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I just made my FIRST 20 cues (demoes) deadline (two days early I might add....padding myself on the shoulder) and got them all accepted! Weeeee!

Now "ALL" I need to do, is to make like 18 different versions/stems of each one! Geeez!
....Piece of cake hu?...

Is that normal procedures for all Music Libraries???

Does anyone have any tips on how you structure it all in an 'easy' way, so you don't lose track of it all???

BTW....why is it called DEADline???...Cause you are DEAD if you don't meet the deadline?
It SHOULD be called LIFEline, cause I feel SO much more ALIVE after having met the first XXline.

Congratulations, Ulla. A monumental task indeed!

Thanks Steve....yes it sure is,....to me at least.

IF you have some advice, as to how you structure your approach for making 'the 18 versions' of each cue, to keep track of it all, (that you want to share), I would be ever so grateful.

If not here, please feel very free to mail me at: ul@ullali.com ...this goes for everyone else too!

Way to go! A big accomplishment!

For the stems: Just mute certain tracks, don't change the balances. For instance, when creating a "band only" mix, just turn off the lead instruments and/or vocals. For an instrumental, you might want a stem with just bass, drums and percussion, or just pads and bass. It's important that the stems be EXACTLY the same length as the full version, and if they were to cut between different stems, the balances and the mix would just get fuller or sparser, depending on the stem they are using. You are basically creating submixes of the original without touching the master fader or doing any other adjustments whatsoever.

For bumpers: I'd start by trying to use the ending you have and see if you can work back from there 15 or 30 seconds or whatever and see if it makes musical sense to do that. If not, then try to put something from a "verse" ahead of the ending. You might need to alter the mix or use a stem version to accomplish this.

The most important piece of advice I can give: Do all of your extra versions using copies of your original sessions! Don't start messing with your original accepted versions, work off of copies.

I guess even more important than that: Have Fun!!!

Mazz

Thanks a MILLION dear Mazz!!!
Yeah, I know that this is a very tiny (and very unimportant) step for mankind, but sure a huuuuge step for (kind? woman) Ulla!

This is VERY VERY helpful to me! Bless ya! As I am just starting to do this, I am scared sh.. to mess up and do something wrong or plain stupid. It's not easy to understand 'all they want' to begin with, (lots of new terms and words/music 'slang'(?).....but I think I'm getting there, one step at a time. I'm also thinking in line of structuring your (my) files, so I know I have it all ready for the 'deadline' in an organized way.

Do you make a folder for each cue with all the versions/stems in it? Or how do you manage when you have so many?....I know you do have A LOT! And do you make it all, one cue at a time usually?...right after you made the cue?

I only just learned that my 20 demoes/cues will end up with like 360 different files! Whoa!

So I'm thinking (my approach would be):
1) extend my 1 minute demo(es) to a 3 minute FUL version (like you say from a COPY of the demo)
2) make bedtrack stems / alternate versions
3) make Bumpers versions
4) make stinger (which I still don't quite understand....is that just a 5 sec ending?)
5) save as 3 different filetypes (as requested)
6) make a DVD with all and "HOPE" to remember it all!?

....does this make sence????.....I WILL figure it out somehow, but gosh....I'd LOVE to learn how all you pros are doing it! ...and maybe learn from your mistakes too!?....if you remember/made any at all??? THANKS a million for sharing!! I REALLY REALLY appreciate!

...and hopefully there is someone, even more green than me (if possible?), who may learn from this too!?.....and if I can do/learn it....so can you!