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Bluecoats pit on using click track


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Colleges. community, public, private. if they've got a music or theatre program. they've got audio reinforcement education in it.

I actually learned in high school as part of the auditorium tech crew. Which many schools still have. Not all of them, but many of them. The technology, while looking menacing, is really simple flow of signal. Even sophomores can pick it up pretty quick.

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My problem has never been with the use of electronics. Where I get miffed is that any sound or manipulation of sound which is judged during a competitive DCI performance is 'supposed' to be done by the actual members of the corps; not adults. And DCI allowing an adult professional engineer to manipulate the sound system during a live judged performance creates a mockery of that philosophy. What should occur, in my opinion, is that the person manipulating the sound system needs to be an actual member who is instructed by an adult; just like all other members.

I would be totally for this. I love the use of the technology, when done well, but I agree that it potentially opens up an opportunity for DCI to use student performers who have to learn a craft, just like the brass, perc, pit, guard. I get why they haven't done that yet, but there are plenty of students in audio recording, mastering, and engineering programs at the university level who would love a shot to put their skills to test.

Edited by jwillis35
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I have heard that the need to change frequency is also important because of the limited "white space" available--and last year, the FCC proposed selling off the spectrum currently used for wireless microphones to cell phone companies, a move to which a coalition of Broadway theatres, the NFL, and megachurches have objected.

Wireless interference was bad enough at the opening show that corps electronics staffs have started to get together and try and share information to find the best ways for each site to hit the available signal windows.

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Every public school has one as either part of their theatre or music programs.

If only that were true...

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Sorry. School as in college. Not school as in high school.

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Last night at NightBEAT I had seats on the 50 yardline aisle about halfway up the stadium and a member of the Coats percussion staff (the guy that plays the set in the Lot videos) sat next to me for their show... he had an app on his phone he played with the entire time where he was adjusting the BPM to match the show (although it appeared he was slightly ahead a few seconds)...and he would slow or speed up 1 or 2 BPMs accordingly... did this almost the entire show. He had an earpiece in. What was he doing and is this related to the Pit or was he only checking the battery timing?

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Whithout even talking about what they are really doing, since that has been revealed, let's step back here for a minute and consider what is being suggested. Could you imagine providing a click track to just one ensemble only and that ensemble is all the way at the front of the listening field. Imagine what would happen when the corps started to sway away from the click tempo. The pit would have to decide for the rest of the show whether to follow corps tempo or go with the click. :D

Or like the newest post about Roger Carter (percussion Caption Head) would suggest he might be providing adjusted tempos from the stands. Now imagine the pit reacting to changes in the clicks on the fly.

If it is being suggested or implied that he is setting up the tempos in advance of tempo changes, there really would be no need for this. One can pre-program the entire show on a click that changes based on the programming. It would not require manual intervention.

He is just checking tempos.

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Whithout even talking about what they are really doing, since that has been revealed, let's step back here for a minute and consider what is being suggested. Could you imagine providing a click track to just one ensemble only and that ensemble is all the way at the front of the listening field. Imagine what would happen when the corps started to sway away from the click tempo. The pit would have to decide for the rest of the show whether to follow corps tempo or go with the click. :D

Or like the newest post about Roger Carter (percussion Caption Head) would suggest he might be providing adjusted tempos from the stands. Now imagine the pit reacting to changes in the clicks on the fly.

If it is being suggested or implied that he is setting up the tempos in advance of tempo changes, there really would be no need for this. One can pre-program the entire show on a click that changes based on the programming. It would not require manual intervention.

He is just checking tempos.

For the technically uninformed, the post about a staff member with an app open on their phone and an ear piece in is perfectly reasonable. After all you can control just about anything from your phone!

I knew he was just monitoring tempos when I read it, but I completely understand how someone might make the inquiry.

Edited by corpsband
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