Dr. Beat

[Phillygwm]

For the longest time, I had a GICK GICK GICK GICK in my head.

But it beats "dut dut dut dut" during a show!

[ssorrell]

In the mid 80's, 1986, I think specifically, Spirit's DM used the Dr. with headphones on, so that only he could hear the tempo. They, like a singing group, were referred to as, "Dr. Beat and the Headphones".

I can chime in on this one, Greg...

In 84 and 85, and yes probably also for Reggie in 86, I did have to strap on the Doctor and listen through headphones. It was awful...the sort of thing that nightmares are made of. We used Doctor Beat in circle drill and on the field also (circle drill or marching circles: the DM in the center, with the brass line in two or three circles surrounding me. I crank off the tempo and they march and play, attempting to never lose a beat). The bad thing was, when you are in front of a line as powerful as Spirit was in the 80s, you have to crank up the volume to hear the beat from the Doctor. It is permanently etched in my brain.

What's sad was that no one had any idea that it would never work the way they intended for it to work on the field. The sound delay alone was enough to make it impossible. By the time I count off from the tempo in my headphones, it bounced around a second or less, so when the corps started to play it was immediately not lined up with the beats in my head. It was enough to confuse even the most confident and experienced conductor (and by 1985, I had 7 years under my belt). There were times I would count it off, then switch off the Doctor...otherwise I would have gone stark raving mad. When the musical phrase was over, the staff behind me would ask "Steve...was that with the Doctor?", and I'd use my personal judgement on whether we kept tempo or lost it. Deceitful, I know, but what else could I do? With sound delays and echo, it's impossible to use it in that way. if I conducted with the doctor and never strayed from his beat, we would have never gotten through a rehearsal.

However, in the right setting, it was useful. When marching circles, it worked. I stayed with the doctor and didn't vary from his beat. The corps HAD to keep up with me or we cut and started over. It was tough to say the least, but it certainly got us up to tempo faster than if we hadn't used it.

Edited September 6, 2006 by ssorrell

[90'sMelloguy]

BDB does not use a Dr. Beat.

But we do use another metronome. It's a Korg or Roland I believe. Our DM also had a really cool mini clip-on metronome that he could clip on his ear or hat. Had all sorts of subdivisions and cool stuff on it too. I think he lost it though.

The term "Dr. Beat" in relation to drum corps refers to any metronome that is hooked up to a loud speaker

[triplefunk]

Ahhh, Dr. beat, or as we called it Helga. (the voice part on the machine)

[90'sMelloguy]

Ahhh, Dr. beat, or as we called it Helga. (the voice part on the machine)

We used to call it " The Wubbie" (as in security blanket)

We refered to the red/pink jam block as the "Pink Pacifier"

[triplefunk]

We used to call it " The Wubbie" (as in security blanket)

We refered to the red/pink jam block as the "Pink Pacifier"

:lolhit: ^OO^

[Tony Flores]

I believe that there should be a support group for the victims of the Dr Beat. its been 9 years since I marched and I still hear the #### thing some times.

[acn]

dr beat is a good toll early in the year.

by late season, if you're still using it, you've become too dependant on it and have tempo maintenance issues

Wow - that must be why BD finished 3rd :P I watched them practice all day during finals week, and they used it almost all of ensemble rehearsal.

[Ryan H. Turner]

In Velvet Knights, I'm CERTAIN of this, we used it in 1987. Dr. Greg Woll I believe coined the phrase (or it could have been Dave Carico) in relation to Dr. Beat and the Long Ranger as "Mind Domination". "Magical Mystery Tour" was 180 bpm, and it was the fastest VK had ever marched, and it was critical that we got used to that tempo. So...out came this contraption.

Now--I wonder if anyone else laments the CURRENT Dr. Beat as opposed to the mid-80s model. The one I was trained on was analog, and had a big dial on it. So you could increase or decrease the tempo and not "skip a beat". Now, you have that stupid up and down arrow keys and every time you press it to increase the tempo, it messes up the beat. I MUCH prefer to older model.

[Gentleman Marcher]

In Velvet Knights, I'm CERTAIN of this, we used it in 1987. Dr. Greg Woll I believe coined the phrase (or it could have been Dave Carico) in relation to Dr. Beat and the Long Ranger as "Mind Domination". "Magical Mystery Tour" was 180 bpm, and it was the fastest VK had ever marched, and it was critical that we got used to that tempo. So...out came this contraption.

Now--I wonder if anyone else laments the CURRENT Dr. Beat as opposed to the mid-80s model. The one I was trained on was analog, and had a big dial on it. So you could increase or decrease the tempo and not "skip a beat". Now, you have that stupid up and down arrow keys and every time you press it to increase the tempo, it messes up the beat. I MUCH prefer to older model.

You sure they don't have the dial anymore? It seems at least some modern models have them, and I know most I've seen had them.

NAMM's Dr. Beat page