Favorite tracks for auditioning or tuning a system

[pendoric]

I am wondering what tracks people like to use when auditioning, tuning a new component or system? It would also be interesting to know what in the track you find interesting during the auditioning process.

[rumnyc]

pink floyd great gig in the sky--ultimate track for vocals
eagles hotel california (live hell freezes over...)--good for bass and acoustic speed
flo rida LOW for hip hop/bass
i will always play these tracks and then may play others. carry them in aac and flac in a usb stick when visiting showrooms...

[AppMan]

Up the Morning - Babyshambles

[kg648]

Has to be Grace Jones - walking in the rain followed by a few Norah Jones tracks and a couple by R.E.M.

lastly to check the lower frq's some Radiohead.

[linnrd]

Bass and sub-bass: La Roux - In For The Kill
Midrange: Connie Frances - Melancholy Baby (mono)
HF: Dizzy Gillespie - Tipitina or Miles Davis - So What

Each of the tracks is pretty much guaranteed to show any break-up of the driver(s) covering the frequency range.

[charlie1]

I prefer to use unfamiliar music for tune dems. I find piano sonata easiest, but anything with real instruments instead of electronic music is better for me.

Having said that, I do like to play Fleetwood Mac's 'Don't Stop' as well. Something about Mick Fleetwood's drumming really shines when a system's timing is good. I recall listening to two different KDSs with this track and one of them was clearly off in the timing department.

[Paulssurround]

(2012-08-10 08:11)linnrd Wrote:  Bass and sub-bass: La Roux - In For The Kill
Midrange: Connie Frances - Melancholy Baby (mono)
HF: Dizzy Gillespie - Tipitina or Miles Davis - So What

Each of the tracks is pretty much guaranteed to show any break-up of the driver(s) covering the frequency range.

Yes, these are great tracks, which I now use as well.

My go-to tracks are usually:

Beck: Golden Age
Dire Straits: Your Latest Trick, Ride Across the River
Steely Dan: Janey Runaway
Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Diana Krall: Girl in the Other Room

[Gwrandawr]

Try "Tears of Stone", The Chieftans
Joni Mitchell, Diana Krall, Bonnie Raitt.
Choirs, percussion, Voice, raft of instruments, violins, guitar, pipes.....etc.,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tears-Of-Stone-T...B00000I5G0

Also "Book of Roses" by Andreas Vollenweider
One particular track "Jugglers in Obsidian" is phenomenal for depth, spread, tone, and impact.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing...B5JQRCA15O

[sofa]

Something with audience applauding. The louder and the more people clapping, the better the tuning. You don't need more.

[hcl]

It is not a good idea to stick to very familiar tracks as it is very likely that one fills in what is missing musically and ends up focusing on the sound-vice differences instead of the musical - important - differences.

Another thing is that depending on the level of performance the current system is on it is better to use songs that is slightly too difficult for the system to render in a musically fully meaningful way. Picking a too difficult piece is difficult to use because however one change things it sounds rather poor anyway. A too simple piece keeps sounding good all the time and thus is of no help either. I try to find soumething that I feel is slightly poor (musically) i.e. a piece that does not fully make sense, but allmost is there. As the system improves (from the chages one make during the process) one can/ have to switch songs for a more an more musically difficult ones.