General Notes and Recommendations
- A M&E Sweetener Stem is comprised of the additional elements added to the Music and Effects stems to create the Main M&E. Generally created only if M&E stems are not made.
- If an M&E Sweetener Stem is created as part of the M&E creation workflow, it should be archived
- In general, the M&E Sweetener Stem contains fill for all of the PFX that are lost when muting the Dialogue. This can be Foley (cloth, props, footsteps), Backgrounds and/or Library effects.
- As with all M&E’s, the Dialogue stem should be modified to mute all Dialogue, keeping all PFX that are in the clear. This is called “flipping” in the vernacular, hearkening back to the days when Dialogue was cut on mag and flipped over as a way of muting it, keeping everything in sync.
- Summing the M&E Sweetener Stem, the “flipped” Dialogue Stem, Music Stem and Effects Stem at unity gain should equal the Main M&E. Peak limiting may be used at the discretion of the mix team.
Formatting Recommendations
- It is best to deliver the M&E Sweetener Stem in the same folder with the other M&E source elements, but it can be delivered on its own if delivery requirements dictate.
- Generally, only a native audio configuration M&E Sweetener Stem is created.
- 7.1 and 5.1 M&E Sweetener Stems must be individual consolidated channels as Broadcast Wave (.wav) files and in separate workstation sessions. The workstation session may contain a 7.1 or 5.1 session track, or it may contain individual mono tracks. Each track must be named to reflect its audio configuration and channel assignment.
- Immersive M&E Sweetener Stem(s) should be delivered with any associated objects in its own DAW session.
