part of your contest submission, posted on SoundCloud.

This time around you are free to use any kind of sound source or processing, so aside from the theme there are no limitations. For those who like to use samples, I made a small sample pack (16 loops, 24bit wav) that may serve as an inspiration. You can check the sounds at SoundCloud.

 Contest sample pack — Download size: 34.8 MB

I’m happy to say we have some great prizes donated by a bunch of generous developers.

contest sponsors

Contest prizes

  • D16 Group offers:
    • 1st place: 3 plugins of choice.
    • 2nd place: 1 instrument plugin + 1 effect plugin of choice.
    • 3rd place: 1 effect plugin of choice from the SilverLine collection.
  • Additionally, the top 6 winners get to choose (in order of ranking) an item from the prize pool below:
    • Soniccouture: Geosonics ft. Chris Watson and the Konkrete 3 sample-based drum synth for Kontakt.
    • Reveal Sound: Spire synthesizer plugin for Windows & Mac.
    • The Loop Loft: The Platinum Pack bundle in all formats (4.6 GB of drum loops).
    • ADSR Sounds: $250 USD store voucher (soundsets & video courses).
    • SKIN: The protective cover for NI Maschine that keeps your controller safe from liquids, dirt and debris.
    • Cableguys: Cableguys Bundle, including the Curve synthesizer, and flexible FilterShaper, VolumeShaper & MidiShaper effect plugins.

So to be clear we’ll have 6 winners, with the top 3 ranking entries getting both a prize from D16 Group as well as a pick of their choice from the 6 additional prizes.

The contest deadline for submitting your entry is Friday, December 20th, 2013, 11.59pm CET. The winners will be decided by popular vote amongst entrants.

Check the details below on how to join the contest.

Good luck and enjoy!
Ronnie

Contest rules

  • Create a musical piece inspired by a photograph. Use of the samples provided in the contest sample pack is optional. Use any sound source or processing you like, be creative!
  • Submit your entry in mp3 format (minimum of 192kbit) along with the image that inspired it per email to contest@rekkerd.org before December 20th, 2013, 11:59pm CET. One entry per person is allowed, you will receive a confirmation of your submission.
  • Your entry should be composed specifically for this contest. By entering, you grant permission for your track and image to be published at the rekkerd.org website, through SoundCloud.
  • In order to be eligible to win, contestants are required to vote for their top 6 within a week after the contest deadline. Contestants will be contacted to submit their votes. Note: you cannot vote for your own entry.
  • Winners choose a prize from the prize pool in order of placement (1st place winner picks first, then 2nd, etc.). All prizes are granted at the discretion of rekkerd.org. Some prizes may be subject to specific conditions imposed by the sponsor (e.g. NFR licenses).

Contest rules subject to change. If you have any questions feel free to ask or comment on this post.