# What's your favorite reference track?



## rvb (Apr 22, 2017)

I was wondering what track you use as a reference when finalizing an album/track or so! Or what track you would consider to be in 'perfect balance and the perfect dynamic loudness'. Just cool to know! I have mostly worked in electronic music so I am trying the find the best possible reference tracks for my compositions loudness and frequency balance wise!


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## Farkle (Apr 22, 2017)

For orchestral reference albums, I use cues from:

E.T. (John Williams)
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (Harry Gregson Williams)
Judge Dredd (Alan Silvestri)
Atlantis (James Newton Howard)

Those albums just have a sense of space and excitement that I love.


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## karelpsota (Apr 22, 2017)

*John Powell* - Dragon Racing (dense orchestral, not much mids, smiley face EQ on almost every bus)

*Thomas Bergersen* - Final Frontier (super dense hybrid, good to figure out what instruments I'm missing to fill space)

*Attila Ats* - Shredder (trailer sound design, if my sound effects work with this track, I succeded)


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## Serg Halen (Apr 22, 2017)

1. Thomas Bergersen - Colors of Love
2. Really Slow Motion - Deadwood
3. Tom Player - Takedown (this track have some problems in a lows, but i like the all sound)


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## WindcryMusic (Apr 24, 2017)

These are the two I use most commonly ... in both cases they have a variety of dynamic levels, so I have Magic AB set up to loop on several different sections with differing dynamics, depending upon what I am checking:

*Alan Silvestri* - Contact soundtrack - End Credits
*Hans Zimmer* - The Da Vinci Code soundtrack - Chevaliers de Sangreal


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## ceemusic (Apr 24, 2017)

For rock, fusion, pop. Steely Dan's 'Everything Must Go, IGY are go-tos of mine & in all my mixing/ mastering templates. Around -16 /-14 LUFS which is what I prefer too.


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## JasonAndrews (Apr 24, 2017)

karelpsota said:


> *John Powell* - Dragon Racing (dense orchestral, not much mids, smiley face EQ on almost every bus)
> 
> *Thomas Bergersen* - Final Frontier (super dense hybrid, good to figure out what instruments I'm missing to fill space)
> 
> *Attila Ats* - Shredder (trailer sound design, if my sound effects work with this track, I succeded)


Karel - just checked your music out & wicked job on the EDM stuff! That NGHMRE remake is spot on homie


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## NoamL (Apr 24, 2017)

For orchestral material I always reference Williams' scores from the early 2000s especially the _Star Wars_ prequels, _Minority Report,_ and _Harry Potter_. These scores have the perfect balance (IMO) between a lush church-like verb and precise orchestral detail. There is also a _big_ stereo separation between the three brass sections on most of JW's scores, which befits the way he uses them, very independently. I kinda wish Force Awakens had been recorded in a space like this (but understand why that wasn't possible).

I don't like the current trend of recording in audibly "stagey" spaces, like the recent Star Trek scores for instance. I know the Streisand stage is one of the most storied spaces in the world... I just prefer to hear that big reverb  It would be interesting to compare the soundtracks of ET and StarTrek09 since they were recorded in the same space...


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## reddognoyz (Apr 24, 2017)

I've recently been referencing "Fantastic Beasts" I really like the sound and soundstage on this. It is also a tiny bit "hybrid" which matches my current project


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## patrick76 (Apr 24, 2017)

NoamL said:


> I always reference Williams' scores from the early 2000s especially the _Star Wars_ prequels


+1. I like to reference Star Wars III - Revenge of the Sith.


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## Anami (May 8, 2017)

I'm also curious what you guys use for hybrid or more synth stuff. Ambient/drone?
Arrival was very well done. Star wars is also a good one for me.


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## CT (May 8, 2017)

I don't really reference it in a heavily analytical way or anything, but the sound of the _The Fellowship of the Ring_ (the complete recordings) is always what I'm trying to emulate with orchestral material. It doesn't get much better than that, if you ask me.



Anami said:


> I'm also curious what you guys use for hybrid or more synth stuff. Ambient/drone?



Alan Meyerson's work with Zimmer is, to me, the height of the whole hybrid thing. More purely ambient/drone models I tend to enjoy are Brian Eno and Steve Roach albums.


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## Gerhard Westphalen (May 8, 2017)

Check out Test Drive from HTTYD for a really aggressive and processed-sounding orchestra mix. Low end is very rolled off and lots of mid 2k-ish going on.


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## rottoy (May 8, 2017)

NoamL said:


> For orchestral material I always reference Williams' scores from the early 2000s especially the _Star Wars_ prequels, _Minority Report,_ and _Harry Potter_. These scores have the perfect balance (IMO) between a lush church-like verb and precise orchestral detail. There is also a _big_ stereo separation between the three brass sections on most of JW's scores, which befits the way he uses them, very independently. I kinda wish Force Awakens had been recorded in a space like this (but understand why that wasn't possible).
> 
> I don't like the current trend of recording in audibly "stagey" spaces, like the recent Star Trek scores for instance. I know the Streisand stage is one of the most storied spaces in the world... I just prefer to hear that big reverb  It would be interesting to compare the soundtracks of ET and StarTrek09 since they were recorded in the same space...


+1 on the Star Wars prequels, especially The Phantom Menace.


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## Rohann (May 10, 2017)

For "band" and sound design stuff, anything by Bass Communion (Steven Wilson), especially more recent stuff, as well as anything else mixed by Steven Wilson. That guy nails it in a way others don't always seem to.


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## rvb (May 10, 2017)

Rohann said:


> For "band" and sound design stuff, anything by Bass Communion (Steven Wilson), especially more recent stuff, as well as anything else mixed by Steven Wilson. That guy nails it in a way others don't always seem to.


I'll check it out thanks!!


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## Rohann (May 10, 2017)

rvb said:


> I'll check it out thanks!!


Bass Communion:


Solo stuff:
(Not the greatest quality mind you)


Or for a slightly warmer proggy mix:


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