NIGHTFLY3000

Yes it is almost worthless. Let's just return to that gorgeous all acoustic sound of yesteryear. Nothing rinky dink about it. The fact that this conversation rolls on after all of these years does not surprise me at all. The use of amps ruined the enjoyment of brass in the number one show this year. Let them play I say and save your talking for your printed program.

Step one to a better score on Friday: turn down the pit so the brass can be heard! (Cavies have this issue too.)

I don't think it's slotting. The show unfortunately feels like a jumbled unfocused mess. No matter how well they might execute it it's just not a well put together show and doesn't hold a candle to the shows that they've won with.

They can sell this show every holiday season. That's why. Genius.

I've never been to the theatre to enjoy drum corps as I thought it would somehow disappoint me. Boy was I wrong. I had a fantastic time (in lieu of being there) and walked away very impressed with the entire experience. The only missing was the Denny's run after the show. So thanks again DCI for making this event happen live across the country and for making sure we saw all of the corps. I'm sure that was not cheap to run the show long for the Bluecoats and SCV make goods.

Troopers making top 12 is a big story, but missing from your line up is the continued struggles of the Madison Scouts. Will they be able to come back to the top 12? Next year? In five years? CC is also a big story but an even bigger story is Phantom's inability to capitalize on 2008. Wow what a drop. Overshadowing all other stories though is synth usage in marching music's major league which is allowed by having amps on the field and the sound quality of final's home for the next 8 years. Will the fans keep coming? Will they be buying championship DVDs? Is MMML in a financially viable situation for finals to remain @ LOS for eight more years? These questions and their answers are the real stories of 2009 and the coming years.

Spot on mate.

Don't forget the balloons!

I sat in the temporary seats on the fifty, section 140, row 8 for semis and finals. The 15-20 rows of aluminum seats around three quarters of the stadium hide the problem that is creating the majority of the sound issues. These seats leave a 2 story concrete wall exposed sound wise for the corps to play into. Just imagine that those seats, curtains and people are not there for the purposes of sound because they do a poor job of preventing the sound from reaching the concrete wall, specifically the lower registers. That concrete was creating more echo and reverb of the 3-5 second variety than the roof. If nothing is done about the wall behind those seats, an open roof won't matter at all. Besides, the roof only opens half way, still leaving plenty of reflective surface for sound in the open position. P.S. SCV wins the award for loudest low end synth support (very annoying and unnecessary) and HNC wins the loudest amplified pit award, drowning out the corps for half the show or more. Very sad. These mixes impact the impression of the performance a great deal and should be done by an actual member of the corps since the mix is being called from a remote location anyway and DCI now allows for 150 members. The mixer is as much a player as the kids in the pit these days.

Well unless some magic occurs, it won't be next year because the tix are already on sale for 2010 at Lucas.

I've seen BLAST, completely different medium and ideals. It's much simpler to play these emulated sounds on keyboard than it is to play the actual instruments it is emulating. Any keyboardist with a bit of talent could make BD, but not just any brass/percussionist could. Freelancers were great BTW! A great corps through and through.

It's sad. Plain and simple. It does not bring a tear to my eye, it does not inspire me, it does not make me smile, it does not impress me. Anybody can make those sounds and it really cheeses up the corps. I'll be laughing/crying all through finals in my prime seats and be going next year because Star of Indiana will be there, but from 2011 on it'll be bye bye Drum Corps until they come down from the BOA perch which will probably be never. So sad. A truly original art form has died. Bring on the woodwinds and complete the death of drum corps please.

OK simple stuff: Madison rotating almost company front, Bluestars bike complete with rotating wheels, Cavies jump and dive, tossing guard members, Phantom guard behind shields, Bluecoats horn block, Carolina's crown, Santa Clara guard's opening pogo move. This is what pops into my head for '08.

Who else has purchased APDs from quarterfinals? I just purchased Madison, Cavies, and Phantom APDs and wow the pits are LOUD. It sounds as if the corps is backing the pit as opposed to the other way around on all three. I have not purchased any recordings in five years and now I remember why. There is no perspective on the pits whatsoever and the corps are lost when playing backfield. Can we please turn the pit down in the recordings or drop the mics/amps altogether???? It continues to be a mess of unnatural sound and balance!!! I love these shows but not these recordings. What do you think? P.S. I believe Bloomington (50 yard line, 17 rows up) is the best sounding stadium I've ever been in for Finals. IMO these recordings do not reflect that.

2008 by a mile. It's already the stuff of drum corps legend.