What makes a professional sounding music cut?

[Sporkzilla]

I'm skating my first program to actual music in April, and I'm wondering...
What makes a professional-sounding music cut for skating?

I did some rough cuts--basically just the section of songs that I don't mind using--using Audacity, but it's not quite there in terms sound. But I'm not sure what I'd need to do in order to improve it. Is it as simple as adding a fade in/fade out? Or am I looking at playing with the volume within the cuts?

I know it's probably easier to pay someone to handle it but (1) I'm not the best at articulating what I want, and I don't want to get mad at someone because of that; and (2) an unexpected expense means I really *really* can't afford paying someone for their service. Plus, I'm generally a DIY person, so I'd rather learn a new skill!

 

[Theoreticalgirl]

A couple of technical things:

• Pay close attention to the technical requirements: File format, time, etc.
• Make sure your final mix is in mono, not stereo. Most rink PA systems are not equipped to handle things like panning/etc, so a mono mix ensures it will be heard in all speakers being utilized.
• I would say that the biggest challenge is the cutting itself; it's a skill you develop over time. Start paying attention to things like tempo, lyrics, etc. A bad edit is glaringly obvious; you should strive to make it as seamless and unnoticeable as possible. (Learning to adjust EQ/volume is also another learned skill.)
• Audacity is fine; I've worked in everything from Garageband to ProTools. Work with what you've got and become a master at its interface.

A couple of good resources on the basics of cutting (and good general advice):

https://transom.org/topics/techniques/ (might need to search through this)
http://training.npr.org/audio/the-ear-training-guide-for-audio-producers/

Believe it or not, but a music editor is not that expensive. The Skating Music Guy runs around $80 USD. I always send him a concept edit of what I want, and he just takes it from there. I cannot recommend him enough; he's magic.

 

[purple skates]

Audacity works very well for making good cuts. You just have to be patient - and depending on what your trying to do, use lots of tracks.

 

[overedge]

Sometimes it's not just the cutting itself - it's the combination of music. Do these pieces of music that sound like a unified whole when you put them together? It's going to be hard to make a good-sounding cut if the pieces don't fit together to begin with.

IME a good music cut is one where there aren't obvious jumps between the different pieces. This might affect what music you choose - if you have a piece that has a strong tempo or a phrase/motif that recurs throughout, it may be difficult to cut something else within that without making the original piece sound shredded. Fade-ins and fade-outs can work as transitions, but if there are too many of them, the finished piece is going to sound disconnected.

To be honest, if you are a beginner and want to try editing your own music, I would choose one song or piece of music that is longer than your program length, and edit that to the right length. Trying to combine pieces of music and to make it sound "complete" can be really tough - if you want to go that route, then I would go with a professional editor. IME most people who do this kind of work are used to clients who might not know what they want until they hear it, or don't hear it - so I wouldn't worry too much about not being able to clearly describe what you're thinking of.

FWIW I use Cacophony which is an open-source sound editing program for Mac. It's really easy to learn and use. http://www.bannister.org/software/cacophony.htm

 

[treesprite]

I've tried doing it myself in the past, and it was tedious trying to get the cut at the right beat. I would have someone else listen to the cut music before taking it to the coach.

 

[Sporkzilla]

A couple of technical things:

Believe it or not, but a music editor is not that expensive. The Skating Music Guy runs around $80 USD. I always send him a concept edit of what I want, and he just takes it from there. I cannot recommend him enough; he's magic.

I'll look into his services when I'm a better skater or once I'm skating a longer program. I don't think it's the best value right now, given my skills and the program length.

 

[Sporkzilla]

I've tried doing it myself in the past, and it was tedious trying to get the cut at the right beat. I would have someone else listen to the cut music before taking it to the coach.

I'm actually not as worried about that particular part. I used to do video editing professionally--it's a LOT more forgiving than straight music editing--and had a background in music. So it's just a matter of clip + undo + what effects to add

To be honest, if you are a beginner and want to try editing your own music, I would choose one song or piece of music that is longer than your program length, and edit that to the right length. Trying to combine pieces of music and to make it sound "complete" can be really tough - if you want to go that route, then I would go with a professional editor. IME most people who do this kind of work are used to clients who might not know what they want until they hear it, or don't hear it - so I wouldn't worry too much about not being able to clearly describe what you're thinking of.

FWIW I use Cacophony which is an open-source sound editing program for Mac. It's really easy to learn and use. http://www.bannister.org/software/cacophony.htm

Using a section of a song is the route I'm taking right now. Since I'm definitely on more of a beginner skater, a professional music editor might be a later in the investment.

Sadly, my dilapaMAC would probably choke if I tried any music editing. It's waaaay too old.

 

[Doubletoe]

I find that most of the things I need to do in Audacity to create a seamless edit are in the form of fade-in/fade-out between sections I'm splicing together and volume adjustments. If there's a section that sounds too loud or too soft, I'll separate it out into a separate track and increase or decreasie the volume on that track (sometimes smoothing out even the volume transitions with fade-in/fade-out to and from the connecting tracks). In my most recent edit, I also had to slow down a few seconds at the end of one section to make a more seamless transition to the section I was connecting it to, which was slower. That is the "Tempo" funcition (not "Speed", which will also change pitch). Beyond the technical how-to's, you just need to have a good ear for musical phrasing. If you don't, no amount of technology can help you.

 

[Aussie Willy]

I used to do cuts for people for around $20 because I wasn't professional. But I know my cuts were always really good. And I enjoyed the challenge of it.

If you are using Audacity look at the waves to see where the rise and fall in the waves are so that you can match up. That is how I managed to get seamless cuts.

Also make sure that the phrasing of the music is complete. You don't want it to sound unfinished or incomplete. When listening it should not jar with the ear.

Also I really hate when people just fade the music out because they have run out of time. If you are going to do a fade out it has to be logical for the music. Again it what works for the listener.

 

[Sporkzilla]

Thanks for the info! Luckily, i minored in music in college, so my ear's pretty decent. Not professional level, but good enough.

I'll definitely try some of the other recommendations when I do my next piece!