Creating usable edits…..

[ChuckMott]

I know Audiosparx would have you create separate 15 – 30 -60 Second tracks, but yes I am one who would rather complete edits from a full tracks then do a whole new version of a project. Am I wrong or do most folks recreate the wheel in this way?

Anyway, the original subject of the post, I am trying to figure out workarounds in the situations where doing edits from a full track just sounds completely too abrupt and unuseable? Would be too complicated to explain other then to say it cuts off a melody note about halfway through making for an abrupt edit. This I may be able to salvage by creating from bed versions, but what am I not thinking of to prevent this in the future? Or is there a workaround for this one I that I am not thinking of.

[MichaelL]

I know Audiosparx would have you create separate 15 – 30 -60 Second tracks, but yes I am one who would rather complete edits from a full tracks then do a whole new version of a project. Am I wrong or do most folks recreate the wheel in this way?

Chuck, don’t single AudioSparx out here. This is an industry standard. I’ve written several hundred tracks for PMA libraries. Every track was delivered with full, 60, 30, 15, and bed versions.

60, 30 and 15 edits are ad-length edits. If a client has a choice of buying cut that’s ready to drop into a spot vs buying a cut that they have to pay someone to edit, or that they have to spend time editing, for the spot they are most likely to choose the ready-to-use cut.

I sell more edits in RF libraries than full tracks and I charge the same as a full track because I’ve done the editing work for the client.

[ChuckMott]

You’re misunderstanding. On their site, they mention they don’t want you doing edits from the full track, they would rather you re-record or pre-record 30,60 second versions. So I try to make them as seamless as possible. This track is difficult to do that on without slicing it up and making it sound edited. Wondering if there is a workaround, the only one I can see is creating those from the bed versions because i am cutting last note of the melody off short. SO my question in general, I suppose , is there a workaround for this type of problem. And how many people just record 15,30s and 60s rather then editing because it sounds better and you can dodge the headaches.I generally always do edits despite what i had I had said a couple of months ago. Oh and FWIW I mentioned that also because it was reported that Erwin Steijlen is/was making about $7000 a quarter, and on the large majority of his tracks, there isn’t an edit to be found. Of course Erwin is one of my production music , er, heroes (yes I bought his book), for lack of a better word, and his stuff always sounds phenomenal. And the fact that according to the last , ok the only, PMA eventI attended, that was geared toward ad music, they seemed to point out that most clients know where they want their edits better then the composer does. But I sell more edits then anything else so….Not suggesting anyone not do edits , actually suggesting the opposite based on my sales .

[ChuckMott]

H0ws this for a rephrase. Are there systems for maiking your tracks more editable in the end product so you don’t have to re-record separate projects.

[ChuckMott]

All this should probably go under AS although that wasn’t the intent of this thread but here is the quote form their site under a Q&A.

Q. Should I take my full tracks and create 30 and 60 second versions out of them for upload to AudioSparx?

A. Definitely NOT! Your production of 30 and 60 edits should occur at the same time that you are doing the original music production and mastering process, so that you can adjust the music instrumentation and performance to make your 30 and 60 versions have natural, organic endings, rather than just arbitrarily imposed 30 and 60 durations that result from the process of chopping up a full stereo track. Please definitely do not cut up your existing full tracks to create new, shorter versions.

[MichaelL]

You’re misunderstanding. On their site, they mention they don’t want you doing edits from the full track, they would rather you re-record or pre-record 30,60 second versions.

I’ve haven’t re-recorded a 30, 60 or 15 second edit in nearly 25 years, since the advent of DAW’s.

I don’t create edits from the stero master, but I do edit the midi files and/or recorded audio tracks.

[ChuckMott]

Meaning just aligning them in time to make the edits easier? You lay out your tracks and where the edit points in your DAW before you bounce? By, for example, aligning them in your DAW?

[Art Munson]

I create my edits from the stereo master and most of what I sell are edits. Sometimes I use sections from the bed but I think with careful writing you can achieve satisfactory results from the stereo master. Of course there will always be exceptions.

That being said I’m the first to admit That I’m always amazed at how much I don’t know! 🙂

[woodsdenis]

I have never done a 30 sec edit from scratch ever, 99% I do from the master and occasionally I recut the original session. I do have Alt full length like Bed, DnB, No drums etc that sometimes get used but rarely again. Crossfading is a key here to make edit better, 2/4 bars work sometimes as does taking out bars.
99% of my tracks are to click at a contact tempo, I always leave a gap at the start that is a relevant musical measure , whole note, half note depending on the tempo. I import the master track into a fresh session and set the tempo the same and then set the track to usually 2.4.4 so it is actually starting at 3.1.0.

If you then set your snap to 1 bar its very quick to audition a drag whole sections into a new track to make up edits.This in Cubase but all DAWS have something similar. What is great in Cubase and Protools is the you can set a timeline ruler in seconds to start anywhere, so at bar 3 it 00 seconds, very easy to see your timings.

Hope this helps.

[Alan]

I do 90% of my edits from the stereo masters Chuck. I used to have the same trouble with nearly every track, but have learned to be mindful during the composing process to leave myself “wiggle room” for my edits. For example, I pretty much stopped using pick-up notes to the melody. It is almost always on beat one or after. I’m also careful not to have any decaying cymbals hanging over the start of a new phrase.

If I really want to break those editing rules for the sake of the composition, I will isolate those elements that may be problematic by putting them in a separate track, note lane, bus, etc. early on and make them easy to find. Then I mute them and bounce down a cutdown version that is only used for making those edits. Did that make sense?

BTW, I think I probably sell more edits that full tracks. So I take the time to make them sound as seamless an natural as possible.

[woodsdenis]

For example, I pretty much stopped using pick-up notes to the melody. It is almost always on beat one or after.

Yup, screaming at screen “why did I do that !!!!”

[ComposerLDG]

Now see, here I was today struggling to get an acceptable 15 second edit by editing and cutting, when I came upon this thread. Honestly, I don’t know why I never thought of just re-recording an altered snippet of the song for the edit. I did just that and I’m good to go with a nice sounding 15-second track! Granted, it was a single instrument (piano), so it was pretty easy.

Thank you, MLR 🙂

[ChuckMott]

Where I kind of hamstrung myself on this is playing a note and letting it spill over nto the next section, so that no matter what I do I cut it off. The beds actually sound nice (maybe better then the full track playing the melody) so it might be good for some bed edits no matter what i do. Good idea, I may see if I can get away with muting that whole lick and that just might work.Thanks everybody.

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