A lot of my favorites mentioned already: Enya, Take 5, Diana Krall, Private Investigations and Migra.
I've just discovered Allan Taylor, and some very nice Japanese drum music whose names I have no idea of (but know it's track 5 on the disc, yay). Allison Krauss "Down to the River" from the O Brother soundtrack, Hugh Masakela "Stimela" or "Cantaloupe Island" or "Strawberries", Ray Charles "Georgia on my mind", Coldplay "Don't Panic", Eagles "Tequila Sunrise" (I just know the track really well!) would be some of the other stuff I put on when checking out new equipment.
I mostly listen to Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison these days but their recordings are average at best, so it's all a little weird really.
The test discs have some nice music but I prefer music I know and have listened to enough to be able to tell what the equipment is doing with it. Not all of my choices are stellar recordings, by the way. "Moondance" is one of my favorite tests tracks, and it's a pretty poor recording by all counts. But listening to it should still make you want to dance
I've just discovered Allan Taylor, and some very nice Japanese drum music whose names I have no idea of (but know it's track 5 on the disc, yay). Allison Krauss "Down to the River" from the O Brother soundtrack, Hugh Masakela "Stimela" or "Cantaloupe Island" or "Strawberries", Ray Charles "Georgia on my mind", Coldplay "Don't Panic", Eagles "Tequila Sunrise" (I just know the track really well!) would be some of the other stuff I put on when checking out new equipment.
I mostly listen to Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison these days but their recordings are average at best, so it's all a little weird really.
The test discs have some nice music but I prefer music I know and have listened to enough to be able to tell what the equipment is doing with it. Not all of my choices are stellar recordings, by the way. "Moondance" is one of my favorite tests tracks, and it's a pretty poor recording by all counts. But listening to it should still make you want to dance
Rim Banna, album -> The Mirror of My Soul, song -> Malek
Usually, i use these CDs for testing:
1. Rim Banna, The Mirror of My Soul
2. Diana Krall, Live in Paris
3. Jazz at The Pawnshop
4. Radka Toneff, Some Time Ago. (try this song, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress). the recording quality is not very good though..
Usually, i use these CDs for testing:
1. Rim Banna, The Mirror of My Soul
2. Diana Krall, Live in Paris
3. Jazz at The Pawnshop
4. Radka Toneff, Some Time Ago. (try this song, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress). the recording quality is not very good though..
well...
Pink Floyd - Any color you like (vinyl)
Pink Floyd - comfortably numb
Bob Marley - waiting in vein (vinyl)
Alain Caron - No way
Pantera - 5 minutes alone
Rage Against The Machine - testify,take the power back
Linkin Park- somewhere i belong
yes yes linkin park!! they suck but Andy Wallace did an amazing mix job
on this album.
Joshua Redman - any track from Momentum
David Gilmore - on an island
porcupine Tree - sound of muzak (great for tweeters test,in absentia is the brightest album ever created as far as i heard...)
also some tracks of my RIP rock band and some of my trance projects.
Pink Floyd - Any color you like (vinyl)
Pink Floyd - comfortably numb
Bob Marley - waiting in vein (vinyl)
Alain Caron - No way
Pantera - 5 minutes alone
Rage Against The Machine - testify,take the power back
Linkin Park- somewhere i belong
yes yes linkin park!! they suck but Andy Wallace did an amazing mix job
on this album
.Joshua Redman - any track from Momentum
David Gilmore - on an island
porcupine Tree - sound of muzak (great for tweeters test,in absentia is the brightest album ever created as far as i heard...)
also some tracks of my RIP rock band and some of my trance projects.
"Let It Bleed + 7 Bonus Tracks [IMPORT]" - Amazon / CD Maxium label "This is a special edition Russian import cd. It has all 9 tracks from the original album plus an additional 7 bonus tracks (16 songs total). ..."
"My favorite Sones album..., April 17, 2009 - By Bob "plaidman308" (Hingham, MA)
Do you have Let It Bleed on vinyl? Get this anyways. Do you have it on cassette, 8 track, or reel-to reel? Get this anyways. Do you have the 1986 CD? Get this anyways. Do you have the DSD SACD hybrid remaster (from Germany) ? Get this anyways. No matter what version of Let It Bleed you have (and if you are fan, you have to have at least one copy on one format) get this version anyways. It's a nice upgrade from the standard issue CD, the real value here being the luxurious packaging (huge page of liner notes, bonus poster) and the bonus outtakes and alternate mixes. Granted, the mastering leaves a little something to be desired when compared to the DSD remaster (more tape hiss and bass distortion here) but the mastering flaws are really very minor. I think these CD Maximum releases are a great value, but only if you spend 20 or less on them." - Amazon review (1 of 1)
IMOP: go for the Decca / German SACD hybrid remaster = greater dynamic range. ... Its my favorite Stones album too.
(Read the warnings about buying 3rd party "SACD", some are not true Super Audio but simple knock offs = if its the cheapest available, its probably a pirate copy of an ordinary CD ... When buying from a German outlet, use PayPal for the best exchange rates. Even so, you gotta be a real fan to pay those prices.)
"My favorite Sones album..., April 17, 2009 - By Bob "plaidman308" (Hingham, MA)
Do you have Let It Bleed on vinyl? Get this anyways. Do you have it on cassette, 8 track, or reel-to reel? Get this anyways. Do you have the 1986 CD? Get this anyways. Do you have the DSD SACD hybrid remaster (from Germany) ? Get this anyways. No matter what version of Let It Bleed you have (and if you are fan, you have to have at least one copy on one format) get this version anyways. It's a nice upgrade from the standard issue CD, the real value here being the luxurious packaging (huge page of liner notes, bonus poster) and the bonus outtakes and alternate mixes. Granted, the mastering leaves a little something to be desired when compared to the DSD remaster (more tape hiss and bass distortion here) but the mastering flaws are really very minor. I think these CD Maximum releases are a great value, but only if you spend 20 or less on them." - Amazon review (1 of 1)
IMOP: go for the Decca / German SACD hybrid remaster = greater dynamic range. ... Its my favorite Stones album too.
(Read the warnings about buying 3rd party "SACD", some are not true Super Audio but simple knock offs = if its the cheapest available, its probably a pirate copy of an ordinary CD ... When buying from a German outlet, use PayPal for the best exchange rates. Even so, you gotta be a real fan to pay those prices.)
It really depends on what I am testing for I guess. There are a lot of songs that are great for spacial cues or interesting mixing that just need a little EQ. In general I like to try a variety of good sounding CDs because I don't have that many references that I would consider sonically perfect. I really like the sound of a lot of 12" promos in my collection for tonal balance - various hip hop and electronic stuff from the early 90s late 80s. But I know they boost the bass up a lot on these recordings.
Sonic perfection on CDs is really hard to come by imo. It seems to me there is always some resonant frequency or some sort of light boosting going on. Lately I am thinking Pink Floyd - Echoes (MFSL or Harvest) is probably the most neutral sounding easily accessible recording in my arsenal. The one problem I hear is there is a little bit of tape artifacts throughout and a stray click or two for no apparent reason. Dark Side seems to be a reference for a lot of people but I find that for instance Money has a lot of resonance on the guitar. But it is near perfect otherwise for tonal balance.
I like thevoice's pick - Voodoo Child. This is a great one for recreating the live experience in the studio with a little embellishment. I think most of the releases of this need a bit of EQ though - usually too bright on the newer ones and too rolled off on the older ones. But this whole record is a great litmus test if you can ignore the shortcomings in fidelity in certain areas. Another great test track from this is "1983 a merman I should turn to be".
a couple of CDs I can think of right now without digging through the collection or resorting to 12" promos - which probably don't sound as good if you just buy the normal 12"
Medeski Martin and Wood - Combustication
overall pretty great but if I remember right this is
hyped up a little in the bass or mid bass area
really anything before this CD in there catalog is a safe
bet as well. And while I like the newer stuff it is not mastered as moderately. The exception would be the two live album - Tonic and Electric Tonic
De La Soul - Buhloone Mindstate
A little compressed and EQed but to me I just like
the mixing on this. Really anything that Bob Power mixes has something about it but a lot of the other CDs he has mixed are plagued with bad mastering imo.
Sonic perfection on CDs is really hard to come by imo. It seems to me there is always some resonant frequency or some sort of light boosting going on. Lately I am thinking Pink Floyd - Echoes (MFSL or Harvest) is probably the most neutral sounding easily accessible recording in my arsenal. The one problem I hear is there is a little bit of tape artifacts throughout and a stray click or two for no apparent reason. Dark Side seems to be a reference for a lot of people but I find that for instance Money has a lot of resonance on the guitar. But it is near perfect otherwise for tonal balance.
I like thevoice's pick - Voodoo Child. This is a great one for recreating the live experience in the studio with a little embellishment. I think most of the releases of this need a bit of EQ though - usually too bright on the newer ones and too rolled off on the older ones. But this whole record is a great litmus test if you can ignore the shortcomings in fidelity in certain areas. Another great test track from this is "1983 a merman I should turn to be".
a couple of CDs I can think of right now without digging through the collection or resorting to 12" promos - which probably don't sound as good if you just buy the normal 12"
Medeski Martin and Wood - Combustication
overall pretty great but if I remember right this is
hyped up a little in the bass or mid bass area
really anything before this CD in there catalog is a safe
bet as well. And while I like the newer stuff it is not mastered as moderately. The exception would be the two live album - Tonic and Electric Tonic
De La Soul - Buhloone Mindstate
A little compressed and EQed but to me I just like
the mixing on this. Really anything that Bob Power mixes has something about it but a lot of the other CDs he has mixed are plagued with bad mastering imo.
Well, after finishing an amp I play the following one(s)
After Hours - Ronny Jordan
7th Heaven - Ronny Jordan
Piano Concerto #2 - Sergei Rachmaninov
Joyuce Isle' - Cloude DeBussy
Aakhen Teri - Roopkumar Rathod
Hollywood - Madonna
My One And Only Love - John Coltrane
Coming Home - Sean Harkness
and
Various Indian Classical Tracks. Especially Vocal, Tabla, Violin, Sitar, Sarangee, Sarod and Mohan Veena.
After Hours - Ronny Jordan
7th Heaven - Ronny Jordan
Piano Concerto #2 - Sergei Rachmaninov
Joyuce Isle' - Cloude DeBussy
Aakhen Teri - Roopkumar Rathod
Hollywood - Madonna
My One And Only Love - John Coltrane
Coming Home - Sean Harkness
and
Various Indian Classical Tracks. Especially Vocal, Tabla, Violin, Sitar, Sarangee, Sarod and Mohan Veena.
