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I'm very confused about this particular sentence. The "crime drama" listing wants to hear clear ending, no fade out. BUT, if you hit an orchestra bass drum, it naturally "fades out". Some other synth sounds don't just stop when you take your finger off the key, they slowly vanish. This could go on for 1 or 2 sec, but it doesn't go on 10-15 sec, maybe that's what they mean? Or should you just make an abrupt ending? It's very unnatural to do it that way if the sound wants to go on a little more.

Natural instrument fade outs are fine. Specifically like the one you mention.What they're looking for is a definitive ending to the track. So that the editor can use the audio as another cue that the scene, beat or moment is ending and a new one is beginning. A 10+ second, slow fade where its clear that the band or orchestra is continuing to play, even after we can't hear them continuing to play doesn't achieve the effect tv/film editors are looking for.

OK! Because one of my songs was returned because the screener said: "No fade out", but I didn't fade it myself, it was the natural fade of the instruments itself. This is why I asked mainly.

Can you post a link to the song that was returned?

I'm sorry, but I can't. That version is deleted, and I did a new one instead.

Hi Orest,I once read a post from Mazz, saying, the end tail of a sound should terminate on the dot. Hope you understand what I mean!!

I always try to find a way to chop all that stuff off. I'm not always clean about it but I try to be. Seems to me the ending has to be as well thought out as the intro. But unless you're using a bunch of delays or reverb effects, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. For you orchestra people, just think like an orchestra. Last note ends and everybody puts down their instrument... I think ( thinking is dangerous for me ) this is what they want you to simulate.HTHKeith

If a listing is asking for a 60 second piece, I write the piece so any ring out ends at exactly 60 seconds. If the last note hits at 57 seconds and the ring is longer than 60, I'll do a fade on the ring out in my 2 track editor. I think it sounds more natural to fade the ring out rather than compose right up to the end and then abruptly cut it. I think abrupt cuts sound unprofessional. If the editor at the client end wants to do it, that's up to them. There's no wiggle room in broadcast, every second counts.BTW: I just edited an existing piece to submit to one of the 60 second listings and it ran a second or two long and I changed the length in my editor (Bias Peak) and it sounded fine and ended at exactly 60 seconds. Sometimes if you don't try to do a radical change, using the time compression expansion in your DAW or editor can help.Mazz