Field Mics for Entire Ensemble

[Bluzes]

Wind noise seems to creep in at certain shows. Assumed it 's from the main field mics placed at the 35's and Fifty, wonder why I don't see bigger wind shields (sponge looking things). Could the ensemble mics be subject to this although seems there are little shields there already? If that's the case then wind noise will not be isolated just to the media and we would hear wind noise live?

[Rileydog]

2 hours ago, Bluzes said:

Hats off to Genesis and they sound just as good and loud as corps that do!!!!!

At one point in their show, they play goal line to goal line. 

[N.E. Brigand]

16 minutes ago, Cadevilina Crown said:

If somehow I’m perpetrating something that absolutely isn’t true, I’m sorry. What I do know is that there were a lot of things surrounding this philosophy that were never made clear to people outside of the sphere of designers and directors. All I remember is the quote from those meetings “We don’t have a volume problem, we have a coverage problem.” That quote just doesn’t actually explain why they use ensemble micing in the first place.

There was also a lot of use of the term “sound reinforcement,” which feels to me like a euphemism for “amplification.”

Not at all! I'm grateful that you shared this information about the discussion at the Januals (which I only vaguely remember hearing about at the time).

[WaxDCIFan]

1 hour ago, goodmello said:

But don't act like they're committing some major crime for doing something other corps are doing and the activity refuses to restrict.

I’ve been in the stands now for everything on the Midwest circuit, and no one else is doing what the Colts are doing.

[Den8uml]

I think Boston last year was a great example of how to use prerecorded audio, live vocalist and amplification effectively to enhance the product on the field in a respectful way. Bluecoats are putting on an absolute clinic for how to use vocalist and ensemble mics this year!  I thought the cadets had the volume artificially cranked more than anyone at one live show this year but their vocalist were great and used right. Otherwise most corps ive seen are executing well this year with amplification, just need to keep the volume cranking in check! 

[PamahoNow]

For some background about conversations at the Januals you might want to look at:

https://www.dci.org/news/amplification-whos-using

https://www.dci.org/news/inside-the-08-dci-rules-change-proposals-limit-amplification-to-the-pit-sound-board-operation

https://www.dci.org/news/inside-the-08-dci-rules-change-proposals-no-amplification-of-any-kind

And listen to Dan Potter's Field Pass on this subject.

 

 

 

[Liahona]

3 hours ago, One n Done said:

Weeeellll....Front ensembles are about double the size they were 25 years ago and they are amplified.  Instruments requiring amplification are in that front ensemble.  Singers that have to be amplified are also in widespread use.  Front ensemble contribution has exploded as far as content in their writing.  Meanwhile, brass lines are 10-16 players larger, but certainly haven’t doubled in size, nor has the battery.  Some groups are pretty unabashed about creating GE with the volume knob.  So, field mikes for more ensembles are the result.

Doing the electronic thing well is tough.  Two groups get it right almost every year....Bloo and BD.  I think with these two teams it’s about more than the wattage and volume knob.  It’s also about a team of designers that compromise and put their ego to the side for the good of the whole.  It takes musicianship and maturity to create and balance a product so that ensemble texture has clarity while also impactful without being deafening in this era of the speaker stack.  I’m ok with amplification and field mikes.  Used tastefully, creatively and not all the time, they can contribute positively.

Honestly..I will be in minority here...while bloo does a masterful job...I'm still not impressed at all with brass clarity and artificial manipulation...but the judges seem to be enamored with it and the fans as well...me not so much. I am only referring to the brass.

As for the mic'd vocals...they are magnificent.

[goodmello]

1 hour ago, WaxDCIFan said:

I’ve been in the stands now for everything on the Midwest circuit, and no one else is doing what the Colts are doing.

So, what you're saying is that NO ONE else has field mics and is amping the brass?

Or are you saying that they're the only ones doing it poorly?

Because I dont think this thread exists because ONE CORPS has mics for brass.

Edited July 7, 2018 by goodmello
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[WaxDCIFan]

32 minutes ago, goodmello said:

Or are you saying that they're the only ones doing it poorly

They clearly aren’t the only ones doing it.  But from the stands it was very clear that most of what I was hearing was coming out of the speakers, not the horns, and it was abnormally loud.  By way of contrast there are several other top WC corps with field mikes but it was a different experience.  I didn’t really notice anything coming out of the speakers.

Even with that, I’d take Colts over Scouts this year.

[Quad Aces]

I think it’s interesting that most people guessed the corps that I was referring to in the original post (Colts).  I didn’t mention them by name because I didn’t want to single any corps out.  But that is the corps that some of the audience in Rockford last night around me oohd and ahhd at with their amped sound (and probably some of the natural effect of being the first larger WC hornline to follow two smaller OC hornlines).  But some others in the audience literally plugged their ears because it was too overbearing.

I’m all for loud hornlines, and while I didn’t quite plug my ears yesterday during Colts performance, I did feel that by the end of the performance it was just too much.