Brass Ensemble Amplification

[drumcorpsfever]

17 hours ago, TheOneWhoKnows said:

I've seen people complain about how quiet the Cadet's double tonging feature is. Well it's because they are going for good tone quality and timing amongst the ensemble. Playing a relaxed, comfortable level allows them to achieve that. 

 

I don’t have an issue with amplification. However, I’d prefer this particular trumpet feature played within the entire ensemble. 

[2000Cadet]

18 hours ago, DAvery said:

This came up in another thread on the Austin show and I was thinking maybe it deserves a thread of it's own. It appears several brass lines either use sideline mics to amplify the entire brass ensemble or are mic-ing specific players in the brass ensemble to attain a better overall brass sound. Someone even said the entire Phantom tuba section was mic-ed. I don't know if that it true. I know BOA passed a rule limiting this practice, but DCI did not pass the proposal to limit the use of microphones in these situations.  Amplification was initially justified to enable the front ensemble players to play with proper technique. Now we have progressed to this. It seams a little like cheating, to me. It would seem to me the judges should award a higher score to a unamplified brass ensemble that performs at the same level as an amplified brass ensemble. Thoughts? 

It's not cheating if the rules allow it. 

[billj]

47 minutes ago, Land_Surfer said:

A DCI soloist does not need a microphone to be properly heard throughout a stadium. 

They do with the newer ways soloists are playing during big brass hits. Crown last year and Cavaliers this year come to mind first, but I'm sure there are others. 

[Land_Surfer]

1 minute ago, billj said:

They do with the newer ways soloists are playing during big brass hits. Crown last year and Cavaliers this year come to mind first, but I'm sure there are others. 

What exactly are “the newer ways soloists are playing”?

[Triple Forte]

17 hours ago, Lance said:

this is an old discussion. there's a thread about it in the roundtable forum that started in 2011. 

balance is one of the most important elements of musicality for me, but dci hasn't cared about it one bit with anything A/E since it passed a couple decades ago.  if it's still on the rubrics then it's universally ignored when it comes to A/E even though it has a huge impact on a corps' sound.  

the discussion about micing sections/small ensembles/soloists is just an extension of it.   it will never go away, be curtailed in any way, or be taken into account on the rubrics dci corps come up with and judges use. be prepared for more of it, not less.

 

Reasons for allowing amplification WERE

So the pit could be better heard 

So pit members can play with proper technic 

To reduce the size of the pit 

at least 2 of 3 of these have never happened .   A complete shame and disgrace 🙁👎

[Slingerland]

A rule was proposed last winter (or the year before?) that would have limited the corps to a certain number of mic'd performers and taken shotguns away, and the usual suspects' staff members wouldn't approve it to get to a full vote. Now the corps with the money to spend are mic'ing some members to create a sweetened blend that feeds through the speakers on top of the live sound. 

It's not cheating in a literal sense, but it's definitely not what the spirit of the original rule change was designed to foster. Unless it was.

[billj]

5 minutes ago, Land_Surfer said:

What exactly are “the newer ways soloists are playing”?

Are you familiar w Crown's ballad last yr or Cavies closer this year, when the soloist is playing during a full brass impact? 

[CAtenhut]

5 minutes ago, Land_Surfer said:

What exactly are “the newer ways soloists are playing”?

Brass lines used to be 60-64, and now that max membership is 165, they're closer to 80. If a soloist is playing with the rest of the line, you wouldn't be able to hear them. 

[Bruckner8]

This single issue is keeping me out of the activity. Yes, I'm aware no one cares, lol. I just thought I'd make my feelings known since there's a specific topic for it. Maybe I'll come around someday, but today isn't that day.

When corps went from G Bugles to Bb, I harrumphed. I didn't pay attention again until 2006, when The Universe intervened, and I ended up on Bloo's brass staff. By 2009 Bloo was using 16 contras and 16 euphs in an 80-member hornline (Their "signature sound" from 2009-2018), and I forgot about G Bugles. (Honorable mention to Matt Harloff at Carolina Crown for starting the 16-contra, 80-member hornline in 2008, leading the way.)

I might come around in a few years when everyone has had a chance to learn how best to use these wireless mics, and when every single player is mic'ed. Right now, the balance is way off for my taste. I know most people don't notice (same deal with G vs Bb...I get it.) I notice, and that's all that matters to me, lol.

So, here I sit, a dinosaur, on my Appalachian farm, harrumphing at drum corps again. I'll see some peeps in the lot at Winston-Salem next week, but I won't be paying money to watch this stuff anytime soon.

[Triple Forte]

16 hours ago, CAtenhut said:

I love that soloists are mic'd now... Much better balance especially when the soloist is accompanied by the rest of the brass. But mic'ing individuals or lining the front sidelines with mics to amp the entire corps... I hate everything about it. And I say this knowing my favorite corps (BD) is doing it. 

Micing soloists is horrible as well in my opinion.  First ,  people have to do a where’s Waldo to find out where the soloist is many times, you don’t really Hear the soloists natural tone and most corps all use the same reverb setting  so a lot of these individuals sound the same 👎👎