Derek Smith Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 Already happened. Spirit had a bass in their pit, and Teal Sound had a full-out rock band in their pit. I don't know if Teal used timpani or not, but I know Spirit didn't have any. Oh. Well I definitely missed that! I still haven't seen all of the shows yet from this year, and for some reason I had thought specifically that electronic stringed instruments were illegal, but obviously not. I wouldn't be surprised then if we saw a few more groups get rid of the timpanist this year, and more the next. I don't really like it, but lugging timpani around really is a pain in the rear end (can't imagine marching with one, haha), there aren't enough good timpanists out there to play these electric bass parts on timpani, and the people who are writing the drum corps shows are already writing the indoor shows that use a bass instead of timpani. I just don't see them lasting much longer on the field. I haven't seen much (really any) BOA stuff, but I know most of those schools pits are basically circuit city. Is it still popular to have a timpanist at these BOA schools? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iLikezdasnurr Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 there are so many things that synths just cant do. i say no way, id rather have some dude talking into a mic on the fifty than hearing a synth "replace" anything in the pit. Yea timps are big and heavy. im sorry i thought was drum corps, not wussy corps, no one ever complained until they found an easier way to do it. as far as price, yea they are expensive. but its not like you NEED to buy brand new ones every season. if the corps takes care of them and changes the heads every now and then i dont see why one set cant last a long time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 That being said, I don't understand why EVERY Corps finds a need to use amps in their pit, or a synth, or amplified voice, or whatever. I know you were probably just being rhetorical, but just for clarity....not everyone has used amplified voice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 And let's face it, if you accept the "no woodwinds" argument that they're not built for touring, marching, adverse conditions... and you're going to tell me that concert timpani *are*?!? Or the marimba? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 I disagree. At the risk of shooting myself in the foot for any future defense of synths, the sound is not even close to the same. The expressive range of a synth is extremely one-dimensional. The only thing you can do to affect the sound you're putting out is very how hard you hit the key, which results in an internal "velocity" value ranging from 0 to 127. It may look like a piano, but it's really a very simple substitute. Coming from a classical piano background, there's a huge variety in sound that you can achieve on a good grand that's absolutely not there in a synth. Likewise, take any of the other pit instruments - it's not just about how hard you hit a key or a cymbal measured in 128 discrete chunks. There's the question of what mallet/stick you're using just to begin with, the speed of your stroke, how high you're playing from, and countless other fine touches (I'm not a marimba player, I just play one on TV/watch them rehearse all the time). A synth may seem like it can replicate another instrument, but it can't really replicate all the nuances of technique and performance that really talented performers (like those in drum corps) have. I could argue that 128 discrete chunks are enough....but it's moot when the synth is tied into a mixing board, and someone is riding the gains throughout the show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitBos Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 That being said, I don't understand why EVERY Corps finds a need to use amps in their pit, or a synth, or amplified voice, or whatever. I know you were probably just being rhetorical, but just for clarity....not everyone has used amplified voice. Just so it's known, not every corps had their pit amped, either. I marched in an Open Class (yes, OPEN Class) front ensemble, for eight years actually, and we've never had amps. And, on top of that, at one or two shows this past summer, one judge actually said that the pit was TOO loud; and not because the rest of the corps was playing too soft, or they went to play at a softer dynamic and thepit didn't. But the judge basically told us to turn down the amps, and like I said, we weren't using any amps... My point? A front ensemble IS able to play loud enough without using amps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BozzlyB Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 Timpani in drum corps will disappear when the electric bass is legalized. Look at WGI (that's why we have synths now, isn't it? so all of the WGI guys can write in the same style for drum corps?). DCI timpani parts nowadays are basically electric bass parts anyways. It's awesome to find a timpanist who can play like that and who is willing to march drum corps (there are very few timpanists good enough to play what these guys are writing), but the drum corps style of playing is rather far removed from how the instruments are used in a wind ensemble / orchestral setting in my opinion.Also, I don't know much about the synth tech out there and mixing patches or whatever these fancy machines do, but all of the midi timpani I've ever heard is a complete lolocaust, so I doubt that the timpani voice will be replaced in the synth section by midi timps. That's just such an epic fail I don't even know where to start. An electric bass sounds NOTHING like a timpani, no arranger worth the dirt they stand on would replace a timp with an electric bass, if anything at all it would be the synth replacing it and at least doing a fair job of replicating the sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BozzlyB Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 Spirit didn't use a timp imo because the sound didn't fit with what they were trying to create as a show. You'd have a hard time convincing me that the electric bass line in that show was supposed to be replacing timp parts, if you had a guy playing the bass parts from that show on timp it would sound ridiculous. If anything the bass was subsidizing their contra line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrinkinOuttaCups Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 (edited) Spirit didn't use a timp imo because the sound didn't fit with what they were trying to create as a show. You'd have a hard time convincing me that the electric bass line in that show was supposed to be replacing timp parts, if you had a guy playing the bass parts from that show on timp it would sound ridiculous. If anything the bass was subsidizing their contra line. Except that the bass part didn't double the contra part. Don't tell me otherwise. I'm friends with the bass player (I go to school with him - hell, I'm the guy who convinced him to try out in the first place). I've seen his part. It does not double the contra part. Period. But I agree with you on your other points. That bass solo after the drumbreak in the closer was awesome specifically because it was on a bass. If it had been played on a timpani (or even a contra), it wouldn't have had the same effect. Edited December 30, 2009 by BugleBand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 Just so it's known, not every corps had their pit amped, either. I marched in an Open Class (yes, OPEN Class) front ensemble, for eight years actually, and we've never had amps. And, on top of that, at one or two shows this past summer, one judge actually said that the pit was TOO loud; and not because the rest of the corps was playing too soft, or they went to play at a softer dynamic and thepit didn't. But the judge basically told us to turn down the amps, and like I said, we weren't using any amps... Yes, that's true too....but as this is the "world-class" forum, some will contend that all (WC) corps are using pit amplification and electronic instruments. My point? A front ensemble IS able to play loud enough without using amps. Oh, I agree....thanks for relating this example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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