Sonoma Wire Works Logo

RiffRumble 18 Song Contest

Winners Listen to Entries Sponsors
Over 100 musicians recorded 85 love songs with RiffWorks (Mac/Win) or FourTrack (iPhone) on their own, or collaborated with up to 4 friends worldwide using RiffLink online song collaboration. Over $3200 in prizes were up for grabs, includng a Taylor GS Mini guitar!

Listen to all RiffRumble 18 Entries


Some words from our guest judge, Lorenz Rychner, editor of Recording Magazine:

"Thank you for the opportunity to congratulate the entrants of the Final Five—just to have gotten there means they are all truly worthy and should be proud. I heard lots of good ideas and skilled execution. If there is one area where revisiting the tracks and the mixes would help, almost across the board, it is the low end. My mighty JBL sub hardly came to life when set to 80 Hz, and even at 120 Hz it barely spoke. Go d-e-e-p, folks, then thin out the uppermost bass range/lowest midrange, and let the bass do its job of carrying your mixes. That said, let's open the envelope, shall we?

Overall, the one entry that struck me as the most immediately convincing, brimming with vitality and sounding like a song production with hit potential, that was—drum roll— LuvWillFindAway2U by MacDaddy1.

Keep up the good work and—Happy Recording!"
Lorenz Rychner, Editor  RECORDING — The Magazine For The Recording Musician

1st Prize: MACDADDY1

MACDADDY1

Judge's Choice

“LuvWillFindAway2U”

Song Inspiration:
"It's about being in and out of love as your grow up and thinking the right one will never show up. WHen she does, that's the true love that will set your life on fire. Passion, understanding, best friends, recording."

The Recording Process:
"It was recorded all through RiffWorks with the house (Sonoma) effects: EQ, compressor, reverb, and filter. I like using the RiffWorks effects as I go along to keep levels maximized. Then, when all is done, I throw it in T-Racks 3 to master songs only to enhance the EQ, or compression. It's so much easier to have everything done in RiffWorks first as I'm not PC savvy."

Musical Inspiration:
"I grew up listening to my mom's albums from the 50's and 70's. I still have those albums. Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, I could be here all day! I like all types of music though, anything with a solid groove, guitars, vocals with hooks. I think that's why I love the Beatles so much."

Closing Thoughts:
"Great songwriting will take you farther than you can believe. Stay true to yourself and the rest will follow through. I think I've used thatline in a song! To be honest, the few years I've been here on RiffWorld, there have been amazing musicians that love to collab and I'm hooked into. Jamming with lots of people, that's what makes this place my favorite online studio. I would love to see a RiffWorld Junkie convention jam one day with everyone playing live together! Wouldn't that be the ...!?! I'm honored to have won this and wish you all peace and love. God bless!"

He won over $1800 in prizes including:

2nd Prize: musicmayn

Musicmayn

Contestant's Choice

“Somewhere In My Dreams”

Song Inspiration:
"The song began with one simple melody and a vocal line that came to me in the middle of the day while I was working. I had to keep singing it to myself until I got home so I wouldn't forget it. By the time I got home, I had the chorus and the basic idea of the song. Then, I began putting it to music."

The Recording Process:
"The song was recorded and mixed using only RiffWorks. The only "special technique" I used was for the drums, which came from the sound library on my keyboard. RiffWorks doesn't support MIDI and I don't have a compatible ReWire program, so I played the drums myself with two fingers via the keyboard, which I've done on some other songs. In "real life," I'm a drummer, so I got a kick out of that. The song developed into an 80's period piece, so I selected piano, synth, and drum sounds that reflected the period."

Musical Inspiration:
"I draw inspiration from so many people, it's impossible to name just one or two. I'm inspired as much by individual players as I am by artists and bands, which includes many of our incredibly talented RiffWorld artists. Being a drummer, I have many drum heroes such as Dave Weckl and Steve Gadd. This past year however, I marked something off my "bucket list." My band was invited to play a benefit show in Nashville. The lineup included the legendary guitarist Lary Carlton, who we opened for. I got to meet and hang out with Larry, get his autograph, and sat less than ten feet from him as he played his set. He even remembered my name later and gave me a little pat on the back as we were leaving the club. That was enough inspiration for a lifetime!"

Closing Thoughts:
"I would just like to say thank you so much to everyone who voted for my song, special thanks to the incredible musicians who collaborated with me (RickBaker, MACDADDY1 yahsteck1, and Sandy Chapman), and heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and rumble participants. Junkies Rule!"

He won over $850 in prizes:

3rd Prize: rneidlinger

Rneidlinger

Public Vote

“Family Grace”

Song Inspiration:
"This song was inspired by the life I have led with my beautiful family. I managed to capture a timeline from the times in Montana where I met my wife, to the birth of my first child Stephanie in Oakland, California, to my daughter's school days in Antioch, Caifornia, to the wedding of my first daughter in Olympia, Washington. I belive the emotion I've captured in the tune shows how I feel about it all."

The Recording Process:
"No special techniques were used, just some effects from my Line 6 POD and the brilliance of the RiffWorks recording software. I use a $99 condensor microphone with phantom power and take the time to dial in my vocals with the use of effects from the RiffWorks software. To me, there is no better guitar for laying down my style of music than the Custom 22 10 top Paul Reed Smith that i use exclusively for all of my recording of electric guitar."

Musical Inspiration:
"The bands that inspire me the most would have to be Porcupine Tree, Rush, Pain of Salvation, Y&T, Michael Schenker, Blue Oyster Cult, and of course, Steve Morse. If you listen to my music you can pick out shades of all the aforementioned bands and artists."

Closing Thoughts:
"Once again, thank you Sonoma Wire Works for the opportunity to be involved in RiffWorld and the RiffRumbles, you guys rock!!!"

He won over $550 in prizes:

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Thank you to Taylor Guitars and Recording Magazine for sponsoring this contest. A special thank you also goes out to our guest judge, Lorenz Rychner, editor of Recording Magazine. The prize guitar is a Taylor GS Mini guitar.*

* PRIZE DISCLAIMER

The guitar color and specs may vary from the one pictured. Delivery of prize may be subject to delays due to production schedules. All prize price values from Taylor and Sonoma are estimates and subject to change without notice.

PAST RIFFRUBLES

RiffRumble 16 | RiffRumble 17

FUTURE RIFFRUMBLES

Chat about this and future RiffRumbles in the RiffRumble Forums.
Subscribe to Sonoma's Newsletter for RiffRumble Announcements

FOLLOW SONOMA WIRE WORKS

Sonoma Wire Works on Facebook Twitter Youtube

HOME | PRODUCTS | STORE | SUPPORT | COMMUNITY | NEWS | ABOUT

©2012 Sonoma Wire Works. All rights reserved. RiffWorks and the RW Logo, RiffWorld, RiffCaster, RiffLink, RiffRumble, InstantDrummer, StudioTrack and the StudioTrack iPad App Logo, the FourTrack iPhone App Logo, GuitarTone and the GuitarTone Logo, GuitarJack and the GuitarJack logo, AudioCopy, AudioPaste, MAPI, DrummerPack, KitPack and Discrete Drums are trademarks of Sonoma Wire Works. DrumCore and KitCore are registered trademarks of Sonoma Wire Works. iPod, iPhone and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. ReWire and REX2 are technologies licensed from Propellerhead Software. VST is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Website Terms of Use & Privacy Policy