The debate over the use of amplification and electronics is one that has been raging throughout drum corps for a long time — much longer than most may realize. In 1989, George Hopkins of The Cadets made the first proposal to use electronics. However it wasn’t until 2003 that the voting members of DCI approved the use of amplification and then electronics in 2009.

Fifteen years later, many would say DCI has become an all-out arms race in electronics to see who can have the most speakers and microphones and who can crank the volume up the most.

However, following a presentation made by Tom Blair, Aaron Beck, Cory Coken, Erik Kosmen, and Michael Zellers at the DCI Annual Meetings in Indianapolis this weekend, the buzz among attendees was that a philosophical shift in how electronics are being used had taken place.

Sound Reinforcement

In its earliest form, electronics and amplification were used to increase the projected volume of the front ensemble equipment and vocalists.

Simply put, the front ensembles were getting drowned out by the brass and field percussion, but show designers wanted to hear the colors that the front ensemble were able to create.

Members of front ensembles were having to pound away at the boards to get their instruments heard. This was destroying technique and the quality of the acoustic sound of their instruments. 

With the introduction of amplification, front ensembles could rein in their technique, increase their sound quality, and play the instruments the way they are intended with the amplification used to support the instrument’s native sound.

Over time, as electronics and the use of microphones expanded, corps inadvertently began a war of “who could be the loudest.”

The most recent example of this is the explosion of shotgun mics used to amplify the brass on the field in 2017.

During the electronics presentation, the term "sound reinforcement," or "sound support," was introduced to the instructors and designers in attendance. 

The presenters explained that electronics should not be used just for volume but rather to support the native sound of the instrument. 

“We don’t have a volume problem," Beck said. “We have a coverage problem.”

So what does sound reinforcement actually mean? It means using speakers and amplification to ensure the audience members can hear the acoustical sounds of the instruments as they are intended to be heard — not just throwing a mic on the instrument and cranking the volume.

Sound Coverage

When Beck said we have a “coverage problem” what he is referring to is how the speakers are projecting the sound to the audience.

Beck explained that having an even coverage of sound for the entire audience is his ultimate goal when he is designing an electronic system.

Current setups cause a coverage problem because what the fans hear in the front rows is radically louder than what judges may hear at higher levels in the stadium.

The limitations of speaker setups being used today mean that the acoustical performance of the corps turn into a rock concert in which sound is just being blasted out. 

Corps balance the speakers with the acoustical sounds of the performers so that the judges are receiving the balanced sound intended by the designers.

However, if you’re sitting in the front or below the judges, you may be receiving a heavily processed sound through the speakers and lose out on the acoustic performance of the members.

Beck is suggesting that sound designers shift their mindset when it comes to amplification to create a more even coverage of sound to the audience. That way, whether you’re sitting next to the judges or in the front row, everyone is hearing the same acoustically supported sound.

Beck went out to suggest that line-array speakers are the future of drum corps.

“The best designed sound show is one that the audience does not notice,” he said. 

With a line-array system, corps could project the sound to different sections of the audience at different volumes so that everyone is now hearing the same balanced sound based on his or her location.

So if you’re sitting in the front several rows, the speakers pointed in your direction will be at a lower volume because the acoustical sound of the instruments will carry directly to you. 

However, if you’re sitting higher in the stadium, the array of speakers pointed at your section would be louder to help carry the sounds of the performance. 

Now both audience sections are receiving the same volume impact wherever they may be located.

This shifts the discussion away from volume and more about coverage. And with better coverage, electronics can now return to their original role of sound reinforcement. The volume output of speakers would be more adjustable as to make the acoustics better for all the fans. 

And ultimately, the fans will experience a more acoustic-friendly performance.