What do Synths do exactly?

[NR_Ohiobando]

Personally I don't buy amps at all, especially after listening to 2000-2004 recordings. Bluecoats 2004 had one of the best pits that year, and guess what? No amps.

Cavaliers 2000 is another GREAT example of a pit sounded amazing regardless of amps.

Synths are something I don't buy into for the same reasons. Can you imagine 1991 SCV WITHOUT the unbelievably cool helicopter sounds created by the percussion, but instead just using a button to have a literal helicopter sound? I don't know about you, but I MUCH prefer the version without Synths.

[bluecoats88]

"Proper" defined as what? Proper for band and orchestra? Drum corps isn't band or orchestra. Maybe the way members were playing pit instruments for the 40+ years before 2004 was "proper" technique for drum corps?

Technique was really only part of it. Like Jeff said mallet choices are a major factor. Now corps can use the proper mallets for the instruments instead of using something that is harder than what should be used in order to project the sound more. Try using hard plastic bell mallets on a marimba and see how long the keys hold up during the season. Corps were either replacing keys 2 or 3 times during a season or playing on cracked and damaged keys by the end of the season.

I know Bluecoats used to have a set of keys that they only used for the shows for all their wood keyed keyboards, and their practice keys really took a beating. The next year they would get new show keys and the old show keys would become the practice keys.

So by making better mallet choices now that they don't have to beat the snot out of the things to be heard the keys are not taking as bad a beating during the season and corps are able to save money in the long run.

[Hrothgar15]

Personally I don't buy amps at all, especially after listening to 2000-2004 recordings. Bluecoats 2004 had one of the best pits that year, and guess what? No amps.

Cavaliers 2000 is another GREAT example of a pit sounded amazing regardless of amps.

Synths are something I don't buy into for the same reasons. Can you imagine 1991 SCV WITHOUT the unbelievably cool helicopter sounds created by the percussion, but instead just using a button to have a literal helicopter sound? I don't know about you, but I MUCH prefer the version without Synths.

Although you could make the argument that you can't go by the recordings and have to go by what it would sound to the judges in the press box. Except over the years, the recordings make up about 90% of the way that show is enjoyed...which matters more?

Even if the pit is more balanced by way of amps to a judge in the press box, there's no way you can call pits on any DCI recording made after 2004 "balanced," whereas they sounded just fine pre-amp. I dunno about you, but I only go to about maybe 5 shows a summer, and get most of my drum corps enjoyment digitally through audio and video (which uses the audio) recordings.

[cage]

I will say first that I am generally opposed to amps and I am emphatically against synths. I will not rehash any of the arguments previously made in many posts. What I will say is that I downloaded the quarterfinals shows of SCV and Crown and the bass sound from the amps is absolutely overpowering. I turned the bass all the way down as well as the middle and it still my car still sounds pimped out going down the road. Although I did not notice them being that loud at shows, they should not be overpowering the actual horns as tehy sometimes have seemed to have done.

[Jeff Ream]

Personally I don't buy amps at all, especially after listening to 2000-2004 recordings. Bluecoats 2004 had one of the best pits that year, and guess what? No amps.

Cavaliers 2000 is another GREAT example of a pit sounded amazing regardless of amps.

Synths are something I don't buy into for the same reasons. Can you imagine 1991 SCV WITHOUT the unbelievably cool helicopter sounds created by the percussion, but instead just using a button to have a literal helicopter sound? I don't know about you, but I MUCH prefer the version without Synths.

amps were also a way to open up the membership size...with 80 brass, then they could say you couldnt hear them.

no, you actually cant get away from the pit sound when amped.

whats sad is we keep hearing these guys have all this experience in the band world.....where 9 times out of 10, their balance is light years better

[Jeff Ream]

Technique was really only part of it. Like Jeff said mallet choices are a major factor. Now corps can use the proper mallets for the instruments instead of using something that is harder than what should be used in order to project the sound more. Try using hard plastic bell mallets on a marimba and see how long the keys hold up during the season. Corps were either replacing keys 2 or 3 times during a season or playing on cracked and damaged keys by the end of the season.

I know Bluecoats used to have a set of keys that they only used for the shows for all their wood keyed keyboards, and their practice keys really took a beating. The next year they would get new show keys and the old show keys would become the practice keys.

So by making better mallet choices now that they don't have to beat the snot out of the things to be heard the keys are not taking as bad a beating during the season and corps are able to save money in the long run.

except they still beat the snot out of them

[byline]

"Proper" defined as what? Proper for band and orchestra? Drum corps isn't band or orchestra.

I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but given the fact that many of these musicians transition back and forth between drum corps and band/orchestra, the feeling was that their technique should be the same throughout so that they're not bringing back "bad habits" to their band or orchestra.

Again, I'm not characterizing that either way, just saying what I recall reading about the rationale for the change.

[MoonHill]

Technique was really only part of it. Like Jeff said mallet choices are a major factor. Now corps can use the proper mallets for the instruments instead of using something that is harder than what should be used in order to project the sound more. Try using hard plastic bell mallets on a marimba and see how long the keys hold up during the season. Corps were either replacing keys 2 or 3 times during a season or playing on cracked and damaged keys by the end of the season.

I know Bluecoats used to have a set of keys that they only used for the shows for all their wood keyed keyboards, and their practice keys really took a beating. The next year they would get new show keys and the old show keys would become the practice keys.

So by making better mallet choices now that they don't have to beat the snot out of the things to be heard the keys are not taking as bad a beating during the season and corps are able to save money in the long run.

You can get replacement wood keys for a marimba in the range of $200-$400, and as low as $65 at one place. How much does a amplifier system, mics, and speakers cost?

[MoonHill]

I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but given the fact that many of these musicians transition back and forth between drum corps and band/orchestra, the feeling was that their technique should be the same throughout so that they're not bringing back "bad habits" to their band or orchestra.

Again, I'm not characterizing that either way, just saying what I recall reading about the rationale for the change.

(this is not a criticism aimed at byline; this is aimed totally and completely at the rationalization).

Heaven forfend that students might have to hold different techniques in their poor little heads, or learn the proper way to transition between them without losing skills. Pshaw on all this "education" business.

[TRacer]

Q: What do synths do exactly?

A: They make very realistic breaking sounds while being smashed to bits with a baseball bat. I would pay to see a corps do that on the field-- VK 2010, are you listening?