Roland Electronic Marching Percussion

[stevedb1975]

I actually have seen these in competition before about two or three years ago at a WGI indoor percussion competition in Michigan. A top HS drumline from Walled Lake Central used these in there show and was a very cool effect, at least for a indoor setting.

So the BIIIG question is. Did they completely replace their entire line of acoustic percussion for them for a fully furnished line of ONLY electronic percussion? Or were they just an additional novelty?

[jonnyboy]

I trust System Blue, and System Blue was paid a lot (or a little...I don't really know...but I assume at least some) of money to put these on their snare line and swear how awesome they are. Although this was just a print add..I think. I'm pretty sure I've never seem them on the field with System Blue. Didn't System Blue even have a set of head phone on each drummer? Still they must be awsome. I think most high schools should really buy head phones, Roland marching pads, and assorted accessories so their drumlines can be just like System Blue.

The thing is, the Blue Devils put these pads on their snareline and swore by how great they were. I waited for the pads to hit the field and they never did. Did they use them to practice with? Did they just use them for a photo shoot? What did the kids really think? We will probably never know. Since then, the Blue Devils are slapping "System Blue" on everything and expecting people to buy it. That's the way it works I guess.

If "System Blue" thought they were so awesome, why are we four years into this products existance and we have still not seen them on the field. This proves my point. "If the price is right", any of the best will gladly "humor" a product with a demo or an ad. That doesn't mean that they really did care for the product. It certainly does not mean that System Blue thought they were "awesome". Come on. Lets not be naive here. System Blue only did the ad for the money or the Blue Devils would be going into their 4th season of using these instruments. "Headphones"? You've got to be kidding me!

Sorry my sarcasm was missed by you. Of course these pads are a joke concerning a marching setting, and it's a joke that the Devils shilled for Roland.

So why did you vote that you "disliked" it then if you think they are "awesome"?

NOTICE: This is an open poll. All votes can be viewed even by guests.

(watch, now that I've said something he will remove his vote and change it to "like" to save face. Let the record show that as of the time I'm making this post, Johnnyboy's vote on the poll above is a "dislike").

Let the record show that this guy edited his post and I did not. Sorry my sarcasm was lost on you as well Steve. Good luck on your future DCP fact finding missions and conspiracy theory expose^`s.

[TastyWaves]

Could be really cool in some indoor applications or for stage shows and other things. Logistically i dont see them working out on the field without some very expensive add ons.

As a whole, I think these are phenomenal, but just probably wouldnt go through the effort on the field.

[stevedb1975]

Could be really cool in some indoor applications or for stage shows and other things. Logistically i dont see them working out on the field without some very expensive add ons.

As a whole, I think these are phenomenal, but just probably wouldnt go through the effort on the field.

Very much agree.

[stevedb1975]

Let the record show that this guy edited his post and I did not. Sorry my sarcasm was lost on you as well Steve. Good luck on your future DCP fact finding missions and conspiracy theory expose^`s.

I (like many) edit my posts a lot to correct errors and such. I type fast...sometimes faster than my mind is thinking. As for the sarcasm, hard to detect sometimes. Not just you but anyone behind a computer screen,

[danielray]

The thing is, the Blue Devils put these pads on their snareline and swore by how great they were. I waited for the pads to hit the field and they never did. Did they use them to practice with? Did they just use them for a photo shoot? What did the kids really think? We will probably never know. Since then, the Blue Devils are slapping "System Blue" on everything and expecting people to buy it. That's the way it works I guess.

The BD organization is much broader than just the Blue Devils A corps. I believe these drums have been used a bit for BD entertainment stuff and other kinds of things.

We were using malletkats and synths for standstill gigs in the early 90's, even though none of these ever made it to the field. There is a lot more to groups than just what they do in the competitive program.

[danielray]

DANIEL *oh my gosh this is getting I'm getting a headache*. WE AGREE that the additional sounds would be effective. But what would you do with a line completely stocked with only electronic percussion to GET the "standard acoustic battery sounds"? Just settle for the crap that's on the electric patches? OR....as I've suggested OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER again............use the electronic drums as a NOVELTY for ALLLLLLLL of the cool patches and sounds available....but NOT as a stock replacement. Why are you so bent on fully furnished electronic lines...completely void of acoustic percussion? What do you expect to gain from abandonig all acoustic battrery percussion?

I think it could be interesting to see a group using these without using any patches that resemble acoustic percussion instruments.

Why? Well... just why not? I'm more up for exploring new possibilities than I am just doing the same thing again and again.

Also... and even more important...

While these instruments are quite expensive now, the cost is going to come down over the coming years where they are dramatically cheaper than current battery instruments (battery instruments can't get cheaper, because you are dealing with pricing of commodities and handwork). What this means is that the barrier to entry for new groups could come WAAAAAAAY down. This is a very, very good thing.

Like any new technology, there just needs to be a few solid pioneers exploring with these in order to figure out what works and what doesn't and establish best practices for others to follow.

Again, the possibility with these instruments in the future is not so much the sounds... but the economics of it... and all of the teaching capabilities you can build into the instrument + software.

More kids being able to participate and with quality instructional software support... this is where the real opportunity is here and why I am so bullish on them.

[stevedb1975]

<br />I think it could be interesting to see a group using these without using any patches that resemble acoustic percussion instruments.<br /><br />Why? Well... just why not?

Maybe because some of us (probably most of us) don't want to sit through a show with nothing but car horns, grandfather clock and video game sounds. We go to an indoor percussion show to hear great drummling.

Also... and even more important...<br /><br />While these instruments are quite expensive now, the cost is going to come down over the coming years where they are dramatically cheaper than current battery instruments (battery instruments can't get cheaper, because you are dealing with pricing of commodities and handwork). What this means is that the barrier to entry for new groups could come WAAAAAAAY down. This is a very, very good thing.<br /><br />Like any new technology, there just needs to be a few solid pioneers exploring with these in order to figure out what works and what doesn't and establish best practices for others to follow.<br /><br />Again, the possibility with these instruments in the future is not so much the sounds... but the economics of it... and all of the teaching capabilities you can build into the instrument + software. <br /><br />More kids being able to participate and with quality instructional software support... this is where the real opportunity is here and why I am so bullish on them.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

You make it sound sooooooooo easy, Daniel....yet you have no clue. You just don't get the whole issue of practicality and obviously nothing I say is going to sway you so I may as well just give up. We're going round and round in circles and you just insist that this is all so simple. Like I said before, try running a monitor mix for a 4 piece rock band sometime and see how hard it is to give every individual musician exactly what they want and exactly what they need and then imagine trying to do that with 27 percussionists.

And it's not just about the "cost of the drums". OMG! Think about the cost of having the purchase a SECOND sound board just for monitor mixes (if you WANT TO DO IT RIGHT)...along with a second sound engineer....and customized in ears for every individual percussionist....to say nothing of all this other high tech mumbo jumbo YOU want to add to it to "make it work just right". You're OUT OF YOUR COTTON PICKEN MIND, DANIEL! HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

And yet you say (foolishly)...

the possibility with these instruments in the future is not so much the sounds... but the economics of it

WRONG!!!!!! You are SOOOOO clueless on that issue, it's sad.

These drums are what they are. Great for novelty and isolated use (soloists...pit...mini-features)....but NOT practical as a complete overhaul in equipment. PERIOD! If you do not see that fact, you are not thinking with the logical side of your brain.

Edited February 20, 2012 by stevedb1975

[bmjfelts1988]

I've got a much simpler question. WHY do we even need something like these Rolands when great innovations by great percussion minds are creating what are truly organic works of art like this...

http://tamamarching.com/snarevideo

Now THAT is a "drum"!

[danielray]

Maybe because some of us (probably most of us) don't want to sit through a show with nothing but car horns, grandfather clock and video game sounds. We go to an indoor percussion show to hear great drummling.

There is a lot more to electronic music than just sampling or effects.... A LOT more. The use of electronics in indoor percussion and drum corps hasn't even really scratched the surface.

You make it sound sooooooooo easy, Daniel....yet you have no clue. You just don't get the whole issue of practicality and obviously nothing I say is going to sway you so I may as well just give up. We're going round and round in circles and you just insist that this is all so simple. Like I said before, try running a monitor mix for a 4 piece rock band sometime and see how hard it is to give every individual musician exactly what they want and exactly what they need and then imagine trying to do that with 27 percussionists.

I have written for winter programs (visual, staging), have an education in composition from a reasonably decent school, and spend my life developing and deploying technologies. As a result, I have a somewhat reasonable idea what is and what is not easy.

Also, those that think something is difficult and don't bother try... are left to either sit in the stands and watch ... or buy the products of those who somehow get #### done because they are too stupid to not realize how hard it was.

Everything should be easy, even if it is hard... it is simply a mentality.

And it's not just about the "cost of the drums". OMG! Think about the cost of having the purchase a SECOND sound board just for monitor mixes (if you WANT TO DO IT RIGHT)...along with a second sound engineer....and customized in ears for every individual percussionist....to say nothing of all this other high tech mumbo jumbo YOU want to add to it to "make it work just right". You're OUT OF YOUR COTTON PICKEN MIND, DANIEL! HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

And yet you say (foolishly)...

If there are no cables... what is the point of a board????? This is like using an ethernet wi-fi adapter.

Sound boards seem sort of archaic for many scenarios. Software is the the way forward.... sort of enhanced manual controls.

Again, i think the real way forward here is a simple wireless receive that communicates (also wirelessly) with a tablet running software to control the mix.

WRONG!!!!!! You are SOOOOO clueless on that issue, it's sad.

These drums are what they are. Great for novelty and isolated use (soloists...pit...mini-features)....but NOT practical as a complete overhaul in equipment. PERIOD! If you do not see that fact, you are not thinking with the logical side of your brain.

I don't think these drums are novelty... I just think that they haven't been really fully developed. They are great from the aspect of a controller... but again, the engineers have not thought through the idea that these will be used in motion. Once that is worked out, a whole new world opens up.

Again, I don't think the issue here is really in hardware (apart from extending the networking capabilities), but it will be software that will turn them from a toy into a tool.

Edited February 21, 2012 by danielray