Cyberpunk Edit Points

[MarkFeil]

Greetings!

I've added edit points to two previously produced cyberpunk tracks and would love to receive feedback on them. Have I provided sufficient edit points at the right moments to maximize chances for placements? Are any edit points too abrupt? Do any of them disrupt the flow of the music?

Thank you so much for taking the time to listen and share your insights!

Mark Feil

https://s.disco.ac/adhxckhnjady

[cosmicdolphin]

Cyberfiesta : Decent Track overall but could be improved

There is a natural place around 17-18s to have one but you don't take advntage of it ( your kick is too hot BTW when it's in the clear it needs automating down maybe 3 or 4db-ish )

1:06 is another spot I'd expect a more defined edit point - might be an idea to drop the kick altogether here, using something else rhythmic like some percussion to drive that section

1:23 - it's an edit point for sure but it's a bit of a weak re-entry into the track. Try adding a proper drum fill and some sort of short riser there. Think of it as an " on ramp" into the last part of the track

Ending - It sort of peters out at the end instead of coming to some sort of cresencendo, so I would reccomend building that last section up , uses risers, perscussion etc to build an exciting climax that will help an editor to end a scene

You need some better transitions, go watch the latest 52 Cues episode on Youtube where he gives a tutorial on how to do this - it will make the track sound more professional

[VanderBoegh]

Hey Mark - CosmicDolphin (also Mark) above me already game some pretty great advice. I'm gonna give you a few other things to consider:

"Cyberista" has an overly long (ahem.... dare I say "boring") intro. If this were my piece, I'd cut the first 15 seconds. Start the track with the four kicks and use that as a lead-in, then get into the goods with the section that starts at :18.

"Dark Matter" is a bit long for a cue. This one clocks in at nearly 3 minutes. Unless specified otherwise, a good time length to shoot for when it comes to cues is 2:00 min on the long end. Most things I do are anywhere from 1:30-1:45.

I know you said you already subscribed to my YouTube channel, and I don't want to hijack your thread for my own self-promotion, but I have videos on these very concepts in there. Check out the ones called "The First Four Seconds", "How to Compose a Lead-in", and "Length of Instrumental Cues", and you can hear my long-winded elaborations on why these things are all important.

Best of luck to you!

~~Matt

[MarkFeil]

Cyberfiesta : Decent Track overall but could be improved

There is a natural place around 17-18s to have one but you don't take advntage of it ( your kick is too hot BTW when it's in the clear it needs automating down maybe 3 or 4db-ish )

1:06 is another spot I'd expect a more defined edit point - might be an idea to drop the kick altogether here, using something else rhythmic like some percussion to drive that section

1:23 - it's an edit point for sure but it's a bit of a weak re-entry into the track. Try adding a proper drum fill and some sort of short riser there. Think of it as an " on ramp" into the last part of the track

Ending - It sort of peters out at the end instead of coming to some sort of cresencendo, so I would reccomend building that last section up , uses risers, perscussion etc to build an exciting climax that will help an editor to end a scene

You need some better transitions, go watch the latest 52 Cues episode on Youtube where he gives a tutorial on how to do this - it will make the track sound more professional

Great feedback, sir! I had removed transitions which bled through the edit points and knew something was now missing. Mr. Kropf's tutorial on transitions was very helpful, indeed. I like your suggestion to drop the kick for the "B" section. Pulling down the exposed kick was an easy fix and was kind of obvious in hindsight. I do see what you mean about the ending petering out. Thank you so much for the honest and detailed reply you've given!

[MarkFeil]

Hey Mark - CosmicDolphin (also Mark) above me already game some pretty great advice. I'm gonna give you a few other things to consider:

"Cyberista" has an overly long (ahem.... dare I say "boring") intro. If this were my piece, I'd cut the first 15 seconds. Start the track with the four kicks and use that as a lead-in, then get into the goods with the section that starts at :18.

"Dark Matter" is a bit long for a cue. This one clocks in at nearly 3 minutes. Unless specified otherwise, a good time length to shoot for when it comes to cues is 2:00 min on the long end. Most things I do are anywhere from 1:30-1:45.

I know you said you already subscribed to my YouTube channel, and I don't want to hijack your thread for my own self-promotion, but I have videos on these very concepts in there. Check out the ones called "The First Four Seconds", "How to Compose a Lead-in", and "Length of Instrumental Cues", and you can hear my long-winded elaborations on why these things are all important.

Best of luck to you!

~~Matt

Hey Matt,

First off, please feel free to mention your YouTube channel on my posts anytime you like! If it's pertinent to me, it's also pertinent to the forum lurkers (I've been one of them for too long now!). I've viewed "The First Four Seconds," and "Length of instrumental Cues," but got a bit confused regarding the differences between artist music and production music within this relatively new genre. I need to edit my instrumentals to transform them into usable cues. I just watched "How to Compose a Usable Lead-In." It's all starting to make sense now.

I hate to admit it, but I also find my "Cyberista" intro to be boring. When I composed it, I had just finished a stretch of working on ambient music, so I guess I was still somewhat in that mind space. I see now that for production music we really need to start with the King, not the Jack's assistant. Dark Matter wasn't originally composed as a cue. Neither was "Cyberista." So now it's time to also do my cutdown of Dark Matter. Back to work!

Thanks so much for your honest feedback!

Mark Feil

[cosmicdolphin]

Great feedback, sir! I had removed transitions which bled through the edit points and knew something was now missing. Mr. Kropf's tutorial on transitions was very helpful, indeed. I like your suggestion to drop the kick for the "B" section. Pulling down the exposed kick was an easy fix and was kind of obvious in hindsight. I do see what you mean about the ending petering out. Thank you so much for the honest and detailed reply you've given!

Hey you're welcome , keep following Matt's & Mr Kropfs channels as they both give excellent advice - If you want to hear one that's alredy been accepted by a library I did one a few months ago you can listen to here.

https://www.megatrax.com/tracks?tracks=bib245-17

PS - Thanks for the coffee !

[MarkFeil]

Hey there Matt and Cosmic Dolphin (AKA Mark)!

Taking all of your expert advice to heart, I've not only produced what I believe to be much better product, I've also learned a valuable lesson in how to increase my chances of getting deals and placements.

You can check out the revisions here:

https://s.disco.ac/ijohbmymaram


Thank you both once again!

[MarkFeil]

Great feedback, sir! I had removed transitions which bled through the edit points and knew something was now missing. Mr. Kropf's tutorial on transitions was very helpful, indeed. I like your suggestion to drop the kick for the "B" section. Pulling down the exposed kick was an easy fix and was kind of obvious in hindsight. I do see what you mean about the ending petering out. Thank you so much for the honest and detailed reply you've given!

Hey you're welcome , keep following Matt's & Mr Kropfs channels as they both give excellent advice - If you want to hear one that's alredy been accepted by a library I did one a few months ago you can listen to here.

https://www.megatrax.com/tracks?tracks=bib245-17

PS - Thanks for the coffee !

Thank you for sharing this link to your track. It was very helpful hearing how you approached your transitions. Good stuff!