Music for setting up PA

[darkandrew]

I'm sitting in a park where they are currently setting up for a mini-festival and just noticed that they appear to be playing Tears for Fears' Songs from the Big Chair through the PA to check it. This reminded me of an interview that I saw on MTV once with Andrew Eldritch (Sisters of Mercy) where he mentioned that they used to play Talk Talk's Colour of Spring through the PA for this purpose, and wondered what songs / albums other people have used as a reference either while setting up for a live show or mixing in the studio?

Edited August 28, 2020 by darkandrew

[EBS_freak]

Hell freezes over version of Hotel California.

[cetera]

The 'Toy Matinee' album - incredible production & sonic bliss

Steely Dan - Aja. As above.

[Richard R]

I used "Fragments of Time" from Daft Punk's Random Access Memories for a while. Then I realised that album is so fantastically well recorded and produced you can play it on a phone in a bucket and it sounds awesome. So no use at all for test and diagnostics!

So I went back to my mix CD of selected bits from Mike Oldfield's Ommadawn, Queen's The Works, Madonna's Music, and Bat out of Hell. Stuff I know that covers all the bases. 

[taunton-hobbit]

When I was working, this was my 'go to' sound check -

 

[Chienmortbb]

49 minutes ago, cetera said:

The 'Toy Matinee' album - incredible production & sonic bliss

Steely Dan - Aja. As above.

Have to agree with Aja but would add most of  Sade's Diamond Life album.

[Steve Browning]

5 minutes ago, Chienmortbb said:

Have to agree with Aja but would add most of  Sade's Diamond Life album.

That's so you can gaze at the cover.

[stevie]

36 minutes ago, Richard R said:

I used "Fragments of Time" from Daft Punk's Random Access Memories for a while. Then I realised that album is so fantastically well recorded and produced you can play it on a phone in a bucket and it sounds awesome. So no use at all for test and diagnostics!

So I went back to my mix CD of selected bits from Mike Oldfield's Ommadawn, Queen's The Works, Madonna's Music, and Bat out of Hell. Stuff I know that covers all the bases. 

I've found Madonna's Greatest Hits useful. It takes a well balanced system to get the voice right and you should be able to differentiate clearly between the different bass instruments used on the different tracks.

[Nail Soup]

My band does not currently do this...... but sounds like it could be a good idea!

I'll be watching the thread with interest.

[Chienmortbb]

5 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

That's so you can gaze at the cover.

Busted

[itu]

Tears for fears mentioned: Oleta Adams - Circle of one

[TwoTimesBass]

1 hour ago, EBS_freak said:

Hell freezes over version of Hotel California.

+1 for this.

Plus: Steely Dan - Everything Must Go

John Martyn's cover of Glory Box

James Taylor - Line 'Em Up

 

[atsampson]

For PA setup, Tower of Power's "Direct Plus" album.

 

[casapete]

For a long time everyone always seemed to use 'The Nightfly' album by Donald Fagen. Although this only partly explains why I find it so painful...

[BreadBin]

Peter Gabriel - So

Leftfield - Leftism

Leftfield - Rhythm and Stealth

[stevie]

11 minutes ago, casapete said:

For a long time everyone always seemed to use 'The Nightfly' album by Donald Fagen. Although this only partly explains why I find it so painful...

It was used because it was well recorded. IGY in particular was a favourite of  hi-fi shops because it made the gear sound good. Hell Freezes Over was another hi-fi shop favourite a decade later.

 

[EBS_freak]

5 hours ago, stevie said:

It was used because it was well recorded. IGY in particular was a favourite of  hi-fi shops because it made the gear sound good. Hell Freezes Over was another hi-fi shop favourite a decade later.

 

And Trans-Island Skyway.

There was a phase where Eric Clapton Unplugged was going its bit selling hifi and surround set ups... and one of the live Pete Gabriel DVDs (forget which one)

[Bankai]

Showing my (younger) age, I use Bleed American - Jimmy Eat World for PA setups when I’m engineering. At first glance, it may seem an odd choice but for modern rock gigs it’s a very well mixed/mastered single that’ll test things just right.

Plus, having now heard it through so many different systems I can hear very quickly if something is wrong or absent.

[Richard R]

5 hours ago, Bankai said:

Plus, having now heard it through so many different systems I can hear very quickly if something is wrong or absent.

The key deciding factor. 👍

[la bam]

September by Earth Wind and Fire.

Nice build up of highs, miss then pumping lows.

[Doctor J]

The Rising by Bruce Springsteen, a wonderfully mixed and balanced song.

[NancyJohnson]

Pull Me Under by Dream Theater.

[Nail Soup]

So it doesn't seem like people are choosing the music to match their band's own genre or sound......... is that right?

Or are some of you doing it with music which roughly matches your sound?

[Chienmortbb]

3 minutes ago, Nail Soup said:

So it doesn't seem like people are choosing the music to match their band's own genre or sound......... is that right?

Or are some of you doing it with music which roughly matches your sound?

The idea is to have a track that covers the whole spectrum mof frequencies/dynamics.  However I would not use a Metal track at a Reggae gig.

[Dan Dare]

 

17 hours ago, casapete said:

For a long time everyone always seemed to use 'The Nightfly' album by Donald Fagen. Although this only partly explains why I find it so painful...

Nightfly is good - well recorded with variety of textures. May not do the job if you don't like the Dan. Speaking of which, I like to use FM, too.