A story

Here's a story.   It's all true.  

The process I refer to is a tuning process where we build a unison concert F from the bottom up, each instrument entering the mix when they hear the overtones present in the sound that they will be playing on.  When done properly, it creates sonic possibilities that are mind-blowing (hearing instruments play that are not playing, for example.  Like hearing flutes when trumpets come in, even though there are no flutes playing).  A PAD bass is a MIDI keyboard, tuned down 1 octave, generating a warm fundamental sound that is one octave below the tubas. The setup I use is an M-audio keyboard controller connected to a 4 channel audio interface, into a MacBook Pro running Logic, with the ESX24 set to a warm pad sound that I tweaked a bit.  Output from the audio interface goes into 2 powered speakers on either side of the band, behind the percussion. 

This morning, during high school band rehearsal, we began our rehearsal like normal: announcements, noodling to warm up, and then work on tuning.  This, by the way, is our 2nd rehearsal (or first, if you call the first rehearsal a "hearsal").  After a run of the chromatic scale, I had our PAD player give an F, in 3 octaves.  Tuba came in, then trombone and bari sax, followed by trumpet and tenor sax.  By this time, I was beginning to feel it.  Clarinets joined, then, lastly, the flutes.  THEN it happened.  The hair literally stood up on my arms and I almost burst out laughing.  I heard a perfect 5th above the band.  On take 1 of day 2.  Now, to be fair, this group had been working on tuning all last year much the same way.  Most of them played in summer marching band, and continued working on tuning using that very same process (save for the PAD bass).  The point is that it (this process) works.  I think we are in for a great year.  The best ever.