Skip to Content

Sound samples

Nine sound excerpts are used for testing at SoundExpert (PCM 44100 Stereo):

  1. [BAH] J.S.Bach, "Easter-Oratorio" (RAR: 954kB)
  2. [BAS] Bass (RAR: 1.2MB)
  3. [CST] Castanets (RAR: 743kB)
  4. [FMS] French Male Speech (RAR: 1.1MB)
  5. [GLK] Glockenspiel (RAR: 1.3MB)
  6. [HRP] Harpsichord (RAR: 854kB)
  7. [LOB] Postscriptum, "You were here" (RAR: 869kB)
  8. [MOF] Mike Oldfield, "Music From The Balcony" (RAR: 1.3MB)
  9. [QRT] Quartet (RAR: 1.1MB)

Samples (2,3,4,5,6,9) are from SQAM disk – the Audio CD issued by European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for sound quality evaluation purposes (Sound Quality Assessment Material, SQAM). The CD could be downloaded from EBU SQAM Page. Also you can find there Users' Handbook for the EBU SQAM CD with details of test signals.

 

J.S. Bach, Oster-Oratorium

Sample (1) is from CD: J.S. Bach, Oster-Oratorium (from track #1)

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Conductor: Philippe Herreweghe
Performer: Kai Wessel, Peter Kooy, et al.
Ensemble: Collegium Vocale
Label: Harmonia Mundi
Audio CD (March 28, 1995)

Track List:

  1. Easter Oratorio, "Kommt, eilet und laufet," BWV 249
    Performed by Collegium Vocale with Peter Kooy, Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, James [tenor] Taylor
  2. Cantata No. 66, "Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen," BWV 66
    Performed by Collegium Vocale with Peter Kooy, Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, James [tenor] Taylor

 

Lobo

Sample (7) was included as an example of Lo-Fi analog tape recording. Initially it was a demo of indie-group "PostScriptum" on compact cassette. As 5 years passed all audio material from that cassette was digitized by means of conventional sound card. Thus the sample has all the typical drawbacks of home computer recordings made from old tapes – low resolution, heavy noise, drop-outs ...

Song: "You were here"
Author: Lobo
Performer: Lobo, PostScriptum (Russia), Christine Moussot (France)
Recording studio: GAM (Russia)
Copyright: 1997 Lobo, PostScriptum

Original song in slightly different arrangement as well as other Lobo works can be downloaded from the author's corner at RealMusic.ru (in russian).

 

Mike Oldfield, Heaven's Open

Sample (8) is from CD: Mike Oldfield, Heaven's Open (from track #6)

Label: Disky Records
Audio CD (May 16, 2000)

Track List:

  1. Make Make
  2. No Dream
  3. Mr. Shame
  4. Gimme Back
  5. Heaven's Open
  6. Music from the Balcony

 

 

Audio-Transparency Initiative