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As Ken Norman just said... Ken Mason (audio db) is our foremost expert on drum corps audio...

and that and a dime wouldnt buy you coffee at McDonalds!

just sayin.....

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and that and a dime wouldnt buy you coffee at McDonalds!

just sayin.....

Wow :thumbup:

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and that and a dime wouldnt buy you coffee at McDonalds!

just sayin.....

When I want coffee I'll go to Dunkin Donuts.

When I want knowledge on sound properties and how they relate to Drum Corps recordings I'll go to Ken M, Ken N and Frank D.

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AMEN!!!!!!

When I want coffee I'll go to Dunkin Donuts.

When I want knowledge on sound properties and how they relate to Drum Corps recordings I'll go to Ken M, Ken N and Frank D.

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When I want coffee I'll go to Dunkin Donuts.

When I want knowledge on sound properties and how they relate to Drum Corps recordings I'll go to Ken M, Ken N and Frank D.

Darn Skippy!

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Darn Skippy!

What that I like Flunkin' Dog###s? coffee :devil:

Hell I'm still in shock that not only do I know who these people are, I've communicated with all three of them (2 face to face). Not bad for a techie who does Drum Corp as a hobbie. :thumbup:

Edit: LOL, almost forgot, we've met too.

Edited by JimF-LowBari
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Folks, this is THE current drumcorps audio specialist posting.

Ken - - - how much of this do you attribute to the choice of mics and their placement?

While mic selection and placement certainly matter, the overriding limitation is still the speakers, IMO.

1. No speaker delivers a flat frequency spectrum to begin with.

2. Then, to make matters worse, loudspeakers are even more directional than brass instruments. The different frequencies have markedly different directional behavior....bass distributes widely, while high frequencies drop off sharply at wider angles. The person the speaker is directly aimed at will hear the best balance, but people seated off-axis (i.e. most of the audience) receive a sound heavily colored in favor of the lower frequencies. You could partly compensate for this limitation by spreading out a dozen or more speakers....but that introduces several other problems (both acoustic and financial).

3. Drive a speaker beyond it's capabilities (or bounce it around on an equipment truck long enough) and it's sound will become more distorted.

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While mic selection and placement certainly matter, the overriding limitation is still the speakers, IMO.

1. No speaker delivers a flat frequency spectrum to begin with.

2. Then, to make matters worse, loudspeakers are even more directional than brass instruments. The different frequencies have markedly different directional behavior....bass distributes widely, while high frequencies drop off sharply at wider angles. The person the speaker is directly aimed at will hear the best balance, but people seated off-axis (i.e. most of the audience) receive a sound heavily colored in favor of the lower frequencies. You could partly compensate for this limitation by spreading out a dozen or more speakers....but that introduces several other problems (both acoustic and financial).

3. Drive a speaker beyond it's capabilities (or bounce it around on an equipment truck long enough) and it's sound will become more distorted.

Thanks for your well thought out post. You certainly know your stuff.

I don't know anything about what you just said but from a fans perspective I have always found what you are saying to be true. It depends a lot of where you are seated in the audience and the position of the speaker and the quality of the speakers.

I once was open to them amping the pits but the more I hear at DCI shows and HS band contest the more and more I hate it. I think it distorts the natural sound of the instrumentation. Don't even get me started on the abuse of the amps in the pits, narration, rock bands and solo amplification.

There are arguments for amps I CAN agree with. Certain percussion instruments that can NOT be heard without amping. There have been some very good examples of this over the years but NONE that out weigh the need for total amping of the pit.

So put me down as a Dinosour or anti progressive whatever you want to call me . I don't really care. But I know what I like and I do not like amped pits.

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if you mean it has improved how loud they are yes. otherwise, the results are mostly not good.

IMO..nope, you are wrong. Miccing has been a huge improvement in the sound of the pit...esp marimba and vibes, for the reasons I mentioned. I've experienced it first hand with the band I teach.
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