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So what are we going to do about it?


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I was just thinking... Could a possible solution be to have two brass judges instead of the traditional one? One would judge from the field (I believe that's how it's done currently) and one would judge from the box. Just like the percussion caption. It may not have been necessary back in the day, but because of the problems associated with amplifying the hornline, it might make more sense to judge ensemble sound from afar as well as getting inside the individual sounds of the brass.

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Bring out the auto tuners...LOL  No seriously why bother having 80 brass if they need to amped?  What is sad is that you go out into a stadium parking lot and the BEST sound is heard there and not on the field.  Not to open a hornets nest but if we need to amp the (entire) brass perhaps moving away from the G horns wasn't a great idea after all.

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1 hour ago, jwillis35 said:

it will be tough for the corps directors and DCI to come up with a rule that says something to the effect of only solos can be mic'd. I think they feel they would be limiting the creativity of their designers and would rather leave all options on the table. 

This argument is true in so far as it goes. They would be leaving creativity on the table.

But they're already doing that.

They leave creativity on the table by limiting the age of performers to 21. They leave tons of creativity on the table by limiting the size of the ensemble to 150. They limit creativity by forbidding the use of horses, or lions or monkeys. They leave creativity on the table by not allowing fireworks, or drones, or video. To say nothing of the prohibition of woodwinds.

Corps directors already accept all kinds of limitations on creativity. What makes whole-corps amplification different from any of the many ways the activity limits itself?

At some point, there are boundaries around the activity that define its qualities, that distinguish it from other art forms. To me, amplification (or the lack of it) is one of those qualities. I'd like to hear an argument why it is not.

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4 hours ago, shofmon88 said:

Do YOU like the usage of amplification this season? Do you like listening to Phantom Regiment's entire hornline through amps, for the entire show?

I really matters not what we few on DCP (who really do not represent the varied demographics of the entire fan-base) 'say' to DCI, nor the relatively few other fans who might also sign a petition with us DCP grumps.  Money, as in ticket sales, is what really matters.  Drop the Finals tickets sales to below 9,000, have the top corps using, overusing, abusing amplification play to a plethora of empty, unpaid, seats in the echo chamber Lucas oil can.  Only then will top corps design teams change direction based on audience desires.  Otherwise, as long as the home side at Finals is packed with people willing to pay the big-bucks to see/hear Regiment, Blooo, SCV, etc… that is at the very least enough implicit fan support for the top designers to continue staying on the path currently being presented to the audience.

Edited by Stu
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3 hours ago, Jake W. said:

Who? I like to consider myself highly involved in the BOA world and I know of no group who does this. Not saying you're wrong, just doubting your claim when it's presented without evidence.

Not to be confrontational, but you might want to research this claim a bit more . . . MANY top BOA groups have been using sound reinforcement, including individual wireless mics, shotgun mics, and other "hidden" techniques in sectional/full ensemble sections for years - including multiple BOA Regional and Grand National winners.  Period.  

For a lot of us in music education, "covert" sound reinforcements in marching band competitions are more of an ethical issue than in drum corps.  As noted elsewhere in this thread, top techs with professional equipment can now make artificial enhancements of instrumental sounds that are impossible to diagnose by even the best adjudicators in a competitive setting.  A game changer for sure.

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1 hour ago, GUARDLING said:

nm:12_slight_smile:

I already saw your other post :12_slight_smile:

Edited by Liahona
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3 minutes ago, Schnitzel said:

... As noted elsewhere in this thread, top techs with professional equipment can now make artificial enhancements of instrumental sounds that are impossible to diagnose by even the best adjudicators in a competitive setting.  A game changer for sure.

Impossible to distinguish real vs sampled vs live vs recorded if 'all sounds' are projected through amps, yes. But live brass accoustic sound projected directly out of the bells of the horns can be distinguished from any form of brass sound projected through an amp.

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11 minutes ago, Schnitzel said:

For a lot of us in music education, "covert" sound reinforcements in marching band competitions are more of an ethical issue than in drum corps.  As noted elsewhere in this thread, top techs with professional equipment can now make artificial enhancements of instrumental sounds that are impossible to diagnose by even the best adjudicators in a competitive setting.  A game changer for sure.

This is very disturbing to me at least...

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