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Music For Testing Bass



It is a telarc recording. Track 1 will punch you in the gut !!!!!!
Warning, saxaphone @ 1:15

I would use this back in college in 94, really makes peoples eyebrow go way up on their head using big 3-ways.

Subs don't impress me anymore, midbass does !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
For songs that I actually use to test bass vs. just songs with impressive bass:

Song starts with a sweep that goes down to 16hz (I looked at the spectrum)

This mix has poorly mixed, weak bass, so if you actually hear the bassline reasonably well, you know the bass on the system is solid or even above neutral:
 
A nice smooth-jazz album for bass (low Fq) and higher Fq tonality check and tuning

Edit:
You would please also visit this post dated November 11 2024 on my project thread.
New video clips of dancing 12-VU-Meter Array (IEC60268-17 compatible) together with all the on-screen Peak Meters of audio software tools while playing reference/sampler music tracks by JRiver MC, ADOBE Audition 3.0.1 and MusicScope 2.1.0:
Part-2: using a typical reference/sampler music track suitable for mainly checking and tuning of low Fq (bass) transient music sound as well as total tonality Fq-SPL balance all over 15 Hz to 22 kHz #975

Just for all of your possible reference and interests...

As I have shared here on my project thread in September 2022, I have (almost?) all the CDs of Peter White (smooth jazz, acoustic/electric guitar player), and I incorporated a few of his wonderful tracks in my "Audio Reference Reference/Sampler Playlist".

I assume, as "a whole CD album", Peter White's "CONFIDENTIAL" released on March 23, 2004 would be very nice reference/sampler for not only bass (low Fq) tuning but also the total tonality balance over the whole 16 Hz - 22.05 kHz CD format frequency and dynamic range.
WS00007068.JPG


You can hear the entire album on YouTube in rather good sound quality, even though I know nothing about sound compression in YouTube clips and your YouTube listening internet environment and your audio gears;
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kQxYlSsNL89etmxdvOEFprKf8xWYrEmQY

Just for our possible reference, yesterday I quickly analyzed two tracks of the ripped CD album using Adobe Audition 3.0.1's 3D(Gain/Fq/Time) color spectrum and FFT frequency spectrum.

First, track-06 "Lost Without Your Love";

WS00007069.JPG


In the FFT frequency spectrum of the whole 3:35 track, you can clearly observe (and hear) the distinct high-level low Fq sound peaks throughout the track where we have well separated low Fq peaks at 35, 39, 44, 52, 58, 69, 78, 87, 97 and 103 Hz!

I believe you (we) need excellent L&R subwoofers and woofers, both have nice transient behavior with precise time/phase alignment with each other, and nicely tuned DSP-based multichannel multi-amplifier setup dedicatedly and directly driving subwoofers and woofers; furthermore, the amplifiers driving these SP drivers need to have excellent damping factors.

Here, the distortion in woofers caused by overlapped lower subwoofer-zone transient sound should be minimized by appropriate filters in DSP configuration (and built-in filters in active subwoofers).

Four the total tonality tuning of this wonderful track, I assume independent flexible gain tuning for subwoofers, woofers, midranges, tweeters and supertweeters would be needed in DSP domain and analog domain (e.g. ref here).

Second, track-08 "Swept Away";

WS743.JPG


You would please note, in 0:40 - 0.45 portion, we have "meaningful" very low Fq sound over 16 Hz - 27 Hz even though the gain is not so high. I can clearly hear and feel (by my whole body) the 16 - 27 Hz sound by using the big and heavy L&R subwoofers YAMAHA YST-SW1000 (ref. here).


Details of the latest setup of my DSP-based multichannel multi-SP-driver multi-amplifier fully active stereo audio system can be found here here.

Just for your possible further reference and interests, I also have started these two threads relating to audio reference/sampler music playlist; your visit and participation will be much welcome.

- An Attempt Sharing Reference Quality Music Playlist: at least a portion and/or whole track being analyzed by 3D color spectrum of Adobe Audition

- Music for Testing Treble (High Frequency) Sound
 
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If you want to improve bass on subs, try a DBX 510.

510 Features​


  • Adds a signal an octave below the input signal
  • Two bands 24Hz-36Hz and 36Hz-56Hz
  • Subharmonic control over the strength of the effect
 
I just ran into another song that my floor speakers are not able to do justice to without a subwoofer.

"Soft Serve" from Soul Coughing. Most of their music is good for testing bass.
 
For inspiration: :D

dynamix.top

Bass Jazz - Dynamix Radio

Bass Jazz is a subgenre of jazz music that highlights the role of the bass instrument as a prominent voice within the ensemble. It often features intricate bass lines, improvisation, and solo performances by bassists. Bass Jazz can encompass various styles, including traditional jazz, bebop...
dynamix.top dynamix.top
 
I see a lot of electronic music of one kind or another in this thread, but for me acounstic music is the yardsick for sonic quality. Bach organ music is what I tend to use, and my three subs (with MSO) do a pretty good show, even if still not quite what I experience in a big old church.
 
Guys, that's not how you test your setup.
It's done the other way around: You choose mixes that are demanding and problematic on many setups, because they show problems, if setups are not well balanced.

Say your setup has a problem of a resonance in the upper bass range. Then you use mixes and songs that are on the loud side in that area (the 16th note low sequence/bass seq in Tiesto's Adagio for Strings could be such a 60/120 Hz check).
With mixes that are on the edge, you hear easily, when the balance of the setup is correct in that range. When it becomes annoying, you know your setup has a problem in that range.

Or if you want to check, if the subbass around 40 is on the weak side: then you will not use Notorious BIG's Hypnotize, but use a mix that is on the well balanced, or even light side, in the 40 Hz subbass region: because that way you will hear easily, if the balance breaks down and the subbass seems to be absent ("the kick is too weak") (the kick in Michael Jackson's Billy Jean/Thriller comes to mind).

On the other hand (sub)bass heavier mixes with a slightly thinner sounding kick, are useful to check, if the 80-120 lacks power.
Is enough kickbass present, and are the kickbass heavy reference tracks never becoming annoying, you know that you are on the right track.

Just how the subbass/bass balance is checked with very specific tracks you know well, also the time domain behaviour is checked:
MJ: Wanna be starting something. If you think your bass setup is powerful, this track sounds great, if the bass is controlled and not decaying for too long.

But the principle is always the same: not tracks that sound great everywhere, but tracks that sound meh on many systems but need a certain sound quality level of the setup to sound good.

But be careful:
Choose not mixes you like personally, but only mixes that are known to sound good (not by proclaimed experts, but mixes that have proved they work; for example big dancefloor hits in many countries always have certain sound qualities in the bass range.
 
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TheZebraKilledDarwin said:
Guys, that's not how you test your setup.
It's done the other way around: You choose mixes that are demanding and problematic on many setups, because they show problems, if setups are not well balanced.

Say your setup has a problem of a resonance in the upper bass range. Then you use mixes and songs that are on the loud side in that area (the 16th note low sequence/bass seq in Tiesto's Adagio for Strings could be such a 60/120 Hz check).
With mixes that are on the edge, you hear easily, when the balance of the setup is correct in that range. When it becomes annoying, you know your setup has a problem in that range.

Or if you want to check, if the subbass around 40 is on the weak side: then you will not use Notorious BIG's Hypnotize, but use a mix that is on the well balanced, or even light side, in the 40 Hz subbass region: because that way you will hear easily, if the balance breaks down and the subbass seems to be absent ("the kick is too weak") (the kick in Michael Jackson's Billy Jean/Thriller comes to mind).

On the other hand (sub)bass heavier mixes with a slightly thinner sounding kick, are useful to check, if the 80-120 lacks power.
Is enough kickbass present, and are the kickbass heavy reference tracks never becoming annoying, you know that you are on the right track.

Just how the subbass/bass balance is checked with very specific tracks you know well, also the time domain behaviour is checked:
MJ: Wanna be starting something. If you think your bass setup is powerful, this track sounds great, if the bass is controlled and not decaying for too long.

But the principle is always the same: not tracks that sound great everywhere, but tracks that sound meh on many systems but need a certain sound quality level of the setup to sound good.

But be careful:
Choose not mixes you like personally, but only mixes that are known to sound good (not by proclaimed experts, but mixes that have proved they work; for example big dancefloor hits in many countries always have certain sound qualities in the bass range.
Click to expand...

Thanks, this makes sense. A track that I use to test my system's bass quality is AC/DC's "Highway to Hell". If the kick drum in the fist 30 seconds does not feel right to me, if it is too weak sounding, something is not right for my taste.
 
TheZebraKilledDarwin said:
Guys, that's not how you test your setup.
It's done the other way around: You choose mixes that are demanding and problematic on many setups, because they show problems, if setups are not well balanced.

Say your setup has a problem of a resonance in the upper bass range. Then you use mixes and songs that are on the loud side in that area (the 16th note low sequence/bass seq in Tiesto's Adagio for Strings could be such a 60/120 Hz check).
With mixes that are on the edge, you hear easily, when the balance of the setup is correct in that range. When it becomes annoying, you know your setup has a problem in that range.

Or if you want to check, if the subbass around 40 is on the weak side: then you will not use Notorious BIG's Hypnotize, but use a mix that is on the well balanced, or even light side, in the 40 Hz subbass region: because that way you will hear easily, if the balance breaks down and the subbass seems to be absent ("the kick is too weak") (the kick in Michael Jackson's Billy Jean/Thriller comes to mind).

On the other hand (sub)bass heavier mixes with a slightly thinner sounding kick, are useful to check, if the 80-120 lacks power.
Is enough kickbass present, and are the kickbass heavy reference tracks never becoming annoying, you know that you are on the right track.

Just how the subbass/bass balance is checked with very specific tracks you know well, also the time domain behaviour is checked:
MJ: Wanna be starting something. If you think your bass setup is powerful, this track sounds great, if the bass is controlled and not decaying for too long.

But the principle is always the same: not tracks that sound great everywhere, but tracks that sound meh on many systems but need a certain sound quality level of the setup to sound good.

But be careful:
Choose not mixes you like personally, but only mixes that are known to sound good (not by proclaimed experts, but mixes that have proved they work; for example big dancefloor hits in many countries always have certain sound qualities in the bass range.
Click to expand...
Well.... bass is.... what? 20 or 200Hz? Something in between? All of it below 500Hz, where the room starts to dominate?
I took this thread as a free, fun play with creative inputs to share how we enjoy and judge bass performance in general, in the stereo systems we listen to.
This is why I chose to present some bass voices too - especially from two singers that sing deeper than most. Because integration between lower voices and the fundamental sub bass in the modal region, to me is important for a true sensation when listening to music. Yes, I know they use close-mic techniques and all that. But still, I believe that quite a few woofers, are not necessarily good at playing the fullness of these voices.
I tried several woofers for my DIY system, but was never able to play fx. Leonard Cohen "I want it darker" without making sound "wooly" or boomy - even though I believed that my subwoofers did great - my woofers did not integrate well with them. Then I finally made it work with two WO24P in 75 liters closed volume. Two in parallel, line level DSP and 350W directly connected. That worked. These drivers could finally play with a smooth downwards tilt, integrating with my subwoofers, so that both deep voices had that volume to them, without making it too much.... boomy if you will - or dynamic and electronic music lacked punch.
All, while at the same time being detailed and "dry".
I do agree that music from Cheer, Madonna, MJ, Phil Collins - 80's pop.... often sound kinda bad on mid-fi systems... ok in the car... but then actually quite good on better systems. So those tracks could be the go to's, when judging more critically.
As you point out.... we should play music that test the system, not music we necessarily like.... well.... I can do that... but can't I do both?
 
Digital_Thor said:
Well.... bass is.... what? 20 or 200Hz? Something in between? All of it below 500Hz, where the room starts to dominate?
I took this thread as a free, fun play with creative inputs to share how we enjoy and judge bass performance in general, in the stereo systems we listen to.
Click to expand...
That was exactly the purpose of this thread.

At the end of the day we are all using stereo gear to listen to music. I’m sure the selections people are posting here are chosen for their ability to highlight how good or not a system and room is because they are tracks that are familiar to the individuals posting them. It also gives others the opportunity to seek out and listen to stuff they otherwise may not have otherwise.
 
Anonamemouse said:
Which one specifically of the roughly 5000 versions?
Click to expand...
The one I've had since the 1980s.

Ok, I'll look.... EMI Angel Records, A Bach Festival for Brass and Organ, The Empire Brass, Douglas Major on organ, recorded in Washington Cathedral. 1986.

Is it good? No idea. But I know it very well and it has shaken every place I have lived since I got it.
 
If the music is to your taste, I can highly recommend Alice in Chains - Unplugged

Who ever did the engineering did a great job capturing Mike Inez’s acoustic bass guitar.


But, seek out the DVD rather than the CD. The CD is another needlessly compressed and peak limited loudness war victim, while the stereo track on the DVD is high rez and has full dynamics.

EDIT: Before someone calls me out, I note that the DVD is 16/48….perhaps not what some may consider “high rez”. But, it is still a very good sounding recording.
 
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My test song for bass has, for a long time, been "Sub Zero by Just a Gent". It has that EDM wobble bass as well as deep thumping bass, plus long deep bass tones. It will put your system to work and is just a bass heavy song all over.
 
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