Best sound checking song

Mark M

Mark M

Mark M

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Recommendations on what to test out my new sound system(2.1) with once I get it fully installed tonight. Might have to properly test it tomorrow though so I can crank it up :D
 
Get hold of Reboot by Sam Brown. Some brilliant songs, a good few of which are very complex and can make any system work for it's living.
 
When you say test it, what do you mean? If you want to put it through its paces try these:

(Assuming you arent going to run them in or anything)

Warm it up with a bit of Katie Melua - anything from Call Off the Search apart from the title track...

Acoustic Alchemy - Casino

Crowded House - Weather With You

After those, you can start to turn it up :p

Infected Mushroom - Noon (Be very careful with this track - turn it up AFTER it has kicked in, not before or you risk damaging your voice coil!)

Pendulum - Slam

Chemical Brothers - Under The Influence

Prodigy - Hyperspeed (G-Force Part 2)


Those should keep you busy :D
 
First, you should use stuff that your familier with. Thats a good starting point.

On top of that, i'd recommend the following:

JMJ - Aero (entire album).
Air - Alone In Kyoto.
Royksopp - Poor Leno.

They all have parts in them that will test various aspect of your system, most of all, the way the above are composed/produced, they'll be excellent to test for clarity (especially the middle one).

:)
 
DRZ said:
When you say test it, what do you mean? If you want to put it through its paces try these:

Infected Mushroom - Noon (Be very careful with this track - turn it up AFTER it has kicked in, not before or you risk damaging your voice coil!)

Those should keep you busy :D
Click to expand...

a second vote for the mushroom!
 
Queen - A Night at the Opera (Full album)

Odd to see Sam Brown mentioned here - not a fan of the reboot album myself - prefer her earlier stuff (stop!). Although it's good to see her still touring with Jools Holland. :D

Simon/~Flibster
 
dmpoole said:
Don't people use the BBC Radiophonic Workshop LP's anymore?
They were all the rage when I were a lad to test your Dansette on.
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Oooooh.....age showing a bit there. ;)

Was it an orange one, complete with the half brick taped to the arm to keep it in the record? ;)

Seem to recall seing some of those LP's last time I was routing through my Dad's collection for stuff to 'borrow'. May have to take another look - got the Wizards of noise program about the Radiophonic Workshop on CD somwhere so these could be interesting. :D

Simon/~Flibster
 
Flibster said:
Was it an orange one, complete with the half brick taped to the arm to keep it in the record? ;)
Click to expand...

Mine was blue and I had an old penny on my arm.
Sometimes I could get away with a halfpenny.
The very first record I put on it was Ride A White Swan by T.Rex.
 
Without a doubt "Woman In Chains" by Tears For Fears.
Covers just about every frequency from below bottom sub to tiny cymbal ticks at the top wothout the mix ever being flooded. Drugs for your Hi-Fi!
 
Gun9 said:
dark side of the moon full album! really well recorded amazing soundstage!
Click to expand...

Indeed! One of my favorites, The Wall by Pink Floyd is also a superbly produced album.

Individual songs I use for testing:

Chris Rea - Looking for a Rainbow

Fleetwood Mac - Chain

The Verve - Lucky Man

Tina Arena - Chains

Peter Gabriel - Shaking the Tree

Queen - I Want to Break Free

Madonna - Vogue

Eminem - Business

The Prodigy - Mindfields

Annie Lennox - Money Can't But It

To name but a few. Obviously, they all sound best on their orig album recordings, not later compilations.
 
Leftfield - Leftism is always touted as a good test CD.

Tool's new album, 10000 Days, is looking to be another.
 
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