Pits and Amps

[Phantom&Phitch]

self explanatory.

[shawn craig]

I personally enjoyed ALL the things front ensembles played for decades before amplification.

AND I DID HEAR IT JUST FINE!!!

I think there are some inherent and unsolvable problems with balancing a mostly acoustic, unamped, music ensemble with only a portion of it amped.

The brass and batery can play with an incredibly huge dynamic range, especially when you consider the sections of a show where there are small ensembles, solos, and backfield playing.

Amps are to amplify, make things more. If you put the volume of the amps so the pit is more or less balanced at the highest volume levels of the brass and batery, then they are going to be to loud during some of the softer and more subtle playing in a show.

The front ensemble members are, I'm quite sure, excellent musicians playing softly and using softer mallets, etc. But when it comes through the amp, it is no longer soft or subtle. That defies the whole purpose of amplification, so you have some major balance issues.

Only a couple of corps have figured out how to use the amps for only SOME of the instruments and special effects that truely need them; and how to keep the volumes low to give just a small boost or enhancement to the ensemble that the percussion staff talk about.

They might not be unbalanced the entire show, but they are for sections of a show.

Edited July 5, 2006 by shawn craig

[audiodb]

Since the introduction of the staff sound board operator (which was intended to improve things), pits have reached previously unattainable levels of obnoxious overbalance. I don't think I'll ever hear brass in a ballad again from half of the division I corps.

I know I'll be told "give it a chance". It's only June July - hopefully, these imbalances will be worked out.