yea true true

Could'nt you just play both spock notes on one spock anyway?

As for the 8 inch. I honestly think it will sound pretty cool, the 8 inch has a nice deep spock sound to it. So you can probably hear it better from a distance, and I'm sure it projects better.

Yeah.

It shouldn't be a big deal, it's just out of the comfort zone.. Yeah, it'll be weird on the pitch difference, though; that deeper spock sound over the higher, more "shot" like sound.

Yay for changes.

If this is what they'll do for '09, I'm throwing out my plans for auditioning for Cavies. I actually find it so much easier to play on six drums than five. I know some of you might disagree, but that's just me.

Anyway, I know that people have done 8" spocks before. One example I know of is I2 (Indianapoilis Independent), a WGI Group. I personally don't support 8" spocks, because I feel if you have only one spock, it needs to sound as high as possible in pitch, seeing as it's more for effect when you only have one. they need a 6" spock.

Hopefully they will go back to 6 drums.

one more thing: drumcide said that it will be easier for those who use 5 drums. My high school uses five drums, and I still like six drums.

And the award for the silliest reason NOT to audition for a corps goes to....

You don't have to crank a spock drum as high as possible for it to be effective. Has anyone considered the fact that maybe Casella actually knows what he's doing? I know the man and I know that if they are using a single 8" spock, that it was done for a very specific reason and Jim had a particular sound in mind.

..Would'nt playing 5 drums be easier then 6? I mean, It's one drum, not two next to each other, easier playing positions?

And the double spock seems really pointless. (In my eyes at least) Its a high note and a higher note.

Side note- Why does everyone care about spocks so much? Just one of these days I would like to see a World Class Corp march straight quads, 10-12-13-14, nothing more, and see what everyone says.

Having two spocks means that each tenor player can hit two spocks at the same time, making it possible for spock hits to be heard better (provided they are played as double-stops.)

However, I think the main reason for having two spocks is just because it creates more ways for the tenor line to show off; whether or not you can hear the spock drums, a solo or feature played on 6 drums looks more impressive than a solo on 5 or 4 drums.

Exactly. Double spocks are more of a way to show off. In the stands, it can be very hard to hear them clearly, but it gives the quad players two more drums with which to show off. However, I was watching the Bluecoats 2007 show today and noticed that you could hear the spocks fairly well. I'm not sure whether this is because of the tuning or whatever else.

I can't change your opinion but I found that two spocks can be effective, not just by pitch. different heads change the texture. I like outside of the box thinking when it comes to this issue.
but thats just me.



I would like to see that too.. it has happened. the last time i think was like Phantom in 95 when they had the purple Premiers, from what I saw they had no spock at all.






I think you both are way over simplifying why double spocks exists. I won't deny that the "cool" factor of having six, it is there. It is more then "cool" or trying to project sound. its another color to play with. It opens up a lot more possibility in musical scoring.

As far as not hearing it? its a tunning issue, i never had a problem hearing a group with a double spock, unless they have them tuned low, or the tenors are being over played by another section.


back on topic. I really don't understand why everybody making this a big deal. I'm going with Bill on this one. there is a reason Casella is going with it. I personally don't care if they have 5 or 6 drums, as long as they play some clean beats i'm cool with it.

Didn't they have a cymbal disc instead of a spock that year? Regardless, those were the "toy" years with Regiment when they had jam blocks and things all over their drums. They certainly weren't lacking for things to hit!

More on the topic though, is the fact that Cavaliers haven't had one spock since '86. Jim has a master plan and that's all fine and good, but we're talking about the quad set-ups of one of the top drum corps in HISTORY and now they're changing it up. Good or bad, it's different. To me, that's news.

That being said, I guess I don't follow the logic of seeing TRUE quads (4 drums) again. WHY? I guess, if that's what you want to do, fine, but it's tons more limiting than one or two spocks. We might as well see trios of 16,18,20" rear their ugly heads once more. I'm thinking more in the voicing region here because the bass lines are taking those tones and there's only so much space between the snare and bass voicing. I think of the spock as an added bonus, that now just doesn't feel right without. One spock or two, I think, is more of a feel thing that anything.