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Judging Amplification and Electronics


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and apparently are only truly effective if your ### vibrates in your seat

Suddenly thought of South Parks (haven't watched in years) "Brown Note" episode.....

You can do it but...

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Well, at Allentown last year a certain nameless corps had a pit member rocking out while holding a single key down with one finger for an interminable period during the closer. Butts were vibrating in seats, and the tubas were virtually inaudable. I'm sure this person is a talented musician but there's not a lot of demand in holding down one key for 30-40 counts, but there was a ton of talent being wasted in that tuba line.

The effect? It annoyed the hell out of me.

Great - we proved we can make a big noise lower than the range of 16 or so tubas while being considerably louder. Congrats.

OK - now you proved you can do it, please stop......

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Well, at Allentown last year a certain nameless corps had a pit member rocking out while holding a single key down with one finger for an interminable period during the closer. Butts were vibrating in seats, and the tubas were virtually inaudable. I'm sure this person is a talented musician but there's not a lot of demand in holding down one key for 30-40 counts, but there was a ton of talent being wasted in that tuba line.

The effect? It annoyed the hell out of me.

Great - we proved we can make a big noise lower than the range of 16 or so tubas while being considerably louder. Congrats.

OK - now you proved you can do it, please stop......

I agree with you if you are discussing just technical facility; but demand has to be placed in context of the desired musical phrase. Here is a musical question for you: Which is more "musical"; a keyboard player producing block chord structures (not much demand) or a keyboard player producing really fast sextuplet arpeggios (technical facility required)? So again, which aspect is more "musical"? Or does it depend on context?

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I understand your point about the appropriate nature of the writing to the passage it is supporting, but if you're asking "was the sustained note appropriate to the melodic intent" my answer would be a firm "no"! Not only was it low demand in a high-GE moment, it was over-balanced against the ensemble and ruined a lot of great work out on the field.

Caveat - IMHO........

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I understand your point about the appropriate nature of the writing to the passage it is supporting, but if you're asking "was the sustained note appropriate to the melodic intent" my answer would be a firm "no"! Not only was it low demand in a high-GE moment, it was over-balanced against the ensemble and ruined a lot of great work out on the field.

Caveat - IMHO........

So, if the sustained note happens to be appropriate to the melodic intent as well as correctly balanced against the ensemble you would call it musical and be fine with it; correct? Or, is a sustained note just never musically appropriate at all in your opinion?

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Where are you trying to lead me to here, Stu?

Best open secret - I don't like electronics. They seem to operate in two modes:

mode 1 - I can't hear them, in which case, what's the point?

mode 2 - I can hear them, and wish they were operating in mode 1.

Add me to the dino club mailing list - rawwwrr..... :tongue:

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Where are you trying to lead me to here, Stu?

Best open secret - I don't like electronics. They seem to operate in two modes:

mode 1 - I can't hear them, in which case, what's the point?

mode 2 - I can hear them, and wish they were operating in mode 1.

Add me to the dino club mailing list - rawwwrr..... :tongue:

Lead you to informing the truth!! You do not like any instrument which has been invented after 1876 when inventor Elisha Gray discovered that he could control musical sound wave forms from an electromagnetic oscillator which was the genesis of the musical instrument paradigm change of the twentieth century. At least one thing is for certain; your self-claim to be a Dino is correct :tongue:

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Lead you to informing the truth!! You do not like any instrument which has been invented after 1876 when inventor Elisha Gray discovered that he could control musical sound wave forms from an electromagnetic oscillator which was the genesis of the musical instrument paradigm change of the twentieth century. At least one thing is for certain; your self-claim to be a Dino is correct :tongue:

Proud to be a dino, young feller.....

The fact that I like Led Zep playing electric guitars (invented 1931) and the fact that I loved the sustained note at the end of SCV's Agnus Dei kinda kills that hypothesis, doesn't it.....

But yes - this is my musical taste. The one finger note I described, the constant Cavalier Nature Boy samples last year, and the incessant muttering in Blue Devils show this year are all examples of poorly concieved use of electronics, IMHO. Last year I thought Crown pushed them a little but probably had the best use out there of corps where there was a noticable use of them.

rawrrrrr

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Proud to be a dino, young feller.....

The fact that I like Led Zep playing electric guitars (invented 1931) and the fact that I loved the sustained note at the end of SCV's Agnus Dei kinda kills that hypothesis, doesn't it.....

But yes - this is my musical taste. The one finger note I described, the constant Cavalier Nature Boy samples last year, and the incessant muttering in Blue Devils show this year are all examples of poorly concieved use of electronics, IMHO. Last year I thought Crown pushed them a little but probably had the best use out there of corps where there was a noticable use of them.

rawrrrrr

You *assume* that I am young; while I am not yet able to pull money out of retirement without a penalty I am way older than you seem to believe me to be. I have just chosen to accept that things will always change; and I either have to accept (sometimes tolerate) those changes or just move on to a different activity. Hop would have lost me if the G7 proposal had gone through but that is a different matter than the topic of this thread.

As for musical taste it is just that: musical taste; nothing more; nothing less. You appear to balk at the peripheral electronic instrument additions. That is fine. Some balk at the grounded pit; some balk at the third valve on the bugle; some balk at the Bb horns saying thay are not even bugles; some balk at the dancing guards; it is all opinion and all of them are valid opinions. And here is my line in the sand: As long as the *bulk* of the DCI show music is being performed by horns and drums, and they are performing field maneuvers, I am fine with the various peripheral instrument additions for added color and texture even if (OMG) peripheral ww are added. As long as *the focus* of DCI is still on the horns/drums/guard I for one will stick with DCI.

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You *assume* that I am young; while I am not yet able to pull money out of retirement without a penalty I am way older than you seem to believe me to be. I have just chosen to accept that things will always change; and I either have to accept (sometimes tolerate) those changes or just move on to a different activity. Hop would have lost me if the G7 proposal had gone through but that is a different matter than the topic of this thread.

As for musical taste it is just that: musical taste; nothing more; nothing less. You appear to balk at the peripheral electronic instrument additions. That is fine. Some balk at the grounded pit; some balk at the third valve on the bugle; some balk at the Bb horns saying thay are not even bugles; some balk at the dancing guards; it is all opinion and all of them are valid opinions. And here is my line in the sand: As long as the *bulk* of the DCI show music is being performed by horns and drums, and they are performing field maneuvers, I am fine with the various peripheral instrument additions for added color and texture even if (OMG) peripheral ww are added. As long as *the focus* of DCI is still on the horns/drums/guard I for one will stick with DCI.

I guess I should have put a :tongue: after the "young feller" thing. Just playing on the "Grandpa" name and your agreement that I'm a dino. Please don't take me seriously there.

I agree - it's all musical taste. I just expressed mine. That's what the forum is for. I'm not advocating a return to starting lines and timing pistols and rope drums, Ijust don't appreciate the recent electronic direction, many agree with me, many do not.

The only difference between us is that our lines in the sand are not in the same place and for me, that's not a big deal.

Cheers!

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