Recommended Test Tracks/Recordings Sticky

[Chris Roemer]

If you like mixing video w/your sound system, do yourself a favor and YouTube Leonid and Friends - a bunch of Russians playing Chicago hits better than CTA ever did (I don't even know if these guys speak English - but they sure can mimic words/sounds well).

Sooner or later you'll THINK you're hearing the Eagles - but instead it'll be Lexington Labs, all in HD and crisp digital recordings.

And if you're retirement age, check out HSCC (Hindley Street Country Club?), coming to you from Downunder. Fleetwood Mac's Little Lies and Everywhere not only sound great, but they're lots of fun to watch. They pick singers who sound like (or can mimic) the original artists. The bass player sounds like Mark Knopfler's brother (Sultans of Swing) and the original group's front man (the band's only 5-6 yrs old) can sound like half-a-dozen (or more) original artists. I've seen anywhere from 4 to 14 peeps on stage. Sometimes just 3 guitars & drums, Sometimes adding keyboards, and a horn section if needed. Whatever it takes to dupe the original sound.

Michael Jackson stuff is pretty good.
Easy Lover - rocks!
Everybody Wants To Rule The World and True - both awesome.
Yes, Player, Queen, Lionel, Heart, Starship, The Doobies, and many, many, many more.

[jim85iroc]

There are a number of tracks that I like. My primary three are Hotel California, Mary Jane's Last Dance and Money For Nothing. They're all very good recordings, but more importantly, they're very familiar to me.

One new album that I just picked up that I feel is extremely well recorded, as well as unique in a musical sense, is the album from the Mongolian rock band "The Hu". I'm not sure how well it will come across on the youtube video, but it's an extremely well recorded track with deep, strong bass, good dynamics and great instrument separation. Vocals are well recorded.

Their musical style is extremely unique too. It's a hard rock style song, but using their native instruments and vocal styles. It's a lot of fun to listen to. The whole album sounds great, but Uve Uve U is the one that I think sounds best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4xZUr0BEfE

[Ugg10]

Here’s my test playlist on Spotify - bit of something for every occasion.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0R...QYGJ-hmVlqvFgA

I am sure many have probably been suggested before but here goes, have fun -

1) Haken - Cockroach king - typical progressive metal, good recording, some interesting spatial effects with unaccompanied harmonies, good dynamics
2) Sarah McLachlan - Angel - female vocal should stand in the centre in front of the sound stage
3) Lou Reed - Walk on the wild side - male voice, small club venue, listen out for the double bass
4) Portishead - Numb - nice bit of trip hop to get the lower frequencies going, interesting mix with the light female vocals
5) Slipknot - Duality - dense recording, can you make out all 9 members and the keg/baseball bat sound will test the upper mid clarity
6) Jethro Tull - Songs from the wood (Steven Wilson Mix) - great acoustic work, thumb cymbals for highs, just a great remix
7) No Doubt - Just a girl (Acoustic German Radio) - very close mic, Gwen Staffani is almost in your face, listen out for table bumps and background noise
8) Club for Five - Brothers in Arms - Male Bass voice plus semi a Capella group, there is a base note at around 2mins that does a good rumble
9) Steely Dan - Java of speed - Just a great recording and those rim shot in the intro
10) Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take 5 - classic live jazz recording, can you see each of the four members on the stage
11) Gojira - Drum Solo - one of my favourite drum solos, instrument placement within the kit is great
12) Gojira - In the forest - Another dense mix but with decent instrument separation, can you tell the kick drum from the bass guitar, first half will challenge your upper bass and also amps grip on the speakers, second half of the song has good drum/guitar placement,
13) Musica Nuda - The very thought of you - larger club setting, piano, double bass, female vocal, great recording
14) Ken Mo - Slow down - similar to Jack of speed, just great production, will make most systems sound good
15) Patricia Barber - Regular Pleasures - very well recorded female voice, again should stand almost in front of you
16) Metsis - Eikasia - not sure this is that well produced but it has a bloated bass (IMO) which should show up
17) James Blake - Limit to your love - sub woofer killer, keep the volume down if you want to keep your bottom end in tact

[Steve Lee]

Check this kid out - 23 YO, band is tight, clean and the live mix is incredible . . . Christone "Kingfish" Ingram

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaQ0IDLw6qs

Turn it up.

[SAC]

Steely Dan- Gaucho- Babylon Sisters

The amount of engineering they did for this album is obscene. In my experience tuning the brightness out makes everything else sound good and natural.

[tvrgeek]

Julian Bream plays Segovia and Alverez. The slightest thing wrong with an amp will make the strings too metallic.
Any Joni Mitchel or Joan Baez. Their voices can make some speakers way go off. Critical midrange clarity.
Dave Grusin, Discovered again, second track. Has excitement that tests speakers midrange clarity with md/upper bass at the same time.
Harry James Discovered again. Another clean Sheffield recording. tweeter breakup will make the horns sound harsh. He does not play harsh like the Buddy Rich band does.
Amanda Mcbroom, growing up in Hollywood town. Amanda or the Rose. It that does not melt a man, you are not a man.
The opening applause on Clapton Unplugged, a really bad recording, but can sound worse if things are not right.
Osawa doing Beethoven's 5th. He just gets more energy and it should come through compared to others.

I see a lot of great stuff mentioned, but unfortunately very bad recordings. Beatles and Moody Blues in particular. 461 Ocean Blvd was embarrassing for quality of recording. Music great though. Male vocals tend to be easy. Female much harder. Acoustic instruments are more revealing. Going to have to track down some of these recommended. There is always more good music to be found!

[tvrgeek]

Julian Bream
Bream plays Segovia and Alvarez
Track 2.
This recording can bring out differences in amplifiers. Lessor amps will sound more metallic.

Amanda McBroom
Growing up in Hollywood Town
The Rose, Amanda, etc.
A very clean Sheffield recording that should make any male melt. Slightly odd voice that if right, really is right.

Harry James
The King James Version
Track 2
Another Sheffield. The horns when played at realistic levels wil really show you if you have any tweeter distortion issues.

Joan Baez
Diamonds and Rust
Diamonds and rust
Her voice is again a bit odd. Less than great equipment makes it sound "off"

Joni Mitchel
Ladies of the Canyon
Any
Like Baez, if anything is amiss, it adds an edge to her voice.

An advantage is I know these so well, I can even take a CD to a store and get reliable assessment. There is some great stuff listed in this thread! I should check my stock.

[AEIOU]

SOUND QUALITY ASSESSMENT MATERIAL RECORDINGS FOR SUBJECTIVE TESTS https://tech.ebu.ch/publications/sqa...7p3nA3n8YI1_Z8

[Will P]

Artist: Selena Gomez
Album: Rare
Song: Dance Again

Track main features:
1. Quick LR phase difference transition and bringing vocals to mono (0:25)
2. 9Hz material at -6 dBFS
3. FR flat down to 15Hz




Artist: Michael Jackson
Album: Bad
Song: Bad

Track main features:
1. Really well engineered
2. FR flat down to 29Hz





Artist: Beth Hart
Album: Front And Center (Live from New York)
Song: Love Gangster

Track main features:
1. 20dB dynamic peaks
2. FR flat down to 20Hz
3. piano, bass guitar, drums





Artist: Hans Zimmer
Album: Live in Prague Disc 1
Song: Main Theme

Track main features:
1. 24dB dynamic peaks
2. FR flat down to 10Hz
3. piano, bass guitar, percussion - lots of details

[Wolf]

That's a screen name I haven't seen in a while!
Welcome back!
Wolf

[killerkowalczyk]

Artist: Michael Jackson
Album: Thriller
Song: PYT

Artist: Elton John
Album: One Night Only (greatest hits live)
Song: Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

[sluggo]

Don Byron's "Bug Music". Small-group jazz arrangements from the 1930's and '40's re-imagined for a modern sensibility. The music may not be to everyone's taste (I happen to love it), but it is without question one of the best recorded and mastered productions I've heard. If you've never heard a muted cornet, you'll know what one sounds like after listening to a couple of pieces here. Clarinet, also sax, snare kit ... everything is crystal clear, forward, and executed by some of the best players in the game. A great recording for speaker positioning as well.

[Parts Express Patrick]

A few I have been rocking this past week to finalize a recent build...

Run Fay Run - Isaak Hayes
Zero 7 - Destiny [ the whole "simple things" album is great]
Rush - Cowboy Bebop OST
Snarky Puppy - We Like it here [ the whole album ]

[Mountainman Bob]

While I have not looked through all 8 pages, I would add these two albums:
Group 87 (first album)
UFO TOFU - Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (or their Flight of the Cosmic Hippo album)
(my apologies if these have been mentioned already.)

i've got 'flight of the cosmic hippo' on my test track list.....if you've never heard it on a good setup it's a must hear! brings out bass into a whole new dimension.

[THX1136]

While I have not looked through all 8 pages, I would add these two albums:
Group 87 (first album)
UFO TOFU - Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (or their Flight of the Cosmic Hippo album)
(my apologies if these have been mentioned already.)