I recorded my Band's concert last Saturday and analyzed the result a bit. Brass and saxes are very present, small woodwinds sound as if seated 50 yards behind the stage. You can argue and reason any way you want, the result is always the same: not enough oomph, we simply are not loud enough.
Our band consists of 3 flutes, 6 clarinets, 7 saxes, 10 small brass, 7 medium/large brass and 2 percussion, basses in the back, on the right a block with small/medium brass and saxes, percussion in the middle, on the right the small woodwinds section. Doesn't really make it easier for us to play with the rest of the band when separated visually and acoustically by a "drum barrier".
The obvious answer would be to increase the size of our section, but as many of you know this is easier said than done. Another possibility would be to hold back the small brass a bit which mostly doesn't work, maybe in rehearsal but not under combat conditions.
Saxes are per se more capable delivering (and have no problem doing so), but flutes just can't blow harder, and we have our limits as well. We play f..fff during the whole show which doesn't work well with fast passages, not to mention tone and pitch.
How can we get more "presence" without sacrificing accuracy or tone? Mic-ing is out of the question as we can't (and don't want to) haul a PA everywhere, and it contradicts the paradigm of a "self powered" concert band.
Ideas from the field are welcome.
Side question to the acousticians: is the limited volume a property of cylindrical-bore woodwinds, or why is that?
Our band consists of 3 flutes, 6 clarinets, 7 saxes, 10 small brass, 7 medium/large brass and 2 percussion, basses in the back, on the right a block with small/medium brass and saxes, percussion in the middle, on the right the small woodwinds section. Doesn't really make it easier for us to play with the rest of the band when separated visually and acoustically by a "drum barrier".
The obvious answer would be to increase the size of our section, but as many of you know this is easier said than done. Another possibility would be to hold back the small brass a bit which mostly doesn't work, maybe in rehearsal but not under combat conditions.
Saxes are per se more capable delivering (and have no problem doing so), but flutes just can't blow harder, and we have our limits as well. We play f..fff during the whole show which doesn't work well with fast passages, not to mention tone and pitch.
How can we get more "presence" without sacrificing accuracy or tone? Mic-ing is out of the question as we can't (and don't want to) haul a PA everywhere, and it contradicts the paradigm of a "self powered" concert band.
Ideas from the field are welcome.
Side question to the acousticians: is the limited volume a property of cylindrical-bore woodwinds, or why is that?