Sound system
With all the money spent on the stadium renovations and scoreboards, isn't time to update the sound system for the band. I sit on the visitor side of the field on the 10 yard line 60 rows up and I cannot hear the band during halftime at all. On Saturday, the Air Force band with its 30 members was louder than our band with 300 members. I really believe it is time to put live mics on the band members. Anyone else having a tough time hearing the band?
September 10th, 2012 at 2:12 PM ^
Or they could just play louder.
September 10th, 2012 at 2:36 PM ^
Because we could hear the Airforce band and they were facing the same direction as the Michigan band at half time.
September 10th, 2012 at 2:40 PM ^
"More damn sound"
September 10th, 2012 at 6:56 PM ^
MOAR SOUND
September 10th, 2012 at 2:12 PM ^
September 10th, 2012 at 2:13 PM ^
Yes. I agree!
I think quite a bit of the issues are due to the shape and design of the stadium though :(
September 10th, 2012 at 2:36 PM ^
Not an audio expert, but I would think the sheer size of the stadium would cause the most problems.
September 10th, 2012 at 8:35 PM ^
this same subject came up while I was at the game. I was in section 44, visitors side, row 25. I noticed while they were piping in music that it seemed as if the speakers were rotating because the sound would oscillate louder then fainter in about 20 second intervals. The guy next to me said it may have to do with them only having speakers on top of the northern scoreboard. I looked around and clearly there were no speakers on top of the southern scoreboard and I didn't see or hear any in any other locations. It would appear they need to invest in some additional audio tech.
September 10th, 2012 at 2:15 PM ^
"Sound System" is bad. "Sound System Needs To Be Better for the Band" is good.
September 10th, 2012 at 2:18 PM ^
During halftime, the band is favoring the home side much of the time, not the away side. I had seats in Section 1 for six years and never had trouble hearing the band when they were seated as they are facing the visitors side. That should be the same in most stadiums....when the band is facing you, they are much louder than when they are facing away from you.
I assume they are still using microphones and amplifying the band when seated.
September 10th, 2012 at 2:24 PM ^
The have upgraded the sound system, like whoah:
http://www.meyersound.com/news/2012/michigan_stadium/
The problem is putting microphones on a large area while peakers are pointed at the same place. It gets noisy really quick, with echoes coming from the PA. Supposedly, they had starting mic'ing the band last year, but I haven't been in the stadium to hear it.
September 10th, 2012 at 2:27 PM ^
So you sit on the East sideline, "on the 10 yard line..."
Is that the North 10 yard line? (@ Section 42) Or the South 10 yard line? (@Section 4)
If you are in Section 4, the reason that the visitor's band sounds louder is because they are right in front of you! If you are in Section 42, I have a very hard time believing you because I know how the MMB sounds two sections to your left.
And the Athletic Department has been mic'ing the MMB:
http://www.psni.org/project/the-big-house/
The picture, depicting the place where visiting bands are directly in front of Section 4. Section 5 is the partial aisleway that doesn't go all the way down to the wall. The opposing band, if one comes, is always placed at about the 10 yard line:
September 10th, 2012 at 3:44 PM ^
I think he was talking about the halftime show. I sit in 37 and I can't hear shit other than the drums unless they face us.
September 10th, 2012 at 4:00 PM ^
If that's the case, everybody in the Stadium can guage how "directional" is the sound of the band. Every halftime show (Bando can back me up) features the band alternately playing to different quadrants of the stadium, with most of the time facing the west sideline.
Every pre-game band show of course features the entire band doing Let's Go Blue to the four quadrants in order, and while the difference is dramatic, nobody without a hearing aid could possibly say that they can't hear the band.
September 10th, 2012 at 2:26 PM ^
Putting microphones on individual band members on the field? I can't decide which reason I want to go with for why this is a stupid idea. It would sound awful, it would be expensive, it's a logistical nightmare, I could go on and on here.
September 10th, 2012 at 2:28 PM ^
But Bando is completely right.
September 10th, 2012 at 2:33 PM ^
It sucks.
And by the way, playing Kid Rock while honoring service men and women in attendance was complete bullshit. Play the fucking band.
Can you tell I'm almost 50? Off my lawn, punks.
September 10th, 2012 at 2:58 PM ^
We're pretty close to the same spot. It is horribly frustrating.
I know they're trying to do what's best for the stadium, but being close makes it awful. Pregame and halftime sound great, but everything from Temptation (3rd down stop) to The Victors, to Let's Go Blue! is impossible to enjoy.
Having been in the band part of why we sit where we do is to have great sound and sightlines for the band on the field. But the micing (sp?) of the band is not working for us. And it seems to be worse than last year.
September 10th, 2012 at 2:48 PM ^
I'm in Sec 18, Row 94 and band or not, the sound seems a little subpar. I do not like the delay with hearing the band in "real time" so I have to look away from them when I hear The Victors so I am in sync with my seatmates.
(First World Problems)
September 10th, 2012 at 4:15 PM ^
And I sat in Sec. 18.
Now, Section 18 is a nice place and everything. Good views, no sun in your eyes on sunny days, great spot if you happen to park at Pioneer, etc.
But it was the worst sound I have ever experienced in the Stadium, having sat in perhaps a dozen different seating locations. The MMB was almost inaudible in that corner.
September 10th, 2012 at 8:18 PM ^
.... pannndddaaaa
September 10th, 2012 at 2:56 PM ^
If you can't hear the band, that IS a problem, but I am not sure I am looking forward to going another 10 rounds on "Can't they just play louder?" and all the other arguments we've had in the past.
Ideally everyone could hear everything no matter where they are sitting, and we're clealy far short of that. That said, the problem isn't uniform and it's hard to generalize across the whole stadium (or diagnose the needed fix) based on one fan's experience.
September 10th, 2012 at 3:20 PM ^
September 10th, 2012 at 4:03 PM ^
September 10th, 2012 at 6:14 PM ^
Couldn't you just put the little staircase thing in the endzones?
September 10th, 2012 at 4:14 PM ^
To put the band in the first rows of Section 34, beneath the North scoreboard...
That way they can be mic'ed, but their direction and position would be close enough to the speakers that the echo effect would be minimized.
I vaguely recall Bando explaining why the band was moved to the bottom of Sec. 26; or maybe I am imagining it. I don't recall for sure. The band used to be in that north endzone, before being slid over to the Northeast corner, before then being moved to the current position in the West/Northwest corner.
If I am not mistaken, they have altered the benches in the band's regular assigned area to accomodate some of the instruments. So there is at least a little structural issue in moving them again.
September 10th, 2012 at 3:42 PM ^
We need to get the physics department on this problem ASAP. Perhaps there is a way we can have speakers around the stadium individually timed (or in groups) to create the optimal balance of band volume and sound integrity? Can a brotha get an algorithm???
I would think there are enough brains on campus to get this done.
September 10th, 2012 at 3:45 PM ^
Ah the week after a win when everybody can go back to complaining about the band... but really there is only so much the band can do. They are playing as loud as they can without sounding like shit but the freshmen will still be learning the music so it should get louder as the season goes on. the mics help when in the stands but cant help on the field cause that is a nightmare. I have no idea how you could hear the air force band at all (i was in section 34 north endzone) and could barely make out anything during halftime but the mmb was loud and clear.
September 10th, 2012 at 3:50 PM ^
September 10th, 2012 at 4:28 PM ^
Can't wait until Michigan Stadium adds the upper deck. I heard there will be an HD screen ribbon on the upper deck edge that'll show scores.
September 10th, 2012 at 5:13 PM ^
September 11th, 2012 at 8:33 AM ^
At the stadium usher meeting last year, Dave Brandon told them that plans are being drawn up for a South endzone expansion that would include an upper deck making the stadium the second largest in the world at 120,001. I have a few friends who work the student section at games and they told me this. They are also the ones that told me about the 2007 expansions which added the suites way before they were even announced.
Brandon said that the opposing fans would be moved to the upperdeck in the nosebleeds. Most likely the south scoreboard would be moved on top of the south upper deck with possibly an HD ribbon on the edge of the deck that would have scores and stats.
September 10th, 2012 at 4:37 PM ^
Oh, does the band place at halftime?
September 10th, 2012 at 4:57 PM ^
Halftime = Naptime
September 10th, 2012 at 6:55 PM ^
I don't know how the sound system was working on Saturday. But there was no 5 second delay like last year through the speakers. It was kind of nice having the entire stadium sing the Victors together instead of having one half the stadium ahead of the other by a whole line with fists going in the air at different times.