• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Songs that trick you into thinking there's something wrong with your system

Robisme said:
I worked on big receiver and was testing it letting the multi disc CD player run. During a Metallica song, or at the end of the song, there was suddenly a hum like sound. I thought the receiver self destructed again.

After I realized it was in the song, I sighed in relief and went back to what I was doing.

I didn't think to note what song it was, because I was still recovering. : )

CD was Justice For All.

Rob
Click to expand...
That whole album is a mixing disaster zone, bass-wise especially.
 
Almost any early Flying Nun recordings (the Aotearoa/New Zealand label, not the TV program) can leave you wondering at times. Especialy those recorded at Nightshift studio before Arnie could afford good mikes.
 
When I first auditioned Klipsch Jubilees, I was listening to a live jazz club recording that I knew really well (don’t remember which one), and, suddenly, there was a sound that I had never heard on the song before and that I thought definitely shouldn’t be there, but that I also knew sounded very natural, familiar, and distinctive—but that I couldn’t immediately recognize. I backed up the track and listened again. Ah ha! It was the feint found of a ceramic coffee mug being slid across its saucer. Like the sound of the spittle in Nina Simone’s mouth, which I’d also never heard so well articulated before, it kinda blew my mind.
 
There's some crazy-over driven drums on some tunes on the Flaming Lips LP The Soft Bulletin, though I've never felt that it was anything more than a very conscious effect. I did have one friend over who upon hearing that album at my place, wondered if there was something wrong with my system...
 
If you listen to the original CD of The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, they either did the recording with out completely erasing the tape used in a prior session, or the tape has bled unto itself. Either way, it sounds like you are barely hearing cross-talk from another channel or RF bleed-through. Interesting that there is no mention of this on Wikipedia, but there it is "plain as the nose on your face."
 
toddalin said:
If you listen to the original CD of The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, they either did the recording with out completely erasing the tape used in a prior session, or the tape has bled unto itself. Either way, it sounds like you are barely hearing cross-talk from another channel or RF bleed-through. Interesting that there is no mention of this on Wikipedia, but there it is "plain as the nose on your face."
Click to expand...
I've never heard a version of this without that tape bleed-through thing. Its on the LP too.
 
"Strawberry Fields" was the first song that made me think, "Wow! A lot of studio manipulations."

Phasing, tape-speed altering, and other studio devices, all in one song. It definitely has that "weird" vibe.

This one, too. I think they had John voice mic'ed into a Leslie.

 
Last edited:
Can't think of the song, but there is one from Todd Rundgren where it opens with him talking about recording screw ups, hiss, hum, etc, and says a fun game while listening to music is to try and find them.
 
gadget73 said:
Can't think of the song, but there is one from Todd Rundgren where it opens with him talking about recording screw ups, hiss, hum, etc, and says a fun game while listening to music is to try and find them.
Click to expand...
This one? I like the tune's runout, too.

Hello, It's Me.
Todd Rundgren. "Something/Anything?" Bearsville Records. 2BX 2066. Jacksonville pressing. Lee Hulko mastered. 1972.
Run-out: 2BX-2-2066 - WW3#2 ─◁
 
The first time I listened to John Mellencamp's "Jack and Diane" on my current system, the sound was amazing! I turned up the volume up quite a bit and was having a blast, that is until the drum solo. It felt so punchy that I thought I've blown my speakers.
 
gadget73 said:
This one, though offhand I don't know what comes after it on the album

Click to expand...
I’d have to listen to the album again. I have sat through both LPs in decades.

BTW... the original Bearsville pressing is well engineered and mastered. In my opinion, much better than any remaster. More natural-sounding, less EQ twirling. :)
 
Mr Boochie said:
"Strawberry Fields" was the first song that made me think, "Wow! A lot of studio manipulations."

Phasing, tape-speed altering, and other studio devices, all in one song. It definitely has that "weird" vibe.

This one, too. I think they had John voice mic'ed into a Leslie.

Click to expand...

My friends and I laughed at the end when it came back in. We even called it weird.

Doug
 
Blackstreet - No Diggity

The bass response is recorded so that it sounds like your getting coil rub. Why they did this Ill never know but talk about making someone freak out!

Took me a good hour one evening trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

No joke I switched speakers, and it followed, thought it may be a bad recording on spotify so switched to YouTube and again it followed.

I could not figure out why my speakers could not handle the low frequency. Even at low volumes that thud just sounded like coil rub.

I busted out the CD, and sure enough same issue.

Ended up plugging in some headphones and realized its the recording. WTF!

I still refuse to listen to that track as it pisses me off!
 
gadget73 said:
Johnny Cash - Hurt- the vocals go into saturation in the middle of the song when it gets wound up so high that there is no more dynamic range and it sounds like a dying speaker.
Click to expand...
Seems like a lot of more modern recordings do that. Songs always start with some dynamics, then build to max amplitude and just stay pegged there so you have to turn it down. Yuck.
 
The Rolling Stones played a song called "Country Honk". During the music a car horn suddenly starts up. I jumped up and opened my door to see who was honking his car horn. Then I realized it was part of the song itself. I was PO'd when I first heard it.
 
aldena007 said:
The Rolling Stones played a song called "Country Honk". During the music a car horn suddenly starts up. I jumped up and opened my door to see who was honking his car horn. Then I realized it was part of the song itself. I was PO'd when I first heard it.
Click to expand...
It's way worse when driving! That and siren sounds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom