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Amplification/Electronics: 2011 Season


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No matter the type or quality of the show, is it impossible to enjoy it just because of the use of amplification, even if it's tastefully done and utilized effectively? Does it become a deal killer the moment someone plugs something in?

Yes and no. Most of the time it is simply awful. You can always point to a diamond in the rough...but that is far and few between. But, unfortunately, we have become a country that points to the exception rather than the rule.

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Not forever. We only have a couple of years left there, sadly after I age-out, but there will be a change of venue in 2014. I never said I don't enjoy Lucas Oil, I was just saying the acoustics really aren't an optimal listening environment, but it's a dream field to march on. And I think that given more time, we will see better uses of the synths and amps. I mean, even track the history to now. We started out with Crown '04, which was pretty cringe-worthy....(Beat poetry anyone?) all the way up till the great use from Cavaliers and Bluecoats this year. It's one of those things that corps will get more used to using, and come up with better, more creative uses for it to help please everyone.

How long do they need? A good soundman needs about 2 minutes..drum corps need a decade? There's a reason it's been horrible to date...it just doesn't fit.

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In your opinion of what drum corps "is".

The powers that be in DCI have allowed (for good or ill) the use of amps and vocals and what not. As fsubone has mentioned, it may not be what the older crowd considers drum corps, but it's what he and many other "newbies" consider the norm.

just because it is the norm doesn't mean the kids like it though... I wonder what results you would get if you polled all the horn line members asking how they feel about synths doubling brass parts. I bet most of the kids would be against it.

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just because it is the norm doesn't mean the kids like it though... I wonder what results you would get if you polled all the horn line members asking how they feel about synths doubling brass parts. I bet most of the kids would be against it.

You know, in my last two years in a hornline, I can't think of one time where I actually noticed the synth doubling our parts.... (I'm low brass by the way, the one people say is always doubled). When there's 75 other people around you, you can't hear much of anything else, especially given how far away the pit is usually from the players. I've never really heard a thing, unless I put on recordings, and really, really, really, really strain to hear it.

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How long do they need? A good soundman needs about 2 minutes..drum corps need a decade? There's a reason it's been horrible to date...it just doesn't fit.

It hasn't been a decade though. it's been 6 years, and I'll give you that, it's been awhile, but look at how it's changed in that time. Amps and synths are now integrated into the music, they're part of the fabric of the show now. That's new. And most of these corps don't have a professional sound guy. It's usually a volunteer with some sound experience that can run the boards. I'm sure if they had the money, they'd go and rent a sound guy off Broadway, or grab Bon Jovi's sound guy. But they don't have that kind of money, so they take what they can get.

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Amps and synths are now integrated into the music, they're part of the fabric of the show now.

Is that really the consensus view?

And most of these corps don't have a professional sound guy. It's usually a volunteer with some sound experience that can run the boards. I'm sure if they had the money, they'd go and rent a sound guy off Broadway, or grab Bon Jovi's sound guy. But they don't have that kind of money, so they take what they can get.

That's actually an argument against the use of amplified sound.

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It hasn't been a decade though. it's been 6 years, and I'll give you that, it's been awhile, but look at how it's changed in that time. Amps and synths are now integrated into the music, they're part of the fabric of the show now. That's new. And most of these corps don't have a professional sound guy. It's usually a volunteer with some sound experience that can run the boards. I'm sure if they had the money, they'd go and rent a sound guy off Broadway, or grab Bon Jovi's sound guy. But they don't have that kind of money, so they take what they can get.

I honestly think the amps sound a lot worse now than they did back in, say, 2005. Back then I never noticed some of the problems I do now.

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just because it is the norm doesn't mean the kids like it though... I wonder what results you would get if you polled all the horn line members asking how they feel about synths doubling brass parts. I bet most of the kids would be against it.

I don't think synths double brass parts... all the time. They definitely use the synth for the big hit moments in the shows. But as far as the stuff in between there aren't synths doubling say a 16th note run in the mellos or trumpet melody... I'm pretty confident about that.

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