ContraFart Posted August 22, 2023 Share Posted August 22, 2023 3 hours ago, LabMaster said: Not lamenting evolution. It is necessary, but some amount of control is needed. I heard a rumor that the mic’g would change for next year based on the BOA approach. Soloists can be mic’d, but no mass mic’g of voices throughout the ensemble. I hope that front sideline mic’g is still good. IMO, no other mic’s should be allowed on the field. Also, Max the amount of speakers a corps can bring out. These minor changes may help corps that don’t have a few hundred k to put into amplification and electronics to produce a milli vanilli production. Rein in amps and electronics to level the field for all corps. World or Open class. I would love to hear more of the natural sound of brass and percussion performed with less augmentation electronically or with sampling. If there are folks smart enough to create it, there should be folks smart enough to appropriately reduce it. Just my $.02. I think the mic limit was discussed at Januals and defeated. I would not mind mics for solos an small ensembles, but I am with the dinosaurs when it comes to entire section reinforcement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ContraFart Posted August 22, 2023 Share Posted August 22, 2023 4 hours ago, Triple Forte said: I don’t think anyone would say the activity should not evolve. Obviously the rub happens when we discuss to what degree should things evolve? At what pace? Fans (including myself) don’t want to see the activity evolve to the point the activity is no longer recognizable. Seeing speaker arrays , miles of cable , non-members (as many as 5 people sometimes) manning soundboards, wireless mics for one horn player for each horn section (trumpet , baritone..etc.) to augment the overall brass sound and condenser mics covering the entire field is expensive completely detracts from what makes a drum corps sound unique compared to other musical groups/activities . There is always a breaking point to evolution and change and hopefully the powers at be will pull back a bit . I think I agree and disagree with you at the same time. There is a breaking point with evolution, which is why I believe 99% of us would oppose adding woodwinds as marching sections. I am not opposed to the sound mixing (although I do not want brass reinforcement). I think the Bluecoats do it best with their speaker placement and it sounds like a complete product while other corps have everything up front and it can make them sound artificial. There is still a lot of experimentation with amplification that needs to happen to get it right so I think there will be things that are great and things that are far from great before we get to what we can call a standard. My breaking point with evolution is with visual. I do not mind choreo, but I think I have finally figured out what has bugged me about BD and that is their approach to the visual program and their near abandonment of form to form drill. Is it completely gone? no, but it feels more like a stage show than a marching show to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted August 22, 2023 Share Posted August 22, 2023 (edited) 12 hours ago, JimF-LowBari said: Marched 3 different Senior circuits and yep all 3 had different criteria for what was “ticable”. DCA had highest standards, ICA was more GE oriented and RCA was more forgiving on “less than perfect” execution. Did both DCA and RCA a few years in 1970s. Still remember Larry Hershman yelling at practice “it’s DCA this weekend, execute #### it, execute “. I judged in the Garden State Circuit in the mid/late 70’s to early 80’s. One year in the 70’s the directors voted to have the judges use a National Linear concept in judging. That meant we had to judge every corps, even the very beginners, to the same standard as, say, the Blue Devils. That approach lasted about 2 or 3 weeks into the season, lots of corps were getting zeroed out on sheets, or close to it. The GSC held an emergency meeting and changed it to GSC linear immediately…oops! 😀 Edited August 22, 2023 by MikeD 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook'emCavies Posted August 23, 2023 Share Posted August 23, 2023 (edited) I can understand what the OP is stating. In a sense, it has become extremely predictable in terms of who is going to win the title. However, I always go back as to why BD possibly became even more of a juggernaut. 2008 is easily a season true drum corps fans will never forget. Losing by .025 was probably something they weren't expecting and they wanted to make sure it will never happen again. So, they have an overwhelming powerful system of weath, top of the line teachers, elite staff, probably the best that will ever be in terms of internal planning and right now they are in the driver's seat. But.... this makes me even prouder to be a Cavies fan. Sure they finished in 8th, but that percussion trophy sure is nice too lol!!! Anyways, BD is fantastic and they clearly plan things out. Edited August 23, 2023 by Hook'emCavies 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironlips Posted August 23, 2023 Share Posted August 23, 2023 13 hours ago, Triple Forte said: I don’t think anyone would say the activity should not evolve. Obviously the rub happens when we discuss to what degree should things evolve? At what pace? Fans (including myself) don’t want to see the activity evolve to the point the activity is no longer recognizable. Seeing speaker arrays , miles of cable , non-members (as many as 5 people sometimes) manning soundboards, wireless mics for one horn player for each horn section (trumpet , baritone..etc.) to augment the overall brass sound and condenser mics covering the entire field is expensive completely detracts from what makes a drum corps sound unique compared to other musical groups/activities . There is always a breaking point to evolution and change and hopefully the powers at be will pull back a bit . I must say, I pretty much agree with you, and used to tell people that Drum Corps was the most intense acoustic experience available on the planet. Sadly, that is no longer the case. The distinction now passes to massed pipe bands at the Edinburgh Tattoo. The thing is, it's the designers from the top corps who are making these calls. We ancient reptilians will have little effect here, nor will the adjudicators. A judge is hired to evaluate the teams according to the philosophy and system dictated by the aforementioned designers. That said, there are numerous examples of evolutionary branches that have died out. These are not usually the ones who embrace technology, however. Personally, I prefer the unplugged version of drum corps, but it's almost extinct. Even the Marines use synths in their indoor percussion ensemble. What would Montezuma think? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valjean Posted August 23, 2023 Share Posted August 23, 2023 Would it be possible for a corps to go full acoustic and still be competitive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironlips Posted August 23, 2023 Share Posted August 23, 2023 (edited) 17 hours ago, valjean said: Would it be possible for a corps to go full acoustic and still be competitive? At this point I wouldn't think so. But if a major team left the synths out they might sound a lot better than (not just different from) the rest of the pack. Edited August 23, 2023 by ironlips clarity 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg_orangecounty Posted August 23, 2023 Share Posted August 23, 2023 As long as the kids are receiving a good education, forming life-long friendships, and having a good time I don't care what form Drum Corps takes. It's for them. That said, I do believe mistakes are being made in the direction the activity is taking. Broadway and stage shows already exist, so why emulate and compete with a well established product at the sacrifice of your own unique brand? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted August 23, 2023 Share Posted August 23, 2023 (edited) What ever it takes for the activity to survive in any form I’d be for. And if I’m no longer a fan or no long follow it it doesn’t matter in the long run. Just surprised competitive corps still exist due to money and time constraints. And seems to get worse each year. Fell in love with the sound. Just made it more complex that corps could make beautiful music with those modified signaling devices. Now more and more electronics which mean less and less natural ability Edited August 23, 2023 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zanjero Posted August 24, 2023 Share Posted August 24, 2023 On 8/22/2023 at 3:42 PM, ContraFart said: I think I agree and disagree with you at the same time. There is a breaking point with evolution, which is why I believe 99% of us would oppose adding woodwinds as marching sections. I am not opposed to the sound mixing (although I do not want brass reinforcement). I think the Bluecoats do it best with their speaker placement and it sounds like a complete product while other corps have everything up front and it can make them sound artificial. There is still a lot of experimentation with amplification that needs to happen to get it right so I think there will be things that are great and things that are far from great before we get to what we can call a standard. My breaking point with evolution is with visual. I do not mind choreo, but I think I have finally figured out what has bugged me about BD and that is their approach to the visual program and their near abandonment of form to form drill. Is it completely gone? no, but it feels more like a stage show than a marching show to me. When they allow woodwinds, please just go ahead and allow auto-tune. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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