Can we please stop giving melee bad stigma?

[xEscaflownex]

What kind of DPS do you put out on a given fight? I'm just wondering, as everything I've heard (and seen) has been just the opposite for BRD - that they tend to have lower DPS than most classes, particularly if they are forced to sing for extended periods.

Not at all, I've seen lots of BRDs do poor damage sometimes, I have no idea how they are playing their characters. Ive never found Ballad to be an issue (usually its damage reduction is mitigated by DPS CDs anyway", it's simply stops me from leading by a mile, but has never stopped me from topping DPS charts. For example Garuda EX, I just ballad during inner circle/plume phases, always have at least BFB and usually more CDS to pop, so doesn't hinder DPS at all. Same on Titan EX, usually just a little battlevoiced towards the end, and Ifrit EX just Ballad when he jumps until after rushes, and then battle voiced after final nails if necessary. T5 after adds till conflag phase, during divebombs, and then a battle voice towards end has needed during later dread knights or final phase. Even when people die and have to be rezzed, or healers die and I have to play ballad more, it has still never dropped my DPS below other classes.

I honestly dont know what hinders a lot of bards, I just know the way I play mine and quite a few others I know find ourselves to have Top DPS, quite effortlessly.