[sohlman]

Over the years for both buying car sterio, home hifi, home theatre and most recently comercial systems for dance studios i have always listened to specific bits of music to put the system through their paces.

I thought i would update my play list a bit as next week i am going to have the opotunity to hear a members car. Please find a list of tracks that work for my ears.

Bruno Mars: locked out of heaven (Bright song high mids and tops)
Eagles: Hotel California (Hell Freezes over) (The bongos kicking in)
Lamb: B Line (Sub Bass from the double bass)
No Doubt; Different people (Incredible bass line that highlights slow responce)
Muse: Knights of Cydonia (highlights lack of clarity)
Muse: Hysteria (Can sound very brightt)
Phil Collins: In the air tonight (Thats druns solo)
Tenacious D: Tribute (I like it)
Dire Straits (Brilliantly produced Guitar into)
Guns and Roses: November Rain (Very complete song needs to be played loud)
Guns and Roses; You could be mine (Louder still for this one)
Hoobastank: The Reason (Good seperation of high's mids and lows)

What would you have in your system test play list. All the above are cracking tracks. If you have not heard them check them out and have a listen.

J

[sohlman]

does no one do this?

[ctuna]

Most that care have there own list I think.
Of the artists they have imprinted on when in High School and Collage. Mine would be guitar Gods and artists of the late and mid 60's and some Fusion
Jazz artist mostly along with some Pink Floyd.

[sohlman]

Please do tell which guitar gods, My guitar god of choice is nuno bettencourt from Extreme vintage.

So do i take it your are a Who man?

As for fusion my knowledge is more limited. Give me some specifics and i can look it up.

I love finding out about different music tastes as it helps me exspand my listening portfolio

[Dannyboy]

I like to test a sysytem by listening to Dire Straits Brothers in Arms anything off that album. Tool Lateralus is also a great album. I also have a Sheffield Labs Test Disc called "My Disc" That has some great tracks as well as some test tracks to setup a system.

[sohlman]

Love that Album.

Also anything from Enya is a great system test.

[ctuna]

When I think of guitar gods it's the English trinity Jeff Beck , Jimi Page and Clapton and of course Jimi Hendrix. I didn't like much of what happened musically after the 70's I know its dinosaur music for most of you.
I liked the Who can you say teninitis.
I went to the Monteray pot festival in 67 , the year
I graduated from high school.

Jack White really does some interesting stuff.

[Dannyboy]

Ctuna, I love all that stuff! When music was less abiut marketing and all about creativity!
And I agree Jack White is definetly an old soul. Love his stuff!

[Dannyboy]

as far as fusion I listen to Al DiMeola Gary Roberts too. Real good technical guitarists.

[ctuna]

Al Dimeola is in my library along with some others
like John McLaughlin. I saw Return to Forever once when they were in there hey day.
guy s that fall in that category also some Robin Ford.
I saw the Joe Bonamasso special on PBS he seems to be
carrying on the old tradition of guitar strangling.
Two of the most undiscovered unappreciated artitsts I like are
Gabor Zsabo(gypsy jazz almost Indian) and the band Focus (Rock,Jazz classical mish mash) Jan Akerman is a truly dynamic unappreciated guitarist)
Focus live at the Rainbow is one of there best.

[Dannyboy]

I'll definitely check those out. I saw the same Bonnamassa special on pbs, being a struggling guitarist myself I really appreciate his sound.

[rxbaker]

I'm a bit into hifi and have built myself a lot of speakers so this is what I use on any of my equipment when checking things out. In no particular order


Under a Glass Moon, Dream Theater - this one has a great bass check line in the very beginning, and due to some odd mastering gives a good check against tilted freq response

Cave In, Owl City - good check for the smoothness of bass and a sibilance check

Muse, Infected Mushroom - overall good check for speed/coherency

Jupiter, Toronto Symphony 1986 - midrange check. strings are vital for this

Dream, Priscilla Ahn - solo guitar and voice checking balance and to make sure there isn't any funky mid bass action going on (guitar sounds unbalanced if that's the case) additionally can get suss out sibilance

Hotel CA, The Eagles(Hell Freezes Over live) - kickass song btw glad you've got it. Covers a lot of things. Pay attention to the kickdrum at the beginning. It should thump your chest (down to 28hz) if it doesn't your subbass isn't up to the challenge.

Godwacker/Cousin Dupree, Steely Dan - great recordings for detail and drumset. these recordings should sound unnaturally tight if your speakers are doing their job.

Colors Dance, George Winston - mandatory solo piano piece. Sometimes I use Beethoven Sonata #8 by Mari Kodama instead for this

Fanfare for the Common Man, London Phil - just plain epic checks brass and dynamic headroom


That covers a lot of bases but I've got a lot of stuff I'll go through as need be depending on the intended usage of the system. I've also got a lot of test tones, warbles, sweeps, phase checks, etc which I usually spend 5-10min on in the middle of going through songs.


Cool thread! I'm always looking for some good songs to add

[sohlman]

I've got some stuff to check out. Excellent I have not heard of Jack White so will go listen to some stuff from him

Dream Theatre is a great band with some cracking tunes. Personally my favourite band is Muse. But i find you have to listen loud which is not so good for the hearing.

I always like some 80's / 90's rock from the one armed drummer.

[sohlman]

I had a bit of an altetia motive with this post as I have been trying to work out a single track that would work for both testing, but also for a short film I plan to make about upgrading the base sterio in these cars.

Yesterday I had a eureka moment.

Billy Jean by Michael Jackson is probable just the ticket.

[ctuna]

Why a lot of there tunes cover a whole range of sounds from soft and tinkly to loud and dynamic. Plus if you were testing a surround sound system they really do that right.
Echoes never sounded so good as on a MusicaNW system and I don't even have a processor.

[SiofChester]

There's a cracking song to check just about everything, it's my go to track on a new car / new install. Gangsta Bop by Akon. Dont judge me haha

[sohlman]

Will give that a listen, but have not heard of it

Have now heard enough. Not my thing. I managed about 15 seconds