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Hey!

I'm seeking your advice on the "subtle tension cue" I am working on for Listing S250209MN (Reference Tracks): Alerted State

I think I'm in the right ballpark already and mainly need to work on adding some clearly defined edit points. Would you agree? Or are there other aspects that you think need more work before this one is ready for submission?

Thanks in advance! Really appreciate the help!

Jim.

Hi Jim, this is a genre whose nut I haven't been able to crack yet but I definitely agree it needs some edit points. If I were tasked with doing that I'd put at least two in, at the :37 second and 1:11 marks. I like your use of the old-school synthesizers but wonder if the screener will say they sound dated. I've received that feedback for a number of my tracks that used similar instrumentation. That would be an easy fix, maybe as simple as doubling each part with a more analog/modern sounding patch. Just spitballing here, I definitely am NOT an expert at this stuff at this point!

Agree with Doug - I think the sounds come across too retro...got a 90s synth kinda vibe

Also I think your arrangement is too mid-range heavy - there's not much happening lower down, even your bass part is kinda in the midrange. These cues rely on being able to sit under dialogue so you need to try and keep the speaking zone clearer by arranging around it more.

Thank you for the valuable feedback, Doug & Mark! I will take another stab at composing something that better fits the requirements of the listing.

Hey Jim,

I know you already said you were going to take another crack at this, but I just had a chance to listen, and I'd add that this sounds to me like much darker than the references. For "subtle" tension you really want to steer clear of anything too dark that could be categorized as horror or thriller. Yours is cool but feels much more on the horror side than the subtle side. Fixing that can be as simple as choosing less aggressive sounds, as your tempo, harmonic language, rhythms, etc all seem good.

RealPickle wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:59 am

Hey Jim,

I know you already said you were going to take another crack at this, but I just had a chance to listen, and I'd add that this sounds to me like much darker than the references. For "subtle" tension you really want to steer clear of anything too dark that could be categorized as horror or thriller. Yours is cool but feels much more on the horror side than the subtle side. Fixing that can be as simple as choosing less aggressive sounds, as your tempo, harmonic language, rhythms, etc all seem good.

Thanks, Geoff! I will keep that in mind when creating the new track.

I'm not an expert in this genre, but I think you did a great job.
Adding edit points would make it more licensable. Just remember, it must be ominous, as the brief says.