The "Tick" System

[cixelsyd]

9 hours ago, MikeD said:

The first truly portable cassette player was the Sony Walkman, invented in 1979, where the user could carry it around and listen to music easily. The machines were just a little larger than the cassette itself. Recorders of that size were also around that timeframe.

Page 7 of the 1977 DCI yearbook has a photo of a DCI judge using a handheld tape recorder.  Yearbooks were published in the pre-season using photos from the previous year, so the photo is therefore from 1976.  

[cixelsyd]

9 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

with recordings you can hear what they are talking about, and also the sheets today have fare more consistent terminology. You see the tick system never had a standardized definition of what a tick was despite all the hype. it was every bit as objective as today, but recordings definitely hold a judge far more accountable. Remember the mess in 13 when at semis Crowns percussion number suddenly skyrocketed after seeing them running 6/7th all season when the big dogs gathered? yeah that caused a firestorm. and the recording is out there...good lord. That number nowhere near close to being justified

So it is really the recording that provides enhanced "accountability".  Makes sense to me.

[IllianaLancerContra]

16 hours ago, Continental said:

Does anyone know when judges first started using tape recorders?

Yes, it was tried in the 1950s w/ the GE judges, as 'tape recorder' at that time meant a reel-to-reel, which needed to be plugged in (apparently there was a battery-powered version as well, but these were too big for a judge to carry.  So not used by execution judges.)

The cassette tape was apparently invented in 1963 (as a means to take dictation in an office environment);  by late 1960s hand held, battery-powered recorders were available.  

I would think cassette recorders were commonly in use by the early 1970s, esp at big shows.

 

[IllianaLancerContra]

On 11/27/2020 at 1:27 PM, GUARDLING said:

One also has to look at what was being done under each system. As some might think todays wouldnt survive under a tic system. corps from back then wouldnt survive in many ways in todays world ....all around...kinda pointless comparing 

They were great BITD for many reasons, including pushing the envelope to lead the way to today, as there are greats today for dozens of reasons

Tick era shows would not score well today, & today's shows would not score well in the tick era (even if you ignored the things that would get a DQ (timing, number of members, electronics, etc)).

Shows are designed to be successful under the judging system in place.  If you took 2019 Blue Devils designers & had them design a show with the 1976 rules (including V/R bugles, no pit, ticks, etc), the result would look a lot like the 1976 Blue Devils

[IllianaLancerContra]

4 hours ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

 

sorry - double post

1 Tick for execution

Edited November 29, 2020 by IllianaLancerContra

[MikeD]

2 hours ago, cixelsyd said:

Page 7 of the 1977 DCI yearbook has a photo of a DCI judge using a handheld tape recorder.  Yearbooks were published in the pre-season using photos from the previous year, so the photo is therefore from 1976.  

I have not seen that picture. I started judging in 76. Execution judges did not use tapes. GE in the box were first. Analysis judges were first of the field judges to use tapes. Does the picture show a machine the size of a walkman or one of the larger portable machines that were about a foot long and 8 inches wide?  

[GUARDLING]

2 hours ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

Tick era shows would not score well today, & today's shows would not score well in the tick era (even if you ignored the things that would get a DQ (timing, number of members, electronics, etc)).

Shows are designed to be successful under the judging system in place.  If you took 2019 Blue Devils designers & had them design a show with the 1976 rules (including V/R bugles, no pit, ticks, etc), the result would look a lot like the 1976 Blue Devils

very true

[cixelsyd]

1 hour ago, MikeD said:

I have not seen that picture. I started judging in 76. Execution judges did not use tapes. GE in the box were first. Analysis judges were first of the field judges to use tapes. Does the picture show a machine the size of a walkman or one of the larger portable machines that were about a foot long and 8 inches wide?  

The recorder looks to be no more than seven inches long, almost four inches wide, and just over an inch thick.

[Continental]

3 hours ago, MikeD said:

I have not seen that picture. I started judging in 76. Execution judges did not use tapes. GE in the box were first. Analysis judges were first of the field judges to use tapes. Does the picture show a machine the size of a walkman or one of the larger portable machines that were about a foot long and 8 inches wide?  

There were portable cassette recorders not that far from the size of a Walkman earlier on.  Many developed by Sony, the makers of the original Walkman.  However they were expensive. 

The Walkman made them affordable for the general consumer.  I remember the one I got.  It was $100 back then which was a big chunk of change in comparison to now.  I really hope the person who found it in the back of the taxi I left it in enjoyed it as much as I did.

[Jeff Ream]

14 hours ago, cixelsyd said:

So it is really the recording that provides enhanced "accountability".  Makes sense to me.

not just of the performance, but of the judges verbiage matching the number. if you give a glowing everything is great tape, then hand out a 16...well WTF?