Testing... 1... 2... 3... 4... ...ssssibilance...

TheGoldenBoy

Active Member
So I was just checking out a thread, and there was discussion of listening to Dark Side Of The Moon as a test for the system... it got me to thinking-

What do you use to test a stereo?

For me, I love listening to "Foreplay/Long Time" by the Bostons. There's so much dynamic there- so many instruments that you know what they should sound like, so many unique feelings that run through that recording- and dunking you into it.

One of the other things I love using is Led Zeppelin's "Carouselambra." There's some bleeding, but the dynamics are just so beautiful to me.

And speaking of "beautiful..." One of the finest sounding records to me is the B-52s Cosmic Thing album. Niles Rodgers totally outdid himself. The presence, the bottom, the fullness... I so much love the sound of that record.

OK... so there I was, no shit... When I was a kid, I fancied myself as a little local rockstar/barstar- playing in several bands and such- This band I was in at the time had just finished a recording... I don't recall exactly why I went down to the studio- to ask for something or something... But the band recording in the studio at that time was a band called Custom Grand, featuring Danny Kubinski on vocals. I don't remember if they were mixing or what - they needed to listen to some relatively neutral monitors- as I had just upgraded my car stereo to an Alpine 3 disc changer and Infinity Kappas... I volunteered to have everyone come out to my car and listen to what they had done... Now... Dan Kubinski, of Die Kreuzen, despite being "local" was a ****ing rock and roll "legend" to me. So inviting Danny out to my car to listen to a mix of his band was a giddy proposition for me. Well Paul, (the engineer/studio owner) popped the CD into my 3 disc Alpine changer- and at an outrageous volume came Fred Schneiders' voice:

"GYRATE IT TIL YOU'VE HAD YOUR FILL! JUST LIKE A PNEU-MATIC DRILL."

Yeah, I'd left Cosmic Thing in there, and regardless of any punk rock pedigree I may have had... it went all out the window right there...
:D

How's bayou?
 
I use Dark side of the moon and foreplay/longtime for the dynamics.

I also use live at Leeds as reference for the overall eq.
I have heard that album so many times in my life if something was out of whack I was surely notice.
 
I listen to the same stuff I've been listening to lately, whatever that is. Later on I might include some old favorites, or particular ones I'm curious about, but usually I just continue to play what I've had in "rotation". It's not a decision I've made, to do it that way, just something I've noticed. I seem to want to hear what the album I played last night sounds like now...
 
hmm, testing testing, or to see if you 'broke' something in the musical synergy?
I have one of those Deutche Gramophon compilation records (superconcert something or other, 2 disc) and I like to throw that on for a few reasons. It's fairly beat up so it provides an immediate tracking test, the works are recorded in different venues by different teams, so the presentation and quality of recording varies a great deal, so it's a good way to grab a look at the spectrum of musical delivery and hear where things are still musical or not, see if i lost or gained anything in terms of understanding what's happening musically. Aaand some of the orchestral stuff (though not all) has enough information low down that I can get a good feel for whether bass is behaving right.
I often put Steve MiIler - Book of Dreams on after because if that doesn't have the magic, then well, i've done something wrong. Also, while we're on vinyl, Zep II always gets a spin. Same story, if that's not far too much fun to listen to, it's time for some adjustments.

Digital, I'll often put on Soul Coughing - El Oso, after some reviewer or other used it as a bass test. I think it was some reissue or other, but it relies on some fairly close-miked aggressive upright bass playing. The colour and shading and stuff doesn't matter too too much for the music to work, but the system can't have too much overhang, and it needs some punch.
I also have this compilation I put together from downloads off the BBC site and from Napster, and a couple bands websites, of fairly indy Scottish stuff: Boards of Canada, Arab Strap, Reindeer Section, Margana.

And then I'll surf the airwaves a bit since different radio stations have a different mix.

If you haven't yet, check out the MSO's recent Beethoven 9, it's both exciting, and glorious!
 
I like to use vocal only recordings for system tuning/testing. Nothing is harder to get right that the sound of a human voice..Same process I use with PA gear, if you get the vocals to sound real everything else should fall in line...if you can't get vocals to sound natural and real you are in for an unsatisfactory listening experience, and bass extension, and other traits won't even matter to me as it will sound unsatisfactory to my ears....And there is some great test material and human voice recordings on the Stereophile test CD from 1992 or so , great dog barking stuff , to check for phasing and polarity issues etc..perfect cd for dialing in...
 
I use some super familiar stuff, emphasis on vocals and dynamics. Close to the Edge is a standard. Moody Blues To Our Children's Children's Children on SACD has become my go to due to the mixture of electric and acoustic guitars and great vocals. Brothers in Arms followed by NIN Downward Spiral all on SACD. Of course Amused to Death is reference quality too.

Since I started collecting high res I have so many albums that just sound amazing I sometimes get hung up trying to choose.
 
So I was just checking out a thread, and there was discussion of listening to Dark Side Of The Moon as a test for the system... it got me to thinking-

What do you use to test a stereo?

For me, I love listening to "Foreplay/Long Time" by the Bostons. There's so much dynamic there- so many instruments that you know what they should sound like, so many unique feelings that run through that recording- and dunking you into it.

One of the other things I love using is Led Zeppelin's "Carouselambra." There's some bleeding, but the dynamics are just so beautiful to me.

And speaking of "beautiful..." One of the finest sounding records to me is the B-52s Cosmic Thing album. Niles Rodgers totally outdid himself. The presence, the bottom, the fullness... I so much love the sound of that record.

OK... so there I was, no shit... When I was a kid, I fancied myself as a little local rockstar/barstar- playing in several bands and such- This band I was in at the time had just finished a recording... I don't recall exactly why I went down to the studio- to ask for something or something... But the band recording in the studio at that time was a band called Custom Grand, featuring Danny Kubinski on vocals. I don't remember if they were mixing or what - they needed to listen to some relatively neutral monitors- as I had just upgraded my car stereo to an Alpine 3 disc changer and Infinity Kappas... I volunteered to have everyone come out to my car and listen to what they had done... Now... Dan Kubinski, of Die Kreuzen, despite being "local" was a ****ing rock and roll "legend" to me. So inviting Danny out to my car to listen to a mix of his band was a giddy proposition for me. Well Paul, (the engineer/studio owner) popped the CD into my 3 disc Alpine changer- and at an outrageous volume came Fred Schneiders' voice:

"GYRATE IT TIL YOU'VE HAD YOUR FILL! JUST LIKE A PNEU-MATIC DRILL."

Yeah, I'd left Cosmic Thing in there, and regardless of any punk rock pedigree I may have had... it went all out the window right there...
:D

How's bayou?
Your right about the B52's album..Channel Z has killer drums and slams...
 
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