Reference CDs

[Pfraser]

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[rockstar_josh]

Being a somewhat new engineer I'm still developing my ideas of what things should sound like. It would make sense for me to listen carefully to stuff I like (and I do), or to hold on to what catches my ear. In spite of this logic, I don't even think about using reference CDs until I get stuck: like if I can't seem to get a sound I'm looking for, or if I'm not sure what I'm looking for at all. So I don't really have a conscious collection of CDs for it. I buy a lot of CDs and I have piles of them building up around my desk, so I can usually go through one of the stacks and think "Oh, there were some good snare sounds on this John Mayer CD", or "I really like the guitars on that CD, let's check it out". Otherwise, I forget to reference anything. Pain is usually the chief motivating factor for me to do anything that involves searching outside of myself for help.

[tINY]

When I think "reference CD" I think about checking out speaker systems. Put on the CD to see how the systema and room sound with a know source.

For this, my most used is Tomas Dolby - Aliens ate my Buick. It has real clean production and is on the dry side - I can hear deficiencies in speakers and acoustic problems pretty easily.

I use others too, but that one has been a staple for years.




-tINY

[BudgetMC]

Webb Wilder: Acres of Suede
Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers/Let it Bleed
The Killers: Hot Fuss
Joe Lewis Walker: JLW
Nina Simone: Put a Spell on You (Single Track -- Best Vocal Ever)

[samwinston123]

Weezer - Pinkerton
Interpol - Antics or TOTBL
Nada Surf - High/Low
Sunny Day Real Estate - Rising Tide