Best recordings for "Imaging"..

Russtafarian · « **Reply #20 on:** 28 Jan 2010, 06:25 pm »

Here's an obscure one. On the CD The Berry Vest of the Swirling Eddies is a track called "Arthur Fardy's Yodeling Party". Just a bunch of guys having fun with a goofy song they made up. Probably captured with a stereo mic plugged into an early '90s four track recorder.

Music and performance: Hilarious
Soundstage: Amazing

Russ

simoon · « **Reply #21 on:** 29 Jan 2010, 06:42 am »

I always like to go to King Crimson Islands.

Not their very vest musically (although it's no slouch), there's parts of it that are so 3 dimensional, it's scary.

Especially the last 2 pieces, "Prelude: Song of the Gulls" and "Islands". They both have a "chamber progressive" feel to them and they were done live in the studio.

"Islands" particularly has some great imaging. When the cornet comes in about 1/2 (?) way through, it just floats in free space slightly to the left about 10' behind the speakers. But the entire piece portrays all instruments in precise space and it's very easy to hear the boundaries of the studio.

At the very end, you can hear the musicians gathering their sheet music, moving their chairs, talking, all in very definable space.

All in all, this is a great piece with an incredibly achingly haunting vocal melody. Worth a listen.

Artemis · « **Reply #22 on:** 29 Jan 2010, 06:56 pm »

Has anyone ever heard the AU20 version of "Dafos" by Mickey Hart..This recording is special. This is in the top 3 in all my recordings...The song Psycopomp is incredible ,there's a part in the song where they drop a tambourine on a wood floor,on my system you can hear every cymbal in the tambourine shimer..you can really get a sense of the ambience of the room and the size of the tambourine,simply amazing..also the concusion of the hit is captured perfectly..one of the best!!If you don't have this I highly suggest it!

Artemis · « **Reply #23 on:** 29 Jan 2010, 07:06 pm »

Another good one is "Textile" by the band Freeway Fusion..The music is quite interesting and the recording really good..this recording really makes your speakers disapear.A great demo disc!

DougSmith · « **Reply #24 on:** 13 Feb 2010, 12:03 am »

Thanks for all the comments here… I really appreciate you folks turning me on to great (and new to me) artists such as Billy McLaughlin and Andreas Vollenweider and Mickey Hart.

Here are a few of my favorites that do pretty well in the imaging category (perhaps not holographic, but “present” in a unique way at least)…

Crosby & Nash (Crosby / Nash): Lay me down (this is a nicely recorded album)…

Jimi Hendrix (Electric Ladyland): 1983…(A Merman I Should Turn To Be) –
This is recorded a bit loud and somewhat heavy on the treble, but fun to listen to nevertheless… give it a chance - the most interesting parts are about 6 and 10 minutes into it…

Abbey Lincoln (Abbey Sings Abbey): Should Have Been – This one keeps growing on me.

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (Raising Sand): Polly Come Home – A little bass-heavy, but really haunting vocals.

- Doug

thunderbrick · « **Reply #25 on:** 13 Feb 2010, 01:00 am »

The old RCA Shaded Dog masterpiece "Music for Bang, Barroom and Harp", a VERY early stereo demo album from the mid-50s. A little kitschy, but fun.

irishsammy · « **Reply #26 on:** 14 Feb 2010, 10:25 pm »

It's sort of off-and-on during the course of the album but specifically "Of The Girl" has some downright spooky soundstaging (makes the name of the album very appropriate):

Old studio, dirty old blues sound, and some wicked ethereal ambience:

emac · « **Reply #27 on:** 14 Feb 2010, 10:34 pm »

Quote from: DaveC113 on 24 Jan 2010, 02:21 am

I was just cranking Zero 7, The Garden last night, and that's a nicely done album. I've also heard some nice stuff from Boards of Canada. There's a lot of electronic stuff that's really good as far as intricate, detailed soundstaging.

A lot of electronic music is very good for imaging, especially with synthesizers. I'd recommend most of the releases by the Thievery Corporation as they tend to do some interesting things with the soundstage.

drphoto · « **Reply #28 on:** 14 Feb 2010, 11:13 pm »

Well said Scott.

I heard an instrumental band in a small club a few years ago, that was not all acoustic. They had an electric guitar and bass, but they did NOT go through a PA. Now what was interesting, as there was not a 'pinpoint' imaging effect. Yeah, the guitar and keys sounded like the were on the right (as viewed) and bass on the left, but it all got sort of blurred together. There was no laser like focus, that some audio types seem to want.

The BIG difference was dynamics. This is where most playback systems seems to fall down. I play guitar (well....try to play..... is more accurate!) and while my audio rig is very nice, it does not begin to replicate what I hear from my guitar amp. (even though I play at modest volumes)

funkmonkey · « **Reply #29 on:** 16 Feb 2010, 04:57 am »

+1 on both the Thievery Corp., and the Buddy Guy (Sweet Tea)

Ronm1 · « **Reply #30 on:** 22 Feb 2010, 12:59 am »

Motor City Scene - Pepper Adams, Donald Byrd, Kenny Burrell, Tommy Flanagan. Paul Chambers Bethelehem K2HD
Out of this Mood - Lyambiko Nagel Heyer
Monterey Concerts - Cal Tjader 2cd set First is excellent 2nd is horrible sonically. I assume they tied on one after the 1st night and things didn't come togerther on the next days remiking.
200 Miles - Cowboy Junkies
Midnight Sugar - Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio 3 Blind Mice

gerald porzio · « **Reply #31 on:** 22 Feb 2010, 01:55 am »

Stereo really shows itself as a poor artifice when attempting to portray the soundstages of differing venues.

Mike Nomad · « **Reply #32 on:** 22 Feb 2010, 03:44 am »

For me, the killer track will seem like an odd one to some: Louie Louie. The original recording by The Kingsmen. Specifically, the version released as part of the Nuggets box set.

If your gear is good enough, you will get a sense of the players arranged as they were recorded: in a circle, around a mic hanging from the ceiling (the vocalist was in the middle of the circle). The "front" of the image collapses a couple of times during the song, leading to a weird/busy layering of the "back" of the image.

A close second would be Blues Hoot (Lightnin' Hopkins, Brownie McGhee, and Sonny Terry), a live record from the Ash Grove in 1961. The Steve Hoffman remaster is the one to get.

simoon · « **Reply #33 on:** 3 Mar 2010, 12:01 am »

Lets not forget Chesky Ultimate Demonstration Disk.

From 1994, this disk really holds up well, and shows what great recording techniques can do for imaging.

Every single song on this disk images amazingly well.

budyog · « **Reply #34 on:** 3 Mar 2010, 01:32 am »

One that comes to mind is Adam Ant - "Wonderful" Very good imaging, production and sound. And I second "Willie and Lobo" All of their Cds are very well produced, but I am a very big fan also and they are friends of mine!

95Dyna · « **Reply #35 on:** 3 Mar 2010, 09:38 pm »

Quote from: S Clark on 24 Jan 2010, 02:01 am

Lyle Lovett's "Joshua Judges Ruth", second cut "Church". The individual singers spread out across the stage, and as they clap in rhythm each person stands out.

"....now everybody's hungry so let's go eat!" Good choice S Clark. Add "That's Right, You're Not From Texas" from his "The Road To Encinada" album to that.

Jazz fusion esemble Oregon has an SACD on Chesky Records entitled "Beyond Words". Especially check out "Leather Cats". If you enjoy big sounding acoustic bass right down the middle with images of guitar, piano, synthesizer and a variety of wind instruments dancing all around the stage you'll love this.

95Dyna · « **Reply #36 on:** 3 Mar 2010, 09:44 pm »

Quote from: simoon on 3 Mar 2010, 12:01 am

Lets not forget Chesky Ultimate Demonstration Disk.

From 1994, this disk really holds up well, and shows what great recording techniques can do for imaging.

Every single song on this disk images amazingly well.

I have a copy and you are absolutely right. Although not a complex arrangement I really like Valery Joyce's recording of Jimi Hendrix "Little Wing". Her voice hovers above you in mid air while piano and bass stay in exact spots the entire song while a shimmering special effect moves back and forth in the background.

tubesguy2 · « **Reply #37 on:** 3 Mar 2010, 10:02 pm »

Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie - "Near and Far"

On vinyl.

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #38 on:** 4 Mar 2010, 12:57 pm »

In addition to M'shades and Chesky's, other labels that are reliable are WaterLily and MA. Muddy Waters' Folk Singer and the self titled The Buena Vista Social Club albums are good, too. The latter is not overly hyped and sounds natural. Bis and Opus 3 have proven good to me, also. And Mark Levinson records if you can find any are stellar.

Scottdazzle · « **Reply #39 on:** 4 Mar 2010, 03:48 pm »

Quote from: jimdgoulding on 4 Mar 2010, 12:57 pm

In addition to M'shades and Chesky's, other labels that are reliable are WaterLily and MA. Muddy Waters' Folk Singer and the self titled The Buena Vista Social Club albums are good, too. The latter is not overly hyped and sounds natural. Bis and Opus 3 have proven good to me, also. And Mark Levinson records if you can find any are stellar.

+1 on Mapleshades, Cheskys, and Water Lilys.