Terrible Sound in Lucas

[OrlandoContraAlum]

Wasn't at the venue, but in the theater. My thought was that the sound was ok, but bass and pit heavy most of the time. The pits have been too loud on video and recordings since they were plugged in, so I don't think that is a venue thing, and part of the bass issues can be attributed to seeing it in a movie theater.

Now, some general thoughts regarding the dome...

As already mentioned, It was said that, for competitive fairness, the roof has to be either open or closed for all corps. Given the drainage issue, my guess is that until 2018 we have an indoor championship. This does go against the hype issued when this deal was done, that hype being that it was an "open-air venue with a roof that could be closed in bad weather". I found it somewhat interesting the amount of spin that the crew was attempting regarding the dome. John Madden especially could not compliment the acoustics enough, and it was he, not Delucia, that repeatedly talked about designing shows for indoor performance. They also pointed out that all regionals are in domes now, so the corps are "used to it". Delucia mentioned that a lot of the percussion staffs (staves? :) ) are used to working indoor for WGI.

My main concern, however, was not the dome itself, but what was IN the dome, specifically fans, or a lack thereof. Maybe you just can't really see them, but in every shot of the stands it looked like the crowd was sparse at best. I realize that the actual show is competing with "470 theaters nationwide" but still... crowd looked a lot larger at QFs in both 07 and 08. That coupled with Rondinaro's impassioned plea for anyone sitting in the theater to hustle down to Indy and see semis and finals live ("There's plenty of good seats left!") gave me concern for the future of the deal. This being only the second year of 10, attendance woes (whether due to location, economy, or whatever) could be a far more significant issue long term than whether or not the roof is open.

[AlexL]

yeah... heres what the faq said when they signed the deal originally:

http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=9...05-38490654756a

Will the retractable roof at Lucas Oil Stadium be open or closed for Drum Corps International events?

It is too early to tell what exactly will happen when the roof is open or closed, and every option and related consequence will be explored and evaluated. It is DCI’s expectation at this point in time, that whenever the weather allows, the roof will be kept open.

[cowtown]

worst sound ever for finals

I don't notice it as being any better than the RCA dome

I'm on the 50 in the super prem seats

forget ensemble, articulation, attacks, releases, tubas, bass drums

it is offensively bad

[cowtown]

I should add the sounds is so bad it sucks the life out of the crowd, maybe we were all in shock but this was a very quite QF - no energy from the crowd at all

its beyond suck

[NakedEye]

yeah... heres what the faq said when they signed the deal originally:

http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=9...05-38490654756a

Yup. I knew it wasn't promoted as always being closed when they first announced it, despite the PR spiel the broadcast team was spinning last night. If a day with 0% chance of rain was not "weather permitting," I can't imagine what would be.

[NakedEye]

As already mentioned, It was said that, for competitive fairness, the roof has to be either open or closed for all corps. Given the drainage issue, my guess is that until 2018 we have an indoor championship. This does go against the hype issued when this deal was done, that hype being that it was an "open-air venue with a roof that could be closed in bad weather". I found it somewhat interesting the amount of spin that the crew was attempting regarding the dome. John Madden especially could not compliment the acoustics enough, and it was he, not Delucia, that repeatedly talked about designing shows for indoor performance. They also pointed out that all regionals are in domes now, so the corps are "used to it". Delucia mentioned that a lot of the percussion staffs (staves? :) ) are used to working indoor for WGI.

Yes, this was the moment that I clued in to something sneaky going on. If they we were putting THIS much spin on answering a question that hadn't been noticeably asked up until this point, it indicates they were trying to put preemptive damage control on the situation. That's when I felt bamboozled, as it is not how they originally sold the location.

Unfortunately, I do think they have a problem on their hands with this. If the tickets were in the $40 range, they would have more leeway, but when you are charging $125 a seat, and then you hold the event in a space that compromises one of the event's main draws (powerful sound quality), customers are going to stay away. To make desperate pleas for people to come to the show sounded warning bells too. I wonder how much sales are down this year.

Staring at the light-absorbing black hole of a curtain behind the shows, I realized how much I missed the days when corps were allowed to put logos and hype signs on the back stands. While that provided a far messier backdrop than this new approach, what it injected was a reminder of the life and energy of both the performers and rabid fans in attendance. The combination of curtain and quiet audience made it seem the corps were performing on an empty soundstage. A part of the experience had been extracted. I can only hope they energy picks up steam over the next two nights.

[Rochester New York]

Did anyone else notice that the sound was horrible in Lucas? We were promised that the sound would be good (actually we heard that it would be better that San Antonio). I think that DCI needs to work on some way to improve the sound. I did not think it was any better than the other indoor sites. Any comments? I was very disappointed and am seriously considering only going to outdoor shows in the future. I know that I would have to miss finals, but the sound really was a terrible disappointment.

YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES. Thank you for bringing this up.

For the record, I am sitting DIRECTLY on the 50-yard line, in the 240 section, Friends of DCI seats. The sound is horrible. I have been going to drum corps shows since 1996, and have been to every Finals since 1997. Nothing compares to these acoustics. The drumline is mostly inaudible, the sound is incredibly muddled (imagine a constant thunder while listening to a show), and the echo is unbelievably loud and long.

Quite honestly, I don't believe how any of the music scores can have any legitimacy, when things like articulation, balance, and middle/low voicing are, for the most part, inaudible.

[loveDCI]

was at IU last year and I have to say this year at Lucas Oil was much more enjoyable, mostly because of the venue. Acoustically, yes IU had clearer sound, but there was some annoying echos caused by the backfield metal bleachers..... also, after sitting for almost 7 hours on metal bleachers

Shouldn't the acoustics be our main concern since these are musical organizations? Since when did comfy seats become more important than the sound of the corps?????????

[bluestarsfco]

My thoughts:

I sat in two areas: section 141 towards the top of the section. This section is on the 40s. Section 344 is a small section in lodge level with about 6 rows. This section was dead center on the 50

Sound:

Section 141 sounded pretty good. I watched Cascades through the first intermission there. As the corps got better, the sound improved. Not sure if this was because they are better, or if the show designs were more "attuned" for a dome.

In Section 344 the percussion was much reduced, as was the low brass. The balance was not the same, even with the "better" corps as it is in the 100 level. Some hornlines seemed like they were playing their ##### off, but the power was missing. I didn't notice the pits being any more overpowering in person than they ever are. If they are, it's because the electronic stuff isn't set to an appropriate level. I'm sure it sounds different in the theatre though, since you're listening to a recording. Regarding Spirit: the little bass guitar solo was COMPLETELY lost...couldn't hear a #### note of it (not that I missed it.)

However: in both areas it sounded like a "piped in" performance to my ear. Something just wasn't right. It has definitely lost the acoustic purity of an outdoor 100% natural performance. But with all the amps, electronics and "foreign" sound samples, it seems like that is going to be the standard now, no matter what the venue is. A shame.

RFL cutoffs sound awsome in this stadium. The corps just need to allow an extra beat or two before beginning the next phrase so that they don't play over their own cutoff.

Now Santa Clara...this was my first time seeing their show this year. I don't think I've heard a corps use soft dynamics so effectively since Star '93. I loved the show and it definitely translated to this venue better than any other show this year. I'm sure I would like it just as much in an outdoor venue though, so it was smart design all around.

All the rest:

Amenities are great. Temp is a comfy 70ish degrees at all times, with the occasional slight breeze from the AC units. The downside is the background hum from the AC that is ever-present. Your ears get used to it, but it's still there.

Regarding the seats, they are large and comfortable. The seats between the 40s on the 100, 200, 300, possibly 400 & 500 level are padded, and all other seats are regular plastic. Not sure if they are also smaller...I'll find out Saturday.

Food & drinks are insanely expensive, as mentioned earlier. At least the food is good. I was at Miller Park earlier this year for a Brewers/Giants game and I think the prices on food were much more reasonable. I get that we're a captive audience at these places, but the 200-300% markup is ridiculous.

All that said, Madison is still my favorite venue, though I'm biased since I live 2 hrs away instead of 8-10 :)

[Phillygwm]

My main concern, however, was not the dome itself, but what was IN the dome, specifically fans, or a lack thereof. Maybe you just can't really see them, but in every shot of the stands it looked like the crowd was sparse at best. I realize that the actual show is competing with "470 theaters nationwide" but still... crowd looked a lot larger at QFs in both 07 and 08. That coupled with Rondinaro's impassioned plea for anyone sitting in the theater to hustle down to Indy and see semis and finals live ("There's plenty of good seats left!") gave me concern for the future of the deal. This being only the second year of 10, attendance woes (whether due to location, economy, or whatever) could be a far more significant issue long term than whether or not the roof is open.

In fairness, I don't think the crowd was bad for Quarterfinals. The crowd is usually pretty sparse for the early corps but it filled in for the top 5, at least where I was sitting. Next year and 2011 will be the most telling as to the future (last year was Bloomington so one can't count that for or against the wisdom of the deal.) And, of course, if attendance DOES drop off, one has to wonder exactly how iron-clad the contract is.

But look at the bright side: Nobody is complaining about having to join Friends of DCI anymore

Edited August 7, 2009 by Phillygwm