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[Robert Patch]

I usually get great sound, but I'm looking for a song or 2 to compare. What do you use?

Sting, "Shape of my Heart"
Taj Mahal, "Ain't Gwine Whistle Dixie"
Benny Carter, "Wonderland"
Diana Krall, various

[Jeff Bankston]

download this song or buy the CD. its got great balance from low to high and was very well recorded. great bass energy. this is one of my favorites. and its hard rock/metal/and some hair.
   
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4BL_b1hfg0
     
      http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/wickedjester

     
   

[Merlijn van Veen]

If you use music then the distinction between TONING and TUNING is lost. Tonal quality versus tonal equality.

Below are 10 second spectra averages of the first choruses of a few popular songs in the "western" world. Including Donald Fagan's "I.G.Y." (What a beautiful world...).

The latter lacks any substantial low frequency information. So by the time this track sounds "right" for live sound application, you'll end up having your subs somewhere in the +12 dB range or more which might explain the popularity of this track for TONING.

Practices like these are very closely related to Howard Page's article "Time to shelve the low end" which is being discussed as we speak elsewhere on the forum.

I encourage everyone to use an accurate, reliable and repeatable measurement system to properly TUNE (physics) the system and then walk the room listening to your favorite track adjusting the TONE (art), knowing it will work out the same everywhere and not just at the FOH position which is self-calibrating anyway.

Think about it, by the end of the day, he or she operating the console will really end up making what they believe is right regardless of what it sounds like to everybody else.






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[Scott Olewiler]

If I can't do pink noise due to patrons, my number one song is Dwight Yoakum's Long White Cadillac direct from a CD to make sure I'm flat between the subs and tops followed by I Sang Dixie for the nuances in the fiddle vocal and guitar. If I can distinctly hear the subs separate from the tops, they're too loud.

I've also convinced myself that I can tell if my time alignment is off my concentrating on the kick  in Smells Like Teen Spirit because the thud and click are so distinct, but it's probably just my imagination.

It's rare I ever adjust anything other than the balance between tops/subs and where the speakers are pointed.  I would say 90% if the time I leave the system EQ flat.

Most channel eqs stay flat as well except for HPFs, known freq. spikes in certain mics, and channels where the source is crap, which is almost every kick drum.

[John L Nobile]

Nitefly is a great album-but is a prime example (in my opinion) that the studio it was done in had the subs run to high.

The album sounds a bit "thin", so I end up boosting the low end when listening.

But maybe that is me, and my reference is a bit "skewed".

Interesting. I use a Steely Dan mix for my preshow music and I boost the low end. I once started with that and then played Quincy Jones Back on the Block. Never used Steely again. But it sure is slick.

[Scott Slater]

I use 24/48 WAV recordings of various things depending on the show.  One of my favs though is "Young Lust" by Pink Floyd.

[Brook Hovland]

I'm looking for some song suggestions for tuning my PA. I've concluded that Spotify's fidelity is not good enough, so I'm going to get some mp3 files on my i devices so that I can rough tune the system at any given club. I need punchy, rock music.

Speakers are JBL PRX
Rooms are small - 150-300
Music is typically classic rock / hair metal
iPhone / iPod playback devices - for this I'll use 2 channels and appropriate cables.

I usually get great sound, but I'm looking for a song or 2 to compare. What do you use?

Tune the rig and then for rig tweeking try this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlMq8DImlTI

[Ivan Beaver]

If you use music then the distinction between TONING and TUNING is lost. Tonal quality versus tonal equality.

YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!  +10,000

A system should NOT be "tuned" to make a particular song sound "right".  Were you there in the studio when it was mixed?  IF not-then how do you know it sounds right?

A system should be TUNED to accurately reproduce what in coming into it from the console.

If not-then it becomes another instrument.

Some people like that-others don't.

The best compliments I get from people are when they say "I didn't have to fight the system" when mixing.

Sure music can be used as somewhat of a "final judge", but should never be the ultimate judge.

[John L Nobile]

Tune the rig and then for rig tweeking try this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlMq8DImlTI

What a great brass section sound and arrangement. Great band.

[Luke Geis]

I haven't used music to tune a system in a long time. I use music to listen to coverage and check that everything is working. As far as tonal quality I just don't worry about it as much anymore. If things sound obviously wrong I will fix it either by moving speakers, or tuning the issues out that can be tuned out. The only reference I use to tune the PA for tonality as when the band is playing. If there seems to be a build up of 500hz with all the vocals I will cut it in the main PA instead of on each channel.

This is why I don't worry about whether a speaker sounds pretty or not. It's subjective and superficial. Does the speaker sound right is the question? By right I mean does it sound the way it is supposed to? If not how should it be fixed? The crossover settings, time alignment and system linearity tuning is done with smaart. When the band or key note is doing sound checks I will make adjustments for making it sound pretty.

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