FlamMan Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 They really weren't. They just thought they were. Mike Wrong. They were VERY different. Not close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlamMan Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 I'm sure to be flamed for this but here it goes. What is in place to keep these corps from audio doping? Seems with the amplification and keyboards, sampling EtC, you can rig almost anything into the corps favor. I just have trouble with this aspect of today's DCI. Exactly. Who knows if a corps is playing a recording of a horn solo? Amplification is a very slippery slope. I am certain that some corps ( Blue Coats) are cranking up the amplification volume & blasting their horn line through their speaker system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake W. Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Wrong. They were VERY different. Not close. Incredibly close, actually. Always have been and always will be. Again, and I asked this earlier, what aspects in particular are you referring to? In terms of touring and performance schedules, rehearsal structure, and management, they are night and day different, especially two and three decades ago. If you're talking show design, competitive high school marching band and competitive drum corps have mirrored each other for the last forty years. The top groups in the Bands of America circuit and the top groups in DCI any give year have ALWAYS had similar show designs, pacing, and ideas The two have paralleled each other greatly throughout the last four decades, so if you're referring to the shows that each separate facet of our activity put on being "VERY different, not even close", then you're flat out incorrect. Staff is shared amongst the top groups in each circuit; all that changes is the season, summer to fall, DCI to BOA. Like it or not, drum corps and competitive high school marching band are two very similar branches of a completely unique niche activity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKSuperman Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 (edited) Exactly. Who knows if a corps is playing a recording of a horn solo? Amplification is a very slippery slope. I am certain that some corps ( Blue Coats) are cranking up the amplification volume & blasting their horn line through their speaker system. I can actually get behind this slightly. At DCI Kentucky, I could have swore I heared brass sounds coming from their speakers. Whether it be an ensemble recording or just synth brass ensemble amplification, I don't know. Regardless, either way it's wrong in doing so, IF that is in fact what they are doing. This wasn't the first time I noticed this either. I noticed it at their rehearsal earlier that day. I noticed it the two years I attended their open rehearsal at my high school alma mater in 2013 and 2014. It really bothers me that they could quite possibly be doing this instead of letting the performers shine by themselves without help or amplification. Also, to me, this would be a form of cheating. If you can't get your players to play at the volume you desire or the volume of the other corps, maybe you should look into a new brass coordinator or a possible career change. Edited July 28, 2016 by UKSuperman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillis35 Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 At DCI Kentucky, I could have swore I heard brass sounds coming from their speakers. Whether it be a recording or just synth brass amplification, I don't know. Regardless, either way it's wrong in doing so, IF that is in fact what they are doing. This wasn't the first time I noticed this either. Of course you heard brass solos coming from the speakers. If a soloist plays into a mic, as many do today, then it is projected through speakers. Otherwise what's the point of the mic. Jazz Big Band soloists use mics all the time, and it doesn't mean they can't play or that their solo isn't authentic and amazingly good and artistic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKSuperman Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 (edited) Of course you heard brass solos coming from the speakers. If a soloist plays into a mic, as many do today, then it is projected through speakers. Otherwise what's the point of the mic. Jazz Big Band soloists use mics all the time, and it doesn't mean they can't play or that their solo isn't authentic and amazingly good and artistic. I'm not that #### dumb. Good god. I meant while the entire corps was playing. Not solos. Sorry, but if you actually thought that's what I meant...The original poster was talking about solos. I, however, meant ensemble amplification through synth brass patches. Edited July 28, 2016 by UKSuperman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillis35 Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 I'm not that #### dumb. Good god. I meant while the entire corps was playing. Not solos. Sorry, but if you actually thought that's what I meant... The original poster was talking about solos. I, however, meant ensemble amplification through synth brass patches. Ok, I gotcha. My fault. I knew the conversation was about solos for a while. I'm not sure what the rules allow, but I would think any synth/keyboard part, as long as it's being played live by a person, can certainly have music that doubles the brass or mallet instruments. We already get a lot of synth bass or e. bass, which technically are doubling tuba parts at times, and at other times they are adding bottom to the pit or an effect when the brass is not playing. A synthesizer analog wave, like a saw wave, can sound very brassy and could potentially be used to support the brass or add resonance. Not sure I hear a lot of this, and I'm not sure how it would get judged. Some corps can sample or re-sample their brass or a solo for an effect. I think DCI allows this, but only for an effect, such as what Bluecoats did at the end of TILT with the electronic glissando controlled by the synth and sampled from the brass. When electronics were first approved I thought sampling and sequencing were not allowed, but clearly that rule has changed or I had it wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKSuperman Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 (edited) Ok, I gotcha. My fault. I knew the conversation was about solos for a while. I'm not sure what the rules allow, but I would think any synth/keyboard part, as long as it's being played live by a person, can certainly have music that doubles the brass or mallet instruments. We already get a lot of synth bass or e. bass, which technically are doubling tuba parts at times, and at other times they are adding bottom to the pit or an effect when the brass is not playing. A synthesizer analog wave, like a saw wave, can sound very brassy and could potentially be used to support the brass or add resonance. Not sure I hear a lot of this, and I'm not sure how it would get judged. Some corps can sample or re-sample their brass or a solo for an effect. I think DCI allows this, but only for an effect, such as what Bluecoats did at the end of TILT with the electronic glissando controlled by the synth and sampled from the brass. When electronics were first approved I thought sampling and sequencing were not allowed, but clearly that rule has changed or I had it wrong. If it's a sound or effect that can't be made on an instrument then I'm okay with that. But when you have 2 synth players, one using an electric bass patch for amplifying the Contra part, and the other amplifying the entire ensemble using a synth brass patch, I have a problem.I'm not against using electronics. Kind of makes it more fun with all the different effects that are thrown into today's story and concept designs. Just don't amplify the entire ensemble. If I were in a corps or marching band that did that, I'd feel less than adequate due to the fact that clearly I wasn't doing my job right. Just for clarification purposes, I'm not accusing the Bluecoats of doing this. I'm just saying I'm pretty sure I've heard ensemble chords and hits come from the speakers as well as the players. Edited July 28, 2016 by UKSuperman 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 (edited) what was the cost to produce a show back then? how tough was it to find housing for all these groups at each show? " costs " have always been a factor in audience attendance as well. Audiences weigh personal ticket purchase " costs " vs. perceived entertainment value anticipated to be derived from that ticket purchase. The " costs " today to run a Corps are much, much higher than in earlier decades DCI too, as the Corps in World Class in particular tend to be larger now, have more diverse instrumentation that is more expensive to purchase and maintain, and staff " costs " are much higher too as Corps have much larger numbers of staffers, etc and so on and so forth. Edited July 28, 2016 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonker Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 If it's a sound or effect that can't be made on an instrument then I'm okay with that. But when you have 2 synth players, one using an electric bass patch for amplifying the Contra part, and the other amplifying the entire ensemble using a synth brass patch, I have a problem. I'm not against using electronics. Kind of makes it more fun with all the different effects that are thrown into today's story and concept designs. Just don't amplify the entire ensemble. If I were in a corps or marching band that did that, I'd feel less than adequate due to the fact that clearly I wasn't doing my job right. Just for clarification purposes, I'm not accusing the Bluecoats of doing this. I'm just saying I'm pretty sure I've heard ensemble chords and hits come from the speakers as well as the players. aren't virtually all corps doing this now? the big hit moments are almost all electronically enhanced......synth player playing sustained chords with a brass patch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.