Introduction 

The purpose of this guide is to provide all you need as a music director to get you started with amplifying and recording your marching band. For the purpose of this guide, Marching Band refers to a primarily outdoor ensemble performing on a field made up of brass, woodwinds, front ensemble and battery. 

The guide is broken down into two sections, each with three Tiers to help you get started regardless of the equipment you may have or plan to get. Since most marching perform some form of performance, be that competitive or noncompetitive, we will begin with the live application of marching bands then move onto recording one. 

Amplification

The world of marching band amplification and reinforcement is a huge one, and really hard to wrap you mind around if you have no idea where to start. Unlike the other ensembles listed in these guides, marching band amplification and reinforcement (A/R) looks a little different depending on what you hope to do. Marching band A/R can be as simple as amplifying a soloist or can include miking the field, soloists and the entire front ensemble. While your situation may look different, my hope is to get you started with this guide. Each step serves its own purpose and is important in its own way. The tier system will be slightly different as it will progress from essential to least essential.

Tier 1

Focuses on balancing the ensemble on the field. This can mean amplifying a soloist or amplifying your keyboard instruments in the event they are getting lost in comparison to the winds and battery. Regardless of your intention, you will need a few things in order to accomplish this including, microphones, mixers and speakers. Please refer to the Equipment page for more information. 

Soloist Microphones

Soloist microphones can look different depending on what you want to accomplish. At it’s most basic stage, setting up a single microphone on the field for your soloist is the easiest option. To do so, you will need the following:

• One microphone placed at the optimal placement for your instrument (Please see the Mic Information and Setups page).

  • If amplifying brass or saxophone, opt for a dynamic microphone or large diaphragm condenser

  • If amplifying woodwinds, opt for either a small or large diaphragm condenser.

    • Please note you will need phantom power to power any LDC or SDC

Synths

If your ensemble uses a synth, you can run the output of it or preferred program into your mixer or amp.

Bass and Guitar

Run the output through a DI into the mixer or amp.

Tier 2

Tier 2 focuses on further amplifying your ensemble to better control the overall balance as well as effects. For tier 2, having dedicated speaker mains and subs is recommended.

Soloists

Expanding on the techniques used in Tier 1, the next step in soloists microphones is running wireless microphones on the individual soloists, giving you the flexibility to stage them anywhere  on the field. While wireless microphones come in all different shapes and sizes, here are my recommendations to get you started.

• Brass and saxophones - These are the easiest to mic, the easiest way is to get a clip on condenser microphone such as a Shure Beta 98h/c and clip it on to the end of the bell. Then you can use a wireless pack pouch to manage the extra cables. (see picture) 

• Flutes - For flutes you can use a lavalier microphone, the same you would attach to a speaker along with a flute microphone strap and place it about an inch from the lip plate. Just make sure to use a windscreen to avoid any plosives from their articulation.

• Clarinets and soprano saxophone - Because these are both omnidirectional instruments that emit sound primarily out of the keys you are going to want to mic them differently. Use a clip on condenser microphone (the same as for brass and saxes) but flip the microphone capsule so that you can maneuver the goose neck up the body and in front of the keys. 

Electronics

It is hard to think of a modern competitive show where you don’t find some form of electronics used. The most common types include synths ran through a program like Mainstage, along with guitars, bass, samplers and hardware synths. Electronics are both a blessing and curse. Instead of lugging around timpani or chimes out to the field, you can now use patches to play the same sounds. Some groups even go as far as to replace entire front ensembles with mallet controlled such as malletstations or malletkats. Regardless, you are going to want to make sure all of these are connected to your mixer and ran out of your mains.

• Synths - its recommended that you use an audio interface or built in output to get signal from your computer to the mixer. Either one works well, using an audio interface allows you to also run a monitor without the need of the mixer being on

• Guitars and bass - these should be ran into a DI which is then ran into the mixer. If you are using any effect pedals either virtual or hardware, make sure the signal goes into that before going into the mixer.

Other instruments

If you really need to bring timpani out onto the field, make sure you are miking them properly as well. This means adding either a clip on condenser, SDC or LDC to each pair or each drum. Make sure the microphone is at least 6 inches away from the head and aimed at the center of the drum. 

Tier 3

This last tier deals with amplifying the field as well as implementing a drum set and rack to your front ensemble.

Field Amplification/Reinforcement

Look at any drum corps or high level competitive marching band and you are bound to see an array of shotgun microphones lining the front of the field. Contrary to popular belief, these microphones are not on at all times and should be used to enhance sections of the show such as a woodwind feature or large ensemble arrival. Too many bands fall into the trap of having these mics on all of the time to the point that we are now hearing amplified band over the original acoustic sound of the ensemble. While a slippery slope, if done well, front field reinforcement can be highly effective in balancing your ensemble.