Amps are "unjudged", but so is the pit...

[drumcat]

So don't get me wrong; I don't even think there's anything wrong with the way they're doing it. I was a pit guy myself. However, the point of the post is this:

If everyone in happy about the way that pits are judged, how come there's such a discrepancy in the way judges judge the amps? Or, more to the point, are amps not being judged (harshly) under malfunctions because it's not the performer's faults?

I get the feeling that judges are more interested in judging what the kids are doing. In fact, I know that I have, on occasion, mentally focused on what the kids were doing over the amps. An example of this was when I was watching SCV at Finals this year. The noise seemed much worse on the recording not because I wasn't hearing it, but because I was blocking it out the way I was blocking out crowd noise and chatter.

Is it possible that it's a more or less human thing to do to ignore the problems that equipment causes?

Edited January 14, 2007 by drumcat

[Bones758]

Pits are also judged by effect judges, music judges and other judges. There is more to it than just playing the notes, such as listening for vertical alignment, playing together on impacts, and so much more. The pit is judged by more than just the percussion judges.

[RobH]

So PIT judging is done HOW?

[bdjazz93]

Pits are judged and so are basses and cymbals. Whoever said that does not know much about drum corps. It is not all about the snares and tenors. Geez. There is one judge to cover the entire section. I do know at one time, it was being considered, to have a pit judge and a battery judge, but it never went through. All sections work equally as hard and it is hard for a judge to be everywhere all the time. When he can't use his eyes, he uses his ears.

AS far as amps...I think that when the amps are not working properly it tends to have an effect on the performers spirits. For instance:

Bluecoats had an awesome pit this year, but at Semi's they were having some trouble with their amps and you could see the effect it had on the performers. On Finals night, it was a different story. Things were working properly. You could see it on their faces, they were having a great show.

Ok. That's my two cents. :D

Edited January 14, 2007 by bdjazz93

[BOBSMYTH]

Pits are not unjudged. They are on the field and are part of the overall drumline. The field percussion judge that is running around sampling the snares, tenors, basses, etc. is also supposed to make it up to the front and sample the pit.

Of course, if they are sampling the battery they are not at that moment sampling the pit. And, when they are sampling the pit they are not out sampling the battery. That is why the key word is "sampling". (You can also point out that when they are sampling the bass line, they are not sampling the tenors or snares or cymbals or ...)

This is the reason the second field percussion judge was added a couple years ago for major DCI events. Some people assumed that the second judge was a "pit judge" while the first judge would cover the battery. I don't know what actually happened but that was not the intent of the rule proposal that passed. Both field percussion judges are supposed to be responsible for sampling the entire percussion ensemble.

Thus, the pit is judged - they are on the field and on the sheets.

Unlike amps which do not appear to some people to be on the sheets.

[tommytimp]

Used to be the unwritten rule was "execution=battery" and "ensemble=pit." (In the 80s. And pits can be judged on taps, on attack/release, idiomatic playing, etc. Of course the pit is judged. Amps pr se may not be because they're not scored instruments and aren't necessarily part of a show.

[Jeff Ream]

Pits are also judged by effect judges, music judges and other judges. There is more to it than just playing the notes, such as listening for vertical alignment, playing together on impacts, and so much more. The pit is judged by more than just the percussion judges.

this goes for the battery as well.

[MikeD]

Thus, the pit is judged - they are on the field and on the sheets.

Unlike amps which do not appear to some people to be on the sheets.

Why would 'amps' appear on the sheet as something to be judged? They are not instruments, they amplify sounds. The result of using amps well or not...or not used at all... should be evaluated as to the the quality of the sound produced.

[raphael18]

So, a poor amplified sound should affect the performance score, GE score, ensemble score...or all of the above?

Cross-caption judging is dangerous (nothing worse than making one mistake and getting marked off 3 times for it).

[MikeD]

So, a poor amplified sound should affect the performance score, GE score, ensemble score...or all of the above?

Cross-caption judging is dangerous (nothing worse than making one mistake and getting marked off 3 times for it).

I would think that primarily the box captions...Ensemble and Effect, would be MOST impacted.