Thread: Contest Idea's

I read this when you posted it yesterday and started to think what I could suggest. Then I realized that it's pretty presumptuous of me to suggest to anyone that they should offer a certain piece of hardware, so that left me thinking what service could be offered. An easy one would be either an offer to remix through quality outboard or master someone's material. While you wrote that, "I'd love to do a mix one but "realistic" isn't easy to achieve when it comes to judging someones mix (is it really them?), sound quality etc on the web.", I still feel that anyone with sub-quality gear would be more than happy to have someone offer their services. Okay, that leaves out the other members whose studio setups do not suffer from this inadequacy. In that case, you can always offer them a beer!

In addition to "big" contests like ADL-600s or the like, how about a bunch of small ones too, like giving away a T-shirt or a mic cable or guitar strings to someone who can do something. Make that something a small requirement to match the small prize, and it's a go! Great way for manufacturers to introduce new products, and a great way to drive hits to this site.

For example, let's say D'addario comes out with a new type of guitar string. Give them away to someone who can record the coolest guitar-only short piece, 30 seconds or less, and have a popular vote.

Edit: Maybe have a "small" contest every week. Shouldn't be too hard to sustain for a t-shirt or a cable clamp or something. Previous entries may not be re-used (until Bigtree figures people are running out of material. ;) )

What's the purpose of the contests?
As JohnTodd pointed out, I suspect it's to bring in advertisers, and that's done how? By bringing R.O. to the top of the search engines? Thus creating more hits, which means more ads? I'm not really sure how all that stuff works.
If that's the concept, then I suppose the contest needs to be tailored toward that goal. Perhaps a bunch of advertisers would want to pitch in and sponsor a contest of some sort, offering some kind of package to the winners. Something via Youtube that has to somehow come back to this forum maybe?

The purpose of these contests are to get our community engaged and have a good time at it! Maybe we will discover things about ourselves that we didn't know.
Getting more advertising isn't the focus although letting the crowd know what product we are giving away surely is! My focus with RO is to help the manufacturers that are good for us (win win). I only have (want really) a limited number of choice manufacturers to advertise over a term so, although its important that we have support, getting too many at once is not what we want around here.
That being said, obviously the product that the contest surrounds is really good for everyone. So far I have been choosing things that are of interest and timely for everyone.
These contests need to be selective and limited to a few a year. I think through it all pretty carefully.

Forget strings and smaller items. Too much trouble for a set of strings. I won't ever do a contest if the product isn't of significant value and more pro audio focused.

A nice mic or monitors might be in the pool next. Keep thinking of contests like the last few we did. I really enjoyed the song and blog and I know a few manufacturers really liked it too.

A nice mic would help a lot of us juniors out. I could really make good use of a Shure SM7B.

How about a set or package of acoustic panels?

Re Acoustic panels:
The shipping on them is killer.
The more I learn about acoustics the more DIY panels make sense. I have RealTraps, love them and they are really pro but I believe they aren't something that are a good product to market because you will never please the manufacturer on numbers. Why?
Most people would rather build them than pay the big bucks for them.
So, its a bad product to market.

I personally recommend building them over buying them unless of course you can afford to buy them pre made.

What about a tee shirt with my face on it?


Who wouldn't want that?