Favorite PA Demo Songs?

[channelaudio]

Hello all!

I'm interested in what tracks you all are using to demo PA systems and familiarize yourself with a system you're about to engineer on.

I understand the idea is to use songs you are very familiar with this way you can quickly determine certain characteristics of a new system. I realize that this is not a replacement for measurement.

Here are a few tracks on my current playlist:

Fragments of Time - Daft Punk
Bad Blood - NAO
Pulp Culture - Thomas Dolby
Rainmaker - Keb' Mo'
Africa - Toto
Higher Love - Steve Winwood
Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
Do It Again - Steely Dan

 

[Enzo]

In service I don;t care what I listen to, though I usually play country music. Main reason is that country tends to be much cleaner. The heavy metal stuff is so distorted, it is not readily apparent if it is the music or the system.

 

[OffGridKindaGuy]

"Enter Sandman" Metallica..

 

[globalplayer]

Let The Beat Go On - Dr. Alban
Hero (live) - Mariah Carey
Fred Wesley - Funk For Your ***
Kingston Town - UB40
Give Me The Night - George Benson
Stomp - Brothers Johnson
September - Earth Wind And Fire
Runaway - Jamiroquai
Roxanne - The Police
Ain`t Nobody - Rufus & Chaka Khan
Meditation Time - Anthony Que
I'd Love You To Want Me - Lobo

 

[globalplayer]

^ A S S

 

[djk]

YouTube

The snare should take of the top of your head at about a minute in.

YouTube

YouTube

 

[globalplayer]

Very good mastering on those tracks.
Added the last one to my personal list.
Thanks.

 

[simon7000]

Depends on what the system is going to be used for.

If it is truly public address speech intelligibilty is paramount. For that I use a speech intelligibilty CD. It is all "Please write the word xxxxx now."

If it is also going to carry music then ballads are good. For male announcers Johhny Cash or similar is good.

For showing off I like to use recordings most folks have never heard. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy is typical of that music.

I tend not to use music that was recorded multitrack and then mixed to a final "stereo" product.

But I have had folks work for me who could get reasonable set up using music like heavy metal. All depends on your listening experience.

It is all about getting a good balance. One "Expert" uses what is called "boom and ting music." All drum and cymbals. Sounds impressive in hifi demos, really useless to test and balance a system.

 

[phase]

Natural Mystic - Bob Marley

 

[Pano]

"One, two. One, two." Who really needs more?

 

[turk 182]

i've always been partial to using "Ride like the wind" Christopher Cross or any track off "Time loves a Hero" by Little Feat, if you can hear Mike McDonald's background vocals the system is well tuned!
if i want a quick check of transient response and room reverb "Big Time" Peter Gabriel is my go to.

 

[turk 182]

i like using "Ici Radio Canada!" and "verification, un, deux!" french consonants really dig deep and produce sibilance with just a few syllables.

 

[Jsixis]

My Jekyll doesn't Hide Ozzy
Shake it up by the cars, can you hear the spoons clearly?
Queen Highlander Its a Kind of Magic CD
Green Onions Booker T and the MG's|
Devo going Under
Pink Floyd animals or dark side

Not in that order

 

[sajti]

I can't stand the rain - Tina Turner

Sajti