Tracks that best show PRaT

Sorry folks, I use Karan hifi to listen , great at PRaT . And one hell of a widescreen trip around all of it !

There seems to be an impression that only Naim is good at PRaT which I don't think is the intention. Naim treats this quality as important while many manufacturers do not, but PRaT certainly is not exclusive to Naim.

yes but who else does it well? I think Linn do, but is that it?

Sugden  amps do PRaT well for me as well.

Simon

And even the best systems can fall apart PRaT-wise if the power isn't right. A former Forumite (who now has other fish to fry) had his system housed in a shockingly hostile mains environment, surrounded by small manufacturies. 

He tried every trick in the book to get that right (eventually multiple isolated spurs did best) and I'd often walk in while he was playing something and you could hear he had tried yet another wretched mains conditioner that had ruined the PRaT (mostly the pace and timing elements) though by some recompense had smoothed out the sound to some degree. 

When I had my own major mains supply issues (a problem whose solution was far from apparent, but which involved a high proportion of the forum experts contributing to the solution - big, big respect to all but especially Andy Weekes who spotted the main voltage to my house was shot to hell and resulted in the Electricity Company laying a new mains supply!) one of the key indicators was PRaT falling drastically apart.

+1 used to use them before moving to Naim.

Spaccanapoli, Lost Souls on the Real World label (hence also well recorded)

Particularly the tracks O' Mare and O' Rinillo O' Rinello.

I find the driving rhythms quite astonishing.

Lots of examples but I've just listened to 'The Farmers Daughter', the last track from 'Fleetwood Mac Live'. The system should tease out the separate voices and harmonies whilst still propelling the music along nicely.

G

This has been (continues to be) an interesting thread - and gets me no nearer to understanding either what PRAT is, nor the fixation on it. A total mystery to me still!

Maybe it's because my preference is for accuracy that might inherently include PRAT? Or perhaps it's my taste in music, which hasn't featured much among contributions here (predominately prog rock, heavy rock, classical (mostly pre 20th century), tragic opera)?

What I do find is my music on my system is totally involving, and when a piece has a regular rhythm it tends to get my foot tapping or head nodding (unconsciously).  And I do know that I would be continuously unhappy with a system that, for example, didn't have sufficient range to fully reproduce the impact of a big bass drum, or bass fundamentals  ...or which masks content etc, nor one that somehow muddles timing.

To me that is exactly what the ability to replay pace, rhythm and timing is all about... Spot on.. That is PRaT in my world..

So maybe I've simply managed to achieve PRAT with seeking the accuracy/balance I crave, without knowing it...  

Indeed... 

My main system has very good PRaT, but the other one is very bad at it. The most improved by PRaT is "Sultans of swing" by Dire Straits. Also "Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac.

I thought I'd add to the list... most tracks on Black Holes and Revelations by Muse have great pace and timing. Especially Assassin, Kinghts of Cydonia and Exo-Politics. A good audio system has you playing air guitar and drums...

 PS, the compressed YouTube  audio track doesn't really do it justice.. But you get the idea.

What can I say? One man, one guitar, and PRAT through the roof...

When My Angel Gets The Blues - Matt Andersen - YouTube

People Get Ready - Matt Andersen - YouTube

BBM

chicago ' Michael Jackson ; Xscape .

Kraftwerk - Radio-Activity (2009 Remastered)

wow

I have a few on vinyl:

The Border Soundtrack by Ry Cooder et al.  (Best effort by Ry Cooder, John Hiatt, Jim Keltner, and others.  This rocks from front to back)

The Band by The Band.  ( With my Helicon/ Superline loaded at 1000 and this is the most rocking record I own.  A little bright.  Sounds great at a 500 load, too.) 

Hoodoo Man Blues by Junior Wells.

Miles of Aisles by Joni Mitchell.  (Great LA band of Tom Scott, John Guerin, Larry Nash & Max Bennett, that is just on the money all the time.  Carey, Love Or Money)

I agree, hifi can't improve timing in particular, but it can mess it up and often does.

My favourite track for showing up limited systems is Giant Steps from David Murray's Octet Plays Trane. If a system can't cope with complex rhythms this will show it. The problem is the music is fairly challenging, so I wouldn't expect anyone but serious jazz fans to like it. In other words, it might sound like a cacophonous mess to you anyway, irrespective of your system.

The other album that I find is really easy to get wrong is Aja by Steely Dan, as the rhythms on it are quite subtle once you get to know it.

Little Feat...Album (Live) Waiting for Columbus...Song Fat Man in the Bathtub.

Anything by James Hunter off People Gonna Talk or The Hard Way.

Almost every song is in an old Carolina Beach Music tempo.  Sort of a Ska dance beat with a very very tight small band.   I would love to see these guys but they never make it this far South.   Nevertheless, they are the kings of PRAT.

An excellent choice from a terrific band!

Two Trains from Dixie Chicken probably also deserves a recommendation.

For something slow-paced but really slinky, check Rickie Lee Jones, Showbiz Kids from It's Like This.

It contains swearing, so skip it if you're offended by that. It also builds up really slowly.

A Jazz track that will separate the wheat from the chaff...

Tomorrow is the Question, Ornette Coleman.

And also Tears Inside which is the second track on the album. This is the easiest of Ornette's albums to get into in my opinion, but it's still not for beginners.