Promos, Trails production.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to find out how to go about producing trails, promos, etc using.

When I listen to samples of these it is sometimes very difficult to determine which loops, effects and SFX's which have been used.  

As a newbee I would like to have a try at making my own trails, promos, etc. and would appreciate any guidance you can offer.  

Hi Charlie, are these for radio, TV, movies or all? Try and narrow down what you want to do, and give a bit of detail of what you have in mind, it'll make it easier to help.

Hi BFM

I was wanting to produce programme trails, station promos and perhaps the odd commercial for radio.  
Anthing from about 10 to 30 seconds in length using loops and sound effects and the built in sound effect transforms built in to CEP.

From scratch or do you have a specific promo in mind? Do you have beds and FX. Come on   , be specific, give me one specific example of a job you need doing, and I'll walk you through it.

Hi BFM

I have loops and SFX's available.  

I visited Emmett's website at www.new-audio.com and had a listen to his rock.wma download.

Also I have been directed to samples of beds from Radio Kenny at:

www.angelfire.com/tx5/aadd/70s15.mp3

www.angelfire.com/tx5/aadd/70s30.mp3

I was wondering how you put this sort of stuff together.  In what order do you lay the different tracks down ?  Drums loops first  or what.
Also whic particular loops are used (or are particularly useful) and which CEP transform effects have been used.

Just basic stuff so I can then try experimenting to produce different beds then go on to add SFX's, transforms etc., vocals.  

Maybe it's just me but you sound really lost, so here's general overview.

Well it's for radio, so the spoken message is going to dictate what form the promo is going to take. The script comes first, this is the message the promo will convey. Let's say it's a program promo for a rock show. So you have a script which highlights who is on, what day/time, and what he does for the listener that makes it such a seriously good idea for the listener to "be there". You know it's a rock show, so you have a fairly good idea of who listens to that type of show (or at least what mood they're going to be in .. there are brain surgeons and college professors who are also secret rockers in their time off!). So think about the context, the mood, what is rock actually doing or trying to do? Is it trying to help people relax? Hardly. Is it trying to help people burn off a little frustration, steam, anti-society feelings? On a subconscious level it is. Is rock conforming or deliberatley rebellios? It's rebellious. So, by thinking through who will be listening to your message and where they're "at", and where rock is "coming from" you already have a good  idea of what style your promo has to be to fit into. You know that if you used a classical music bed or a rap music bed, it would not be suitable. So you know that the music bed has to a hard-hitting, energetic SOB that is going to be so hot your listener will not be able to miss the show you're advertising, you are going to blow them away "dude" ... "know what I mean?"  

Let's think about the script now. Again get into the context of the thing, think about the type of terminology that is most like to turn the listerner on or off. What if you opened the promo with, "Coming your way this saturday is a show not to be missed..." would it work? For rock? Definitely No. OK, what if you opened with (in a creepy whispering horror-master voice with a creepy dungeon reverb) "Everyone's going to be out this saturday, and you'll have the house and the radio all to yourself, muahahah" .. big, heavy guitar riff follows and into your message. Or (in an authorititive, daring, end of the world as we know it type voice) "You-are-not-going-to-believe-your-ears-dude..."

Before I get carried away, the bottom-line to a good promo is a marriage between script, voice-over and music/FX. Did someone say 'and appropriate fee'? Hush now, let's behave  

In Cool Edit, you would create or prepare each one separately and then mix them together to make one file. You mix these separate Wave files in the Multitrack view. So, you would open, let's say the three Wave files, then drag them one-by-one and drop them onto a track with the left mouse button. Once there, you can drag them left, right or onto different tracks using the right mouse button. Each track has corresponding vol, pan and eq. To merge the three wave files into one track, click Edit > Mix down to empty track.

There's a lot more to this, but you'd better tell me which area of the process you need help with.

Hi BFM

Thanks for above info.

This should be enough to get me started.  

charliebrown

head to my website and check out the demos page....is this the type of radio production you are referring to?  If so...(after you listen)...what questions do you have?

MM

www.martysproduction.com, click on demos

Marty -- the link's dead (as far as I can tell...).


(edit) Actually, the second link works, the first link has an extra character in it.

TR

thanks tom...

seen that just after I posted it....slip of the finger on the keyboard..

the actual addy is...


http://www.martysproduction.com

any comments on the demos is much appreciated...

MM

Hey Marty I love your imaging, man! Some of the voices sound pitch-stretched .. be honest now   it's OK, we're all doing it. Of course, the problem comes with taking phone calls from clients who've heard the demo first .. I'm seriously thinking of hot-writing Cool Edit with the stretch effect to my phone receiver and answering the phone in my girl-voice

I'm seriously thinking of hot-writing Cool Edit with the stretch effect to my phone receiver and answering the phone in my girl-voice

Hehe! I have a Yamaha effects unit that will do that in real time - I've been very tempted occasionally to try it, as well!

hey thanks for the props!

Actually very little of any of my demo is my voice....Im mostly into producing other vo talents with radio imaging and such...

smiles,

mm

[Voice type:]

Marty! Can you use an English accent Voice Talent?  

Voice type: Deep, Commanding, Rich Brown, Authoritative, Ballsy, Powerful, Sophisticated, Dynamic, Inspiring, Warm, Friendly, Pacey, Solid, Neutral Accent, Smooth, Cheery, Confident, Bright, Versatile, Crisp, Fruity, Friendly, Educated, Chatty, Reassuring, Calm, Assured, Intelligent, Relaxed, Approachable, Classless, Smooth, Neutral, Intelligent, Educated, Silky, Emotive, Authoritative .. and very flexible!  

Can I to point you my demo?  

hmmmm I actually do like your voice.  I do feel there is a place for you in American Radio.  Personally I believe its not just the VO talent but good production that make a perfect production piece.  

Question for you......is there anyway you can email or post the DRY vo from your demo?  Just the voice without all the production elements.  I d like to try something...with your permission.

smiles,

mm