Good Music for testing Audio Equipment

[speedwelldan]

I thought Alan Parsons Project might have gotten more than a mention here. I measure any system by a 1983 original master by Andrew Powell and the Philiharmonic orchestra playing AP, because of the dynamic range, number of instruments in play and engineering

 

[213Cobra]

There are countless interesting & useful vinyl discs for assessing hifi gear. But a single convenient reference for me over the last decade has been the Thorens 125th Anniversary disc set. Three LPs, quiet surfaces; excellent pressing and mastering. Genres span classical, blues, pop vocals, R&B, jazz. It was a limited production set, so now scarce. But if you come across one, snag it. Thorens: 1883 - 2008, 125.

Phil

 

[APP]

they go for $ 475 on ebay

 

[213Cobra]

they go for $ 475 on ebay

Maybe I need a backup copy...

 

[Folsom]

Since I listen for different things than many... I really like ZZ Top Eliminator: 9 23774-1 . Vinyl only. If that confuses you then you are missing a lot of subtle information in your stereo. It has elements of PRAT that matters, harmonics, decay, lots of shifts in volume that most stereos aren't great at, etc. It's kinda crazy how much is actually going on in it.

 

[APP]

Maybe I need a backup copy...

Good idea

 

[APP]

Since I listen for different things than many... I really like ZZ Top Eliminator: 9 23774-1 . Vinyl only. If that confuses you then you are missing a lot of subtle information in your stereo. It has elements of PRAT that matters, harmonics, decay, lots of shifts in volume that most stereos aren't great at, etc. It's kinda crazy how much is actually going on in it.

Why Vinyl Only?

 

[Folsom]

Digital has different mastering, or at least I don't hear as much on it. But also I haven't vested much time into digital.

 

[APP]

Theoretically digital could have more low end but .....?

 

[Migo]

Interesting article here on the old Living Stereo recordings from Mercury; https://www.stereophile.com/content/fine-art-mercury-living-presence-recordings

I think that this technique is the basis for the '' One Mic'' approach on the Sound Liaison recordings except that they have the three capsules in one body in order to minimize phase.
All their recordings are being sold with a 20 percent discount at the moment. And don't forget their older but very fine sounding 24/96 recordings
they still sound very good, maybe not as special as their one mic recordings, but After Silence and the older Carmen Gomes albums
gets played a lot on my system;

link; Summer Sale

They are having their spring cleaning sale called ''when it rains look for rainbows'' coupon code: RAINBOWS

 

[APP]

The Barry Diament http://www.soundkeeperrecordings.com/index.htm are worth a listen.
Same kind of less is more approach as the https://www.soundliaison.com/ recordings.

 

[stehno]

My good friend and fellow audiophile Gerald k and I have made a compilation of music files which we feel are perfect for testing new equipment.
We wanted to use music that we not only enjoy listening to but which also has the abillity to reveal flaws in the signal chain.

I think The Tokens, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Herman's Hermits, and a host of other 60's artists are also excellent choices for revealing flaws in the signal chain.

Then again, I'd argue that all recorded music, whether inferior or superior, is potentially revealing flaws continuously in the signal chain. Whether our ears discern these flaws or not.

 

[APP]

Very nice compilation .
Thanks for posting!
A lot of the music from that period really holds up well. Compared to the stuff from the '80 it's hard to believe that there is a 20 year difference as those albums sounds so much better.

 

[Kefas]

They are called one microphone recordings but actually they are more single point location recordings as Josephson 700s has 3 capsules in it. So, you have a stereo pair plus an omni in between. This creates a phase coherent 3 mic input which you can level according to your needs and have a natural and full sound that is heard from that exact location. The biggest challenge is mic placement/band placement as this dictates the final result. It is how you level, pan and eq and not through your mixer. You need high caliber musicians and top acoustics to get something good. Franz have them all plus his experience and his keen ear both for good music and sound. I buy all sound liaison offering without even previewing anymore. Kudos to them!

The albums are on sale this week. The coupon code is; RAINBOWS. SOUND LIAISON SPRING SALE

 

[Migo]

The Barry Diament http://www.soundkeeperrecordings.com/index.htm are worth a listen.
Same kind of less is more approach as the https://www.soundliaison.com/ recordings.

Very nice.
And lots of interesting info on the site. Barry describes his process in great detail.

 

[APP]

The albums are on sale this week. The coupon code is; RAINBOWS. SOUND LIAISON SPRING SALE

Just posted this on the Who is She thread, but maybe it belongs here.

Here is a glowing review of Carmen Gomes Inc's One Mic recording "Don't You Cry" written by HRAudio's ]Mark Werlin.

album is available from these distributeurs;
https://carmengomes.bandcamp.com/music (Redbook CD, Mp3, wav 44.1)
https://www.soundliaison.com/ (Flac, DXD, DSD)
https://www.nativedsd.com/albums/SL1030A-dont-you-cry ( DSD)

Carmen Gomes: Don't You Cry (Sound Liaison)
Many musicians can play jazz and blues, but few can sing the blues with total conviction and emotional authenticity.
Dutch singer-songwriter Carmen Gomes is one of those few.
A father from the Mediterranean region endowed Carmen Gomes not only with a Spanish-sounding name, but by her own description, with a Mediterranean temperament. At the margins of the culture, the world's differences meet; for Carmen Gomes, the language that gave her freedom of expression was not her native Dutch, but English; and the mode that encouraged her creativity was American jazz and blues. With a dozen previous albums in her catalogue, this accomplished singer, songwriter, teacher and vocal coach distills more than two decades of live performance and recording experience into "Don't You Cry", an hour of compelling jazz vocal music.
The selection and sequencing of the songs tells the story of a woman’s growing recognition that she must throw off the chains of love—false illusions, fears and insecurities—before she can find a more honest way of loving. From the opening "Unchain My Heart", a 1963 hit for Ray Charles, through two songs associated with the great Nina Simone, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and Simone's own assertion of female sensuality "Do I Move You", with stops along the way in the Deep South of the songwriter's imagination (Ira and George Gershwin's "Summertime") and the historical reality ("How Long", credited to Leroy Carr, originally written by blueswoman Ida Cox), the listener finally arrives at Gomes' original "As I Do." It's a one-hour trip from the depths of love's oppression to the renewed hope for a relationship between equal partners, cast in the languorous mode of sultry jazz singing and subtle instrumental accompaniment.

Gomes’ stylistic technique extends past the conventions of behind-the-beat phrasing. Listen to how she teases out the syllables, as if the lyrics themselves were musical notes, not just words on a page. On "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", she prolongs the vowel sounds through several shades of inflection. With her flawless pitch, the effect is entrancing. You might hear echoes of Billie Holliday, but her vocal sound has developed well beyond imitation to distinctive individuality.



The ensemble Carmen Gomes, Inc. is more than a singer and a backing group. Bassist Peter Bjørnild, whose session notes are posted on the Sound Liaison website, produced the record and arranged the songs in collaboration with Gomes, guitarist Folker Tettero and drummer Bert Kamsteeg. Tettero plays an archtop semi-hollow body guitar that has a warm timbre; his stylistic ears are well-tuned to blues idiom, especially the minor-key blues of the mid-1960s. Kamsteeg uses brushes throughout, and keeps superb time without ever overpowering the singer or other players. In bassist Peter Bjørnild, Gomes has found the deep instrumental 'voice' that complements her vocals, the glove that perfectly fits the hand. Their musical partnership is longstanding, and the trust that only years can bring is clearly in evidence.



The decision to record with a single-point stereo microphone came about after the group had already finished a recording session done with conventional multi-mic technique. The late delivery of a Josephson C700S stereo microphone prompted a test recording of a single tune; an afterwards, engineer and label co-owner Frans Rond was so convinced that the sound qualities of that track should be heard on a full recording, he reconvened two more sessions that consisted of the group's working repertoire, done almost entirely in single takes. Those sessions were recorded at MCO Studio 2, Hilversum, The Netherlands, on 26 October and 15 December 2018, in DXD 352.8 kHz. As Bjørnild explains:



"With only one mic… mixing was no longer possible. We would have to make the complete sound stage right there by carefully moving each instrument closer or further away, as well as left and right, in relationship to the microphone."



With an engineer of the capabilities of Frans Rond, mixing is no longer needed. The careful placement of the musicians and the control of group balance makes "Don't You Cry" one of the best-sounding "live in the room" audiophile recordings I've heard.



Not surprisingly, site listeners awarded "Don't You Cry" NativeDSD Vocal Album of the Year for 2019. I eagerly await the next release from Carmen Gomes Inc.



Mark Werlin, HRAudio.

 

[APP]

I thought Alan Parsons Project might have gotten more than a mention here. I measure any system by a 1983 original master by Andrew Powell and the Philiharmonic orchestra playing AP, because of the dynamic range, number of instruments in play and engineering

Very well recorded indeed. But CD is difficult to find.

 

[24bit]

Bought the 24bit hi-res download at the SOUND LIAISON WEBSITE I think the Flac at the CARMEN GOMES BAND CAMP WEBSITE is 16bit just like the CD or ? But anyhow it's a superb album. And it is so much more than a tribute album. They really make the songs their own. A blues album with an ECM vibe. Well done! and that low 27hz A note from the bass in the beginning...whew...makes my .......rattle

 

[APP]

The flac on her site is 16 bit.
But if you want to buy 24bit from bandcamp Sound Liaison sells flac 24/96 and 24/192 from a window at https://soundliaison.bandcamp.com/music

 

[APP]

I got this in my mail just now, it does help to explain why the albums he makes are so real.

Sound Liaison engineer Frans de Rond and podcast maker
Stef Visjager wins PRIX EUROPA 2020

In the liner notes for our DXD sampler 'The Visual Sound', I praised Frans de Rond’s ability to...'create a sound like a three dimensional Van Gogh painting, where you can step in and take a look around.'

I am happy to announce that Frans exquisite craftsmanship has now been acknowledged with the prestigious PRIX EUROPA 2020
for Best European Radio Music Programme of the Year with
'Making an Opera'.

Here are a few quotes from the Jury report: “Very well narrated and edited, told with enthusiasm and drama.“ “A very special and highly appealing tone.” “ The music mixed together with what is happening, it's exceptional!“ There is a fine opportunity to listen to how Frans…“is able to create a sound stage that projects an almost visual image of the musicians. A sound stage which is intimate but also has depth and space” as our Winter Stacking Sale is still ongoing. Kind regards and warm wishes to you all for 2021! Peter Bjørnild