Tracks that best show PRaT
Posted by: Simon-in-Suffolk on 26 April 2015
With the resurgent discussion of PRaT on the forum, I thought it would be fun to share those recordings that we feel really shows this capability on our Naim equipment and gets that foot tapping... 
As many have streaming services and / or sizeable music collections we should be able to sample the recommendations.
To kick off (track/artist)
Eli's Pork Chop by Little Sonny used to be my go-to demo of what makes a great system and how important it is to get PRaT right. Not exactly an "audiophile" recording, even multi-thousand pound systems would sound like a bag of spanners if they couldn't lock into the rhythm and timing on this track. On the right system though, sublime...
However, if a better recording is desired then George Duke's Black Messiah (part 2) from his album Face the Music will oblige. It's a fantastic piece of music on the right system - particularly a well-honed Naim system - but can reveal timing issues in too many high end set-ups in my experience. A good system will keep a sense of tension which is completely lost when done poorly. When I first heard this album played on a Naim system the hairs on my arm stood on end...
Eli's Pork Chop by Little Sonny used to be my go-to demo of what makes a great system and how important it is to get PRaT right. Not exactly an "audiophile" recording, even multi-thousand pound systems would sound like a bag of spanners if they couldn't lock into the rhythm and timing on this track. On the right system though, sublime...
However, if a better recording is desired then George Duke's Black Messiah (part 2) from his album Face the Music will oblige. It's a fantastic piece of music on the right system - particularly a well-honed Naim system - but can reveal timing issues in too many high end set-ups in my experience. A good system will keep a sense of tension which is completely lost when done poorly.
little sonny's Pork Chop sounds smoking on anything - even a wet string between tin cans.
Exactly. this recording of Eli's Pork Chop by Little Sonny asks very little of a system; it doesn't need pinpoint imaging or a wide and deep soundstage. It isn't interested in in the finer tonal aspects or wide bandwidth. It only asks that the timing and the rhythmic interplay between drummer, organ and harmonica are given free reign for the listener to be enthralled. There are table top radios (or even tin cans and string) that can get this better than some very fancy systems. A blunt instrument perhaps, but always instructive.
That's a great tread!
Exactly. this recording of Eli's Pork Chop by Little Sonny asks very little of a system; it doesn't need pinpoint imaging or a wide and deep soundstage. It isn't interested in in the finer tonal aspects or wide bandwidth. It only asks that the timing and the rhythmic interplay between drummer, organ and harmonica are given free reign for the listener to be enthralled. There are table top radios (or even tin cans and string) that can get this better than some very fancy systems. A blunt instrument perhaps, but always instructive.
nah , you posted earlier that this track can sound like a bag of spanners on even a multi thousand system.
yup.
Well talking of George Duke, try this, a wonderful fusion of different timings.. The music on my Naim ebbs between them and allows the dominant timing to come forward and then fall back to the base timing .. Great stuff.
And for a different pace, Matt Helders pushes and pulls the timing on the drums to keep a tension through this.. a good system should play this so you feel drained at the end of it..
Here it comes:
You will know that this is the dynamic range database.
Everything with DR14 and more has got PRAT as if there was no tomorrow. And a lot of stuff with less than 14 is excellent too.
Take Steve Earles "Copperhead road" which is a top 50 entry on this list as it comes as DR19 and DR16.
Period.
Here it comes:
You will know that this is the dynamic range database.
Everything with DR14 and more has got PRAT as if there was no tomorrow. And a lot of stuff with less than 14 is excellent too.
Higher Dynamic Range (DR) = more Pace, Rhythm and Timing (PRaT). Is this a fact?
Dave
One way out - the Allman Brothers
I am going to nominate the band Royal Blood and the track Out of the Black in particular. I'm not really into heavy rock generally, but I find the whole album great fun. A friend recommended it as something to test my system. How a two piece band with a just drum kit and a bass guitar can make so much din is beyond belief. But it's a din I like, and you certainly need PRaT to make it work.
Off hand...Grant Green - Airegin (alt. take) from the Nigeria album.
I'd go for Grant Green's 'Django' (first take) from Idle Moments.
Peter, Paul and Mary - All my trials
Any solo piece played by Thelonius Monk.
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Free for All
D'Angelo and the Vanguard - Another Life
Patrice Rushen - Keepin' Faith in Love
Model 500 - Station
Stardust from the Gene Norman 1947 concert. How many changes in tempo can you detect?
Reading this thread it strikes me that with only a few exceptions there's a distinct bias in musical style, the vast majority holding no appeal to me whatsoever.
Reading this thread it strikes me that with only a few exceptions there's a distinct bias in musical style, the vast majority holding no appeal to me whatsoever.
It seems to me, in the vast majority of examples cited, PRaT, if it's present, is in the recording. It's then a question of how it's extracted for maximum listening benefit and not exclusive to a particular audio manufacturer.
Dave
how can you guys not mention Dave Brubeck's "Three to get ready" for exaple on "Essential Jazz" ??
i use this a lot as a test track. those compound time signatures!!
and then there is van Morrison's "Madame George". The end of it has a high hat line that, unless all is well, always sounds like its a little out of time. If you have this album, try it...
in general, i would almost claim that without PRAT, no record would sound interesting enough for me to be worth listening to it!!
enjoy
ken
The last track on Court and Spark, a tune called "Twisted", has an interesting interplay between Joni's voice and the bass line. Perfect timing is essential.
BBM
A myth that should be blown is that accurate articulation [i.e. as short as the performance and not smoothed out by the replay] in Classical music is any less important than the most obviously PRATish recordings in other genres.
Let me say that as a string bass player who got paid to play in some quite high class concerts [such as those of the Birmingham Festival Choral Society, who years ago gave the first performances of Mendelsohnn's Elijah and Elgar's Dream Of Gernontius], players can actually sweat try to keep the articulation. To smooth it out with the replay is something that is exasperating to a practiced musician!
Quad ESL 57s combined with Naim is the most articulate system style that I have ever encountered and is only marginally less articulate than real.
Also has good timbre and musical balance. Also crucial.
ATB from George
***ALARM*** ***ALARM*** ESLWATCH ***ALARM*** ***ALARM***
What is the first letter of ESL?
The first letter most bandied about hear ids "H!" It was once "L" for Lavry!!!!!!
I am not going to stop when it is necessary to speak truths!
I love a challenge and had good news today about my eyes. I also fitted a new chain and freewheel on the Carlton so that I am ready for anything that is fun including s snoogle with the Noogle!
ATB from George
PS: Julian Vereker, founder of Naim, thought the Quad ESL was the best speaker to base Naims never made premiere speaker on, so the ESL 57 must remain the best speaker yet made!
PRAT is important to all styles of music. I disagree that accuracy and PRAT are somehow different. As if centuries of painstaking notation systems to describe how long notes should be and how fast or slow music should be played were merely superfluous decoration.