The Long-term Impact of Amplification

[danielray]

Chuck Naffier had made a post about shrinking pits awhile back that got me thinking...

Let's say on average, most div I front ensembles have 10 performers, with an average instrumentation consisting of:

1 - tympani set ($15,000)

1 - chimes set ($6,000)

4 - marimbas ($28,000 / $7,000 ea.)

3 - xylophones ($9,000 / $3,000 ea.)

1 - orchestra bells ($800)

1 - gong ($800)

1 - concert bass ($1,000)

2- crash cymbals ($500 / $250 ea.)

6 - suspended cymbals ($1,200 / $200 ea.)

miscellaneous instruments (triangles, windchimes, handdrums, etc.) - $1,500- $5,000

accessories (mallets, stands, carts, etc.) - $4,000 -$8,000

This comes to about $68,000 - $75,000 total, or $6,800 - $7,500 per performer.

A reasonable amplification setup would cost about $4,000, but could allow you to reduce the pit by say 5 performers, with an instrumentation of:

1 - tympani set ($15,000)

1 - chimes set ($6,000)

2 - marimbas ($14,000 / $7,000 ea.)

1 - xylophones ($3,000)

1 - orchestra bells ($800)

1 - gong ($800)

1 - concert bass ($1,000)

2- crash cymbals ($500 / $250 ea.)

2 - suspended cymbals ($400 / $200 ea.)

miscellaneous instruments (triangles, windchimes, handdrums, etc.) - $1,500

accessories (mallets, stands, carts, etc.) - $2,000

amplification gear (speakers, mics, board, etc.) - $4,000

This comes to about $50,000

While this is an initial savings of only about $18,000 - $25,000, what is most significant is the savings in terms of:

- transportation costs

- insurance costs

- replacement lifecycle

The most dramtic impact is on the instrument replacement lifecycle, since the instruments may be played with softer, more appropriate mallets and more proper technique.

On top of being the most expensive intruments in the ensemble, they also require the most frequent replacement, due to wear and tear. Amplification could actually extend the replacement lifecycle to twice the current.

Let's say that the current replacement lifecycle is on average 1.5 years, this could extend this to 3 years.

So, over a period of 6 years, the comparative costs could be:

- amplified: $100,000

- accoustic: $272,000 - $525,000

All issues of how amplification may change the various aspects of design are rather insignificant when compared to the long-term financial benefits and how such a simple change, like the change to any key brass, might help to improve the financial stability of cash-strapped corps.

The litmus test...

Would you rather watch a performance of a financially sound 2009 Troopers with a Bb hornline and an amplified pit, then have no 2009 Troopers at all?

[mobrien]

Daniel, I know you've been gone from the country for a few years, but pits HAVE been amped for the last several seasons. Size of the pit ensembles and the numbers of instruments being employed have not gone down.

In theory, amping would have allowed the pits to shrink - but only if arrangers wished to change the orchestrations they're writing for the keyboard instruments. It seems to me that if anything, the amplification has allowed arrangers to use each set of keyboards more individually, with less doubling of parts.

But the size hasn't gone down.

Edited July 28, 2006 by mobrien

[lbjazz]

Well, you take those 5 extra sports in the corps, add them to the hornline, buy five more insturments at possibly exceeding 2 grand each, and you've more or less negated the orginal savings. Possibly add to this the cost of hiring a full time sound engineer for the summer and the difference, if in reality there even becomes one, is further negated. Don't think corps will hire a full time engineer? Just wait until one corps does it, their pit sounds better, and then all of the other corps will, one-by-one, hire one.

Good thinking though. I just don't think that in the end there will be any savings actually realized.

Edited July 28, 2006 by lbjazz

[Morgoth Bauglir]

How about adding 4 or 5 cymbal players. 2 sets of cyms with bags,straps, pads, etc wopuld only cost about 800 per player.

[lbjazz]

How about adding 4 or 5 cymbal players. 2 sets of cyms with bags,straps, pads, etc wopuld only cost about 800 per player.

I'm all for it, but what's the trend in DCI toward cymbal lines?

The spots are way more likely to end up in the hornline, maybe guard, but probably hornline. And that's even if, as mobrien pointed out, pits do actually shrink.

Designers are proving that with the added opportunities that come with amps, they're adding more sounds and parts, not reducing the number of players while keeping things the same. If they did keep the final output the same as before, they would be negating a good chunk of the original argument for amps.

[Jeff Ream]

except pits havent shrunk. oops.

[usmpiano]

I'm totallly against the cymbal line thing.

One thing to keep in mind though:

If you really wanted to go to a pit that small, at that point you would lose almost all acoustic sympathetic vibrations. You would be left with a sterile sound, and by the time you bought a sound system of good enough quality to compensate for the volme differential, you'd have lost the savings right there. Plus the sound would be atrocious at that volume.

It would NOT be a pleasant experience. i've actually changed my mind in the last few years on this. I don't have as much of a problem with keyboards being amplifiied for such things as acoustic keyboards (NOT pianos :P), sound effects, etc...They should however NOT be used for the human voice, and the micable area should not leave the pit box.

[Kamarag]

A reasonable amplification setup would cost about $4,000, but could allow you to reduce the pit by say 5 performers, with an instrumentation of:

Dude, where'd you get THAT number? I'd buget a heck of a lot more for a "reasonable" sound system. A minimum of $10,000, and more if you plan on going wireless (another $1500 per channel, minimum).

I've seen most of the sound systems the corps are using, and they are so low-end it's not funny. It makes me chuckle when they sound like crap too...a perfect case of "you get what you pay for". Professional level sound support is far from cheap.

Edited July 28, 2006 by Kamarag

[NIGHTFLY3000]

Dude, where'd you get THAT number? I'd buget a heck of a lot more for a "reasonable" sound system. A minimum of $10,000, and more if you plan on going wireless (another $1500 per channel, minimum).

I've seen most of the sound systems the corps are using, and they are so low-end it's not funny. It makes me chuckle when they sound like crap too...a perfect case of "you get what you pay for". Professional level sound support is far from cheap.

Professional level sound support is far from cheap and will never be attained by anyone in drum corps.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Professional level sound support is far from cheap and will never be attained by anyone in drum corps.

One of the biggest reasons it's not worth it. If you're going to do something, do it right so it sounds great all the time. And since doing it right would bankrupt most corps, it's pointless.