Music for testing Audio Equipment

[biosailor]

 

I'd like to propose another record: Herbie Hancock's 'River: the Joni Letters'. Whether it is suitable to test your audio equipment I do not really know. But it is a phenomenally well recorded album. I have the 32/96 version downloaded from Qobuz. Whether this is good for my DAC I don't know as it stops at 24 bit. Nevertheless, I truly enjoy this album as a phenomenal recording.

The first track 'Court and Spark' starts with Hancock's abstract piano play, at first left channel oriented soon to float between left and right channel. Norah Jones' darkish voice is extremely smooth, without any edges. During the track, drummer Colaiuta's cymbals start to appear and they dance around between the two channels a bit edgy, yet very pleasantly!

The next track 'Edith and the Kingpin' sung by Tina Turner is again a wonderful voice, more pronounced than Norah Jones' voice. For me, there's again the highlight of the smooth appearance of Wayne Shorter's sax that is easily overheard, so smoothly he sets in, just a quiet blow into his sax. Then his sax play becomes more dominant, hissing with rhythmic gentle blows.

I cannot think of anything I dislike about the recording. The only thing maybe: it's almost too perfect! For my taste, the drums could be a bit more pronounced, sometimes they almost disappear in background, just to be lifted above the other players with the cymbals. Nevertheless, I truly like this record!

[blue2]

20 hours ago, Ralf11 said:

hook him up with a standout NoLa funk/techno drummer, and....

 

http://www.garageatrois.net/

 

 

This is also off topic but check Charlie Hunter's playing on this "If a 6 Was a 9" The frets go from +30 degrees to -45 degrees across the neck!!!

Any particular album or track you recommend for testing hifi as per the topic?

 

 

48 minutes ago, biosailor said:

 

I'd like to propose another record: Herbie Hancock's 'River: the Joni Letters'...

 

+1 also "River"

 

[PAP]

On 7/5/2018 at 12:37 AM, gmgraves said:

Piano sound will always "lack" when the recording producer/engineer puts the piano microphone(s) inside the piano! I don't know about any of you, but I've never listened to a piano with my head inside the piano! Have you? To me that practice is every kind of wrong!

It is a very common practise on a number of Jazz albums.

But i do agree that the piano sound on i.e. Rudy van Gelder recordings is not optimal.

[gmgraves]

23 minutes ago, PAP said:

It is a very common practise on a number of Jazz albums.

But i do agree that the piano sound on i.e. Rudy van Gelder recordings is not optimal.

Something can be "common practice" and still be wrong. Van Gelder didn't put mikes inside of pianos but he put them very close and they were mono and pan-potted to one of his three channels (depending upon whether the piano was the feature instrument in the recording or just as sideman for the instrument or singer that was).

[semente]

On 7/4/2018 at 11:34 PM, gmgraves said:

Can't say for sure about this one, but most Riverside and Impulse recordings of that era were recorded by Rudy Van Gelder & Co. The "stereo" ones were actually 3-channel mono, but in a small jazz ensemble, that doesn't really matter that much and since it's the convention. But Van Gelder knew how to record jazz to get the best sound out of the instruments and it's probably the main reason why these recordings are so much in demand year after year and keep reappearing in whatever new distribution format comes down the pike.  

Thanks for bringing it to my attention as well! Ron Carter was, without a doubt, the best bassist in the history of jazz, a real legend.

 

I'm listening to it right now, via Amazon's "Music Unlimited" Excellent! Does anyone know if it's available as a high-res download from any service?

 

Have you listened to this live Ron Carter recording by Keepnews?

 

 

Carter plays a piccolo contrabasso sometimes with a bow and is accompanied by a bassist playing a full-size instrument. A very good track for evaluating bass and sub-bass performance and the sound is very good with the atmosphere of a club.

 

 

 

[gmgraves]

3 hours ago, semente said:

 

Have you listened to this live Ron Carter recording by Keepnews?

 

 

Carter plays a piccolo contrabasso sometimes with a bow and is accompanied by a bassist playing a full-size instrument. A very good track for evaluating bass and sub-bass performance and the sound is very good with the atmosphere of a club.

 

 

 

I have heard cuts from this album on the San Francisco jazz station. I agree about the bass. Stir three-channel-mono, but like I said, I made my peace with that long ago. 

[PAP]

On 8/10/2018 at 12:48 AM, gmgraves said:

Something can be "common practice" and still be wrong. Van Gelder didn't put mikes inside of pianos but he put them very close and they were mono and pan-potted to one of his three channels (depending upon whether the piano was the feature instrument in the recording or just as sideman for the instrument or singer that was).

Sounds to me as if he has them practically touching the soundboard.

Just curious; do you have a link to an article on how he recorded?

[gmgraves]

1 hour ago, PAP said:

Sounds to me as if he has them practically touching the soundboard.

Just curious; do you have a link to an article on how he recorded?

yeah, they were DAMN close! Thankfully, though, his pianos weren't as big as the room like many choose to do (Mark Waldrep of AIX records, for instance) these days by placing an Earthworks brand (or equivalent) piano microphone "rig" across the grand piano's widest  dimension behind the keyboard. This is, in my estimation, every kind of wrong because you end up with the bass end of the piano on the extreme left of the sound stage, and the treble end of the piano on the extreme right with the center of the keyboard range in the phantom center channel. That's bad enough, but you also find that you are hearing things the audience is not meant to hear, such as the mechanical workings of the piano's mechanism. I Say Bah! to that kind of recording chicanery. Below, find a picture of the Earthworks Piano Mike.

 

About Rudy Van Gelder, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Van Gelder at the New York Audio Engineering Society Convention at the Waldorf Astoria in the late 1970's. I bought him lunch at the nearby Brasserie restaurant in the Seagrams building and we talked for some time. So all I know about Van Gelder and his recording practices is what he told me. I've never looked on the web for any real biographical info except for just now.  There is a Wikipedia article on him and and another on the Van Gelder studios. Googling his name should get you there.  Below is a drawing, made by Mr. VanGelder himself  showing his initial and then his revised grouping for stereo recording small jazz ensembles. Notice that they are three-channel mono. This has become the de facto standard for recording jazz and much in the way of pop groups.

 

[fas42]

Peter asked @jabbr and I to stop discussing OT matter on his Ambient, Psybient ... thread - for which I also apologise . But this was added,

 

Quote

 

I listen to a variety of music types both for enjoyment and testing. I tend to use sounds that I’ve heard acoustically eg vocals, and unamplified instruments which have a real reference, but also electronic. 

 

I wonder whether a listening impression on something electronic is “better” in a subjective sense when not perfectly accurate eg when even harmonics are added or tubes, the sound can be very pleasing.

 

 

 

I heard a demo of a very ambitious setup which started with an extremely percussive piece - this was highly spectacular, seemed to indicate that the rig had the goods ... but then on a vocals plus big band recording fell short, very short. IOW, when one doesn't have a good internal 'reference' as to what the sounds really are like it's much harder to gauge if "anything is wrong".

 

Which leads to saying that something that is pure electronica may sound "better" to some people when the system is adding significant, 'right' distortion. But I've always found that the cleanest reproduction, that gives the best results for conventional acoustical instruments and voices, also is necessary for optimum electronica: what is gained is (a) big sound; the volume can go to any level with no discomfort, it's always "easy to listen to"; (b) pristine treble; much of the interest in synth sounds is the tremendous complexity of the harmonics, and all this is lost when the SQ is below par - "it's boring!"; and (c) richness of acoustic; the intricacy of the myriad sound spaces that these compositions have is a delight to the ears, it's an exercise of exploring, aurally, the complexity, and because we don't 'know' how the spaces should fit together - as we would, say, for an orchestral work - there is an extra layer of discovery when listening.

[oso]

Interesting point.

 

[fas42]

I was just reminded of THE most telling track on DSOTM for assessing competence,

 

 

Most rigs botch the climatic points in this track, and it was this I used often when 'debugging' my rig in the early days - could it present these moments with complete clarity, or not.

 

[lucretius]

6 hours ago, fas42 said:

I was just reminded of THE most telling track on DSOTM for assessing competence,

 

 

Most rigs botch the climatic points in this track, and it was this I used often when 'debugging' my rig in the early days - could it present these moments with complete clarity, or not.

 

 

Mch or 2-ch SACD? Redbook? LP?  Which version do you use?

[fas42]

Redbook. Just a "standard", earlier release.

[PAP]

On 9/14/2018 at 1:16 PM, lucretius said:

 

Mch or 2-ch SACD? Redbook? LP?  Which version do you use?

 

18 hours ago, fas42 said:

Redbook. Just a "standard", earlier release.

how many versions are there? and which one is considered the "best''?

[Allan F]

 

[lucretius]

7 hours ago, PAP said:

 

how many versions are there? and which one is considered the "best''?

 

There are many, many versions. Check these sites.

 

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=&album=dark+side+of+the+moon

 

https://www.discogs.com/Pink-Floyd-The-Dark-Side-Of-The-Moon/master/10362

 

I have these ones:

 

1.  (SACD, Hybrid, Multichannel, Album, RE, RM, 30t) Capitol Records CDP 7243 5 82136 2 1 US 2003

2.  Twentieth Anniversary Edition (CD, Album, Ltd, RM + Box) EMI 0777 7 81479 2 3 Canada 1993

 

I like the 2-ch SACD version of #1.

 

 

[firedog]

13 hours ago, PAP said:

 

how many versions are there? and which one is considered the "best''?

This is not a dig at you, but it's a funny question b/c you clearly are unaware of how many versions and remasters there are. Your question is guaranteed to start an argument!
 

And this goes back to the original release of the LP. I remember when the record was new there were already reviews and debates over the UK vs US versions of the LP. AFAIR, the bass (e.g., the heartbeat that opens the album) was more prominent in the US version and some preferred the US version for that reason.  And with all the different country versions of the "same" master, it's a never ending debate if some one likes to take it up. 

 

I will say that a lot of Floyd lovers like the 5.1 SACD and the newer hi-res digital remasters, including the 5.1. 

[rando]

I almost made a comment about DSD128 files from a first play of the reissued vinyl before you replied.  There is something for everyone to disagree with in that choice.

[blue2]

Nice one! The Peacocks is from an album by Cava Menzies and Nick Phillips "Moment to Moment" and is available on CD and also from Blue Coast, DSD is $40 :p

[fas42]

I would listen to the following, every time, rather than something from DSOTM, if the rig was up to it ...

 

 

The hugeness and drive in this type of track gets me very time ...

[coleb13]

Mitch Gallagher shares his playlist and the reasons behind each selection and advises everyone to develop their own:

 

What Are the Best Songs to Test Speakers and Headphones?

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/best-songs-test-speakers-headphones/?utm_content=article1-button&utm_source=insync&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20180915-aes

[blue2]

This is only RB CD but well recorded. Look out for the big drums. Mary Gauthier - Between Daylight and Dark

[PAP]

On 9/21/2018 at 10:58 AM, blue2 said:

This is only RB CD but well recorded. Look out for the big drums. Mary Gauthier - Between Daylight and Dark

Excellent album. Thanks a million!?

[austinpop]

On 9/16/2018 at 7:03 PM, fas42 said:

I would listen to the following, every time, rather than something from DSOTM, if the rig was up to it ...

 

 

The hugeness and drive in this type of track gets me very time ...

 

Big fan of ELO myself! Haven't really found any good digital remasters, both redbook and hi-res. Any good pointers? I remember their original vinyl releases being quite nice, but unlike other bands that have gotten the loving remastering treatment, ELO doesn't seem to have.

 

Maybe I'm wrong? 

[fas42]

3 hours ago, austinpop said:

 

Big fan of ELO myself! Haven't really found any good digital remasters, both redbook and hi-res. Any good pointers? I remember their original vinyl releases being quite nice, but unlike other bands that have gotten the loving remastering treatment, ELO doesn't seem to have.

 

Maybe I'm wrong? 

 

The version I have is just a budget CD release of a normal mastering - stocking filler packaging. The SQ is nothing special at all, and will sound very ordinary unless the rig is in tip top shape.

 

I normally always go for original releases, because they have the most musical depth to them - for me.