I didn't make the contest deadline, but there's always next time!
The bass riff was part of the stems pack I used. The strings are either samples (I forgot where I got them, it's been so long) or Garritan Personal Orchestra,
As for the low dynamic range, that would be SoundCloud's doing. You can download the WAV or I can provide a link to a high quality OGG if you prefer.
Link
SF
I have to know how you processed that bass riff. It contrasts the strings really nicely.
Also is this really compressed by design or does Soundcloud just enforce a low dynamic range on everything?