just a hint/pointer to the real thing.  aka, not the whole thing

I have used the downloads at this link many times in the capacity of sound engineering teaching.

http://www.cambridge-mt.com/ms-mtk.htm 

In all the cases I have used them there were no stems just all the tracks. I am using the word 'Stem' here in the meaning that it is a sub group of a number of tracks. Good point from Cactus below as well regarding that. I recently entered into a remix comp on the Indaba Music site and they used the word 'Stems' too but in fact they were just individual tracks not a sub group or anything like that. They were stereo tracks though and many of them were in fact mono sources just occupying stereo or interleaved tracks. You are better off converting those to mono before you mix usually.

What there is there is a short and also a full mp3 usually of the track which is great for determining if you are going to download it or not.  

These sessions are usually very well tracked and the standard of the performing is also pretty good too. 

I always thought that Stem was just apple speak ( Pro Tools)  for tracks. I guess it's a little more involved. Please don't explain, I don't want to speak apple. 

PilotGav


What's a STEM?

Sounds physiological lol

simply a track.... it can also be any combination of tracks in a project resulting in any number of submixes.  the term is used a lot in radio and TV and film...... they may have the entire song mix playing in a scene.... then switch to a piano/acoustic "stem" to allow dialog without losing the feel.... then return to the complete song in the following scene.  


If you pay attention to TV and film, you will see this happen all the time. 

Try indaba.com. I re-mixed a Christina Aguillera song a few months ago as part of a contest. They have several contests going all the time, not always with such a big name. Then you can hear what others have done with the same piece, which is enlightening to say the least. 

Also:  http://mixoff.org/

Want a challenge? A few years back, someone posted the original 24 raw multi-track audio files from Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. The whole thing. I pulled it in and proceeded to use it as a project whereby I recorded my own versions of Brian's guitar (and some of Freddie's vocals). The intro & 'opera' sections are a bear to remix. 16-24 tracks of vocals alone, at times. Google search that one for a bit of fun. (I think I found it on gearslutz.com.) PS, no, I never did finish up my own version of "me jamming with Queen". One of these days...

I use Homerecording quite a bit and they have a section where users can upload their own tracks for people to mix. You may find something in here you like - http://homerecording.com/...neral-discussions/mix/

Here's a couple of my favorite sites. They both provide full multi-tracks for all of their projects.

http://www.shakingthrough.com/stems

https://beta.indabamusic.com/opportunities

-e.B

daveny5

Try indaba.com. I re-mixed a Christina Aguillera song a few months ago as part of a contest. They have several contests going all the time, not always with such a big name. Then you can hear what others have done with the same piece, which is enlightening to say the least. 

The OP mentioned that he is aware of Indaba, but he thinks it's mostly techno stuff there.  Of course he's mistaken.  They've run remix contests based on songs by, to name a few, Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel and Janis Joblin.