• Registered: 2011-05-30
  • Posts: 85

Topic: Monitors

Hey, what's up.   I'm a singer and rhythm guitarist who is looking for some general guidance on live sound.   I gig with an acoustic trio and we use a Carvin Stagemate PA.    I have a Behringer mic stand monitor, but am thinking about getting floor wedges for better foldback sound.     

Also, I play some electric guitar/vocals with an electric group.   Do any of you run both your vocals and guitar through wedge monitors?

My main concern is not blowing anything up and getting what I need out of a setup.

Thanks! 

  • From: The Land Of Song
  • Registered: 2007-12-10
  • Posts: 5,649

Re: Monitors

Hi Cork-92

I cant see any reason why you'd cause any damage to your speakers always assuming they are rated high enough to accept the signal. Obviously you'd need volume control on the monitors as fold back would be lower than out going sound otherwise defeating the object of monitors. I played guitar through my PA for a while until I came to play a big gig where I had to turn up a lot. After that I used my guitar amp for convenience and peace of mind. If you're putting the whole band, albeit acoustic guitars and vocals, you'll need to keep and eye on the mix. Hope this helps.     

Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.

Phill Williams's Website

3 Reply by Grah1 (edited by Grah1 2023-01-31 21:20:23)

  • Grah1
  • Honoured Member
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  • From: Cold and rainy Settle UK
  • Registered: 2011-05-12
  • Posts: 1,587

Re: Monitors

we mic  everything  up and  feed  it  back  into  the  PA which has  2k output .I  generaly  set  up  2  floor  monitors   driven by  a  separate   2x 400watt  amp  which  gives  us    plenty  of  volume    to  hear  each  other.
  We all  run our  amps  at     a  level  where  we  can hear  our  selfs  in our   respective   bits  of  the  stage   . We  are  using  an electronic  drum kit    so  that    is  also  fed  into  the  pa  and   we  can  have  it  at  a  sensible  level   on stage . The monitors  have just  enough  of  every  one  in so  we  dont blast  each  other  out .  As  for  our  vocalist  he  has  a  separate  monitor   which  gives  him the  full  front  of  house  mix  . The  main speakers   are   positioned  as  far  forward  as  possible     so  we  dont  really  hear  them  but  every  one   else  can be  deafened  if  needed .
I  find   the  on  stage  levels  need to   be  low  enough    for  comfortable  listening . It  pays  to  have  a  good  engineer   ours  also  helps  out  on extra  guitar  when needed .
Hope this  helps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D422ox0 … CLt6cD--oC
This  is  a  vid   of  my  old  band   using  a  similar  set  up , Me  on guitar  Kev Jones  on Vocal

Grah1's Website

  • Registered: 2011-05-30
  • Posts: 85

Re: Monitors

Thanks for the responses.   So the wattage on the wedge floor monitors really doesn't necessarily depend on the PA's wattage?     

  • Grah1
  • Honoured Member
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  • From: Cold and rainy Settle UK
  • Registered: 2011-05-12
  • Posts: 1,587

Re: Monitors

In the video I posted the monitors you can see 'are powered 800 watts each the ones I use now are passive so they use a separate amp .each channel is supplied a line level signal from the fold back  output on the mixer we currently use a 12 channel Yamaha analogue mixer .The one in the vid is a 32 channel digital which if I remember correctly had 4 fold back outputs   so there was plenty of options to get a good mix on stage.With our current small set up I get the third monitor from the mono output so the singer has the same mix as the audience hear. It seems to work well for us.
However for big festivals we had a mixing desk on stage just for the monitors the main mix coming from a remote tower in front of the stage .
Just take your time and find the set up which is best for your group and the type of venue you play .In ear monitors can be a good option rather than floor ones these days there are some great systems available     

Grah1's Website

  • Registered: 2023-06-15
  • Posts: 1

Re: Monitors

It’s okay to meet more often than once a week if your schedules allow     

puddingtune's Website

  • Registered: 2024-01-09
  • Posts: 5

Re: Monitors

Considering floor wedges for better foldback sound in live performances. Seeking advice on running vocals and guitar through wedge monitors without issues. Open to tips on setup, sound checks, and avoiding feedback. Any insights or recommendations appreciated! Thanks for sharing     

  • Registered: 2024-01-22
  • Posts: 1

Re: Monitors

In order to get a better foldback sound during live performances, floor wedges should be considered. I would want some guidance on how to run vocals and guitar over wedge monitors without encountering any problems. Open to receiving advice on how to prevent feedback, do sound checks, and set up. Any suggestions or observations would be much welcomed! I appreciate you sharing.     

hi
  • From: Austin, Texas
  • Registered: 2024-03-17
  • Posts: 2

Re: Monitors

When it comes to monitors, the real power lies not just in the wattage but in the harmony between hardware and software. Like tuning a guitar, finding the right mix ensures your sound is crisp and clear without blowing anything up. Whether it's floor wedges or in-ear monitors, the key is to strike the perfect balance for your performance.     

Pavel15's Website