Recommended Test Tracks/Recordings Sticky

[Geoff Millar]

The Band Up on Cripple Creek, from 'The Band':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EisXJSsULGM

Sam Brown, Box from 'Box':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZVQtU05nh0

Great bass and drum sounds on these tracks, well recorded, and hard to reproduce well. Box has a combination of bass drum and bass which will really test your woofer's Xmax. Plus it's a great song anyway from a much under-rated singer/songwriter.

Geoff

[philthien]

Another Day of Sun from the La La Land (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).

Pretty incredible dynamics, I think Emma Stone's soft vocals are actually a plus here.

FWIW, this track is the exact opposite of girl+guitar type stuff.

[Ironman129]

Two male vocal songs that I like:

Johnny Cash - Hurt

Disturbed - Sound of Silence Cover.

[Jonion]

I had a disc I'd use whenever auditioning anything. Not entirely sure of the reasons for each track now as it must be circa 25 yrs old but after being away from my audio for a while I'll be revisiting it soon.

Blue Aeroplanes - My Hurricane
Manic Street Preachers - Australia
Texas - Tired of Being Alone
Robert Cray - That's What I'll do
Hawkwind - World of Tiers
Crash Test Dummies - How Does A Duck Know?
Alanis Morissette - Right Through You
Joe Satriani - Summer Song
Jan Akkerman - Pietons
Living Colour - Love Rears it's Ugly Head
Pink Floyd - Money
Joan Armatrading - Me Myself I
Bread - Guitar Man
Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Under The Bridge
REM - Drive
Jamiroquai - Cosmic Girl
Dire Straits - Southbound Again
Tracey Chapman - Material World

[mattp]

Milky Chance: Stolen Dance

Very interesting phase effects in this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7yDE_JyhtU

[JRivera]

Just to add: a German friend of mine gave me a link with very High audio resolution files, useful for serious 2CH/MultiCH testing: http://www.2l.no/hires/index.html
Regards

[Swerve City]

James Blake - Limit To Your Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOT2-OTebx0

[Derekj]

James Blake - Limit To Your Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOT2-OTebx0

Didn't expect that!

[Unbiasedsound]

James Blake - Limit To Your Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOT2-OTebx0

That is a unique awesome track...this will be added to my collection of test music that helicopter like bass line was unique.

[Mountainman Bob]

Sugarland just dropped a new album 'BIGGER'

Seems like a decent effort in both production and recording quality..

I'm partial to track 6 'Lean it on back'

[[email protected]]

Sarah McLachlan- Ice
Susannah McCorkle- I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire (cover of The Ink Spots' song, which some may know from Fallout)
Roadrunner United - Roads
Seether- Needles (the snare in the intro especially)
Primus- The Antipop (Les' normal bass genius)
Fleetwood Mac- The Chain
The Bravery- Unconditional
Bellarive- Lazarus (I especially love this song when the chorus ends, the singer has no backing for a couple seconds, and really shows his voice off)
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - Learning To Fly
Victor Wooten- The Lesson
311- Love Song
Pentatonix ft Dolly Parton- Jolene
The Doors- Riders On The Storm
Superbus- Radio Song
Regina Spektor- While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Kubo and the Two Strings OST)
Weezer- Say It Ain't So
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones- The Sinister Minister
Thrice- Black Honey
Helmet- Unsung
The Who- Love Reign O'er Me
Luciano Pavarotti- Nessun Dorma

These are just some of the ones I use. I like all kinds of stuff.

[Spaker]

I'd be willing to wager not many of you are familiar with this guy. Deadmau5 is a producer and performer of live electronic music. Not a DJ. Doesnt play other peoples songs. Doesnt play recorded songs. Recreates them live. Anyway, a .wav or .flac version of this track always gives me a good idea of how a speaker came out. Lots of hi end and midrange.... and that 4 to the floor kick will eventually chime in and let you know what your woofers are made of.

Deadmau5 - The Velt oh... yeah... he performs in a giant cartoon like mouse head helmet his fans make him. until he gets hot.

[Bill C]

Dire straights the entire brothers in arms cd. Michael Jackson thriller album.robert plant shaken and stirred cd. Emerson lake and Palmer song "from the beginning" Edgar winter group song Frankenstein . Absolutely everything that Dr. Dre has produced or recorded. And of course pink Floyd's dark side of the moon. All those tracks and albums will put your system to the test for sure. Oh yeah and the overture of ???1812??? With the cannon blasts.. real joy to listen to on a good system.

[Bill C]

Oh and David bowtie station to station cd. Especially the track station to station and the track .. stay

[Ynantr]

I've always used Catalunya because it has a bit of everything. Whatever you use, it should be a track you're very familiar with.