Amping the brass line

[lastknight]

I haven't seen anyone mention that an mf horn has an entirely different sound quality than an ff horn. My hunch, being a brass player and a sound tech, is that a mf line amped to an ff volume level would be a less than satisfying sound.

[Tito John]

No.

I suppose I should probably supply a reason...you don't see the brass sections of the Vienna Philharmonic or the Chicago Symphony with mic'd horns, do you? If a hornline's not loud enough, make them use more air. It can be done.

Reminds me of the story (wish I could remember the details) about an English symphony orchestra conductor who said, "I never look at the brass. It only encourages them."

[ozarkbugler]

well you can already mic small ensembles, and I think the number is big enough to cover 1 mic for each part in the hornline (3 sops, 2 mellos, 3 baritone, 1 tuba) plus some extras for various splits (upper vs. lower lead sop, tuba split, etc).

So... why not have a 12 person hornline?

Because a 12 person hornline cannot pay enough in dues to support the rest of the corps.

Note: this is not a slam on the other sections. But the smaller a corps is the more each member will have to pay.

Edited July 1, 2011 by ozarkbugler

[soccerguy315]

Because a 12 person hornline cannot pay enough in dues to support the rest of the corps.

Note: this is not a slam on the other sections. But the smaller a corps is the more each member will have to pay.

you can add more guard members, or people who just march with horns, but do not play, to make up the cost.

[Peel Paint]

Along with marching woodwind sections, a definite check, please, dealbreaker for me, no doubt. No reason whatsoever to do this, particularly with so many big shows going dome. It will create more balance problems than it solves.

[hrnguy500]

No. This is up there were adding WW to corps. If either of these things happen I am out.

[Howdy]

This is a very bad idea, and it is almost being done already.

Ugh...

[perc2100]

In some recent discussions about the use of A&E in DCI these days, I realized that we may not actually be so far from corps trying to amplify the brass line, either with individual mikes or through some set of ambient mikes to supplement and "enhance" the sound via the loudspeakers. And I was surprised that some folks not only were okay with the idea but embraced it as a net positive. So I'm curious what the board as a whole thinks.

You forgot the option of

* You know this idea is ridiculous and is as likely to pass as allowing horses to spin flags

Fear mongering and wild speculations like this are pretty pointless, unless of course you're just trolling

[skajerk]

You forgot the option of

* You know this idea is ridiculous and is as likely to pass as allowing horses to spin flags

Fear mongering and wild speculations like this are pretty pointless, unless of course you're just trolling

Hmmmm... sounds just like a lot of us here in DCPland when the a&e proposal was first brought up. Boy did we get egg on our face with that one! hahaha...haha...ha... heh

[skywhopper]

You forgot the option of

* You know this idea is ridiculous and is as likely to pass as allowing horses to spin flags

Fear mongering and wild speculations like this are pretty pointless, unless of course you're just trolling

I think the extent to which synths have taken over the sound of some shows would have been thought of the same way four years ago. Hell, the idea of miking brass soloists would have been laughed out of the forum, yet it happens with the top corps!

I'm not fearmongering, nor accusing anyone in DCI of wanting to go this route, but I'm not so sure it's against the current rules, and if you look back at the arguments for amping the pit (allowing them to play in a concert style with "appropriate" (ie indoor) mallets, not to wear themselves out, and to blend better with the brass), I don't see how those same arguments don't apply to the brass. Or maybe just a section. Got a weak contra line? Mike them, you know, for "balance".