Sound System Basics
Working with monitors
- It is a fact that in today’s music stage volumes are louder than twenty
or thirty years ago. Back then, a band would be able to hear themselves through the main speakers of the sound system and this was enough.
With the increases in stage volumes, it becomes necessary to add stage
monitor speakers for the performer to hear. Let’s talk about what
is necessary to achieve good stage monitoring.
- First, you need a mixer that has a monitor send on it. The monitor
send takes a signal out of the mixer that will not be disturbed by
moving anything on the board that has to do with the main speakers.
This send is the key to being able to change volume levels in the
monitors without changing anything in the main speakers and vice a
versa.
- This monitor signal can then benefit from equalization. Equalization,
or ‘‘eq’’ as we will refer to it, will be used to help the signal
sound better, and more important, will help keep feedback under control.
After the eq, you will need a power amplifier. Typical thought is
to use as small an amplifier as possible to save money. If you use
a larger amplifier in the monitors, your sound will improve. This
is the result of having more headroom in the amplifier. The amplifier
does not have to work up to its limit all the time and has room for
the peaks that occur naturally in live music. Letting these peaks
be reproduced makes it easier on the singers voice and helps to improve
controlling feedback.
- The last part of the chain is the monitor itself. Most monitors contain
a speaker and some kind of high frequency device such as a horn. The
speaker can be any size, with 12’’ and 15’’ the most common. Using
a larger speaker, such as a 15’’, is a good idea if extreme volume
or low instruments such as bass and drums will be in the monitors.
Another interesting type of monitor speaker is the hot spot style. These
monitors sit on a microphone stand in front
of the performer at waist level. Being closer to the performers head,
they do not have to be as loud to be heard. This also translates into
less power from the power amp. These work well in situations where
lower to medium volumes are required.
- To end things, I’d like to throw some tips in for the fun of it.
- Tip #1: You are as loud as you can go in the monitors without causing
massive amounts of feedback. Somebody still needs just a little more
volume on their voice. Instead of turning up their voice and risking
the feedback monster, try turning everything else in the monitor down
just a bit. This will make this one voice or instrument seem louder
and could help keep feedback under control. If all else fails, try
to get the band to turn down. This one always works!
- Tip #2: If the monitors are feeding back, try moving them a couple
of inches in a different direction or tilt them in a different way.
You can also try moving the microphone and stand in the same way.
- Tip #3: If tip #2 does not work, try using less microphones or spread
the microphones farther apart.
- Tip #4: Use the same type of microphone for all vocals. This should
give you a better chance to make the monitors louder with less points
of feedback.
- Tip #5: Make sure all monitors and microphones are in phase. If even
one microphone or monitor is out of phase, chances for feedback doubles.
If you’re not sure if all of your equipment is in phase, see us at
the store, and we will explain how to check.
- Try the above and you will hear better on stage.
Rich Pires
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