AV Integrator Favorites: Best Songs For System Testing, Tuning, & Demos
Our original System Testing Playlist was packed with songs that our team has used over the years to test, tune, and demo sound systems. And now, that playlist has hundreds of AV Integrators following on Spotify (follow here).
Each week we broke down songs from our playlist, explaining how certain characteristics would help you test your systems. We would then ask our social media audiences to share their favorite system testing tracks. The response was killer. We received song recommendations from audio engineers, AV integrators, AV reps, dealers, and audiophiles across the world.
So, we compiled all of them into a new playlist that we call “System Testing – Fan Favorites”. Check it out below and feel free to comment your favorite tracks at the bottom of this post.
If you aren’t sure which songs are right for a system testing playlist, you can refer to our guide “The Best Songs For System Testing“.
Use our “System Testing Listening Guide” to zero in on specific instruments and frequencies while using our System Testing Playlist.
Use this guide:
- To quickly identify problem frequencies
- To understand frequency ranges and the tones that occupy them
- As a demo asset for clients and partners
- For ear training
Song Breakdown
Money For Nothing – Dire Straits
Listen closely to: 80’s Drums, Guitar
Although there is an excessively long intro to this track (we recommend skipping directly to 1:30 in), once the drums kick in, there’s plenty of that classic 80’s drum sound to test out the lower mid-range of your system. Add to that the digitized bit-crunch tone of the electric guitar for some extra mid-range texture and this song offers some really nice flavors. And the overall duration of the song lends itself to plenty of tweaking and jamming time.
Tom Sawyer – Rush
Listen closely to: Male vocal, Drums, Synth
Rush offers plenty of system testing golden nuggets. However, the most beneficial elements of this particular track are the Male vocal, Drums, and synth. The singer’s voice is truly unique. You won’t get another tone like that from a male vocal which fills out the mid-range frequencies quite well.
The drums in this song also offer up some unique tones which sit more forward in the mix than a lot of other drum tracks. For some really cool high-frequency sizzle, keep your ear on the cymbals. From the high hat, to the ride, to the dramatic use of the crashes, they feed some really great upper frequencies through your system.
Then there are a handful of nice synth frequency sweeps to give you a quick sound bite through the spectrum.
Bring Me To Life – Evanescence
Listen closely to: Female Vocal, Heavy Rock Arrangement
A flawlessly crystal clear female vocal against a distortion-drenched rock band creates a hard-hitting system testing track. This is a killer mid-frequency testing track with a lot of background elements such as piano, synth, and strings creating a wall of sound that’s sure to round out your system tuning experience.
Brothers In Arms – Dire Straits
Listen closely to: Guitar, Snare Drum, Bass
The quiet dynamics in this track give the glassy guitar tone the opportunity to really shine. You’ll notice the guitar has amazing presence in the upper-mid frequencies.
Then there’s the drums and bass. The snare is mostly just hitting “rim-clocks” which sit a bit higher in the spectrum than a traditional snare hit. And the softer arrangement gives the bass a bit more room to shine through. This may be a good track to see how well your subs are tuned for a nice rock sound.
Aja – Steely Dan
Listen closely to: Percussion, Piano, Bass, Stereo Imagery
Steely Dan is one of the most frequently recommended groups for system testing that we get. However, we have heard plenty of discussions arguing against the band for system testing stating that it’s “too perfect” or “over mastered”. Either way, there are plenty of great tones and textures in this track to help you tune and test systems.
Aja is great for a variety of percussive sounds. From wood blocks to shakers to the tinging of the triangle. You can easily identify all of these sounds to get a good feel for the high frequency attack and overtones.
Also, the bands “perfection” does lend itself to great stereo imagery to help you identify each instrument in the mix.
Where Owls Know My Name – Rivers of Nihil
Listen closely to: Low-frequency Guitar, Saxaphone, Screaming Vocal
Before you listen, just remember, we did not pick any of these songs ourselves! Just sayin…
Having said that, it is good to run a wide variety of songs across different genres through your systems. This hard rock meets screamo song has some good elements that are worth putting through your system tests.
First, with a lot of metal songs, you get a deeper, lower, drop-tuned guitar tone. This is a lot different from your typical rock guitar and your systems will react differently to this lower tuning.
Second, you get screaming! Although you may not find it very appealing to listen to, the gain attack may be able to expose weak points in your system tuning.
And if those aren’t enough, the band threw in a couple of sections featuring a saxaphone line – because, why not!?
Smashing The Opponent – Infected Mushroom
Listen closely to: Electronic Sounds, Kick Drum
A bevy of electronic synth sounds course through this track lending a broad band of frequencies from sub-level to upper-mids. And like many electronically heavy songs, the pulse is lead by a driving kick drum for most of the song.
One Man Show – Ariana Savalas
Listen closely to: Female Vocal, Upright Bass, Piano
Here’s a cool and smoky female vocal track to tune your low to mid-range frequencies. The piano also spills into the high-mid range while the walking bass line fills out the low end with smooth consistent rhythms.
The arrangement is pretty stripped back as well which allows you to hear more of the vocal inflections and reverb trailing off of the voice.
Simple Life – Casey Abrams
Listen closely to: Male Vocal, Snapping
Casey Abrams’ voice delivers a stellar performance on this track. His control and unique tone will pierce through a well-tuned system with ease and clarity.
Meanwhile most of the track’s rhythmic elements consist of clapping and snapping fingers which provide an additional element not as commonly used during system testing but potentially beneficial non-the-less – especially when tuning the upper-mid range.
Sweetest Decline – Beth Orton
Listen closely to: Female Vocal, Strings
Another great female vocal track to really fine-tune your systems for vocal variety.
Beyond Beth’s voice, you’ll find a full suite of stringed instruments from violin to cello to bass. You’ll get a great bed of high-frequency overtones running through your system.
Get It On – Chase
Listen closely to: Brass Instruments
Here’s a cool rock song featuring a blaring brass line up of trumpets screaming in harmony throughout. Use this one to look closer at your mid-range frequencies and those brass overtones.
They dynamics of this track pretty one note and that note is loud. Trumpets plus loud dynamics give you some real piercing tones to break your system in with.
Thanks To You – Boz Scaggs
Listen closely to: Male Vocal, Low Frequency
This track is great for low frequencies. You can tell pretty easily if your LF is missing, if it’s outrunning your HF, or you’re fighting a resonant frequency in the room.
Peel Me A Grape – Diana Krall
Listen closely to: Female Vocal, Overall Master
A great silky smooth female vocal shines in this track. But beyond that, one of the greatest qualities of this song lies in the mastering of the track. It feels organic and not overdone or overproduced. Tracks with these qualities offer more nuanced and subtle characteristics to listen for while testing and tuning your systems.
Thriller – Michael Jackson
Listen closely to: Vocal Clarity, Time Alignment
This song is so widely recognized, it is probably a good bet for most anyone’s system testing playlist. Michael Jackson’s vocal presense and clarity are all too familiar and while this track contains several different elements, they all come together very well. If anything in your system was poorly tuned or off, it would likely stick out like a sore thumb. Added bonus – you can synchronize your system testing with a super fun dance!
These Bones – The Fairfield Four
Listen closely to: Low Frequency Male Vocal
Another killer track for low frequency listening. The bass vocal booms with bass tones and character. You can tell pretty easily if your LF is missing, if it’s outrunning your HF, or you’re fighting a resonant frequency in the room.
Fame – David Bowie
Listen closely to: Time Alignment
The syncopation between the different instrumental parts in this song lends itself really well to nailing good time alignment on your system. When your system timing is incorrect, this track will sound like a hot mess. Timed correctly, and it all comes together beautifully.
Angel – Massive Attack
Listen closely to: Sub
If you want to stress sub woofers or bass in general, use this track. It’s full of low bass and it will make things vibrate that you won’t expect.
Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
Listen closely to: stereo imagery
Queen were masters of creative stereo panning to emphasize the emotional experience of a song. This classic is packed with cool stereo elements. It’s also such a recognizable song that you’re sure to know when certain elements are missing or tuned incorrectly.
Intruder – Van Halen
Listen closely to: Snare Drum
If you’re looking to dial in that Crispy snare attack, look no further. Nearly every beat of this track contains a solid snare hit.
Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee – Extreme
Listen closely to: Fast high frequencies
Get a frenzy of high frequencies with this face melting guitar track. You’ll quickly find if your systems clarity and responsiveness is up to snuff with this one.
Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen – Rammstein
Listen closely to: Lows
This is our second playlist to feature a Rammstein song. But you can’t deny the brutal low frequency beat down these guys deliver. This will truly flex the limits of your systems.
Paperback Writer – The Beatles
Listen closely to:
According to one system integrator, some techs will wire unbalanced and balanced connections incorrectly resulting in phasing issues. This track was hard panned so well on different instruments making it super easy to hear when it is wired incorrectly.
We would love to hear your favorite audio system testing tracks! Leave them in the comments below or reach out to us on our social media channels and we might even feature your tracks in a special LEA playlist!
