I will use favorite CD's at times if I feel I need a change of perspective.

I honestly don't use reference tracks when recording. I just strive for a well balanced, articulate and pleasing sound. I record primarily jazz and jazz fusion based music for your information. .

Only, if the customer wants the job done to sound close to an existing production.
Otherwise, we put in reference CDs only to quickly check if we are still as bleedin' good as always....
;-)

I use reference CDs when I'm in a new room or using new monitors. Not something I use on a regular basis.

I can think of some occasions when I would use reference tracks (not necessarily CDs):

1) Live sound in a new venue: the first thing I might do having got the mixer and PA working is put through a couple of tracks I know well to check that they sound as I expect, and that the room/venue is not going to give me any surprises. This would not influence recorded tracks, but may give pointers to any EQ adjustment needed in the live sound.

2) Mixdown with an unfamiliar monitoring setup (it does happen!): again, a couple of known tracks to tweak my ears to how this setup is going to sound. These are often tracks of mine that I have recorded and then mixed in a known environment.

3) Customer demand: the artist comes along clutching a commercial CD saying "I want to sound like this!", to which the reply is usually "OK, but you have to perform like that!".

Boswell, post: 361323 wrote: "OK, but you have to perform like that!".

Oh god, i should write that down...!!!
I'm always having the hardest time to make people understand why those "big bands" sound like they do....