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Best recorded works to test speakers and headphones

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Wwhel21

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Best recorded works to test speakers and headphones

PostWed Aug 22, 2018 2:52 pm

In line with my quest to audition and purchase new monitors/ speakers, I came across this recently published article on the Sweetwater site titled: What Are the Best Songs to Test Speakers and Headphones?

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/best-songs-test-speakers-headphones/?utm_source=welcome&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=welcome_articles&utm_content=article3_title

I'm wondering what you think of the works suggested, and what particular organ (or other) works you might bring along when evaluating audio for your own HW setups?

Thanks,
Bill
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James

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Re: Best recorded works to test speakers and headphones

PostWed Aug 22, 2018 4:39 pm

I vote for the Big Bug Shuffle
James
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organtechnology

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Re: Best recorded works to test speakers and headphones

PostWed Aug 22, 2018 5:50 pm

Wwhel21 wrote:In line with my quest to audition and purchase new monitors/ speakers, I came across this recently published article on the Sweetwater site titled: What Are the Best Songs to Test Speakers and Headphones?

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/best-songs-test-speakers-headphones/?utm_source=welcome&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=welcome_articles&utm_content=article3_title

I'm wondering what you think of the works suggested, and what particular organ (or other) works you might bring along when evaluating audio for your own HW setups?

Thanks,
Bill


I think you must suffer through them all as they are quite different.
I prefer Bach's Tocatta and Fugue in Dm played as a MIDI file on the organ under test as the speakers are really just a single portion of the system. To stress the MIDI and Hauptwerk I would use Vierne's finale to Symphony Cinc and play it at 150 percent of normal speed. If the system hold up to this it is pretty solid.

Thomas
Complete Hauptwerk™ systems using real wood consoles, PC Sound Engines, Dante Audio for Home or Church. info (at) organtechnology.com http://www.organtechnology.com
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notdefined

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Re: Best recorded works to test speakers and headphones

PostThu Aug 23, 2018 3:03 pm

So you play a DIanne Bish version. :D
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1961TC4ME

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Re: Best recorded works to test speakers and headphones

PostFri Aug 24, 2018 1:58 pm

Here's a recommendation that might make sense. Since I'd assume you want to audition either speakers or headphones for organ music, why not listen to and audition with a very wide variety of available organ music?

Mr. Barone of Pipedreams has put together hours and hours of recorded instruments from all over the world, all recorded very well (he's certainly got a knack for it) and would simulate in real time just about any sample set you could purchase, some in fact are instruments you can purchase. :D

http://pipedreams.publicradio.org/

Marc
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magnaton

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Re: Best recorded works to test speakers and headphones

PostFri Aug 24, 2018 3:38 pm

Easy. Create a set list of mp3 files of select organs & music downloaded from the Contrebombarde site. Here is one that I use to test the bass response (low "D" with 32' flue) at time mark 3:43.
http://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/music/3032

Danny B.
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RichardW

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Re: Best recorded works to test speakers and headphones

PostFri Aug 24, 2018 6:56 pm

If I were doing it, I would make at least one recording of me playing something using the Hauptwerk built-in recorder. That way I would know exactly what I was listening to and any changes to what you expect would jump out at you.

Just an idea

Regards,
Richard
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Wwhel21

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Re: Best recorded works to test speakers and headphones

PostFri Aug 24, 2018 8:22 pm

Thanks for all the helpful responses!

I probably should have clarified that I'm looking for something I can download on my iPhone to bring to a store (like Guitar Center) to audition speakers there. I guess I could instead bring a laptop with HW and associated midi files, but the iPhone would be a lot easier.

I had the thought today as well to download files from Contrebombarde (thanks Danny) for the organ I'm most interested in (Armley-Schulze), and Marc's recommendation to check out Pipedreams would fit as well.

Just in case any of you have a newer iPhone, don't do what I did yesterday. I downloaded many of the tracks I referenced in my original post, added the tracks Thomas suggested, drove a half hour to the store, and then realized I didn't bring the adapter for my iPhone, which no longer has a traditional headphone jack. Luckily one of the staff let me use his phone with Spotify for a few minutes so the trip was not entirely a wash out!

Bill
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1961TC4ME

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Re: Best recorded works to test speakers and headphones

PostSat Aug 25, 2018 4:15 pm

Hi Bill,

You mentioned using your phone, great idea. I gotta imagine in this day and age at most any store you could audition speakers / monitors using Bluetooth which means something off CCH or Pipedreams or whatever would be easy to do and would work great.

Cue up some organ music at Guitar Center for everyone to hear might get you some odd looks from the 'guitar shredders' that are there :lol: but you can tell them: Hey man, Bach IS the dude! 8)

Marc
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Wwhel21

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Re: Best recorded works to test speakers and headphones

PostMon Aug 27, 2018 9:22 am

1961TC4ME wrote:Hi Bill,

You mentioned using your phone, great idea. I gotta imagine in this day and age at most any store you could audition speakers / monitors using Bluetooth which means something off CCH or Pipedreams or whatever would be easy to do and would work great.

Cue up some organ music at Guitar Center for everyone to hear might get you some odd looks from the 'guitar shredders' that are there :lol: but you can tell them: Hey man, Bach IS the dude! 8)

Marc


GC had a nice setup where you could just plug in your phone (if you brought the right adapter :( ) and then play whatever you wanted, pushing switches to choose different studio monitors.

Of the monitors I'm interested in (Adam t7v, Presonus E8, and Behringer b2031a, they only had the Adams. I must say I really liked the sound of the Adams compared to Yamaha HS8 and KRK Rokit 8s. The Adams were just a lot cleaner/ more natural sounding and easier to listen to.

Along with Bach and the Sweetwater article tracks I referenced earlier, I am bringing along Vierne's Finale to Symphony V (per Thomas' recommendation) for my next visit to GC, which may get me thrown out 8)

Bill

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