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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => LAB: The Classic Live Audio Board => Topic started by: Andrew Henderson on November 24, 2016, 10:06:21 AM
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Hello all, and happy Thanksgiving!
I'm curious about what music tracks you all are using to demo PA systems or familiarize yourself with a system you're about to use.
I know the main idea is to use tracks you are very familiar with, so you can immediately recognize when certain sounds or details pop out at you on a new system, and recognize the characteristics of the system. I understand that this is not a replacement for measurement.
I'll share my playlist:
Aaron Neville: Louisiana 1927
Stevie Wonder: Sir Duke
Adele: He Won't Go
The Beatles: I Want You
Needtobreathe: Prisoner
Phish: Free
Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody
2Pac: I Get Around
Tonic: If You Could Only See
Stevie Wonder: Love's in Need of Love Today
Bob Marley: I Shot the Sheriff
AC/DC: Thunderstruck
I mainly put mine together based on songs I already own, trying to have a variety of genres, and making sure everything was fairly well produced. I wasn't very scientific about it.
Curious to see what you all are using!
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I use different songs, sometimes depending on what mood I am in.
But there are a lot of similarities.
Open-non "mushed" sound. I like a acoustic instruments (we know what they sound like), well produced, clear vocals, nice percussion.
Percussive sound (drums-picks on stringed instruments etc) help to show off reflections or smearing in the speaker system.
Blown or bowed instruments don't show this.
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No Steely Dan? :)
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No Steely Dan? :)
Steely Dan--2 Against Nature-- Negative Girl
Barbara Streisand duet with Barry Manilow...I won't Be The One to Say Goodbye
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I've been using IGY (What a Beautiful World) a lot. Sounds amazing through my system. Then I play Yes's Magnification for a challenge.
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Just about anything from:
Danny Gatton
Lyle Lovett
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Hello all, and happy Thanksgiving!
I'm curious about what music tracks you all are using to demo PA systems or familiarize yourself with a system you're about to use.
I know the main idea is to use tracks you are very familiar with, so you can immediately recognize when certain sounds or details pop out at you on a new system, and recognize the characteristics of the system. I understand that this is not a replacement for measurement.
I'll share my playlist:
Aaron Neville: Louisiana 1927
Stevie Wonder: Sir Duke
Adele: He Won't Go
The Beatles: I Want You
Needtobreathe: Prisoner
Phish: Free
Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody
2Pac: I Get Around
Tonic: If You Could Only See
Stevie Wonder: Love's in Need of Love Today
Bob Marley: I Shot the Sheriff
AC/DC: Thunderstruck
I mainly put mine together based on songs I already own, trying to have a variety of genres, and making sure everything was fairly well produced. I wasn't very scientific about it.
Curious to see what you all are using!
I use Keb Mo "Rainmaker" to EQ the low end, Steeley Dan: "Peg" for mids, highs and sibilance.
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Just about anything from:
Danny Gatton
Lyle Lovett
I used to work with Danny Gatton back in the 80s in the DC area.
I find some of his works great for testing HF drivers. It puts a lot of strain on them, between the slide and the harmonica.
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Some of my go-to tracks include:
Michael Jackson - P.Y.T.
Daft Punk - Fragments of Time
Steely Dan - Babylon Sisters
Green Day - Brain Stew
deadmau5 - Ghosts N' Stuff
Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
Muse - Survival
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Horn band stuff. ToP or Ricky Peterson's Drop Shot (first pick). If the horns project without sounding harsh, it's a good start. Something with an acoustic guitar and soft vocals, e.g. Ricky Lee Jones Pop Pop to see if things still cut through after taming the horn sound.
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Y'all are definitely In a different league than I am when it comes to knowing music and history and such.
I've been growing this playlist over time. Id like to add what y'all have said to it.
https://open.spotify.com/user/lightingman117/playlist/7HTrQQ8tEMVedNrd49MrEm
That's my quick and dirty and I switch to foobar FLAC with some jm test lab or Sheffield test tracks/songs.
I really enjoy Telefon Tel Aviv for both high end and low end, super ambient, yet full, yet articulate.
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A "simple" list for me. As a bass player, an affinity for anything with strings...
No particular order. Depends on the venue or format of the event...
Fleetwood Mac - Rumors - "Dreams"
Steely Dan - Reeling In the Years - "Aja" & "Deacon Blues"
Yellowjackets - Spin - "Prayers for El Salvador"
Rippingtons - Welcome to the St. James Club - "Welcome to the St. James Club"
Spyro Gyra - Dreams Beyond Control - "Breakfast @ Igor's"
ToP - What is Hip - "What is Hip?"
Manhattan Transfer - Extensions - "Birdland"
Skrillex - Scary Monsters
Basia - London New York Warsau - "Crusing for Brusing"
Pat Metheny - The Road to You - "Have You Heard" & "First Circle"
Yo Yo Ma - Anything
my 2 cts
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A dear friend of mine turned me on to Red Molly. That will really test the 1k-4K region. It will get harsh in a hurry as well...
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BB King - Let the good times roll - pretty much anything from that cd
Ziggy Marley - Joy and Blues - real punchy low end
The Bonedaddies - Take your pick... ShooRah from World Beatnicks has a nice tight low end punch. I've been a fan for years so I know their stuff inside out. The first is real well recorded.
Steely Dan 2 Against Nature... well yeah... How that did not get Album of the year is beyond me...
If it's an acoustic date I Phosphorescent Blues from The Punch Brothers then some Ottmar Liebert, then Wood Bothers The Muse. Chris Wood's upright is generally very well recorded. Oliver's voice is always a test of the mids...
I know that set of material really well so I can snag just about anything from those cd's will work for me.
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A dear friend of mine turned me on to Red Molly. That will really test the 1k-4K region. It will get harsh in a hurry as well...
The Richard Thompson version ? I couldn't use it. The cut is so engaging, emotional I couldn't abstract myself enough to really listen to my system...
That said I'm going to try it and see what happens...
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The one I like is Buena by Morphine. Some parts have doubled saxophones, and a good system makes that obvious. Apart from that, its a 2-string slide bass, vocals, and a well-recorded drum kit.
If I had to pick one track to listen to when testing a system, it'd probably be that.
Chris
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The Richard Thompson version ? I couldn't use it. The cut is so engaging, emotional I couldn't abstract myself enough to really listen to my system...
That said I'm going to try it and see what happens...
Sorry, no, the folk band, 3 ladies who really sound great and will let you know just how hyped or flat your upper mids are.
Similarly, I used to love using the track "Jesus Christ" by Brand New, then after an engineer friend committed suicide every time I've fired up that track I started weeping. That's when you switch it up.
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hey
- Original by Leftfield
- Tracks from Rebecca Pigeon's album The Raven (especially You Got Me and Grandmother, superb well recorded vocals, and available as a super high def version from HD Tracks)
- Prince Cream and Get Off
- Hard 2 Handle by Black Crows
- Need You Tonight by INXS
and then genre specific stuff after that. Take the power back by Rage and other rock tracks if I'm tunning it for a rock show. Intergalactic by Beasty Boys or some Ying Yang Twins if it's for hiphop, The Hathors by Kalya Scintilla, Smack My Bitch Up and Superstylin if is for dance music.
something that's also caught on with engineers round my way lately is Tilted by Christina and the Queens. Again nice clear, neutral vocal, and nice steady beat behind it.
k
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The one I like is Buena by Morphine. Some parts have doubled saxophones, and a good system makes that obvious. Apart from that, its a 2-string slide bass, vocals, and a well-recorded drum kit.
If I had to pick one track to listen to when testing a system, it'd probably be that.
Chris
Another vote for Morphine here. I use Buena or Yes from them. Also like Boz Scaggs Thanks to You for low end and Seal's Crazy.
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Bad Blood - NAO
Hey Now - London Grammar
Pulp Culture - Thomas Dolby (perfect for hearing your transition from LF drivers to subs)
Everyone Here Wants You - Jeff Buckley
I Can Let Go Now - Michael McDonald
Vide Cor Meum - version from the Hannibal Soundtrack
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Good stuff! There are some I'm familiar with and some I'm not. I'll put together a playlist of these and start checking them out.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Good stuff! There are some I'm familiar with and some I'm not. I'll put together a playlist of these and start checking them out.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
We could put together a PSW demo album, just in time for Christmas.
Chris
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We could put together a PSW demo album, just in time for Christmas.
Chris
I'd buy it!
New marketing slogan: "PSW Approved!"
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I'd buy it!
New marketing slogan: "PSW Approved!"
All that somebody needs to do is to get the rights to the songs---
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We could put together a PSW demo album, just in time for Christmas.
Chris
I don't buy much music on line, but perhaps a playlist and version of each song could be published. The issue is "which downloadable version am I getting?"
One of our clients has promoter-supplied iThingy that is streaming music from something/somewhere. When the device identified itself as an iPod or iPhone the tracks were all very "one note bass". When the iThingy somehow became a desktop machine to the streaming service, the bass had much more fidelity and dynamics. I suspect the stream delivered to small personal devices is 'mastered' for ill-fitting ear buds being used in relatively noisy environments.
With that in mind I'd much rather purchase music on CDs, rip to flac or wave PCM and put them on my Fios player's SD card.
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I don't buy much music on line, but perhaps a playlist and version of each song could be published. The issue is "which downloadable version am I getting?"
One of our clients has promoter-supplied iThingy that is streaming music from something/somewhere. When the device identified itself as an iPod or iPhone the tracks were all very "one note bass". When the iThingy somehow became a desktop machine to the streaming service, the bass had much more fidelity and dynamics. I suspect the stream delivered to small personal devices is 'mastered' for ill-fitting ear buds being used in relatively noisy environments.
With that in mind I'd much rather purchase music on CDs, rip to flac or wave PCM and put them on my Fios player's SD card.
Yes.
The song itself is just a start. If the version you get is all chopped and squashed, all the details get lost and what is great about the recording doesn't matter anymore.
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Calling Elvis 8)
The Beatles "Love' soundtrack
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Calling Elvis 8)
The Beatles "Love' soundtrack
Agreed, the "Love" soundtrack has some good stuff on it.
Well recorded stuff from Chesky, including:
Babatunbe Olatunji-great African drum fusion:
http://www.chesky.com/album/circle-drums-sacd295
I have to admit I've not looked at their catalog in a while, but this album may just "fill in" for an official LAB listening collection. And most if not all their catalog are available as HiRes downloads too.
"The Best of Chesky: Classics, Jazz, & Audiophile Test Disc":
http://www.chesky.com/album/best-chesky-classics-jazz-audiophile-test-disc-vol-3-jd111
Scroll down the track listing, lots of potentially good stuff to use besides the featured artist's tracks.
Best regards,
John
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Here's mine:
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161129/489a6ab7f6e279e33f8dfece9853785e.png)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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hey
I think though it's probably worth pointing out (someone normally does when these threads periodically pop up) that the songs themselves don't really matter as much as your knowledge of them.
Of course it helps to have something that sounds good and is balanced and well recorded etc, and some of the suggestions on here are great sounding tracks.
But at the end of the day the track itself isn't so important, the important part is that you should know the track inside out and back to front, and should know exactly what it should sound like when played through a good sound system.
That way, if it doesn't sound the way you expect it to then you hear it instantly and can start to troubleshoot the problems.
So the best idea is to pick a few well recorded tracks that you know well, even if they're different from other peoples suggestions, and work from them. Play them in all different sound systems and get to know if this part sounds a bit honky or if this part sounds a bit boxy etc what that actually means in terms of what frequencies may need some work, or what the problem areas may be based on what you're hearing.
K
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Just about anything from:
Danny Gatton
Lyle Lovett
I used to work with Danny Gatton back in the 80s in the DC area.
I find some of his works great for testing HF drivers. It puts a lot of strain on them, between the slide and the harmonica.
Kudos to the both of you for the Danny Gatton references, what an amazing talent he was! If you haven't already done so, check this out:
https://www.thehumblermovie.com/
Pardon the swerve, back to the topic at hand...
Steve Winwood - Higher Love
Steely Dan - Gaslighting Abbie
Audioslave - Cochise
Vaughn Brothers - Hard To Be
Midge Ure - Breathe
Tom Petty - Runnin' Down A Dream
Level 42 - Seven Years
Allison Krauss - Down To The River
Jack Ingram - Free
Joe Bonamassa - Black Lung Heartache
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Not real sexy or fun but I have had good success with the canned songs from the old Roland TD-8 module. When the balance between subs and tops plus house eq sounds good with these tracks - the mix for the band comes together fairly quick.
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In addition to the tracks, what do y'all use to play the record?
Phone
iThingy
Interface/computer/media player/format [scarlet, behringer; laptop, desktop; Foobar, iTunes;320MP3,Flac,WMA]
FiiO
etc?
I use phone, Fii, and scarlet w/ Foobar/Flac
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In addition to the tracks, what do y'all use to play the record?
Phone
iThingy
Interface/computer/media player/format [scarlet, behringer; laptop, desktop; Foobar, iTunes;320MP3,Flac,WMA]
Fii
etc?
I use phone, Fii, and scarlet w/ Foobar/Flac
I have a Fiio X5 and like it. I also have a X1 but the scroll wheel no longer tracks correctly and a 360° spin may or may not move the selection indicator.
I got the X5 as a factory refurb from Adorama for about $15 more than I paid for the X1. I can't tell any difference in sound between them.
Both are audibly superior to either the iPhone or my Samsung Galaxy S5 with FLAC or WAV files.
If I rip to MP3 I use 320kB. I use FreeRip.
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In addition to the tracks, what do y'all use to play the record?
Phone
iThingy
Interface/computer/media player/format [scarlet, behringer; laptop, desktop; Foobar, iTunes;320MP3,Flac,WMA]
FiiO
etc?
I use phone, Fii, and scarlet w/ Foobar/Flac
My old phone, an iPhone 5, with lossless files. I use the apple lightning/USB adapter to connect directly to our M32 to avoid the extra round of DA/AD conversion.
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In addition to the tracks, what do y'all use to play the record?
Phone
iThingy
Interface/computer/media player/format [scarlet, behringer; laptop, desktop; Foobar, iTunes;320MP3,Flac,WMA]
FiiO
etc?
I use phone, Fii, and scarlet w/ Foobar/Flac
CD Player if available, otherwise:
Device - retired Samsung Focus S Phone ----> Proco iFace
Format - WMA lossless
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I have a Fiio X5 and like it. I also have a X1 but the scroll wheel no longer tracks correctly and a 360° spin may or may not move the selection indicator.
I got the X5 as a factory refurb from Adorama for about $15 more than I paid for the X1. I can't tell any difference in sound between them.
Both are audibly superior to either the iPhone or my Samsung Galaxy S5 with FLAC or WAV files.
If I rip to MP3 I use 320kB. I use FreeRip.
I was looking around at players and see there is a 2nd generation X1. Wonder if they addressed your thumbwheel issue? Amazon has them for $99, basically a third of the cost of an X5. Maybe buy the "insurance" for two years on it if I decide to get one.
The memory capacity is doubled, the 2nd gen will handle a 256gb card.
Best regards,
John
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I just ordered a refurbed x5 for $150.
They make an x3 also, which seems about halfway between the other two.
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Just saw these from the most recent article.
Got me thinking of some more tracks I've enjoyed to listen to, to hear different nuances.
- "Assassins," John Mayer. I like the acoustic for hearing the distinct strings and full range of guitar.
- "The Tip Of The Iceberg," Owl City. Good bass drops and holds, goes fairly low.
- Any number of orchestral pieces I enjoy. Including some unknown people: Ivan Torrent, Thomas Bergersen.
http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/backstage_class_gimme_three_steps/P2/
—“Domino,” Jesse J. A clean, dry mix that tends to reveal time alignment issues in sub arrays.
—“Neon,” John Mayer. On systems with excess energy in the 2 - 8 kHz region, this track will sound overly harsh in the vocals.
—“The Real World,” Owl City. There’s a nice bass drop that’s very revealing of LF room issues, modes, and rattles.
—“117,” Halo 4 Soundtrack. A cool orchestral piece that illuminates issues in the 1 kHz region quite readily.
—“Breakeven,” The Script. This recording tends to be representative of how a live band will sound in the space, particularly the drums.
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Welp, I compiled the PSW Christmas Album.
Spotify Link, don't hate :P (https://open.spotify.com/user/lightingman117/playlist/3Tye5psajhTJUhkTUjgMy7)
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Welp, I compiled the PSW Christmas Album.
Spotify Link, don't hate :P (https://open.spotify.com/user/lightingman117/playlist/3Tye5psajhTJUhkTUjgMy7)
Haha, cool! Thanks for compiling, Nathan!
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Richard Thompson
The Sail Pattern
Steve.
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I use a combination of Abba, the starland vocal band, and Leif Garrett, especially in venues that host a lot of metal shows.
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
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Here's mine:
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161129/489a6ab7f6e279e33f8dfece9853785e.png)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I can get behind this list...
Eva Cassidy. Another DC area great gone too soon...
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My go-to tracks and reasons for;
Vanessa Carlton - Thousand Miles
Yep, everyone in the venue will be singing it for hours afterwards! It's a likeable song that won't upset people when they hear it several times. Nice clicky kick drum, snappy snare and a clean piano sorts the intelligibility issues out. Very soon starts to sound harsh if your tops aren't 100% spot on.
Philippa Hanna - Holywood
Not a very well known artist or song, but the production on this track (and the whole album!) is superb and it really does show a system's flaws up. An artist i've worked with too and it's nice to hear people at the end of my system check asking "who was that? She sounds incredible!".
Pirates of the Caribbean - Epica
Yep, a Dutch Metal band performing alongside a symphony orchestra. This one will wake your subs up! Double kick drum and a huge sound, yet because of the orchestral accompaniment and familiar tune it doesn't become tiresome.
The Zombie Song - Jamie Fletcher
Nope, you'll never have heard of this one either! It's a song that I produced, and I find that knowing a piece as well as that really does help highlight problems.
There are loads more. my love for musical theatre means my playlist has plenty of Cats (The Jellicle Ball especially), Hamilton, Wonderland etc.
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John Cage - 4'33"
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John Cage - 4'33"
And it's conveniently pre-loaded on every software storage device in existence — you just press the Stop button and it plays.
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And it's conveniently pre-loaded on every software storage device in existence — you just press the Stop button and it plays.
Mine must be time-stretched or looped. It can play that for hours. ;)
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wouldnt it be rad if someone on here got bored next week and downloaded a bunch of these tunes in extremely high quality and uploaded them somewhere private on the internet for certain people with a link to download? :)
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wouldnt it be rad if someone on here got bored next week and downloaded a bunch of these tunes in extremely high quality and uploaded them somewhere private on the internet for certain people with a link to download? :)
wouldnt it be rad if you by the songs by jourself if you use them for professional work and give the artists some revenue that they can continue writing/playing good music ?
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wouldnt it be rad if you by the songs by jourself if you use them for professional work and give the artists some revenue that they can continue writing/playing good music ?
of course. that is if they are even available for sale anymore.
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John Cage - 4'33"
I use that as interval music when I do sound reinforcement for mime artists.
Steve.
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I use that as interval music when I do sound reinforcement for mime artists.
Steve.
But some old guy always wants you to turn it down...
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wouldnt it be rad if you by the songs by jourself if you use them for professional work and give the artists some revenue that they can continue writing/playing good music ?
+100
I work with professional musicians.
I get paid.
Why shouldn't I extend them the same courtesy ?
Chris.
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Some of my go-to tracks include:
Michael Jackson - P.Y.T.
Daft Punk - Fragments of Time
Steely Dan - Babylon Sisters
Green Day - Brain Stew
deadmau5 - Ghosts N' Stuff
Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
Muse - Survival
I personally use Fragments of Time, Babylon Sisters, and Slegehammer in my playlist too!
Along with:
Lake Street Dive - Nobody Knows What I'm Doing Here
Sting - Brand New Day
Little Feat - Hate To Lose Your Lovin
Taylor Swift - Shake It Off
New Radicals - You Get What You Give
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Some of my favorite test tracks are used in our loudspeaker demos
Box Scaggs - Thanks to you.
Darius Rucker - Alright
Donald Fagen - Morph the Cat
Lyle Lovit - I will Rise Up
Dave Barnes - Graces Amazing Hands
Pentatonux - Rather Be
Rob Mathews - Don't let me fall
Diana Krall - Black Crow
Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band - Gainin on You
Holly Cole Trio - I Can See Clearly Now
Yo Yo Ma - prelude Cello Suite
Jennifer Warnes - Somewhere Sonebody
James Taylor - Copperline
Fairfield Four - These Bones
Chris Jones - no Sanctuary Here
We use a ton more at the Demos and all are good but these are some if the ones I like and use for myself
Craig
Sent from my iPad
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Lyle Lovit - I Will Rise Up
I've used that one since it came out. Problem is it sounds pretty great even on badly tuned systens.
So I use it when I have to turn on the system pre-tuning, if the client is in the room :)
Jason
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I was looking around at players and see there is a 2nd generation X1. Wonder if they addressed your thumbwheel issue? Amazon has them for $99, basically a third of the cost of an X5. Maybe buy the "insurance" for two years on it if I decide to get one.
The memory capacity is doubled, the 2nd gen will handle a 256gb card.
Best regards,
John
I've been playing with my refurbed X5 and I must say it's nice on the headphones. Will try it through a system this weekend. Detail and ambience are quite remarkable. Especially considering the direction downloaded music has been headed. The music isn't cheap, though, so it's not a casual purchase nor likely to be available ripped for free. Slow downloads because of the jumbo file size. No regrets so far.
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I've been playing with my refurbed X5 and I must say it's nice on the headphones. Will try it through a system this weekend. Detail and ambience are quite remarkable. Especially considering the direction downloaded music has been headed. The music isn't cheap, though, so it's not a casual purchase nor likely to be available ripped for free. Slow downloads because of the jumbo file size. No regrets so far.
I was impressed by the X1 and the X5 is possibly better but either my ears or headphones aren't up to the difference. My refurb was worth the extra money just in the feel of the controls. The separate line-level output is nice, too - I can drive a system DSP input to useful levels. Don't ask how I know and NO, I don't take requests... ::)
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I was impressed by the X1 and the X5 is possibly better but either my ears or headphones aren't up to the difference.
You may not be able to tell though 7506s. I showed a cinema location sound guy the difference between his and a pair of $99 Grado SR80s and he was stunned. Of course, he can't use the open back Grado's for location recording, but now he has a decent SQ reference.
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Lately I have been using this to EQ the system:
https://youtu.be/T3lpQ_-nh-s
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U2 - I still haven't found..., Buju Banton - first 2 tracks off Til Shiloh, The Who - Baba O'Riley, Van Morrison - Days Like This
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Lately I have been using this to EQ the system:
https://youtu.be/T3lpQ_-nh-s
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That's really good.
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Schwupps is back again
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Lately I have been using this to EQ the system:
https://youtu.be/T3lpQ_-nh-s
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Not bad, but for some reason I really don't get on with the drums on that.
I like the mash-up and everything else, but the drums just don't sit right for me.
Chris
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Not bad, but for some reason I really don't get on with the drums on that.
I like the mash-up and everything else, but the drums just don't sit right for me.
Chris
Usually a helpful critic has more that just the "sitting well" knob, which most mixers do not have.
If you were to criticize in terms of Bass, Mids, Highs, effects, or even volume, than we would know what your opinion is.
Also please show us what tracks you would use.
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Usually a helpful critic has more that just the "sitting well" knob, which most mixers do not have.
If you were to criticize in terms of Bass, Mids, Highs, effects, or even volume, than we would know what your opinion is.
Also please show us what tracks you would use.
I've already mentioned that Buena by Morphine would be my walk-up one-track to check/EQ a system. I also quite like Learn to Fly by the Foo Fighters.
With regards to the drums, I think it's a timing thing. Some parts, I feel like he's playing a different track. Around 8 to 13 seconds in, for instance, or just as he comes in around 1.04. I'd take the compressor off the snare (if there is one) and take it down around 3dB so the hits that are on-beat are louder than the rolls but both sit more in the mix rather than very much on top of everything else.
Or maybe I'm just not keen on that particular snare sound.
Chris
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First track I'll ever play through the PA is American idiot by Green day (Off the Album, not Youtube, obviously).
Yes, it's got absolutely zero dynamics, yes it's a pop song, etc, etc, but it just always works for me.
CLA is a genius at mixing, if you hear something you don't like about how it sounds, it's the PA, 100% (Or maybe that's just the case with me, you need to find something that resembles your preferred mixing style & tonality).
And, maybe it's just me again, but the guitars almost resemble pink noise in the mids so you can tell what sounds off right away.
I always play some songs afterwards (Most of which have already been mentioned) but I rarely do any changes.
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First track I'll ever play through the PA is American idiot by Green day (Off the Album, not Youtube, obviously).
Yes, it's got absolutely zero dynamics, yes it's a pop song, etc, etc, but it just always works for me.
CLA is a genius at mixing, if you hear something you don't like about how it sounds, it's the PA, 100% (Or maybe that's just the case with me, you need to find something that resembles your preferred mixing style & tonality).
And, maybe it's just me again, but the guitars almost resemble pink noise in the mids so you can tell what sounds off right away.
I always play some songs afterwards (Most of which have already been mentioned) but I rarely do any changes.
I would disagree with it is the PA. Reason being is if your outside and it sound great, Then when you take it into the Venue and it does not sound good, It is the venue and the acoustics of the room that changed the sound.
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I would disagree with it is the PA. Reason being is if your outside and it sound great, Then when you take it into the Venue and it does not sound good, It is the venue and the acoustics of the room that changed the sound.
Well yeah, maybe I should rephrase that. "Not the song"? I don't know how to put it.
The thing is, it's going to reveal everything that's wrong with the system as a whole (including the room). It's not gonna "cover things up".
After I've fixed everything and made the PA sound good with this, I can go ahead and play various "pretty" sounding songs (Jennifer Warnes, Chris Isaak, and so on).
Those songs are superior in sound quality, but they pretty much cover everything up.
You'll be blown away if you listen to them through a pair of monitors with the lights off (What? Where's the monitors? I'm pretty sure there's a band in front of me! ;D ) and you'll be able to tell a good and a bad PA apart, but you won't discover that annoying resonance at 2.5k that screws up your guitars & vocals...
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Tons of good stuff here. Always good to learn about new music. Here's the stuff I use most often...not exhaustive, but this is the bulk of it.
Michael Ruff - Wishing Well
Chris Jones - No Sanctuary Here
Brian Simpson - And The Story Goes
Over The Rhine - Bothered
Chuck Loeb - Lockdown
Lou Rawls - Willow Weep For Me, God Bless The Child
Lorde - Royals
Richard Page - Shelter Me, If All Else Fails
Toto - Multiple cuts from Tambu
Yellowjackets - New Rochelle, Up From New Orleans
Zac Brown - Quiet Your Mind, No Hurry, Who Knows
Alice In Chains - Check My Brain, No Excuses
Lady Antebellum - Singing Me Home, Perfect Day
Alter Bridge - Come To Life, Before Tomorrow Comes
Eric Hutchinson - Rock & Roll (live), All Over Now (live)
Keb' Mo' - Lots of various cuts from Slow Down, The Door, and Blues Americana
Lizz Wright - Old Man, Trouble, Stop
Thousand Foot Crutch - We Are, Light Up The Sky
Several tracks from the Burning For Buddy albums
A few tracks from the Trolls movie soundtrack are great for sub/LF evaluation
I have a pretty eclectic taste in music...which works out well. If listening to a system for a live show, I try to pick something that somewhat resembles the genre that will be played...but not always. Obviously, certain tracks are better at diagnosing certain issues with the PA than others. A lot of my more critical listening material is WAV, the rest of it is MP3 no lower than 320Kbps. Although most of what I use to listen to a system is very nicely recorded material with a good dynamic range, sometimes I feel like I don't need that. If I'm walking a room to identify gaps or overlap in coverage, I think I can do that with FM radio playing as I'm listening to where it sounds different as opposed to how good it sounds everywhere. Just my 2 cents.
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When I was in college, it was always Dave Matthews Band "So Much to Say".
Others I've used - GnR "Sweet Child of Mine" - mostly because I've heard it so many times.
Various Dave Matthews Band tracks.
Various Collective Soul tracks.
John Mayer - "Bigger than my Body"
More recently - Avenged Sevenfold "Hail to the King". I just happen to like the sound of the drums, the guitars, the vocal.
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Hello all, and happy Thanksgiving!
I'm curious about what music tracks you all are using to demo PA systems or familiarize yourself with a system you're about to use.
I know the main idea is to use tracks you are very familiar with, so you can immediately recognize when certain sounds or details pop out at you on a new system, and recognize the characteristics of the system. I understand that this is not a replacement for measurement.
I'll share my playlist:
Aaron Neville: Louisiana 1927
Stevie Wonder: Sir Duke
Adele: He Won't Go
The Beatles: I Want You
Needtobreathe: Prisoner
Phish: Free
Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody
2Pac: I Get Around
Tonic: If You Could Only See
Stevie Wonder: Love's in Need of Love Today
Bob Marley: I Shot the Sheriff
AC/DC: Thunderstruck
I mainly put mine together based on songs I already own, trying to have a variety of genres, and making sure everything was fairly well produced. I wasn't very scientific about it.
Curious to see what you all are using!
Page One by Tower of Power. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB5tmptwhu8
I use the original CD. The tune has good drum kit sound (including HiHat) with a good representation of bass, vocals, horns, and guitar.
...oh...and I am a huge TOP fan...
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Would not a well produced live recording (Joe Bonamasa - Royal Albert, for example) serve better since compressed much less?
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Hell freezes over version of Hotel California by the Eagles. There’s quite a lot of information in it but I especially like to test the kick of the subs with it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Would not a well produced live recording (Joe Bonamasa - Royal Albert, for example) serve better since compressed much less?
Maybe?
I had a BE play some of the most tonally grating, compressed-to-death tracks as eval.
It suited the act he was working for.
Why play Steely Dan, for example, if it sounds acceptable on almost anything?
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k.d. lang "Miss Chatelaine" from her album Ingenue. When her vocal sounds right the system sounds right.
Mac
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Tina Turner - Goldeneye,
Tangerine Dream - Towards the Evening Star, the Angel of the West Window,
The Who-Tommy
Sound System By Steel Pulse. With a name like that an almost perfect choice.
Or anything recorded/produced by T-Bone Burnett.
For setting delays I use the Rei Momo album by David Byrne or Synchro
System by King Sunny Ade.
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I used to use Quincy Jones Back on the Block. Opening track and Birdland. Full freq range and lots of vocals, rapping, speech and Q's production.
I'm going to look for my CD now.
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I have been using Diggin' on James Brown from Tower of Power.
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Hello all! New here. Trying to step up my sound system knowledge.
Please go to your profile and change the "Name" field to your real first and last name as required by the posting rules displayed in the header at the top of the section, and in the Site Rules and Suggestions (http://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/board,36.0.html) in the Forum Announcements section, and on the registration page when you registered.
Mac
admin
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"I Can't Tell You Why" -- Diana Krall. Vocal jazz. Like all of her tracks, the sound quality is exceptional. The bass drum has a nice low "whumpf" and the string bass will sound muddy if your system's not dialed in.
"Human Nature" -- Trijntje Oosterhuis. Vocal pop/jazz. A sparse arrangement of the Michael Jackson tune featuring a VERY dynamic acoustic guitar, bass, and a smooth female vocal. Won't do much for your subs, but will make your mid/highs sing.
"I Will Remember" -- Toto. 80s style pop-rock (from the 90s). Big, thundering floor tom opens a drum intro with a tight kick drum. The rest of the song kicks in with a nice balance across the spectrum.
"No Sanctuary Here" -- Chris Jones. Southern soul/blues. Big bass guitar opens this track. Use this to blow cobwebs out of your subs. Hah! Also a more dynamic vocal.
"Temptation" -- Diana Krall. Vocal jazz. Opens with a whumpy bass drum and upright bass solo. Like above, the bass track will sound muddy if your system's not on point. Always great Diana vocals.
"Tainted Love" -- Stella Starlight Trio feat. Karen Souza. Lounge jazz. Intentionally boomy upright bass mixed prominently... Karen Souza's lush vocals sound impressive. Use this track to impress someone... Probably not great to tune in your system given the rather heavy mix on the bass.
"Elephants On Ice Skates" -- Brian Bromberg. Modern instrumental jazz. Opens with a 45 second jazz bass solo. Very articulate sound to the bass, and nicely dynamic. After the solo, a jazz horn band kicks in. Very tight, with very harmonic bass guitar (sounds "growly").
"It Doesn't Matter" -- Alison Krauss & Union Station. Modern bluegrass. Lush production opens up with stereo acoustic guitars and lots of reverb. Alison's vocals are dynamic, and sound buried at first. Huge bass kicks in in the last half of the song.
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k.d. lang "Miss Chatelaine" from her album Ingenue. When her vocal sounds right the system sounds right.
That is a great album. Everything on it seems to be perfect. I have simlar feelings for music by Norah Jones.
I usually play something by Richard Thompson, followed by The Brian Setzer Band or The Reverend Horton Heat.
Steve.
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I have been using Diggin' on James Brown from Tower of Power.
I love the track, but somehow I thing vocals could be a touch louder.
In this track, the vocals should have the emotional impact strength, like the brass does.
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My list:
- Bad Brains - Revolution Dub (Darryl Jennifer's active "Green Monster" bass is super clear)
- Avett Brothers - Ain't No Man (great modern male vox and bass mix, with some pretty potent low end)
- Iration - Time Bomb (really modern bass-forward mix, modern sound)
- Porno for Pyros - Pets ("classic rock" incredible dynamic range, crystal clear highs, lots of "space" between instruments)
- Chronixx - Skankin' Sweet (really bass heavy and present vox, modern reagge)
- Jack Harlow - What's Poppin' (Louisville, KY represent - heavily compressed modern production hip hop)
- Matisyahu - Chop 'em Down (Live at Stubb's) or King Without a Crown- really great live sound, dynamic vox and interplay between instruments, clear dynamic guitar skank and solo
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My list:
Please go to your profile and change the "Name" field to your real first and last name as required by the posting rules displayed in the header at the top of the section, and in the Site Rules and Suggestions (http://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/board,36.0.html) in the Forum Announcements section, and on the registration page when you registered.
Mac
admin
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a really old thread but here's mine :)
Rebecka Törnqvist - I have no worries (just dry voice for setting verbs n' ddl)
Scritti Politti - Best thing ever
George Duke - Fuzzion (useful drums intro)
Backseat - Hit home or Die (danish band)
Backseat - Cover Me (danish band)
Michael Ruff - Thats Not Me (Sheffield lab recording)
AC/DC - Stiff upper lip
Tom Petty - Alright for now (just a nice dry recording)
Extreme - Rest in peace
Eagles - No more walks in the woods
Eagles - How long
Eagles - Hotel California (great for checkning subs )
Yep, its old. But still works for me. All track in wav format from my ipod classic :)
// Magnus, Sweden
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I'm probably long overdue updating my list be here are the tunes in my playlist
Rosanna - Toto
Get the fun out - Extreme
Black Friday - Steely Dan
Alive - Pearl Jam
Back in Black - AC/DC
Killing in the name - Rage
Lay me down - Crosby & Nash
May you never - John Martyn
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I'm surprised no one (as near as I can tell) has mentioned "The Hunter" by Jennifer Warnes; it's typically the first song I play on any PA. If you're in a hurry it can be handy for setting a roughly equal-amplitude subs-on-an-aux level by ear (since it sounds pretty stupid with any kind of haystack). It has a very sharp snare (that starts halfway through the first verse, once you've already had a chance to walk away from a poorly-located FOH) that will tell you a lot about how the room is responding. Warnes' vocals have very little reverb but a well-defined eighth-note tap delay (which again helps judge room characteristics) as well as a clarity that should make any system harshness immediately apparent. Basically, for someone mixing on a de jour system, it's a great way to quickly find out how much work you have ahead of you. :D
Also, I'm not sure if anyone else does this, but I've taken all of my usual system check music and mixed it down to mono. I find that this makes it much easier to understand system coverage characteristics, as well as identify any polarity problems between L and R.
-Russ
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I change my demo tracks depending on the genre of the artist I'm mixing - trying to keep them similar.
In the past, I've had good luck with:
In My Place - Coldplay
Gain - Virgos Merlot
City Love - John Mayer
Reach Down - Temple of the Dog
Peg - Steely Dan
My Favorite Mistake - Sheryl Crow
September - Earth, Wind, & Fire
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Hello all, and happy Thanksgiving!
I'm curious about what music tracks you all are using to demo PA systems or familiarize yourself with a system you're about to use.
I know the main idea is to use tracks you are very familiar with, so you can immediately recognize when certain sounds or details pop out at you on a new system, and recognize the characteristics of the system. I understand that this is not a replacement for measurement.
I'll share my playlist:
Aaron Neville: Louisiana 1927
Stevie Wonder: Sir Duke
Adele: He Won't Go
The Beatles: I Want You
Needtobreathe: Prisoner
Phish: Free
Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody
2Pac: I Get Around
Tonic: If You Could Only See
Stevie Wonder: Love's in Need of Love Today
Bob Marley: I Shot the Sheriff
AC/DC: Thunderstruck
I mainly put mine together based on songs I already own, trying to have a variety of genres, and making sure everything was fairly well produced. I wasn't very scientific about it.
Curious to see what you all are using!
Pink noise ....
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Pink noise ....
In honor of Prince (and the Artist Formerly Known As ), I'd upvote some purple noise. ;)
Also, welcome to the LAB! Seeing the word "newbie" under your name has a certain bit of irony to it. 8)
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I've been meaning to update my playlist and download high-res tracks for quite some time. We just got the PA connected in a new venue I'm working on, and I plan to tune tomorrow. That was the motivation I needed to get some tracks on-deck.
Taking cues from the suggestions in this list, and adding a few of my own:
Steely Dan (Babylon Sisters has been my go-to for ever, i'm in that camp)
Jennifer Warnes (thanks for the reminder Russ)
Sting
Tower of Power
I've been really digging 'The Whitest Boy Alive - Rules' lately. Very clean dry recording, with this great detailed electric piano.
Some Erykah Badu for that hip hop bass
Nicholas Payton - Zigaboogaloo - it'll tell you if your subs are over-the-top, or if your mid-highs need some love. Jazz mixed like Hip-Hop. The horns are
My question for you all: Where are you sourcing your high-res tracks? I downloaded all of this from 7digital.com. But they don't have some things I was looking for. I'm not looking for freebies - happy to pay for the material!
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My question for you all: Where are you sourcing your high-res tracks? I downloaded all of this from 7digital.com. But they don't have some things I was looking for. I'm not looking for freebies - happy to pay for the material!
I'm a geezer so I get CDs out of the local libraries and rip the tracks I want. For general background music, I rip at 320Mbps VBR, but for any tracks that I really like or want to use for testing, I rip them using a lossless format. So, for me high res means 16 bit / 44.1kHz lossless.
Note: At the two clubs where I'm currently working at the most, all the background music is streamed. One uses Spotify and the other YouTube Music. I don't even bring my music with me anymore.
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"I Can't Tell You Why" -- Diana Krall. Vocal jazz. Like all of her tracks, the sound quality is exceptional. The bass drum has a nice low "whumpf" and the string bass will sound muddy if your system's not dialed in.
"Human Nature" -- Trijntje Oosterhuis. Vocal pop/jazz. A sparse arrangement of the Michael Jackson tune featuring a VERY dynamic acoustic guitar, bass, and a smooth female vocal. Won't do much for your subs, but will make your mid/highs sing.
"I Will Remember" -- Toto. 80s style pop-rock (from the 90s). Big, thundering floor tom opens a drum intro with a tight kick drum. The rest of the song kicks in with a nice balance across the spectrum.
"No Sanctuary Here" -- Chris Jones. Southern soul/blues. Big bass guitar opens this track. Use this to blow cobwebs out of your subs. Hah! Also a more dynamic vocal.
"Temptation" -- Diana Krall. Vocal jazz. Opens with a whumpy bass drum and upright bass solo. Like above, the bass track will sound muddy if your system's not on point. Always great Diana vocals.
"Tainted Love" -- Stella Starlight Trio feat. Karen Souza. Lounge jazz. Intentionally boomy upright bass mixed prominently... Karen Souza's lush vocals sound impressive. Use this track to impress someone... Probably not great to tune in your system given the rather heavy mix on the bass.
"Elephants On Ice Skates" -- Brian Bromberg. Modern instrumental jazz. Opens with a 45 second jazz bass solo. Very articulate sound to the bass, and nicely dynamic. After the solo, a jazz horn band kicks in. Very tight, with very harmonic bass guitar (sounds "growly").
"It Doesn't Matter" -- Alison Krauss & Union Station. Modern bluegrass. Lush production opens up with stereo acoustic guitars and lots of reverb. Alison's vocals are dynamic, and sound buried at first. Huge bass kicks in in the last half of the song.
Great descriptions of the songs and why you use them. You are a true music lover.
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Yellow Jacket - Shaun Martin - 7 Summers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlcKiizWQVI
Great music with incredible clear highs for definition and awesome lows. Full range of well defined music. It's my go-to for checking out a system.
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Hello all, and happy Thanksgiving!
I'm curious about what music tracks you all are using to demo PA systems or familiarize yourself with a system you're about to use.
I know the main idea is to use tracks you are very familiar with, so you can immediately recognize when certain sounds or details pop out at you on a new system, and recognize the characteristics of the system. I understand that this is not a replacement for measurement.
I'll share my playlist:
Aaron Neville: Louisiana 1927
Stevie Wonder: Sir Duke
Adele: He Won't Go
The Beatles: I Want You
Needtobreathe: Prisoner
Phish: Free
Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody
2Pac: I Get Around
Tonic: If You Could Only See
Stevie Wonder: Love's in Need of Love Today
Bob Marley: I Shot the Sheriff
AC/DC: Thunderstruck
I mainly put mine together based on songs I already own, trying to have a variety of genres, and making sure everything was fairly well produced. I wasn't very scientific about it.
Curious to see what you all are using!
You can find below the link to my playlist from my Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ZhayjwayIwVTWFVAtLgMX?si=b026e8102cd443ac
From Tipper to Steely Dan to anything in between, with some pink noise too.
Enjoy
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I've been meaning to update my playlist and download high-res tracks for quite some time. We just got the PA connected in a new venue I'm working on, and I plan to tune tomorrow. That was the motivation I needed to get some tracks on-deck.
Taking cues from the suggestions in this list, and adding a few of my own:
Steely Dan (Babylon Sisters has been my go-to for ever, i'm in that camp)
Jennifer Warnes (thanks for the reminder Russ)
Sting
Tower of Power
I've been really digging 'The Whitest Boy Alive - Rules' lately. Very clean dry recording, with this great detailed electric piano.
Some Erykah Badu for that hip hop bass
Nicholas Payton - Zigaboogaloo - it'll tell you if your subs are over-the-top, or if your mid-highs need some love. Jazz mixed like Hip-Hop. The horns are
My question for you all: Where are you sourcing your high-res tracks? I downloaded all of this from 7digital.com. But they don't have some things I was looking for. I'm not looking for freebies - happy to pay for the material!
I've gotten most of my hi def tracks from HDTracks.com. Multiple file types and resolutions available.