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It's with great pleasure that I can now announce that Paul Bothner Music has graciously offered to sponsor this next challenge. They are sponsoring 3 sets of RotoSound strings to the winners of this next challenge.

The strings are redeemable from any of their 10 branches located country-wide. The strings are however limited to the RotoSound standard series.

So the challenge this month will be different. We are now breaking the challenge into 2 categories. The categories will be "Beginner-Intermediate" and "Advanced - Professional". So when submitting your song, please indicate which category you feel you fall into. Advanced players who think they can sneak into the first category (Beginner - Intermediate) will not get so lucky. The winners of each category will win the prize. There is no 2nd or 3rd place prizes.

The theme: The theme is a combination of Mixerboy's and the theme suggested by Paul Bothner. Mixerboy's theme is World or Oriental Music. However you should choose to interpret that. And Paul Bothner suggested something to do with 'Acoustic Guitars'. So if we combine, maybe World Music with Acoustic. Feel free to interpret however you will. You won't be penalized if you miss one element or the other.

The beginners - intermediate category will be more flexible on the rules and the theme. So if you go over 2 minutes, that's fine, and if you have more than 4 tracks, we will allow it. The point here is to get you entering and not worrying if its formally correct. Even if you can only play 3 chords, please don't let that discouarging you from entering. Even if you don't win, you'll recieve other benefits such as general feedback on how to improve, compliments, that warm fuzzy feeling of putting your song out there.

The advanced - professional category will be stricter on the rules.

Paul Bothner also have recording facilities at most of their stores should you require assistance in recording your entry. Contact your closest store to book or for more info.

In the spirit of trying new things please EMAIL me a link to your song as well as an attached mp3 version of your song to rogowski.adrian@gmail.com on or before 9h00 on 22 April (editted)

If we show a lot of support and participation in this topic, then the people at Paul Bothner may be persuaded to sponsor more challenges from here on. So lets show them as much support and entries as possible to secure them as recurring sponsors.
    A difficult challenge but thats what makes it interesting, really hope I find time to enter this one. Also well done on getting sponsorship, Im sure Im not the only one who really appreciates the effort you put into these challenges and the feedback you give to every entrant is always positive and useful, so thank ou Adrian ?
      This is great ? I'll have to get cracking on this tonight.

      Well done on securing sponsorship Adrian, if we can make this a regular thing, increased participation is sure to result. I find I learn so much from these challenges (when would I ever have recorded a rocked up boogie swing track?) so I hope we can generate a lot more interest.
        Well done Adrian. You're doing a sterling job with the challenges.
          This is one I'd love to enter.... Just don't have any proper recording equipment..... What do you guys use for basic recording?
            I'm in - but it there won't be any acoustic guitars in my piece......
              Chocklit_Thunda wrote: This is one I'd love to enter.... Just don't have any proper recording equipment..... What do you guys use for basic recording?
              I'm using a Rocksmith USB cable on my pc. You don't get more hitech than that ?

              Think they cost like 350.
                G-Man wrote: I'm using a Rocksmith USB cable on my pc. You don't get more hitech than that ?

                Think they cost like 350.
                Thanks man! Time to start saving up! What software do you use? I have a Mac so is garage band 2007 good enough? ?
                  This one I will enter, prolly intermediate and two tracks only, even just for the fun.
                  Learnt some slinky new chords and I would like to test these in a tune and some Roland Cube 80 XL magic off course ?
                    You go Adrian you boytjie! Good job man.
                      Chocklit_Thunda wrote:
                      G-Man wrote: I'm using a Rocksmith USB cable on my pc. You don't get more hitech than that ?

                      Think they cost like 350.
                      Thanks man! Time to start saving up! What software do you use? I have a Mac so is garage band 2007 good enough? ?
                      I've never used GB but lots of people use it. I use pod farm and Reaper with Asio4all.

                      The cable is mac compatible so you're in luck.

                        OK. Mine's in.

                        Who's next??????????
                          Chocklit_Thunda wrote:
                          G-Man wrote: I'm using a Rocksmith USB cable on my pc. You don't get more hitech than that ?

                          Think they cost like 350.
                          Thanks man! Time to start saving up! What software do you use? I have a Mac so is garage band 2007 good enough? ?
                          Not sure if serious, but I have a spare cable in Benoni if you want to try before you buy. Just shout.


                          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                            if anyone in the northern suburbs of cape town needs a recording for their song, i can help out.
                              Thanks everyone for the encouraging words. I'm very exctited about this month. There might be a few minor changes happening here n there.

                              @Chocklit_Thunda for a long while I used the Behringer UCG102 (http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/UCG102.aspx) thing cost me like R150 second hand. And then free software of course. Recording has really become inexpensive nowaday.

                              @Arno - This is the quickest submission I have ever seen. You should win just for that. haha. Impressive. But again, to all, don't concern too much about the difficult theme. I don't even have an acoustic to record, so I'm probs gonna go all electric.
                              Stoffeltoo wrote: This one I will enter, prolly intermediate and two tracks only, even just for the fun.
                              Learnt some slinky new chords and I would like to test these in a tune and some Roland Cube 80 XL magic off course ?
                              Yes! This is what the challenges are all about :?
                              briang wrote: Nice one Adrian - saking things up a bit ?
                              Time to enter again?
                              Please do. Your entries are always enjoyed.
                                Manfred Klose wrote: if anyone in the northern suburbs of cape town needs a recording for their song, i can help out.
                                This is excellent! Thanks Manfred.

                                He is an excellent recording/mixing engineer. Take him up on this offer!
                                  Adrian Rogowski wrote: Thanks everyone for the encouraging words. I'm very exctited about this month. There might be a few minor changes happening here n there.

                                  @Arno - This is the quickest submission I have ever seen. You should win just for that. haha. Impressive. But again, to all, don't concern too much about the.......
                                  Yes, I'm really hard up for new strings.

                                  Don't go changing things now though, otherwise I'll have to submit 2 entries.
                                    For anyone who doesn't have an acoustic or the ability to record one, check these out:

                                    http://www.spicyguitar.com/ (acoustic guitar synthesiser, VST)

                                    http://www.wavesfactory.com/strumgtr-electric.php (€9.95, requires Kontakt)

                                    Wavesfactory also has sample libraries for picked acoustic guitar and 12 string acoustics. I bought the strum version, probably the easiest of the lot here to use.

                                    http://www.musiclab.com/products/realguitar/info.html ($149, requires Kontakt)

                                    https://archive.org/details/TheoKFenderAcoustic_201311 (free sample library, requires Kontakt)

                                    Guitar sample libraries such as these take some time to learn to program, but they can achieve fairly realistic results. The last link, the TheoK Fender Acoustic samples are fantastic.