NASOALMO challenge completed: non audientibus 01 by Elemental Phantastix

[aoVI]

I joined the 2013 NASOALMO challenge. The challenge is to record an entire solo album (around 30 min minimum time or 10 tracks) within the month of November.

I finished mine this evening! 5 tracks/48:39



Elemental Phantastix: non audientibus 01

[windspace]

Listening while I'm puttering around the kitchen this afternoon. Good work! And I love the concept.

[seismic1]

I've only had time to play "What We Left Behind..." so far, but I'll try to listen to more of this later. Was this written or improvised? It feels like an improv, but It's got a nice structure, as if it has been carefully planned. Whatever it was, I really enjoyed that. It's mixed well too.

Good work

[S1gnsOfL1fe]

Amazing concept, even better result!

I've never heard of this contest before...why didn't anybody tell me about it? :P

I like how the album starts off slow, builds up and then comes back again. Really nice work my friend.

Nice to see you release something! :D

Cheers,
-S1gns

[aoVI]

Thank you all for taking the time to have a listen as well as coming back to comment.

Most all of my work is improvised as I have next to no knowledge of music theory. I may be stretching the definition of improvisation, however. I record a track and listen to it a couple of times, then play whatever comes into mind. The drawback is that after a couple of listens, whatever is actually misplaced/misplayed in the track becomes familiar and sort of a pattern. I think I listen sort of like frogs see. :D

I has been a whole year since my last album, hasn't it? I know I have almost 200 unfinished things on my drive now. Joining this challenge was in part to force myself to finish something.

Part of my problem is I feel like I get lost when its time to mix. I am pretty sure several of my finished pieces have been beat with the Mastering Hammer a bit too hard, as well as suffering from being mixed in headphones. There's not much of a choice on the headphone mixing most of the time, unfortunately.

Thank you all again!

[Thought Experiment]

Not intending to teach you how to suck eggs, but:

It's very hard to get a decent mix with headphone monitoring - some people say it's impossible but I wouldn't go that far. Similarly, some people say it's essential to mix at high monitoring level - maybe this is why you feel forced to use headphones, if you're mixing late at night for example.

Your mixes sound OK to me, but if you're not satisfied with them, don't feel compelled to mix at high monitoring levels. Your ears will get fatigued more quickly, and if you're mixing a long track (10 minutes or more) it doesn't take that many passes before your ears can't make the finer judgements required and the session becomes counterproductive. I've found that I get better results, and I can tolerate longer mixing sessions, by monitoring at a comfortable listening level - or even at a fairly quiet level, particularly with a beatless track. I've done quite a few mixes late at night with the wife sleeping only 12 feet away, and without upsetting the neighbours. You can always whack up the volume at a more sociable hour to check your mix :D

[seismic1]

I always mix with my monitors, with the occasional blast through the HiFi, and headphones. It just seems to be the best way for me. I prefer to make major mixing decisions at a decent volume, but most of mundane work can be done at fairly modest levels. I prefer to master at a reasonable volume.

Anyway, your mix sounded good to me. I don't think you need to worry.