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Terrible Sound in Lucas


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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.

The roof should have been opened. Yes, I know it was a warm, sticky night. This would have cut down on the echo effects significantly.

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The roof should have been opened. Yes, I know it was a warm, sticky night. This would have cut down on the echo effects significantly.

Holy SHIZBANG!!!!? I can't believe they had the roof closed!!! I thought that was the whole reason they decided to have it in a retractable roof facility in the first place so that it would be open...I'm glad I didn't go and I plan not to go in the future. The Alamodome was getting intolerable as it was.

Does anyone with a connection to DCI know what their logic (if any) was?

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i wonder.. since sound seemed to get better... would it be better to close off some more sections of the seating for quarters and black them out too?

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Sound was not terrible, but there will need to be improvement in the future. Reverb was averaging 3-5 seconds and since this was really only the 3rd show there's still plenty of tweaking to be done. Not sure what it sounds like with the top down yet but less boomy would be the CW. Dry it up a bit I'm sure. The big baaaad backfield curtain I had been hearing about was not much of a factor in wrecking shows but was doing the job it was given. Considering how sound travels from a source, there were plenty of other reflective surfaces to take up the slack. Seemed to help more than hinder, cool. I would like to hear it with the top down, though.

Funny thing (or not), the electrics and extra verb helped smoothy up a lot of the brass but jacked a lot of the drum parts. Not all, mind you--tenors generally sounded first rate but bass--not, and snares produced fuzz unless they were up front. Cymbals pushed--their sustain was as long as the reverb. Pit highlights were spotty due to volume but I always felt the pit is a bit overused anyway. (Pit people, I really do like you, please don't send flaming bags of poop). Big horns sounded real good and fat. But they would in that environment. Crowd sounded good.

I was waiting for the halftime football game but turns out there wasn't one. What gives?

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Holy SHIZBANG!!!!? I can't believe they had the roof closed!!! I thought that was the whole reason they decided to have it in a retractable roof facility in the first place so that it would be open...I'm glad I didn't go and I plan not to go in the future. The Alamodome was getting intolerable as it was.

Does anyone with a connection to DCI know what their logic (if any) was?

When DCI announced Finals would be held with the roof open, that was before the cost overruns in the construction of the building. For example, they had to pay millions of $ extra to haul dirt due to the results of chemical tests (there were several factories on the site years ago).

So, one of the items cut from the budget was a drainage system.

Also, my understanding is it takes the stadium crew 8 hours to remove the curtain. If they had the curtain and opened the roof in it's present setup, there were concerns about the curtain being blown with the wind (this may be able to be fixed if the curtain can be attached so that it will remain in place.

Finally, the heat!!!! Last fall, during the BOA soundcheck, a stadium employee told me it can get VERY hot and uncomfortable the farther up you go when it's warm (hot air rises). I know the AC was borderline chilly at times, but the only way they could have made it tolerable with the roof open (and this may not have worked) would have been to run the AC with the roof open. Do you run the AC in your car or house with the windows open? Same concept here. It ain't cheap to cool a barn that big.

If they did open the roof and run the AC on Saturday, we would have threads from people complaining about how hot they were and why didn't they close the roof. You can't please everyone.

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It's a drum corps show. It's supposed to be hot.

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Sigh....

Open Air Stadium = Convertible Corvette

Retractable Roof Stadium = Corvette with a sunroof

It's 90 degrees outside. You are sitting in your car with the A/C off....... which one would you rather be sitting in?

You will bake at Lucas Oil with the sun-roof open on a 90 degree day. PERIOD

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I was waiting for the halftime football game but turns out there wasn't one. What gives?

HaHaHa! That would be great! During INT, have the Colts come out for a 10 minute scrimmage, offense against defense, while half the crowd leaves the stands, and the half that stay turn their backs to the field and chatter away.

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HaHaHa! That would be great! During INT, have the Colts* come out for a 10 minute scrimmage, offense against defense, while half the crowd leaves the stands, and the half that stay turn their backs to the field and chatter away.

*I mean the NFL Colts team from Indianapolis, not the more famous Colts from Dubuque!

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Having the roof open would have helped with the sustained reverb, but it still would've been a mess of echoes, just like Montreal and other stadiums with large, overhanging roofs (think of most European football ["soccer"] stadiums).

The curtain wasn't nearly as bad as I expected, either. It got rid of the "TCHow" echo that snares do with empty stands but didn't seem to add anything else. I heard more slapback from the sponsorship banners at ground level, but even that was nothing like the stone wall in Toledo or the base of the front stands in DeKalb or Mankato.

Granted, it was nice to sit in the stands and not be sweating my balls off, but next year, I'd settle for whatever local shows I could see, simply because I'd be able to hear the corps better and not pay insane prices for a decent seat. I won't go to Finals at the Oil Drum again if I have to pay for it.

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