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reference cd,s


hammerin

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I have a CD I mixed using WAV files ripped from others. My reference CD contains (in no particular order)

Vocals: Norah Jones, Katie Melua ('Call Off The Search' CD)

Guitar: Eric Clapton ('Unplugged' CD)

Bass (drums): Led Zeppelin ("whole lotta love" track)

Bass (electric/Vocals/Guitar: Radiohead ('OK Computer' CD)):

Rock/Instrument and Vocal separation: Pink Floyd - "wish you were here"

Jazz: Diana Krall, Brad Mehldau ('Songs' CD)

Alternative: Coldplay

Classical: Bach Violin Double Concerto in Dm, Vivace; Tchaikovsky, Symphony 4, 1st movement

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Tom Petty - Wild Flowers

T-Rex - The Slider / Rabbit Fighter box set *****

The Creatures - Boomerang

Bjork - Post / Homogenic

Talking Heads - Naked

Meat Beat Manifesto - STSRMXS

Peter Gabriel - Passion

Dead Can Dance - Aion

Kama Sutra Soundtrack

To show off my system to someone who hasn't heard it before I have a stack of cds that are of high quality and then let them pick what they want to listen to. I hate having someone play something at me that I don't want to hear or am just not interested in.

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I use:

Diana Krall: The Girl In The Other Room

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/music/0105/folk/krall.htm

For a decade now, the young blonde, as healthy as a Scandinavian skier, keened love songs in such a mournful, struggling way that she came to epitomize the melodic crooning of soulful female torches

Music reviews

Jack Johnson Brushfire Fairytales (12/04)

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/music/1204/johnson.htm

whose beguiling addictive and seductive tenor is tightly interwoven with bopping bass and percussion

A Decade of Diana Enthralls With Krall; Stepping Out, The Early Recordings (12/01)

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/music/0102/krall.htm

Test CDs! Stereophile Test CDs 1 Through 4, Reference Recordings For Subjective And Analytical Comparisons, Part One Of A Series

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/music/0704/stereophile.htm

Test Discs: Part Two Of A Series (DMP)

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/music/1004/testdiscs.htm

Norah Jones: Gonna Be Great, 'cause She Got Eight

http://enjoythemusic.com/magazine/archives/

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One of the most revealing CD's is an old one from the mid 80's

Flim and The BB's - Big Notes

http://www.dmprecords.com/Flim.htm

Flim & The BB's

Flim & The BB's were the very first contemporary jazz groups on CD. After making one of the first digital recordings ever (1978), the band went on to record five critically acclaimed discs for DMP. Tricycle, Tunnel, and Big Notes all won Digital Audio's "Jazz CD of The Year" award.

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I usualy ask what the person likes. If not:

Dave Brubek's "Take Five" can usually wow them. I have it on CD, LP and now SACD. Peter, Paul and Mary's first LP is a killer too. Wide soundstage, great localization and nice clean production. Jackson Browne, especially "Stay". Black Sabbath's album of the same name can drop jaws at a clean 105Db. The Greatful Dead can open others eyes with their "China Doll".

For big band fans I play some Glenn Miller, I have an LP that was cut from movie soundtracks that sounds a lot better than the transcribed 78RPM records that are the norm.

Classical, I have a JSO copy of Beethovan's Fifth that is beautifully recorded.

Country, I use Alan Jackson's "Drive" CD.

Opera or Rap? I kick them out!!!!2.gif

Rick

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Vocals: After the Gol Rush by Prelude - great

General Listening: The Voice, I know You're Out There Somewhere by the Moody Blues

Clarity: Tender by Jackson Browne.

Definition: Doctor my Eyes Jackson Browne - there's a crescendo near the end - if you can pick out individual bass notes and drums

Mids and Piano: The Rose by Bette Midler

Bass: Life in the Fast Lane - bass drum and bass guitar

Effects: Numerous Hendrix

dodger

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Heaven above forbid that I should ever dissent with anyone raised, as I was, in the compassionate, sensitive and intelligent breeding ground of the snowy and intellectual Midwest, but I must disagree with the gentleman from Minnesota. Perhaps it is the music, maybe it is the band, or the instruments which I find so distasteful, despite loving DMPs releases and recommending them highly as high golden bars over which all others must hurdle, but I have bought that particular CD from the used store on more than one occasion, only to return it in a rush. I find it makes big ole horns sound like their worst reputations: harsh, loud and screechy.

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Flim and the BB's - I love those guys cds! Our favorite demo cut is "Fun House" from the "Big Notes" cd. Low notes, sound effects and caliopy (sp). Fun!

But the BEST Flim and the BB's cd IMO isn't even a Flim and the BB's! It's "Lighthouse" by Billy Barber (the keyboard player of Flim and the BB's, hence part of the name BB's). Absolutely LOVE this one. Crowd pleasing music, excellent recording.

I also demo my system with Linda Rondstatt and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra "Lush Life". Analog, but decently recorded.

For demonstrating the ability to resolve a heavily layered and possibly over-produced soundstage, the Rippingtons "Kilamanjaro" cd. If your system can make its way through this stuff in a sensible manner, then it's a nice system. The cheaper electronics (and wires) will choke, sounding congested and constricted.

For orchestral demos, I prefer the flashiness and dynamics of Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloe" ballet or the old standby DG Von Karajan's "Beethoeven 9th Symphony". Dynamics!

And of course, the classic Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon" (not even the "remixed" one!).

DM

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On 1/4/2005 11:05:21 AM Colin wrote:

Heaven above forbid that I should ever dissent with anyone raised, as I was, in the compassionate, sensitive and intelligent breeding ground of the snowy and intellectual Midwest, but I must disagree with the gentleman from Minnesota. Perhaps it is the music, maybe it is the band, or the instruments which I find so distasteful, despite loving DMPs releases and recommending them highly as high golden bars over which all others must hurdle, but I have bought that particular CD from the used store on more than one occasion, only to return it in a rush. I find it makes big ole horns sound like their worst reputations: harsh, loud and screechy.

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A high quality recording will reveal weaknesses in your system and/or your room.

This recording sounds awesome on my KLF-30's powered by my Carver Professional ZR1000 digital amplifier with a Pioneer Elite VSX-55txi receiver being used as a pre-amp. The source is a Sony DVD/SACD changer.

I also had the opportunity to hear the same disc on some $12,000 Dali speakers powered by a $10,000 Plinius amplifier with a high end Marantz SACD/CD player.

In both instances, the sound was was truly wonderful!

More people than myself must agree with this assessment since the recording did win Digital Audio's "Jazz CD of The Year" award.

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On 1/4/2005 11:05:21 AM Colin wrote:

Heaven above forbid that I should ever dissent with anyone raised, as I was, in the compassionate, sensitive and intelligent breeding ground of the snowy and intellectual Midwest, but I must disagree with the gentleman from Minnesota. Perhaps it is the music, maybe it is the band, or the instruments which I find so distasteful, despite loving DMPs releases and recommending them highly as high golden bars over which all others must hurdle, but I have bought that particular CD from the used store on more than one occasion, only to return it in a rush. I find it makes big ole horns sound like their worst reputations: harsh, loud and screechy.

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I have to say that if your system sound bad with ANY Flim and the BB's cds then get another system, cause the cds ain't the prob, dude!

I use several other DMP cds for demonstrating brass instruments, like the DMP Big Band (somebody shoot the piano player- he SUCKS). And of course, I really enjoy the Yellow Jackets and they are DMP, too, are they not?

DM

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I can empathize with Colin a bit here, and I think it's fair to say that the recording is very forward and dynamic.

I have "Tricycle" at home, and from the opening bass lines to the snare whacks, it is very in-your-face. The Klipschorns will really let you know that this recording isn't for the faint of heart. It's a fun recording, but smooth Diana Krall it isn't!

_______________________________

Music Hall MMF-7 Turntable w/ Goldring Eroica H MC

Njoe Tjoeb 4000 CDP with 24 bit/192 KHz Upsampling

Wright Sound WPP-100C Phono Stage

JF Lessard Pantheon 6SN7 SRPP Preamp w/ RCA 5R4GY & Sylvania 6SN7

JF Lessard Horus Parafeed Cobalt 2A3 SET Monoblocks w/ Tung Sol 5687 & AVVT 2A3

1976 KCBR Klipschorns with ALK Crossovers

Gear Online: Two Channel & Home Theater Systems

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Strangely enough, I usually will demo "Fourplay", not so much because their music is so out of sight, but because I find the recordings to be among the best productions being released. I can't listen to too much Fourplay in one sitting, but it has its place. Most of the contemporary jazz stuff coming out now sounds very compressed somehow.

Question for any Rippington fans. I have an old "Live in LA" on VHS that was actually a great concert. Why in the world did they never remix this and put it out there on DVD? Someone else must own the rights or something?

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On 1/4/2005 3:25:14 PM Chris Robinson wrote:

I can empathize with Colin a bit here, and I think it's fair to say that the recording is very forward and dynamic.

I have "Tricycle" at home, and from the opening bass lines to the snare whacks, it is very in-your-face. The Klipschorns will really let you know that this recording isn't for the faint of heart. It's a fun recording, but smooth Diana Krall it isn't!

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Exactly!

It is in your face and very dynamic!

But in no way is it "harsh, loud and screechy" as Colin suggested.

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thanks Chris, I think it is just old technology,especially compared to the DMP does DSD disc, the tunes from Amazon on Realplayer right now sound OK, nothing as bad as I remember, but lately since I had to be without my Khorns for awhile, everything sounds great!

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