.Start.of.Music.Contest.IV.Rules...............................................
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               Music Contest IV - 1996                | Entries to Date :
                    -------------                     |   MC1 (1993)    :  23
    Music Contest is a competition for the scene.     |   MC2 (1994)    :  75
  It is hosted by Hornet at the site ftp.cdrom.com.   |   MC3 (1995)    : 133
    Our demo archive is located under /pub/demos.     |   Total Entries : 231
                                                      |
==[Contents]===================================================================

           Foreword by Necros
           Introduction
           Entering
           Judging
           Contest Rules
             The Rules
             Reasons for Disqualification
           Prizes
           Schedule
           Changes Since MC3
           Frequently Asked Questions
           Closing
             Contact Information
             How to Subscribe to "MC4 Updates"


==[Foreword by Necros]=========================================================

 Hello there fellow scene addict!  I've been asked by Snowman to write a
 little intro blurb for Music Contest 4.  In case you don't know of me, my
 name is Necros of the group Five Musicians.  I've been in this scene for a
 while (certainly not as long as some of the real veterans though), and so far
 it's been pretty good to me.

 There is something about tracking that brings a sublime joy to my life,
 something which I haven't been able to find amongst other pursuits.  Perhaps
 it's the grainy 8-bit 16khz samples, or the sound of an old SoundBlaster 1.0
 card.  Perhaps it's just the knowledge that I am spending months of my life
 working to craft music for an underground scene which has no real relevance
 to anything, save pure musical enjoyment.  Either way, the scene is something
 which I hold dear, and that I hope to be able to continue to contribute to as
 time goes on.

 One of the best things about the scene is the friendly competition which is
 such an integral part, i.e. compos and parties.  Most music competitions are
 unfortunately not very well thought out, however.  Many people think that
 music can be truly judged after a single listen, lost among a crowd of thirty
 or forty other songs, played in rapid succession.  This isn't so in my
 opinion.  If there is at all a way to really judge a piece (which I don't
 even know if there is), surely the best way is to sit down and try to dissect
 it, compare it to others, and really find out what makes it so unique.

 A good competition should be both fair and true to its element, and I do
 believe that one of the best out there right now is the Hornet-run Music
 Contest series.  This year we mark the fourth such competition, and I am sure
 it will be even more successful than the last.  MC3 was one of the best-run
 competitions I have ever been privileged to take part in.

 Given, there is really no such thing as a perfect competition, but I think
 the MC's are about as close as one can get.  It provides an opportunity for
 some people to rise into the spotlight which they richly deserve.  It can
 also be a medium to see some of the best work ever done in a tracker format,
 songs which transcend idiom and format to reach a higher level of greatness.

 With the opening of this fourth contest, I hope we can illuminate even more
 musical talent.  My personal regards to Christopher Mann (Snowman / Hornet)
 for having the boldness to undertake such a personally daunting and
 under-valued task.  I hope this one turns out to be just as successful as the
 previous three.  But to have that happen, remember, we need your help as
 well.  Contests like these are a great chance for self-improvement and I hope
 you'll give it a try.

 Necros / Five Musicians - asega@ic.sunysb.edu - 07 Apr 1996


==[Introduction]===============================================================

 Hello all, and welcome to Music Contest IV.

 Music Contest IV is an international music competition.  It is like a
 demo-party music compo, but you do not need to travel anywhere to compete.
 Entries will be collected on the 'net at our home site, ftp.cdrom.com.  When
 the contest is over, public voting begins.  The results reflect how each song
 has done in 5 categories: originality, form, technique, sample quality, and
 overall appeal.

 There are two MC4 entry divisions: rookie and veteran.  The rookie division
 is for beginning trackers or those who are uncomfortable competing with
 scene veterans.  The veteran division is for those who have been tracking a
 while and want to compete with well known musicians.

 For those who competed in MC3, a special section is included at the bottom
 of this document outlining the changes that have been made with MC4.

 The same listserver used for DemoNews is being used to distribute a "MC4
 Updates" newsletter.  This newsletter will be used at least 6 times during
 the contest and will keep you posted on current happenings, registrations,
 and changes.

 MC4 is a contest organized by Hornet.  GD is handling the MC4 e-mail and
 newsletters.  I am handling "behind the scenes" administrative tasks.

 We feel pleased with the progress Music Contest has made since 1993.  Last
 year, MC3 had over 130 entries.  This year we expect over 300.  Music
 Contest IV is poised to become the largest music scene competition to date.
 We invite you to become part of the experience.

 Snowman / Hornet - r3cgm@cdrom.com - 02 Apr 1996


==[Entering]===================================================================

 An "MC4 entry" is a song with pattern and uncompressed sample data, playable
 in Cubic Player v1.6+ or Impulse Tracker v2.02+.  The only text allowed in an
 MC4 entry is "Song Title."  This contest is anonymous; no one will know who
 entered which song until the contest is over.  Your name or handle may not
 appear anywhere.

 You must register to enter MC4.  Included is an application (mc4enter.txt).
 Fill it out and send it in.  It will typically take at least 3 days to send
 back a verification and information on how to upload your song.  Application
 processing will begin on 15 Jun 1996.

 The final results will list all author/song associations.


==[Judging]====================================================================

 An "MC4 judge" is responsible for listening and assigning scores to songs
 with up to 1 meg of samples using Cubic Player v1.6+ or Impulse Tracker
 v2.02+.

 You must register to judge in MC4.  Included in is an application
 (mc4voter.txt).  Fill it out and send it in.  It will typically take at least
 3 days to send back a verification and information on how to vote.

 Voting is done in two rounds.

 The first round selects the top 25 veteran and 15 rookie songs.  One category
 is voted on: overall quality.

 The second round ranks the songs which advanced from the first round.  Five
 categories will be judged: originality, form, technical, samples, and overall
 quality. Overall quality will count three times as much as the other
 attributes.

 A core group of experienced judges will also vote in the second round.  These
 scene veterans will have three times the normal voting strength to help
 balance out lesser-experienced judges' votes.  They will also resolve ties.
 Core judges will not vote on their own MC4 entry.


==[Contest Rules]==============================================================

 _____The Rules

 1. Song must play in Cubic Player v1.6+, or Impulse Tracker v2.02+ for .IT
 2. No remixes or remakes of other songs (even your own)
 3. The only text allowed in the song file is your verified song title
 4. Uncompressed entry size must not exceed 1,000,000 bytes
 5. The song and zip-compressed file format must follow the specifications
    provided in your entry verification.
 6. Entry must be in ftp.cdrom.com/incoming/MC4 before 00:00 GMT, 15 Jul 1996
 7. A single version of one song may be entered
 8. Entry may not be publicly released until final results are posted

 _____Reasons for Disqualification

 1. The entry or author violates any of the rules above
 2. The author's name or handle appears anywhere in the song file
 3. An entrant votes on his/her own song
 4. The song is ripped

 If you are disqualified you can not re-enter.

 The organizers of MC4 reserve the right to disqualify a song due to
 unforeseen circumstances.

 Changes to rules or deadlines of the contest (posted in the MC4 newsletter)
 become the responsibility of all participants.  Failure to observe such
 changes is not the burden of the MC4 organizers.


==[Prizes]=====================================================================

 These are the prizes for the MC4 Veteran division:

   1st place - Soundcard of choice (up to $300 in value) or $100 cash
   2nd place - $75 cash
   3rd place - $50 cash
   4th place - $25 cash
   5th place - $15 cash

 Prizes will not be awarded in the MC4 Rookie division.

 These prizes have been donated by K8to and Snowman.  If you are interested in
 donating a prize to MC4, please contact gd@ftp.cdrom.com


==[Schedule]===================================================================

 Date       Event
 ---------  ------------------------------------------------------------------
 31 May 96  Contest starts
 15 Jun 96  MC4 Updates Newsletter #1
 01 Jul 96  MC4 Updates Newsletter #2
 10 Jul 96  MC4 Updates Newsletter #3
 15 Jul 96  Due date for entries
 20 Jul 96  1st round voting begins
 01 Aug 96  MC4 Updates Newsletter #4
 05 Aug 96  1st round voting ends
 10 Aug 96  2nd round voting begins
 15 Aug 96  MC4 Updates Newsletter #5
 20 Aug 96  2nd round voting ends
 01 Sep 96  Contest ends, results released, MC4 Updates Newsletter #6 (final)


==[Changes Since MC3]==========================================================

 + Song size limit has been increased from 512k to 1,000,000 bytes
 + Songs are allowed to have "real" names, not just ID numbers
 + Two round voting system implemented
 + Voting no longer restricted to GUS owners


==[Frequently Asked Questions]=================================================

 Q: Why is Cubic Player used for judging?
 |
 A: In Music Contest 3, we allowed each entrant to specify which program
    should be used to judge their song.  This created an organizational
    nightmare, not to mention the fact that many judges ignored the entrants'
    requests.  We felt confident enough about CP's acceptance in the scene to
    use it as our official judging player.

 Q: So what's used to judge .it entries?
 |
 A: Cubic Player does not support the .it format.  Impulse Tracker will be
    used instead.

 Q: Which division should I enter: rookie or veteran?
 |
 A: This is up to you to decide.  In previous MC's there has been an
    near-equal number of rookie/veteran songs.  Here are some tips in
    deciding.

    If you're new to the scene (been in for less than a year), enter rookie
    unless everyone in #trax is constantly raving about your music.

    If you've been in the scene for more than a year, you should probably
    enter veteran unless you don't yet feel confident enough.

    If you've been in the scene for more than two years, you should
    definitely enter veteran.


==[Closing]====================================================================

 _____Contact Information

 Questions and comments can be sent to to GD (Brett Neely), gd@ftp.cdrom.com

 The MC4 homepage is at http://www.cdrom.com/pub/demos/hornet/mc/mc4/index.html

 _____How to Subscribe to "MC4 Updates"

 Mail to : listserver@unseen.aztec.co.za
 Body    : subscribe mc4-updates [first_name] [last_name]

 The listserver will send the MC4 Newsletter to your e-mail's return address.


.................................................End.of.Music.Contest.IV.Rules.

