Test records

[02audionoob]

Do any of you vinyl fans have a test record? I have this...




I did some repeated testing, today, with the Eroica. Maybe tomorrow I'll give this one a try with it...

[rakeford]

I am the orignal owner of:
Realistic Stereo Test Record, CAT. NO. 50-1001, 1975 Catalog, page 32.

I used it recently to adjust the tracking force on my Stanton 681 EEE.

[Enochrome]

Audionoob,

What exactly do those do? Test your cartridge or your speakers?

[Luvin Da Blues]

You asked...


Disk one, side one has the alignment grid and overhang gauge.

Disk one, side two has test signals/tones for channel verification, channel separation and tracking force/antiskating, turntable noise, TT isolation, cartridge microphonics, cart. phasing. tonearm & cart. resonance, wow & flutter as well as reference recording level. It also has 20Hz to 20KHz pink noise(1/3 octaves)

Disk two, side one includes tracking tests with relative channel balance & phasing as well as absolute phasing....

Disk two, side two is for setting up subwoofers and speakers for spread, imaging and EQing, etc.

[slate1]

I own a couple - but I rarely use them.

Test records have value and, no doubt, legitimate uses; but, they can also contribute greatly to "audio-nervosa"! The thing about them is a lot of them contain tracking "torture tracks" that are of an amplitude and complexity well beyond what is normally found on recorded works.

When people post about how their cartridge is sub-standard because it can't track the torture track on, say, the HiFi News Test LP, but that it sounds great on their music LP's I can't help but shake my head!

The one test record I do use with some degree of regularity is the Cardas Frequency Sweep and Burn-in Record



It has a some locked-groove tracks that are great for breaking in a new cartridge's suspension and I've used the "hollow-sticks" cuts to assist in speaker setup.

[02audionoob]

Audionoob,

What exactly do those do? Test your cartridge or your speakers?

The main goal of this one is to test the tracking ability of the tonearm/cartridge combo. It also provides opportunities to test anti-skating and to listen for hum and surface noise.

When people post about how their cartridge is sub-standard because it can't track the torture track on, say, the HiFi News Test LP, but that it sounds great on their music LP's I can't help but shake my head!

Yes...I found the top level tracking tests to be a shock, the first time I played this record. I won't be losing any sleep over mistracking I heard at that level.

[poppachubby]

I have come across many of these but never bothered. If any issues are just disregarded anyhow, what's the point? Is there something to really be learned from one?

[rakeford]

I have come across many of these but never bothered. If any issues are just disregarded anyhow, what's the point? Is there something to really be learned from one?

Perhaps nothing, but I realy want to give this one a try.

Official National Lampoon Stereo Test and Demonstration Record

It sound like fun.

[02audionoob]

I have come across many of these but never bothered. If any issues are just disregarded anyhow, what's the point? Is there something to really be learned from one?

It's not that you'd disregard the results...you'd compare them.