We ran an audio production studio many "yonks" ago and had a number of test records, tapes etc to setup and maintain the equipment being used ... do not confuse this recording with a test record though
THIS IS NOT A "TEST RECORD"
There are no facilities to check left/right balance, test tones etc ....
The idea behind this recording from Acoustic Research is to allow the user to audibly evaluate how their system is performing under "real life" conditions (particularly your loudspeakers), but in order for the user to detect problems and correct them, some audio technical ability is required.
Never heard of ACOUSTIC RESEARCH? (Geez) go HERE to see what they are up to these days! Now owned by VOXX (Audiovox Corporation USA) but still very heavily into the high end audio market.
If you want/need a "real" test record, you couldn't go past the whole series of SHURE Test Records or the CBS Laboratories Technical Series
While listening to the music, it is important to take a read of the rear cover as this explains some of the "features" relating to each track. Some tracks are more "useful" than others i.e Side A Track 1 demonstrates the timbre of the violin, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, Bassoon but for my money, Track 4 has far more interest because it can assist in determining the "trackability" of your tonearm/stylus with the bells tolling while the piano is playing, or Side B track 1 to see how your system copes with very low frequency Organ tones ....
ACOUSTIC RESEARCH - Demonstration Record (Volume 1: The Sound Of Musical Instruments)
Acoustic Research (USA) - Ensayo (Spain)
Production by Discos Ensayo (Liorach Audio) SPAIN
Cat# ENY/AR-1
Runout matrix codes (stamped)
850 ENY AR=1*A*1
850 ENY AR1*B*1
1975
European release
Cover is in very good condition, no seam splits, no writing, very light edge wear from handling and only a couple of very short/light creases. A couple of VERY light hand-written notes made by a staff member a long time ago which reference areas of interest e.g trackability/dirty stylus indication etc
New plastic inner sleeve is supplied IN ADDITION to the original anti-static lined sleeve (in case the latter has become dirty)
SPECIAL DETAILS:
Vinyl is lacquer cut (850 in the matrix code) 150g weight with a perfectly flat edge, manufactured by Columbia, Fonogram Asociadas, S.A. Spain - nice looking, nice feeling!
Vinyl is in very good condition, visually inspected under a white halogen light source and I can see NO marks or scratches at all on either side - very clean and shiny - nice! But a simple visual inspection is often not good enough to judge the condition of vinyl records so I then played both sides ENTIRELY, every single track, and surface noise is not an issue and just the occasional single low level "click/pop" event - one not "click click click" indicating scratching.
Supplied in new outer protective plastic sleeve
PERFORMER - TRACKS:
Victor Martin - Marche Royale (Stravinsky), Zapateado (Pablo de Sarasate)
Salvador Gratacos - Quartet In D For Flute And Strings (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Esteban Sanchez - Corpus Christi En Sevilla (Isaac Albeniz)
Julio Panella - Three Pieces For Clarinet (Stravinsky)
English Chamber Orchestra - Simple Symphony For Strings (Benjamin Britten)
Bruce Prince-Joseph - Toccata In D Minor (Johann Sebastian Bach)
Marco Scano - Sonata For Cello (Zoltan Kodaly)
Dusko Goykovich - Ten To Two Blues (Dusko Goykovich)
Ana Ricci (Soprano) - Kalenda Maya (Raimbaut de Vaqueiras)
Manitas De Plata - Farruca (Anonymous)
The rear cover credits all the musicians performing each piece
