2nd year for the synth....

[SFZFAN]

I was very excited to see no keyboard in Boston's pit. I was sad to hear the trigger pad sounds anyway. Not necessary - take the sounds out and there is no negative impact to the show whatsoever. So again, the question I ask is this: why bother? Just be brave enough to go completely cold turkey and show the world of drum corps that you don't need electronic sounds to compete. Simple as that.

Three keyboards in Crossmen's pit.

Guitar and bass with Teal Sound.

Everyone else doing same stuff: keyboards that make keyboard-like sounds, and/or hype up the bass for impacts, and like last year I do not trust that hornlines can be fairly judged when a keyboard is being used as a support for the horns.

Sorry but there is one keyboard in Boston's pit. It's at the far right in the back mounted behind the other percussion instruments. You can't see it till they tear down and roll off.

[bdevil08]

I gotta say that is about as close to the polar opposite of my opinion as someone could get. The LAST thing I want is a hornline "supported" by a synth trying to copy a brass sound. That IMO poisions the purity of a brassline, and I don't care how good or high quality the synth, the difference is palpable. I think the best uses of synth to date have been to create effects that you could not otherwise create with the existing instrumentation in drum corps.

Bingo. I agree with you all about the low end support--when you have 12, 16 or even 20 tubas, you SHOULD NOT need it (not saying all do use it for that purpose). Generally, I think it has been mixed in well. Sometimes I don't even notice it. But those 8 or so counts that it is exposed sometimes make me cringe.

[MikeN]

Sorry for the quick posts in succession, but one thing that did strike me as kind of incongruous about the use of synthesizers -

I'll use Carolina Crown's Danzon #2 as an example. In this case, they use synths to replace a traditional mallet part there to create the sound of ... guitar - another percussion instrument. Meanwhile, we've reduced an entire orchestra's worth of score down to... four-part brass harmony?

Crown is hardly the only one to do something like this (count the number of times piano sounds have already been used) but it does seem strange that with all of the sounds in the world at your disposal, the synths are being used in large part as additional percussive effects in a pit that, quite honestly, was pretty full before.

Mike

[garfield]

I'm meh on electronics, but it's a darn sight better than voice.

Mike

What about electronic voice, Matt, or baby giggles?

[Mello Dude]

Who exactly is using it as a design crutch? This is one of those generic talking points that gets spread around, but no one ever takes the time to explain what they mean. Who is using synthesizers as a "design crutch" to their detriment, and what could they be doing instead that you would consider more creative? Though to be fair, I suppose you probably can't get to 130,000 posts unless you speak in generalities.

Did someone say it was a design crutch in this thread? I looked back and didn't see that anywhere.

[ShortAndFast]

Bingo. I agree with you all about the low end support--when you have 12, 16 or even 20 tubas, you SHOULD NOT need it (not saying all do use it for that purpose). Generally, I think it has been mixed in well. Sometimes I don't even notice it. But those 8 or so counts that it is exposed sometimes make me cringe.

We also haven't had a dome show yet. Last year, the synth low brass seemed much worse in Lucas Oil than in outdoor venues.

[Jeff Ream]

Who exactly is using it as a design crutch? This is one of those generic talking points that gets spread around, but no one ever takes the time to explain what they mean. Who is using synthesizers as a "design crutch" to their detriment, and what could they be doing instead that you would consider more creative? Though to be fair, I suppose you probably can't get to 130,000 posts unless you speak in generalities.

not just synths per se...take Teal and the guitars. at times, when Van Halen is out there jamming, he's covering up stuff. I understand if between the isolated unison attacks if he was the only thing playing...but it's often not. it's often covering up the pit that's playin, as well as the battery and if i recall right, the brass once.

But I think a lot of the piano moments really would work just as well if not better with the regular pit, as the sound comes off as harsh and unbalanced. It's like people have the toys, and feel compelled to use them, even if they don't really feel comfortable within the context of the show.

plus...some of the vocal/sound effects also, IMO cover up some nice musical moments. I will say it's not as bad at the top of the pecking order as it is at the bottom....but it still happens

[Jeff Ream]

Sorry for the quick posts in succession, but one thing that did strike me as kind of incongruous about the use of synthesizers -

I'll use Carolina Crown's Danzon #2 as an example. In this case, they use synths to replace a traditional mallet part there to create the sound of ... guitar - another percussion instrument. Meanwhile, we've reduced an entire orchestra's worth of score down to... four-part brass harmony?

Crown is hardly the only one to do something like this (count the number of times piano sounds have already been used) but it does seem strange that with all of the sounds in the world at your disposal, the synths are being used in large part as additional percussive effects in a pit that, quite honestly, was pretty full before.

Mike

it seems as if everyone is using it because they feel they have to

[Jeff Ream]

We also haven't had a dome show yet. Last year, the synth low brass seemed much worse in Lucas Oil than in outdoor venues.

Atlanta will be telling

[Mello Dude]

it seems as if everyone is using it because they feel they have to

BINGO! Perception is everything.