# Do you have a specific song that you test speakers with? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 14, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186 "2013-01-14T17:22:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/41 "2013-01-23T19:11:20Z")
Dark Side of the Moon - 39 years ago in less than 60 days. That means when I first heard that album, Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing” was more current then, than Dark Side is today. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/42 "2013-01-23T20:06:46Z")
I asked my husband (as I don’t test speakers) and he said Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold”. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/43 "2013-01-23T20:10:38Z")
How about “Right Now” - Van Halen? The lone piano at the beginning with the rest of the band coming in gives me chills when played loud over a good set of speakers. Remember Bose 901s? ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/44 "2013-01-23T21:28:13Z")
When I am testing a concert rig I want a well recorded CD that I know intimately and usually I want a few different ones. I also change it up from time to time. So a brief smattering “Aja” Steely Dan, it is popular with many sound engineers even metal guys “Kicking Telvision” Wilco, live CD recorded at the Vic in Chicago. It will let you know what a PA will do/not do with a country or rock band and give you an idea about vocal clarity vs headroom. “Kid A” Radiohead, meaty, dynamic and low end heavy. Good for metal and rap If I am on short time and need to have the PA tuned ASAP, say a minute or two. I put on a CD of this guy I have toured with and make it clear and big. One track has a few hard hit/stops with nice verb and bass and the Vox are in shortly, this will start out just about any night or type of music and then salt/pepper to taste. Matt Schofield, Anything But Time, track 3, At Times We Forget (Godwin,Neto,Winwood). Sounds good, I can usuallt tweak a PA in less than a minute. Soundguy **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/45 "2013-01-23T22:11:05Z")
Our sound guy’s go-to was Fagin/Becker’s “Two Against Nature”. For stereo setups I like SD’s “Aja” or Jennifer Warne’s “Famous Blue Raincoat”. Jan Garbarek’s “12 Moons” will tell you a lot about a system’s soundstage. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/46 "2013-01-23T22:20:48Z")
IMO just about anything Fagin/Becker worked on is going to be good sounding at least enough to tune up a PA. Alan Parsons as engineer/producer, good sounding records as well. There are a lot of good records to tune a PA to, too bad most of my guest engineers use MP3/Ipods to tune, can only hope one day they will get it. 😕 **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/47 "2013-01-26T06:36:42Z")
The original stereo recording of (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction by the Stones. It brings the acoustic guitar and piano out of the mix. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186/48 "2013-01-26T07:46:36Z")
Stravinsky’s _Le Sacre du printemps_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-specific-song-that-you-test-speakers-with/647186.md?page=2)