Amplification/Electronics: 2011 Season

[Hrothgar15]

that's a general statement.

how about gettin specific.

was the effect exactly the same for each corps? do you have any science or math to back it up?

again, specific examples were what the person you're responding to asked for.

I didn't record any quantitative data, no, but I could have. So no, no science here, just what I remember thinking.

Recently I remember Phantom's horns losing a lot of clarity thanks to the pit amps during the ballad at the West Chester show, and pretty much whenever the Crossmen played anything fast. Same thing with Blue Stars at finals towards the end of their opener. There's tons more times I remember thinking that during shows; I could go on. Isolated incidents but It's more of a general observation.

[fsubone]

No, it wasn't. There was very clearly someone jamming down his fingers on a synthesizer whose volume was turned up to eleven. It was very noticeable and approached the brass sound in volume. Except one was an acoustic brass sound and the other was an electronically produced sound with zero acoustic analog, whose volume was entirely artificial and at the whim of a knob.

Dude, please stop. I've tried to let you go on this, but come on. I was in that hornline, if anyone would know what was making that sound, I think it would be me. Just let it go, we all know you hate amps and synths, but stop saying that every loud moment from a drum corps show is because of the electronics! That entire impact was only the hornline. There was a synth part, but it was not during the impact. That part was pulled before Finals Week. let it go, you can keep your stupid little delusions, but please, stop trying to take down good drum corps shows because of it.

[MikeD]

Ah! So you have left it to DCI to define what drum corps is for you. Luckilly, DCI does not define drum corps and what it is, and I think a LOT of people think that it is. In some ways this seems rather Orwellian.

DCI defines what drum corps is for DCI corps and its fans.

[charlie1223]

I didn't record any quantitative data, no, but I could have. So no, no science here, just what I remember thinking.

Recently I remember Phantom's horns losing a lot of clarity thanks to the pit amps during the ballad at the West Chester show, and pretty much whenever the Crossmen played anything fast. Same thing with Blue Stars at finals towards the end of their opener. There's tons more times I remember thinking that during shows; I could go on. Isolated incidents but It's more of a general observation.

Thanks, that's all we were asking for... Don't need to get snippy with science!

You know balance is always a difficult thing to maintain in drum corps with so many variables. The pit amps might have been set a one level during practice and at the show the members of the pit could have gotten excited and played louder than they did before thus changing the the balance unexpectedly. Or, the horn line might have not been as loud as they should have at those points in the show.

It's not that I think those balance issues (the specific ones you mentioned above) don't occur. I just don't think they occur on purpose. And frankly amps or no amps, balance issues would STILL be a concern.

Edited December 31, 2010 by charlie1223

[MikeD]

Having caught myself up on the posts related to the evolution of the activity, this one seemed to have slipped through with little attention even though it is so important to the discussion.

It is the restrictions and limitations put on the activity that forces the creativity. The rules say "Play anything you want to but do it with only brass and drums", forcing arrangers to be truly creative to get the source material's intent across within those rules.

There is no one single way to be creative. It CAN be as you describe, but it can also be playing anything the designer wants with any combination of instruments, including voice, synths, WW, strings, etc...

[Hrothgar15]

stop saying that every loud moment from a drum corps show is because of the electronics! .

That's a ludicrous statement. I doubt anyone who's ever even listened to a drum corps recording would go near that claim.

That entire impact was only the hornline. There was a synth part, but it was not during the impact. That part was pulled before Finals Week..

I wasn't referring to Finals.

let it go, you can keep your stupid little delusions, but please, stop trying to take down good drum corps shows because of it

Huh? That show was probably my third favorite of the season. Wanna know where I was during the impact? Participating in a mid-show standing ovation (a rarity these days), with my arms outstretched. I can point myself out to you in the high cam video if you don't believe me.

Edited December 31, 2010 by Hrothgar15

[Lance]

Dude, please stop. I've tried to let you go on this, but come on. I was in that hornline, if anyone would know what was making that sound, I think it would be me. Just let it go, we all know you hate amps and synths, but stop saying that every loud moment from a drum corps show is because of the electronics! That entire impact was only the hornline. There was a synth part, but it was not during the impact. That part was pulled before Finals Week....

thanks for clarifying.

you really didn't have to, though.

but it was nice of you.

Edited December 31, 2010 by Lance

[MikeD]

I just prefer, like drum corps used to do, find creative ways to figure out the signing part.

That IS what the Cadets are doing...being creative.

[Hrothgar15]

Though I am curious, what did they change the synth player's part to during the impact?

[charlie1223]

Quite honestly when they went to all Bb the whole point of amping the pit was kinda not needed anymore.

BTW they don't amp the pit just for volumes sake but also for quality of sound sake. The instruments used in the pit Do not carry period with out mics when a horn line is blaring. The only way that you would be able to hear the pit over any horn line (Xflat) you would have to distort the timbre of these instruments and when you do that it sounds pretty harsh... Just listen to any recording pre- pit mic days. The sounds of the pit were very harsh and "bell-y". Now, we can get lush marimba sounds, more appreciable vibe and bell sounds, soft cymbal timbres, and intricate trap instruments which add new colorful percussive sounds to drum corps (whether you want it or not).

Also, mic-ing the pit also has a great deal to do with technique. Not that you can't play loud with good technique, but that more advanced playing can only be achieved if the main goal is to create music and not to bang the #### out of the keyboards just to be noticed.

Also, this post is not making a statement about how a pit should be balanced in drum corps.

Edited December 31, 2010 by charlie1223