Low-End Synth

[BOSMarcher]

How may of them, and how do you know?

Mainly because I am a band director... but also that it would appear at contests, more and more bands are using synths. It is simply a matter of being used to it. If I am a freshman and my band has always used a synth, I am not going to think that a synth sounds bad at a drum corps show... I am already used to it. I have know idea how many, but it is simple logic that is true. You do not know how many either.

Like I said, I chose indifferent. My favorite sound this year is Crown's and do not believe they are using a synth to crank of the volume. However, I have seen shows that do not bother me when their synth is used... and some that do.

[acn]

Hate it. It sounds 2nd rate. It's sounds cheap/fake etc....I hate all electronics. Period.

GO SCOUTS!!!

[HockeyDad]

Do I personally like the electronics and synths in DCI? Nope. Did I like the microphoned talking in the Cadets 2009 show? Nope. Will I still go see DCI shows because I am entertained by the activity? Yep.

Stu, how many people are like you and will still go, and how many will no longer go? I think a point here is......dci doesn't know, hasn't developed a way to figure it out (a "metric" as we say in the business....hate that word, but I digress), and.... doesn't appear to care (?). I guess that last one would be conjecture on my part.

Anyway, is this how successful businesses work, i.e. not knowing who your customer is, or what they like or dislike? Maybe.....the customer is the Texas high school kids. OK. Go get them.

[hammondbrass]

Hate it. It sounds 2nd rate. It's sounds cheap/fake etc....I hate all electronics. Period.

GO SCOUTS!!!

You hate all electronics that you know about. I guarantee you that you've loved some film scores, tv shows, etc. that use them extremely well (I recommend the Dark Knight soundtrack). If done right, they have the potential to take music on a field to the next level. It just takes vision.

[Lance]

Mainly because I am a band director... but also that it would appear at contests, more and more bands are using synths. It is simply a matter of being used to it. If I am a freshman and my band has always used a synth, I am not going to think that a synth sounds bad at a drum corps show... I am already used to it. I have know idea how many, but it is simple logic that is true. You do not know how many either.

Like I said, I chose indifferent. My favorite sound this year is Crown's and do not believe they are using a synth to crank of the volume. However, I have seen shows that do not bother me when their synth is used... and some that do.

I'm only an assistant band director.

I'd feel silly trying to say teaching them gives me insight into how all marching band kids feel about electronics in drum corps.

[acn]

You hate all electronics that you know about. I guarantee you that you've loved some film scores, tv shows, etc. that use them extremely well (I recommend the Dark Knight soundtrack). If done right, they have the potential to take music on a field to the next level. It just takes vision.

I should have been more clear. I hate all electronics in DCI. Period.

[Piper]

Synths are a low end artificial instrument that I suspect were originally designed for kids who are still in potty training. They have nothing to do with musical talent or ability.

Edited July 3, 2010 by Piper

[HockeyDad]

If done right, they have the potential to take music on a field to the next level. It just takes vision.

I have never understood this argument...... the thesis that drum corps performances need to be "taken to the next level" by changing the rules every year. It's either organizational ADD, or, someone wants to keep changing rules to give his corps a competitive advantage. That's how it appears to me anyway.

Let's compare this to marching bands. How about college marching bands? Major college marching bands are viewed by significantly larger audiences than drum corps. I have yet to see a big ten band, for example, that used narration, amps, synths, in a way similar to drum corps. Heck, UW-Madison doesn't even have a color guard. These bands, for the most part, are loved by their audiences. So....what gives? They aren't "taking it to the next level" - they are loved in Large part due to their traditions. Script Ohio. Conquest (Trojan marching band). The "5th quarter" (Wisconsin). And on and on and on.

So....the only credible reasoning I can think of is that drum corps has decided to appeal to the music majors, to the esoteric - popular appeal be dammed. OK.... whatever. But don't wrap it in the reasoning that it's "taking it the next level", and that's it's visionary. Because it's not. It's change for change sake. And recent changes have just been bad ideas - who's doing narration this year, for example?

[Captncontra]

You hate all electronics that you know about. I guarantee you that you've loved some film scores, tv shows, etc. that use them extremely well (I recommend the Dark Knight soundtrack). If done right, they have the potential to take music on a field to the next level. It just takes vision.

That's just it; in film scores, tv shows etc EVERY INSTRUMENT is mic'd. We aren't hearing acoustic brass with mic'd electronic garbage spread over the top. For me, mixing electronic and acoustic sounds is a horrible clash that completely destroys a live show. Either go all acoustic or have a mic on every horn out there, mixing the two IMO is like nails on a chalk board.

[Joe S]

I'm sorry, but get rid of it!