So I Made An Account at HD Tracks

[Pogre]

And they gave me a coupon for 15% off my first purchase. For those who don't know, my style of music is decidedly heavy with a thirst for some bass. I also like a fair bit of prog metal/rock.

Is there anything special one of you guys could recommend that's up my alley or any known exceptional recordings I should look out for? Can you download any 5.1 or sacd-type stuff? I'd love to give something like that a day in court. I'd love to find something from Tool.

*Edit: Searches for "Tool" aren't really returning anything... sigh

 

[Pogre]

Okay, I'm doing some googling and came across this:

It's an example of a casualty of the loudness wars with images of 3 different releases (1983, 2000, 2008) of ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man". I've read about compression and I know everyone here is aware of it, I just thought this gif was a neat way of showing it.

 

[Mitchibo]

Okay, I'm doing some googling and came across this:

View attachment 22140
It's an example of a casualty of the loudness wars with images of 3 different releases (1983, 2000, 2008) of ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man". I've read about compression and I know everyone here is aware of it, I just thought this gif was a neat way of showing it.

Dream Theater, Type O Neg., Kings X, Galactic Cowboys is my prof/rock. I have found some good jazz on the HD site. Stan Getz stuff is usually very acoustic in nature so you get warm, breathy bass. Jazz can employ that organic natural tone that's great for checking your response.

 

[everettT]

http://www.hdtracks.com/jazz/the-david-grisman-sextet

 

[DubPlate]

Diana krall-turn up the quiet, not bassy or fast, actually not my kind of music, but the quality of the recording makes it a joy.

 

[killdozzer]

Opeth

 

[TheWarrior]

Check out 'Liquid Tensions Experiment' - Acid Rain

For the Dream Theater fans that were more impressed by the instrumentalists, than the singer.

 

[NINaudio]

I need to follow this thread too as I'm seeing lots of bands I like mentioned here (Type O, Dream Theater, Tool, etc.)

 

[Pogre]

Check out 'Liquid Tensions Experiment' - Acid Rain

For the Dream Theater fans that were more impressed by the instrumentalists, than the singer.

That's me. Dream Theater's weakness is the singer for sure, imo. Enough so that I have a really hard time getting into their music. Unfortunate because they're a very talented band.

@Mitchibo, Galactic Cowboys?!? I've never heard of them but I gave a listen yesterday and I didn't immediately turn it off. Interesting group.

Opeth

I've heard of Opeth, but never listened before. I just checked out a song and I liked what I heard.

I need to follow this thread too as I'm seeing lots of bands I like mentioned here (Type O, Dream Theater, Tool, etc.)

Yeah, this is kind of an area where our tastes in music seem to overlap. I do dig some industrial and I know you like some heavier stuff too. I'm getting more suggestions than I anticipated.

 

[NINaudio]

Yeah, this is kind of an area where our tastes in music seem to overlap. I do dig some industrial and I know you like some heavier stuff too. I'm getting more suggestions than I anticipated.

It's not HD tracks related, but I know you like NIN, you should check out their concert blu-ray Live Beside you in Time. I really enjoy the surround mixes on there.

 

[killdozzer]

I've heard of Opeth, but never listened before. I just checked out a song and I liked what I heard.

It is right down your alley according to everything you listed here. You'll enjoy discovering them.

 

[Mitchibo]

That's me. Dream Theater's weakness is the singer for sure, imo. Enough so that I have a really hard time getting into their music. Unfortunate because they're a very talented band.

@Mitchibo, Galactic Cowboys?!? I've never heard of them but I gave a listen yesterday and I didn't immediately turn it off. Interesting group.

I've heard of Opeth, but never listened before. I just checked out a song and I liked what I heard.

Yeah, this is kind of an area where our tastes in music seem to overlap. I do dig some industrial and I know you like some heavier stuff too. I'm getting more suggestions than I anticipated.

G. Cowboys are a band out of Houston starting around 1990. They got on Metal Blade record label and were going to be pushed really hard, however some other little known, obscure band supplanted them. Nirvana. True story. None the less, cool music.

 

[lovinthehd]

Speaking of Opeth, and may not be HDT related, but you might also check out Storm Corrosion, a collaboration from Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth and Steven Wilson. I'd look for anything Steven Wilson had a hand in...

 

[Bucknekked]

Okay, I'm doing some googling and came across this:

View attachment 22140
It's an example of a casualty of the loudness wars with images of 3 different releases (1983, 2000, 2008) of ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man". I've read about compression and I know everyone here is aware of it, I just thought this gif was a neat way of showing it.

you're going to have to explain the graphs to me. I am a huge ZZ Top fan. Which of the three releases is the least compressed? Most?

I know one of the issues with their recorded music is that they seem to have taken the "wall of sound" approach. Their sound just comes at you without a lot of individual detail or depth. I'm a huge Top fan, but their recorded stuff always leaves me wanting a better version.

Some of their Blu-ray concert stuff is pretty good, but, again, the recording engineers went with "wall of sound" as their approach.

 

[MrBoat]

Here is the answer to all that kind of music. In spite of what modern audiophilia has inflicted upon the rock'n era, this still works. Add some graphic EQ and that part of the audio world is your oyster.

I still own a pair of speakers like this for just this task and, without shame. The engineers of the time had this figured out, in spite of being relegated by the audio snobs as hacks, they were actually pretty brilliant being able to decipher all of the worst of the era into something quite listenable.

 

[Pogre]

you're going to have to explain the graphs to me. I am a huge ZZ Top fan. Which of the three releases is the least compressed? Most?

I know one of the issues with their recorded music is that they seem to have taken the "wall of sound" approach. Their sound just comes at you without a lot of individual detail or depth. I'm a huge Top fan, but their recorded stuff always leaves me wanting a better version.

Some of their Blu-ray concert stuff is pretty good, but, again, the recording engineers went with "wall of sound" as their approach.

The thicker and more busy the changes, the more compression they added. The graph where you can actually see the peaks in spl is the original release. They basically kill dynamics to make the whole recording sound louder than the next band. It's often perceived as sounding "better", but in reality it's kind of a wall of noise with no dynamics.

 

[NINaudio]

Have you ever listened to Fear Factory Pogre?

 

[Pogre]

Have you ever listened to Fear Factory Pogre?

Not in a really long time, but I have one of their cd's, "Obsolete". "Descent" is probably my favorite track. It's an okay cd, but not enough for me to buy more.

 

[Pogre]

Check out 'Liquid Tensions Experiment' - Acid Rain

For the Dream Theater fans that were more impressed by the instrumentalists, than the singer.

That is one busy song! I'm still listening so that's a good sign.

 

[Pogre]

Here is the answer to all that kind of music. In spite of what modern audiophilia has inflicted upon the rock'n era, this still works. Add some graphic EQ and that part of the audio world is your oyster.

View attachment 22186

I still own a pair of speakers like this for just this task and, without shame. The engineers of the time had this figured out, in spite of being relegated by the audio snobs as hacks, they were actually pretty brilliant being able to decipher all of the worst of the era into something quite listenable.

I remember looking at speakers like that with awe when I was a lot younger. I used to think "I'll never own a system that nice.".