Rule changes

[drumcat]

I have a few suggestions. Maybe they're on the books, maybe not, but here goes some clarifying rules:

Amp equipment, with the exception of the provided power cord, must remain entirely in the "pit box". It's equipment, and should not be exempted.

Soundboards may not add any effect to amplified sounds. This includes prohibiting equalization.

Now, for some suggestions:

Vocals may not be amplified. Whistling, blowing into a mic, or contact with a mic will still be allowed, but vocal chords may not be amplified.

-or-

Vocal amplification may only be used by a drum major. Drum majors must conduct the ensemble at least 6 minutes, and may not play an instrument for more than 6 minutes.

-or-

Vocal amplification is only legal through a battery-operated "bullhorn".

-or-

Specifically add vocal quality to the brass sheet; paying particular attention to ploughs, clipping, and sound quality of the vocalist.

Equalize all 8 judge categories to equal 12.5% of the score.

Eliminate decimals from the GE sheets. (would allow technical to decide more placements)

Change tech/comp from 50/50, to two-thirds tech.

Lots to chew on... flame away. ^0^

[troopmello]

If you get rid of GE, you get rid of creative show ideas and pushing the limit. That's my main beef with it. We want to expand the power and greatness that a drum corps can put out.

I'm also curious about the rule of conducting 50% of the time and playing the other half, are there any instances of this besides Boston's Assistant DM?

[drumcat]

I'm saying reduce GE from 40 to 25%, or eliminate GE decimals -- anticipating on many nights you'd have a GE tie, allowing technical merit to decide. Think like the top 4 get 39pts, the next 3 get a 38, etc., while the other categories still go to the tenth.

As for the DM rules -- those only apply if they were using a mic for narration, etc. Think Magic 97 -- I personally wouldn't have minded that those DM's get a bullhorn. I'd like to leave some leeway in there for specific narratives that are creative such as that, while eliminating 525thousandYowzas.

[troopmello]

Haha, sounds good.

[Slow Adam]

New Rule: SCV wins...every year. SCV wins.

[Jocko the Wonder Llama]

Nice try Adam

[DrumCorpsFan27]

I'm saying reduce GE from 40 to 25%, or eliminate GE decimals -- anticipating on many nights you'd have a GE tie, allowing technical merit to decide. Think like the top 4 get 39pts, the next 3 get a 38, etc., while the other categories still go to the tenth.

GE is not General Effect as it does not address how the show in general effects the audience in general. It is very specific effect. It measures how the show communicates to the judges who are told what to give credit to.

The name of that caption should be changed, it is a misnomer.

Edited September 27, 2005 by DrumCorpsFan27

[uselessgoodtaste]

Equalization Prohibition...Bad idea.

Equipment tends to have certain frequencies that are amplified more than others. When I was doing some sound installation, we would crank what is called "pink noise" through the system, which is an equal douse of frequencies throughout the spectrum. We would get a read of what frequencies were higher or lower, and bring back the sound to what it should have been. The result is more headroom. With using EQ, one can eliminate feedback. After working with indoor groups, elimination of feedback is, in my opinion, priority number one when working with amplification.

Sorry, that point just stuck out.

[FHBob]

GE is not General Effect as it does not address how the show in general effects the audience in general. It is very specific effect. It measures how the show communicates to the judges who are told what to give credit to.

The name of that caption should be changed, it is a misnomer.

Exactly precisely correct. Believe me, the GE scores of modern corps have nothing to do with the "general effect" on the audience. The judges have become the audience. Shows are designed to appeal to college music majors rather than drum corps FANS. I work at a college, and I love music majors. But the audience is being forgotten by DCI which has "evolved" drum corps to a point where it is becoming unrecognizable as drum corps. Singing and amplification, "scurry and set" drills, a totally non-marching "colorguard" and non-rudimentary drum solos that tend to sound the same from corps to corps will kill this activity. The brass lines are still very good and are performing very difficult music with a high degree of excellence. But frequently the music is at best unrecognizable or at worst just totally over the fan's head. No I do not want to take DCI back 30 years - maybe just 15. This is absolutely NO reflection on the AMAZING young people who are members (sorry, students) in today's corps. It's just a reflection on DCI.

[drumcat]

Equalization Prohibition...Bad idea.

Equipment tends to have certain frequencies that are amplified more than others. When I was doing some sound installation, we would crank what is called "pink noise" through the system, which is an equal douse of frequencies throughout the spectrum. We would get a read of what frequencies were higher or lower, and bring back the sound to what it should have been. The result is more headroom. With using EQ, one can eliminate feedback. After working with indoor groups, elimination of feedback is, in my opinion, priority number one when working with amplification.

Sorry, that point just stuck out.

Well, it's not quite "even". That's white noise. Pink noise is logrithmically distributed evenly. I get your point. The thing I don't want to see is to crank bass marimba notes or anything on the high end to where it becomes an effect, or an advantage. If a system has a "natural" drop in frequency, it's not like a three-band is going to fix the shape completely. I do see how that might be advantageous to allow.

Is there any way that we can keep amplification as something that simply makes things louder evenly?