Title: Apollo Lee – Tactility Date: December 02, 2008 Software: Logic Pro 8 Genre: Ambient Timing: 7:30 @ 40 bpm
What I Like About It
The harmonic structure is in minor rhythm changes (Am7, FM7, Bm7b5, E7). I’ve used it before, but it’s easy to get some nice tensions with this chord progression.
It’s very quiet and has a light touch.
The effects processing and equalization are unnoticeable, but effectively eliminate most of the distortion that’s endemic in a piece such as this.
Moving multiple notes at a time gave a more singing, evocative feel.
What I Don’t Like About It
There’s still a touch of phase distortion in a couple of places.
There isn’t enough on the high end to counterbalance the deep lows — everything is just sort of in the middle.
Note: These are rough drafts. Constructive criticism is welcomed, of course.
Title: Apollo Lee – Siskiyou Date: November 21, 2008 Software: Logic Pro 8 Genre: Ambient Timing: 7:30 @ 40 bpm
What I Like About It
The harmonic structure is much different than the set ups I usually use. FM7, Am7, BbM7, C7. This made everything mostly consonant, while allowing for tensions that were easily resolved.
I used a light ring modulator again, with a number of other effects that flesh out the sound of this pad.
There are some beautiful lows and sweeping highs.
What I Don’t Like About It
I could have used more challenging harmony.
There are long periods with no bass anchor.
Note: These are rough drafts. Constructive criticism is welcomed, of course.
Title: Apollo Lee – Quetta Date: November 10, 2008 Software: Logic Pro 8 Genre: Ambient Timing: 7:30 @ 40 bpm
What I Like About It
This is a patch I haven’t used before. I like the swirly phaser. This is a pretty sound.
The harmony is in D major with descending chords (DM7, C#m7b5, Bm7, A7), which has lots of soaring consonance and tense, clustered dissonance in my tight 16-note grid.
The note diversity is decent with some floating highs and heavy-duty lows.
What I Don’t Like About It
Some of the dissonant clusters resolve unexpectedly or fail to resolve at all and simply “move on”.
In a couple of spots, a few notes shift at once and leave a pedal tone hanging in the air, seemingly disembodied.
I feel like this might be a little too phaser-heavy and I could have toned it down a little bit.
Note: These are rough drafts. Constructive criticism is welcomed, of course.
Title: Apollo Lee – Pliancy Date: October 22, 2008 Software: Logic Pro 8 Genre: Ambient Timing: 6:30 @ 40 bpm
What I Like About It
This is an instrument I haven’t used before. It’s different.
The harmony (Em7, DM7, Cm7b5, B7) is simple, but effective.
What I Don’t Like About It
There is a whole bunch of phase distortion that is quite evident when the volume is up.
There are long sections without any lows at all. This makes the piece feel untethered during those sections.
Some chord changes are abrupt and unexpected and other chords are held too long.
I should have spent more time in the mix down and adding an effects processor or two. I think Microphaser and a touch of Chorus would have been effective here.
Note: These are rough drafts. Constructive criticism is welcomed, of course.
Title: Apollo Lee – Owyhee Date: October 15, 2008 Software: Logic Pro 8 Genre: Ambient Timing: 7:06 @ 40 bpm
What I Like About It
The harmony is minor Rhythm Changes in Bb minor. It’s consonant enough to leave big open chords, but dissonance enough to give us some delicious tension.
The lows are vast and give a beautiful depth to the piece.
The mix is very clean and very high resolution (I asked for 160 kbps VBR and ended up with 225 kbps.
This instrument is mellow and with the touch of added microphaser is very interesting.
What I Don’t Like About It
All the notes are bunched too close together just below middle C. While there are awe-inspiring depths, nothing soars into treble territory.
Multi-note clusters much below the top of the bass clef clash and sound badly mixed.
The ending is unexpectedly abrupt.
Note: These are rough drafts. Constructive criticism is welcomed, of course.
Title: Apollo Lee – Nunavut Date: October 08, 2008 Software: Logic Pro 8 Genre: Ambient Timing: 7:30 @ 40 bpm
What I Like About It
The harmony is diatonic to some degree, consisting of descending seventh chords in F minor (Fm7, Eb7, DbM7, C7). The combinations of the sixteen tones used is enough to have sections of open harmony, suspended chords, and very tense dissonances.
The instrument patch I’m using is very unusual with a strange bell-like aftertouch that invokes a feeling of coldness and sparseness.
The piece flows well from one chord to the next.
The mix sounds clean, without distortion. Part of that is due to the high quality rip (211 kbps).
What I Don’t Like About It
The icy ringing aftertouch gets old fast and it’s everywhere on every note.
The note diversity could have been wider.
Note: These are rough drafts. Constructive criticism is welcomed, of course.
Title: Apollo Lee – Monona Date: September 29, 2008 Software: Logic Pro 8 Genre: Ambient Timing: 7:54 @ 40 bpm
What I Like About It
The harmony is interesting, but easy to play around with. It’s descending minor seventh chords starting on A minor (Am7, Gm7, Fm7, Em7). Lots of interesting tonal possibilities here.
The instrument patch I’m using is unusually and has interesting nuances.
The individual notes take some time before the fundamental tone is reached.
It doesn’t feel naked when there are only one or two notes in the chord.
The mix down sounds good.
What I Don’t Like About It
The first tone, the ringing bell/organ, is a part of this patch I’m still not totally sure if I love. Especially since it occurs on every attack.
I didn’t use those lows effectively enough.
Note: These are rough drafts. Constructive criticism is welcomed, of course.
Title: Apollo Lee – Luminesque Date: September 24, 2008 Software: Logic Pro 8 Genre: Ambient Timing: 7:36 @ 40 bpm
What I Like About It
The harmony is quite different, chords built on D, F, G, and A in D Melodic Minor (Dm/M7, F+7, Gm7, A7). It feels really open due to the large number of shared notes between chords.
The lows are really deep and the highs are ethereal and floating.
The overtone/aftertouch that occurs on max velocity on a note works well in this piece.
The mix down sounds really clean.
What I Don’t Like About It
Some of the high notes are too loud.
I should have used more color tones in the harmonic structure.
Note: These are rough drafts. Constructive criticism is welcomed, of course.
Title: Apollo Lee – Kestrel Date: September 18, 2008 Software: Logic Pro 8 Genre: Ambient Timing: 8:18 @ 40 bpm
What I Like About It
The harmony is really strange — a foundation of a c°7 (C diminished 7) chord, with major seventh chords on each. Thus: CM7, EbM7, GbM7, AM7 (BbbM7, technically). This lends itself to some haunting dissonances and open consonances.
Bouncing this track to MP3 at 192 kbps VBR (high quality) seems to eliminate a few issues with phase distortion and other artifacts of low resolution MP3 compression.
There’s a good diversity between highs and lows, which gives the piece depth.
I managed to equalize out most of the buzz and add a touch of reverb and flange.
What I Don’t Like About It
I’ve probably used this patch too much.
In a few places, the highs are just a notch too piercing.
We’re still using one instrument and no form.
Note: These are rough drafts. Constructive criticism is welcomed, of course.