best discs for imaging?

[Tim]

what discs do you guys like to use when evaluating a systems ability to image well?

[Tim]

yeah I've been using some of that stuff, the jdisc stuff is razor sharp....

[Tim]

 

[BobW]

I like the acoustic stuff myself.

Just don't use Kentucky Colonel's Appalachian Swing.  It has strange phase problems.
Was designed to be a center mic recording and the image surrounds you, walks a around you, and dizzies you at times.

Grisman's label has good stuff, Sam Bush stuff
Use a good vocal recording like Buena Vista Social Club.  It will pass through the crossover frequency on vocals.
Listen to hear if the vocalists move aound.

Stereophile markets a few good two-mic recordings with your mind in mind. That might work for you.
Lots of great stuff on archive.org
two mics and a jdisk may be a bit too dramatic for speaker imaging depending on placement, but in the sweet spot... weeeel-dawgies !

[L Ron Hoover]

Doug Oade's cricket recording is pretty intense.

[Tim]

anything by waterlily records!! http://www.waterlilyacoustics.com/main.htm
the guy is a master ambient recordist. blumlein tracks straight to tape.

oh man, what a great site! thanks

[cwfen]

Untangled, by the band Stillwater was getting some good posts here and on Oade for being really well recorded and a great "demo" CD for imaging, etc... It was produced by Doug Oade primarily, and the band is pretty fun. The CD is available on Amazon, from what I remember... try a search on "Stillwood" here and read up...

[George]

Dave Matthews: Some Devil, Track 10, "Oh"

Stunning.

[Ray76]

My bud the audiophile always uses these three discs.

1. Bach Concerto in A minor
2.Barbers Agnus Dei(you WONT find a better reference to test the ranges of the human voice)
3.Orffs Carmina Burana (arguably the BEST carmina burana)
4.) and this one is weird, but he always plays the soundtrack of Northern Exposure , says it has all the genres, and great dynamic range(s)

After picking his brain for many hours, i found out hes been using these for about 5 or 6 years , evertime he gets a new component.

Ray

[Tim]

any more info on those first 3 discs ray? I'm intrigued...

[BobW]

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tallpoppies/index.cgi?tp=cd&val=33


Tall Poppies is a cool label.
The Waterlilies thing reminded me of flowery record label names   

==============================================
Also:
http://www.acousticdisc.com/onlinestore.html
The Tone Poems series is kickass.

[Ray76]

any more info on those first 3 discs ray? I'm intrigued...

I have them. but you can get them
Bach concerto- I found the BEST one you could possibly get at amazon. I am familiar with. Arthur Grumiaux as I have some of his other work, and he is amazing.  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000040Z3/ref=pd_sxp_f/102-4481152-1866503?v=glance&s=music grab it as they only have two left.
if you dont like how that one looks, look up BWV 1041(all of Bachs music is classified by this 3 letter prefix) and grab which one that looks the best to you. Rest assured you wont go wrong with the selection above though.

Barber's Agnus Dei- This is a transcription of his Adagio for Strings for voice. The one I own is the Robert Shaw Singers version. They are amazing, simply put. The agnus dei I am sure you have heard as it is a very emotional piece, the first time I heard it I was literally tearing up and awestruck.
But yeah, the Robert Shaw choral singers do it VERY well. There is a great cd put out by his singers called Evocation of the spirit that is really beyond description.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000003D19/qid=1120651739/sr=8-3/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i3_xgl15/102-4481152-1866503?v=glance&s=classical&n=507846
Being a professional singer myself, I am really nitpicky when it comes to sacred/classical choral works, and these guys are simply the best in the business.

http://www.bestprices.com/cgi-bin/vlink/028945358727BT?source=froogle

Orffs carmina burana can be found here. It is a classic in the music business , and jumps around from style to style, very fluidly. Wife owns this one herself.

I am positive you will both love these selections and find that for imaging/referencing they will do the job very very well. Acoustic music is unparalelled for this job.

[Daryan]

Stereophile test disc works, so does the demo download from realtraps I think is where I found it last.

[BobW]

Tim,

Hit the Hutchins Consort discs for the first two that Ray mentions. The Consort plays an all time epic Barbers Adagio that'll tear at your emotions for ten minutes or so.
Day four of the CdM Baroque festival is pretty damn precise in its imaging, and they play out lots of Bach and the other baroque masters. And the players are absolutely top shelf. The cello player is unbelievably good in that recording!


speaking of which,.....
Those masters are getting transfered to 24/48 dvd for the all day playback blissing, yea!
I played back an entire 24/41 tHC guest mix collection yesterday afternoon, and it was so cool too be able to listen that long without changing discs!!

Did HC get their schwag and merch site fixed ?
I want some catgut schwag to hang from my rearview.   

[SonicSound]

anything by waterlily records!! http://www.waterlilyacoustics.com/main.htm
the guy is a master ambient recordist. blumlein tracks straight to tape.

Audio drool