Annual Best Songs for Sound Check Listening That Aren't Steely Dan or Donald Fagen

[John Huntington]

OK, I think it's time for another round of people's favorite test tracks that aren't Steely Dan or Donald Fagen...

I'm looking for stuff from the 21st century, any suggestions?

John

--
http://www.controlgeek.net/blog

[HoganSound]

Dolly Parton - "Little Sparrow"

Tabla Beat Science - "Palmistry"

-bph

-----------------------------

brendan patrick hogan

thumb typing is terrible

please forgive spelling errors

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[Justice Bigler]

I'm fond of using Stan Kenton's "City of Glass"...the opera wardrobe people really love it!

But I guess I'm working towards a different end when I do that then most would be interested in.


-Justice C. Bigler

[Ben Bloomberg]

The Shins - 40 Mark Strasse  (great all around)

Joan Armatrading - Join the Boys (natural dynamic range)

Jellyfish - Glutton of Sympathy (imaging)

Maroon 5 - The Sun (low-end, vocals)

Norah Jones - Painter Song (good acoustic bass and brushes)

Ben

[ra byn taylor]

On Tue, Feb 26, 2013 at 10:27 AM, John Huntington <jch3ny...@gmail.com> wrote:

OK, I think it's time for another round of people's favorite test tracks that aren't Steely Dan or Donald Fagen...

I'm looking for stuff from the 21st century, any suggestions?

Richard Page's releases are always top notch sonically. 

His most recent is this:

Peculiar Life

"You Are Mine" is a fantastic track. You can listen here:

http://www.richardpagemusic.com/music/

Mixed by Elliot Scheiner

-----------------------------------------------------------

Not quite 21st Century but 

Jeff Buckley's "Everybody Here Wants You"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrMwgTc69y4

There are a lot of other tracks on the double CD set that are worth review.

ra byn 

[Daniel Perelstein]

I always use Joni Mitchell's Coyote, although much of her album "Hejira" is pretty useful. Has a really musical low-end (well, it is Jaco Pastorius after all), and really clear highs (both the guitar and the vocals).

Everything is mixed really clearly, so I can pick out different chunks of the spectrum really easily and I find that it's dead clear when something doesn't sound right.
Dan

Daniel Perelstein                 

Full-service music and sound for the theater

Musical Direction | Sound Design | Composition | Multi-Instrumentalist
Conducting, Arranging & Orchestrations, Vocal Coaching, Accompanying
www . danielperelstein . com

--

[Darren R. Sussman]

Funny, I usually use that one, too, especially for the vocals.

 

 

Darren R. Sussman, Owner

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Reid Sound, Inc. - The Room Comes Alive

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[ra byn taylor]

Don Juan's Reckless Daughter is another JM/ JP disc that deserves some attention.

"Talk To Me" is a great bass / guitar / vocal track.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Juan's_Reckless_Daughter

But certainly isn't 21st Century:)

ra byn

[Paul Kraus]

On Feb 26, 2013, at 11:27 AM, John Huntington <jch3ny...@gmail.com> wrote:

> OK, I think it's time for another round of people's favorite test tracks that aren't Steely Dan or Donald Fagen...
>
> I'm looking for stuff from the 21st century, any suggestions?

I have two favorites (assuming a track of the band that is about to use the sound system is not available :-)… unfortunately neither is from the 21st century (but the latter is very close).

1991: Animal Logic from Animal Logic 2, In the Garden - especially the first 30 seconds. The recording has sufficient detail that you can clearly hear the fingers on the bass strings
http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Logic-II/dp/B000008CWN

1999: Ben Murray & Siobhan Quinn (actually just Siobhan on this track) from Two Rivers, Oh My Donald - Siobhan recorded solo. A wonderful vocal that amazes anyone in the room when I play it.
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/BenMurraySiobhanQuinn

I do not know how either of these tracks will stand up to lossy compression, I use them at native CD bitrate (AIFF).

--
Paul Kraus
Deputy Technical Director, LoneStarCon 3
Sound Coordinator, Schenectady Light Opera Company

[AJ]

Steely Dan...Rush... it seems someone is always using one of their tracks for sound check. 

A few alternatives in no particular order:

Crowded House - Falling At Your Feet

Madeleine Peyroux - Dance Me to the end of love
Afro Celt Sound System - When You're Falling

And I hate to admit it, but Cornflake Girl by Tori Amos has helped me out over the years.

-AJ

John Lyman Center

[Jeremy Lee]

I often use Norah Jones "Cold Cold Heart"

Jeremy Lee

- A thumb is a terrible speller. Please forgive my trespasses.

[ra byn taylor]

Hot off the 21st Century platter, there is a new project called Squackett that is Chris Squire of Yes & Steve Hackett from Genesis collaborating. Fantastic variety of sounds on this disk.

http://www.squackett.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s59G5HunN8

ra byn

[John Huntington]

I put all the recommended songs I could find into a Spotify list:
http://open.spotify.com/user/1220684069/playlist/2qv75PfsgviqUZg5WVGnow

(Of course I would buy and download any of these I wanted to actually use)

John

[Nat Koren]

...which automatically makes all of them 21st century!

[Nat Koren]

from back in the 20th C.:

Natalie Merchant: "Carnaval"  off of Tigerlilly - warm vocals, very natural recording, nice low end.

Mickey Hart & Planet Drum: "Endless River" off of the Supralingua album - great for checking subs, lots of percussion for checking dynamics.

but now I do classical music and it's never, ever reinforced, right?  :-)

[Jeremy Bloom]

I've been using yoyo ma's "Goat Rodeo Sessions" recently.

i think the most important thing is your own familiarity with the track.  Use something you love and you'll know when it's right. 

J

[Ted Pallas]

Risset tones are fun, especially if you've got a decent poker face. 

Sent from my iPad

--

[ra byn taylor]

Holy cow Ted!

I think you're on to something..

[Steve Lalonde]

Recently I like to start with 

Alabama Shakes - Any song from the album but usually the first

Then go to Black Keys' Everlasting light to check the punch/bass and see if the distortion in the high is too harsh. 

Then go to something more clean like Jeff Buckley's first (and only) studio album or Fredric Gary Comeau's second album Éve Rêve (https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/fredric-gary-comeau/id263600261). (Especially when touring in the US :-) )

The big classic around here is : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXK1lyXn6D0

Instant summer/outside/huge line ray feel when listening to this. 

S

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450 541 7482

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[Steve Lalonde]

Gotta try this one!

2013/2/27 Ted Pallas <ted.p...@gmail.com>

[Ray Gibson]

I had a lot of fun room tuning recently with the Book of Mormon cast
recording.. *ducks*

And I know this is pretty weird and also 20th century but the first
few tracks off DC Talk's Jesus Freak album worked magic for me in the
past.

I can't wait to try some of these other suggestions.

[Paul Schreiner]

> I'm looking for stuff from the 21st century, any suggestions?

My personal fave isn't 21st century either, but Mason Williams's
"Classical Gas".

Some of the more recent tracks I've been caught using are "Would You
Be Impressed?" by Streetlight Manifesto, "Short Skirt Long Jacket" by
Cake (that bass riff is great for finding rattles), or practically
anything by Keller Williams (though I'm partial to "Restraint", I need
to be careful about what kind of ears are around when I play that).

[John Huntington]

I updated the spotify list:
http://open.spotify.com/user/1220684069/playlist/2qv75PfsgviqUZg5WVGnow


www.controlgeek.net

[John Huntington]

On 2/27/2013 1:12 PM, Paul Schreiner wrote:
> anything by Keller Williams (though I'm partial to "Restraint",

Oh and I had to add "Freeker right by the speaker" :-)

John

[Alex Hawthorn]

The guys at d&b UK used Chris Jones' Roadhouses and Automobiles.  The title track is great, I have yet to listen to the rest of the album.

[Paul Schreiner]

> I was going to suggest that. Fantastic album. One FOH guy who came
> through our casino used "No Sanctuary Here" and it blew my mind. Bought
> the cd the next day, use it myself now. Take the time and listen to the rest. It's phenomenal.

Just YouTubed this.

Oh. My. Gods.

[Paul Braun]

Yep. Good stuff, ain't it?

--



Paul Braun
Certified Music Junkie
Valparaiso, IN


"It's such a fine line between stupid, and clever." - David St. Hubbins

"Music washes from the soul the dust of everyday life" - Harlan Howard

[Jason Salvatori]

A little late to the conversation, but I've been using "What the Water
Gave Me" by Florence and the Machine. Great dynamics, and the mix of
classical instruments with more modern rock/pop sound helps to check
for clarity and distortion.

Jason

[Kenien]

I came back to revive this, because I recently found Hyperballad by Bjork to be a solid track.

[Ben Emerson]

John Scofield-A Go Go.  I've got one version I've mixed to mono. 

Benjamin Emerson

Freelance Sound Designer
Sound Supervisor
Huntington Theatre Co

On Mon, Aug 20, 2018 at 4:33 PM, Kenien <keni...@gmail.com> wrote:

I came back to revive this, because I recently found Hyperballad by Bjork to be a solid track.

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[Charlie Richmond]

http://www.richmondsounddesign.com/docs/money-for-nothing.pdf

- by John Leonard in 1986

On Tue, Aug 21, 2018 at 6:42 AM, Ben Emerson <bens...@gmail.com> wrote:

John Scofield-A Go Go.  I've got one version I've mixed to mono. 

Benjamin Emerson

Freelance Sound Designer
Sound Supervisor
Huntington Theatre Co

On Mon, Aug 20, 2018 at 4:33 PM, Kenien <keni...@gmail.com> wrote:

I came back to revive this, because I recently found Hyperballad by Bjork to be a solid track.

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[Rob Gorton]

Still the best treatise on modern reinforcement Sound design :-0

Sent from my toaster

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[Ben Bloomberg]

Dirty Projectors - work together

On the right rig, you’ll hear voices coming from 90 degrees to the left and right. It’s an awesome imaging test/benchmark.

Ben

On Aug 20, 2018, 4:33 PM -0400, Kenien <keni...@gmail.com>, wrote:

I came back to revive this, because I recently found Hyperballad by Bjork to be a solid track.

--

[Kenien]

Check one two, check.

Dominique Fils-Aimé, "Birds"

[Charlie Richmond]

I highly recommend John Leonard's excellent article on this subject: http://richmondsounddesign.com/docs/money-for-nothing.pdf

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/theatre-sound-list/0b8f3376-94f6-4ef2-a277-9d592dff0dd5n%40googlegroups.com.

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* Charlie Richmond - http://www.RichmondSoundDesign.com

* https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Richmond-4247

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[thechriswalters]

Charlie - Thanks for sharing that article again.  So funny, and so true.

Ironically, after enjoying a re-read of the article, I thought to pop in my earbuds to give a listen to the track referenced in the previous email.  As I put them in, "Brothers in Arms" picked up where it had left off when last listening to music...

Chris

Chris Walters 

TheChri...@aol.com

772-559-9392