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Yes, you hate electronics, but...


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In another thread, Boo suggested:

Please share some of the amplification and/or electronics moments you consider to be appropriate and in good taste. That could inspire some thought among others and perhaps a whole new thread about what works for the most people.

Sounds great to me! So I'm a big detractor of synths and electronics in general. I prefer my drum corps 100% acoustic. However, it ain't all bad. What electronics/synth/voice/amp/samples have you liked, despite yourself? Or, if you've been in favor of A&E all along, that's cool, too. What have been your favorite uses of the new toys?

* Boston 2009: the atmospheric sitar (I think?) and falling bass hits in the pre-show

* Bluecoats 2010: I ended up liking the distorted brass solos way more than I wanted to

* Crown 2007: one of the most fun and charming uses of amplified voice I've seen, perfectly compliments and supplements the action

* Cavaliers 2009: "HELLO! ... hello! hello! hello!" "Is anybody in there?! ... no!"

* Cadets 2005: the drumline dut-diddle-ddddrut-dut-voicing their parts into the mic

So what did you like, without wanting to?

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Not a single thing, I genuinely and truly believe that it has all been distracting and takes away, rather than adds to, the Drum Corps experience.

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I really liked the sound from the 2005 Bluecoats Log Drums which would not have been audible without the microphones and speakers.

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Not a single thing, I genuinely and truly believe that it has all been distracting and takes away, rather than adds to, the Drum Corps experience.

My case is proven for me

"I absolutely refuse to even entertain the notion that there are ANY positives involved with amplification and/or electronics" :thumbdown:

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* Bluecoats 2010: I ended up liking the distorted brass solos way more than I wanted to

That surprised me, too. The solo treatment was so appropriate, but I didn't expect it to grow on me like it did.

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In another thread, Boo suggested:

Sounds great to me! So I'm a big detractor of synths and electronics in general. I prefer my drum corps 100% acoustic. However, it ain't all bad. What electronics/synth/voice/amp/samples have you liked, despite yourself? Or, if you've been in favor of A&E all along, that's cool, too. What have been your favorite uses of the new toys?

* Boston 2009: the atmospheric sitar (I think?) and falling bass hits in the pre-show

* Bluecoats 2010: I ended up liking the distorted brass solos way more than I wanted to

* Crown 2007: one of the most fun and charming uses of amplified voice I've seen, perfectly compliments and supplements the action

* Cavaliers 2009: "HELLO! ... hello! hello! hello!" "Is anybody in there?! ... no!"

* Cadets 2005: the drumline dut-diddle-ddddrut-dut-voicing their parts into the mic

So what did you like, without wanting to?

I think electronics is fine when the announcer says "on the field" and to give the scores at the end. Other than that....

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I appreciate the fact that the mallet instruments can be played at an appropriate dynamic level and be heard - not beating the crap out of them!

Other than that, not much!! The synthesizers are REALLY annoying to me, I would like to see them gone.

The Bluecoats solo treatment was pretty cool though.

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The GARFIELD Cadets singing "AMEN" in the late 70's....

oh wait, that was not amplified. Sorry. AND oh wait again... they would have been penalized for singing that when they did it then, so instead they held up a sign expaining the fact they wouldn't sing "Amen" at the end of their show that year...

:thumbdown:

But let me add quickly that I did enjoy the guy from Pioneer this year and his vocalization. Otherwise, more times than not, I feel that the imbalance of amplification to marimbas, Xylos and timps are annoying and erratic ... too loud sometimes, not loud enough other times. And then a sound effect-type instrument is sometimes completely lost in the mix. I've said at shows before "Ooo nice effect" for some cleverly used brake drum or shaker or claves, etc etc, and the person I was with said "Huh? I missed that..." It's a "WORK IN PROGRESS" as I see it, and not everything will be caught or "perfectly" enhanced, I know. But I am slowly accepting it... LOL

Edited by GGarrett
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