-
WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!
Critical (Best) Music Tracks for Speaker and Room EQ Testing
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
-
- Tags
- playlist test tracks tidal
TBone
Major Contributor
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2016
- Messages
- 1,191
- Likes
- 354
I've only 1 Joe, an orig CD of Night & Day, and indeed it's well produced.
Looked at his catalog, Blaze of Glory, Big World, and Body & Soul look to be really well produced; but I've not ever heard 'em.
Would you recommend 'em musically, along side Night & Day?
BTW, welcome to ASR.
NorthSky
Major Contributor
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2016
- Messages
- 4,998
- Likes
- 991
Speaking of Joe Jackson, his first couple albums (vinyl) were perfectly recorded. They convey the essence of his presence with the music.
Anyway that's the way it sounds to me...beautiful albums with the right timbre and rhythm (drums and vocals).
Must Have LPs in any serious music lover collection, with high integrity of music value production and reproduction. And the girls can attest to it too.
Albums that last, infinite, like Led Zeppelin first five albums.
Now, measure that.
Anyway that's the way it sounds to me...beautiful albums with the right timbre and rhythm (drums and vocals).
Must Have LPs in any serious music lover collection, with high integrity of music value production and reproduction. And the girls can attest to it too.
Albums that last, infinite, like Led Zeppelin first five albums.
Now, measure that.
TBone
Major Contributor
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2016
- Messages
- 1,191
- Likes
- 354
NorthSky
Major Contributor
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2016
- Messages
- 4,998
- Likes
- 991
Last edited:
sofrep811
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2016
- Messages
- 281
- Likes
- 351
Thanks. Cleared out websites from last IPad and lost a lot of solid and informative audio sites.
Anyway...Very late reply, but it looks like you've been served up great info. Night and Day would be my first pick. Look around used shops they'll usually have a couple and should be around $8 or a recent reissue by Intervention Records (Kevin Gray from Audio Fidellity's newish label). I'd love to know if he did much to the album? While I'm burned out on Joe Jackson and have been for years, I would pay a lot to witness a concert by him.
Currently available as an extended performance, NIGHTBIRD, 2xCD+DVD at <$US10 from Ebay, AUS, US or UK.
I love it.
Also purchased copies for my son and daughter. Went on to purchase her two studio recordings( one released before, and one after she died).
Last edited:
sofrep811
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2016
- Messages
- 281
- Likes
- 351
Sorry--I brought up an old thread, but the question is Why would MFSL or whomever remaster Joe Jackson, Steely Dan, or to use a comparison now Donald Fagen's Nightfly "one step" process by MFSL, when not needed?
Looks like as time passed the recordings became worse? Good to see my ears weren't deceiving me as all the originals looks to be solid from 13-15.
Which begs the questions I have and no one to ask except here: Why would Mobile Fidelity or any specialized label mess with the original for Joe Jackson, Steely Dan, or that recent "one process" Mobile Fidelity release of Fagen's 'Nightly' as it seems like I could send the master to LANDR and it would end up the same. Or..is it more difficult to remaster due to the intricacies involved in bringing out more high, low, reverb, etc? I took a Grab of what DR's are listed for Nightfly and they all are so close, even the latest MFSL One Step being sold now on Ebay for $400!!! My $8 used first year released would be interesting to compare with just ears or microanalyze the audio.
This is probably one of the best test recordings. It tests all system components. If you find it fatiguing you need to address something in your signal chain.
The high quality versions versions are:
US: RCA, EAN MMM4118, SACD
and
UK: RCA, EAN MMM1418, SACD
There is a Japanese CD version: JVC:, EAN MMM1841, shm
Other version are too compromised to consider. Don't buy them.
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/lou-reed-metal-machine-music/
The high quality versions versions are:
US: RCA, EAN MMM4118, SACD
and
UK: RCA, EAN MMM1418, SACD
There is a Japanese CD version: JVC:, EAN MMM1841, shm
Other version are too compromised to consider. Don't buy them.
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/lou-reed-metal-machine-music/
Last edited:
There's a very simple truth at work in the answer to your question. $MONEY$
The artists name and release's fame quarantee's a certain amount of sales that will make a good profit.
sofrep811
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2016
- Messages
- 281
- Likes
- 351
Absolutely. Also less work involved as the album was fairly perfect sonic-wise from day one of release, and they skip some steps and avoid the budget killer of time. I get it and happy for it as it only helps keep good music alive. There must be a blog or something where someone has compared 3-4 variations of Nightfly. I'll pre-order one if they release Ryan Adams 'Heartbreaker' or Nirvana 'Unplugged'--and there's no hope for 'Heartbreaker even though it's one of my favorite MFSL SACDs. Also own the Love Is Hell box set put out by MFSL--how they messed up on that one is beyond me.
I don't understand how you can't include non close miked acoustic/acapella stereo music in a test track.. I always thought that would be a good way to test for how well it can produce a stereo field.
Though I am no expert at making recordings, I do make it a point to capture acoustic sounds happening together using stereo microphones. A lot of the times they are in the same room my speakers are at the center point of the soundstage where the speakers would reproduce. At other times, they would be in different environments and it gives me an impression of how close does it sound to what I remember.
Answer, it's never the same as it was.. The microphones themselves and their placement cause a difference. That plus you don't have the reproduction of height. But at least I know what it' supposed to sound like.
Though I am no expert at making recordings, I do make it a point to capture acoustic sounds happening together using stereo microphones. A lot of the times they are in the same room my speakers are at the center point of the soundstage where the speakers would reproduce. At other times, they would be in different environments and it gives me an impression of how close does it sound to what I remember.
Answer, it's never the same as it was.
. The microphones themselves and their placement cause a difference. That plus you don't have the reproduction of height. But at least I know what it' supposed to sound like.This is probably one of the best test recordings. It tests all system components. If you find it fatiguing you need to address something in your signal chain.
View attachment 11790
The high quality versions versions are:
US: RCA, EAN MMM4118, SACD
and
UK: RCA, EAN MMM1418, SACD
There is a Japanese CD version: JVC:, EAN MMM1841, shm
Other version are too compromised to consider. Don't buy them.
View attachment 11791
View attachment 11792
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/lou-reed-metal-machine-music/
Disclaimer:
April 2. The above EANs are fictitious and based on the usual day, month, year representation in the countries noted for April Fool's day.
This recording will only test your tolerance , not your system.
OP
- Thread Starter
- #36
Well, you got me.Disclaimer:
April 2. The above EANs are fictitious and based on the usual day, month, year representation in the countries noted for April Fool's day.
This recording will only test your tolerance , not your system.
Down you go in a infamous blaze. LOL
Dr John - Creole Moon
Thomas turned me on to this one back on the The 5 Demo thread. Crank up the level a bit and dig the drums on the first track (You Swore). Enlightening as to your kits abilities. Great sound across the board and one of the few great sounding albums that also contains great music too.
Last edited:
sofrep811
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2016
- Messages
- 281
- Likes
- 351
I don't understand how you can't include non close miked acoustic/acapella stereo music in a test track.. I always thought that would be a good way to test for how well it can produce a stereo field.
Though I am no expert at making recordings, I do make it a point to capture acoustic sounds happening together using stereo microphones. A lot of the times they are in the same room my speakers are at the center point of the soundstage where the speakers would reproduce. At other times, they would be in different environments and it gives me an impression of how close does it sound to what I remember.
Answer, it's never the same as it was.
From my journeys in audio and trying to learn more and more, I do know mic placement is a science. Glyn Johns' excellent book "Sound Man" only took me three days to read, but his insight to the old school recordings he did, and modern--was all about mic placement. The quote below is from the book, but I pulled from Wikipedia. It led me on a search for a lot of John's recordings I didn't own, or didn't have a great recording. Clapton's 'Slowhand' was before my time, but dad loved early Cream/Clapton so I followed the imprint and to my ears--John's created albums that are on par with Steely Dan and they've aged to show no matter how many times you can listen to Clapton, Stones, or Eagles--they sound so natural and easy to the ears/mind, it just seems like he was way ahead of the game in mic placement.
Steve Albini has a gift for mic-ing and recording drums. I thinks it's a no brainer he's a Glyn John's fan and in his Electric Studios forum he or a minion posing as Albini did say a lot of John's recordings were a help to him understanding mic placement. His work on Surfer Rosa and the drums led the "alternative sound" --Wedding Present's "Seamonster" , Jesus Lizard's sound, and of course the Albini mix of In Utero show of his genius, like Slowhand and so many more do Glyn Johns. I think it's becoming a lost art, but then I don't know--buy a suite of UAD or WAVE plugins and you can replicate their sounds to a fairly high degree.
"Glyn Johns Method"
Johns developed a unique approach to the recording of drums, sometimes referred to as the "Glyn Johns Method", that rarely employs more than two or three microphones, and which usually keeps one mike hoisted several feet overhead to achieve natural perspective of the whole kit, as well as one off to the side (not far from the floor tom tom), and one near to the bass drum. The key to the method is to keep both the overhead mike and the side-mike equidistant from (and pointed at) the centre of the snare, aimed in such a way of forming a triangular pattern (with the three corners being the snare, the side-mike, and the overhead mic). Johns prefers not to close-mike the individual drums, except occasionally the snare drum
Very nice! Yeah I have a lot to learn regarding mikes. My stuff tends to be pretty amateurish. I rarely use more than two microphones.
Similar threads
