Official National Lampoon Stereo Test & Demonstration Record
Gregory Morgan | Published on 6/30/2023
Official National Lampoon Stereo Test & Demonstration Record
by Gregory Morgan
Since the dawning of the stereo age there have been vinyl test records. These records generally contain special test signals developed for analyzing phono-cartridge performance as well as the phono-cartridge interaction with the tonearm and turntable. To put it succinctly, every audiophile into vinyl should own a test record. It can tell you many things you might not know about your system. Is your tracking correctly set up? The settings are at best a guess. Do you have Inner groove distortion? A test record can help you find the culprit. Additionally, you can find out a great deal about your stereo system, from your amplifier to your speakers. I, personally own 11 different test records Including the Telarc Omnidisc, the Cardas Frequency Sweep and Burn-in Record, the Hi-Fi News & Record Review Test Record, the Nautilus Audio System Test Record, and a few of the Shure ‘Obstacle Course’ records. Over the years, I have used all of these records as set up tools for setting anti-skate, cartridge alignment, VTA, and Azimuth.
The question then becomes: which stereo test record is right for you? A tough question, to be sure, considering the plethora of Stereo Test Records that are either currently on the market or have been produced over the last 70+ years of vinyl production. Only recently have I become aware of a Stereo Test Record that surpasses all others. That’s right I have found not just a good Stereo test record. I have found THE stereo test record. One Stereo Test Record to rule them all, one Stereo Test Record to find them, One Stereo Record to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them; In the listening room where the stereo lies. That record is, to no one’s surprise, the National Lampoon Stereo Test And Demonstration Record.
Only the National Lampoon Stereo Test And Demonstration Record provides cuts to properly psychoanalyze your stereo system and the appropriate punishment track, when your system fails said test. Only the National Lampoon Stereo Test And Demonstration Record provides a track to deal with an annoyed neighbor. Only the National Lampoon Stereo Test And Demonstration Record has a track to test you, as the listener. Only the National Lampoon Stereo Test And Demonstration Record contains tracks to test realism with familiar sounds from everyday life, such as nails on a chalkboard. The phase test featuring an argument between Emily Prager and Chevy Chase accurately describes the phase why phase is important and how to check for it. The punishment track is as difficult to reproduce as any track Shure has produced on any of their ‘Obstacle Course‘ LP’s and far, far, more difficult to listen to.
The credits are pretty amazing on this album. The credits include such audio luminaries as John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Christopher Guest, and Bill Murray. Most people have never have previously thought of them as audiophiles, but their audio expertise and precision comes shining through across both side of this auditory masterpiece.
And, if you don't have a turntable, you can always enjoy listening to this through Qobuz and Roon or your favorite streaming site.
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