Found my "reference" sound (Police "Ghost in the Machine")

[Rolling Thunder]

I picked up this album the other week because I've been on kind of a flange effect trip. Anyhow, I think I found my reference album for my turntable set up. The recording is so good and so defined that it just exposes greatness or weakness in my rig. It's just one of those albums where all instruments have a defined separation. I'm just sharing with the rest of the class I guess.

 

[Bob_Ross]

We were just talking about that album at a rehearsal last week.
One of our grooves was veering towards a reggae feel, and the drummer pointed out how much stuff he'd stolen from Stewart Copeland. I then told the story about how, when Ghost In The Machine first came out and I was an undergrad at music college, we used to play a drinking game: Try to find the downbeat of the chorus to "Spirits In The Material World" If you failed, drink up!

The funny thing is nowadays I can't not hear it correctly; it is so obvious to me. But when that record was first released, I swear it must've taken me and my classmates two or three months to figure out where the downbeat was! There was a lot of cheap beer getting chugged!

Fun fact: Every bass track on that album is double-tracked. Usually by two different basses.

 

[Karl Kaminski]

MAN! its been years since I listen to that album... its funny how slow the tempo is to me now. I think my memory is stuck with the live performances. Im gonna give this a try on my turntable!

 

[atquinn]

...
Fun fact: Every bass track on that album is double-tracked. Usually by two different basses.

About 4:20 into this vid, Sting says he used to double all the bass parts with a strat. Just one more reason why trying to sound "like the album" is so often a futile exercise.

 

[ClusterFlux]

About 4:20 into this vid, Sting says he use to double all the bass parts with a strat. Just one more reason why trying to sound "like the album" is so often a futile exercise.

"Reference recording" is an audiophile thing... It's a recording you listen to when making changes to the home audio setup. I don't think the OP is trying to replicate Sting's bass sound.

 

[atquinn]

"Reference recording" is an audiophile thing... It's a recording you listen to when making changes to the home audio setup. I don't think the OP is trying to replicate Sting's bass sound.

I know, not saying he was. Just something I thought of based on Bob_Ross's comment.

Speaking of the OP, I have used Ben Harper's debut album, Welcome to the Cruel World for this purpose.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

"Reference recording" is an audiophile thing... It's a recording you listen to when making changes to the home audio setup. I don't think the OP is trying to replicate Sting's bass sound.

Nailed it