Stage Monitoring
Basic Systems
Stage Splitters
Monitor Boards
Graphic EQs
Voicing up
Types of Monitor
Tips & Tricks
Stage Monitoring
What Is Stage Monitoring?
We know that the Front Of House (FOH) Sound Engineer mixes the sound for
the audience but if the performance is not good either then the material that the
FOH Engineer has to mix is no good, which in turn would mean the whole show
is compromised. In order for musicians to be in time and in tune together, and
therefore perform well, they will need to hear what each other are playing.
A monitor system is a system designed to allow the individual musician to hear
what he or she wishes to hear whilst performing on stage. This is why the
Monitor Engineer is such an important part of the team. He is responsible for the
sound on stage and has to design a stage monitoring system that will deliver the
required sound to each musician without compromising the sound for either the
FOH mix and therefore the audience, or the other musicians.
Most Basic System
Monitors From FOH
The diagram above shows the most basic of systems, where the signals from the
stage go straight to the FOH desk via the stage box and multi-core. The monitors
are then fed via the auxiliary sends. Auxiliary sends or auxiliary busses are extra
busses that any channel signal can be sent. There are two types of auxiliary
buss, pre-fade auxiliary and post fade auxiliary. The pre-fade auxiliary sends
before the fader and therefore is separate from the fader. You could also say that
a pre fade aux bypasses the fader. The post fade auxiliary however, is sent after
the fader and is therefore dependant upon the faders position to determine how
much is sent. For this example 4 separate pre-fade auxiliary outputs would be
used, one for each mix (one per musician). So if the singer’s mix was to be fed
by aux 2 (mix 2) then any channel on the desk that he wanted in his mix could be
sent via that auxiliary send. A pre-fade auxiliary send is used so that the monitor
mix doesn’t change, regardless of any fader movements the FOH engineer might
make whilst mixing the band for the audience. The problem with this type of
system is that it does not allow for separate channel gain and EQ control for the
monitors this is because the same channel feeds both the FOH left and right and
the auxiliary busses. Also because there is only one mixing desk and this is out
front, there is no engineer on stage to respond to the needs of the artist.
Basic Monitor System
Separate Monitor desk
The above diagram shows the next step up from the first system and is a far
superior monitor system. It allows for separate control over all the channels by
using a monitor desk as well as a FOH desk.
The signals from the stage go to a stage split type stage box, which as its name
suggests, splits the signal in two. One set of signals goes to the FOH desk and
the other to the monitor desk. In this diagram the 4 separate mix outputs of the
monitor desk feed 4 separate graphic equalisers. These are essential as they
give monitor engineer more control over the sound of each mix. The graphic
equalizers then feed the amps, which then feed the wedges or stage monitors.
These are low profile floor mounted speaker cabinets designed to not hinder the
audience’s sight line and fire up-wards towards the musician.
Stage Box Splitters
Basic Passive stage box: a passive stage box has a series of XLR inputs
(e.g.24/32/48/64) and usually two multi-core outputs or splits (one split to FOH
and one to monitors). It works on a straightforward one in and two out principle. A
signal (e.g. from a microphone) connected to channel one on the stage box
would appear on channel one in both multi-cores. So if the multi-core is
connected properly to the FOH desk it would appear on channel one and
similarly if the multi-core was connected to the monitor desk correctly it would
appear on channel one as well.
Active Stage Box: The problem with the system above is that when you split a
mic signal you get a small drop in level and sound quality. The more you split the
signal the more it drops. There can also be a slight drop in level and sound
quality within the cable over larger distances. At Glastonbury Festival on the
main stage for example, there is a need not only for the FOH and monitor board
to be connected, but a live broadcast and a live recording desk. In order to
counteract the problem of level drop an active stage splitter is used. An active
splitter is a powered unit that uses a mic preamp on each input and has multiple
outputs on each channel.
There are many designs and types but the splitters in the Charlie Jones Live
Venue are called Klark Technik DN1248s. The front panel is shown below.
The diagram below shows the DN1248 in application.
The DN1248 mic input is based around the same circuitry as the Midas Heritage
sound desk range, which is rated among the best in the business. The Mic
preamp is set at unity (0dB) gain but can be adjusted using the -15dB pad and
+30dB boost switches. Each channel on the DN1248 has four XLR outputs. Two
are directly connected (electronically) and two that are connected via an isolation
transformer. See below for an explanation of this.
Each channel has a ground lift, a phantom power button and also features a solo
button so that each channel can be listened to, via the headphone socket. This
solo feature is a useful addition, especially when fault finding in a large system.
The diagram below shows the signal path.
Isolation Transformers And Ground Loops: An Isolation transformer is a like
regular transformer but with symmetrical windings, so that the voltage is the
same in both circuits. This allows the flow of AC current between the two circuits
but does not allow DC current or interference from ground loops to pass. Ground
loops are the cause of noise or “mains hum” in audio circuits. They occur when
two pieces of audio equipment that are plugged into different power supplies are
connected. For instance: A bass amp is plugged into the stage power supply and
the D.I. output from the amp is used to connect it to the stage box via an XLR
lead. The stage box is then connected to a broadcast desk which has it’s own
separate power supply. Because the XLR lead’s pin 1 connects to ground (earth)
the lead has effectively made a circuit between the two separate earths of the
bass amp and the broadcast desk. Any potential difference between the two
earths will flow through the cables and be heard as “mains hum” at the base
frequency of the supply (50Hz UK or 60Hz USA) or harmonics thereof.
One way to stop this is to lift the earth or “ground lift” the XLR lead, by using a
D.I. box with a ground lift switch, but the most effective way is to use an isolation
transformer. It is not an option to disconnect the earth lead in the bass amp’s
plug! This may solve the problem of “mains hum” but can lead to the bass player
being electrocuted.
The Monitor Board
A dedicated monitor board differs from a FOH board in two major ways. Firstly, it
has more auxiliary or mix outputs. A monitor engineer is doing more than a single
left and right mix like a FOH Engineer does, he is doing at least one mix per
member of the band (in an ideal world, this is not always the case for space or
budget reasons). If it is a wedge mix this is usually a mono mix, but if it’s an in
ear monitor (IEM) mix then it’s usually in stereo. If there are five band members
they will require a minimum of five mixes. It is not uncommon for a monitor
engineer to use a mixture of both wedge and IEM mixes, so for a band of five
members there could be a need of upto15 mix sends (5 mono 5 stereo).
Secondly, a monitor engineer has very specific listening needs. One of the main
issues for a monitor engineer is the monitoring of the different types of mix
outputs in the same context to which they’re heard. For instance there is no use
listening to headphones plugged into the headphone output of the desk if the mix
is being sent to a pair of wedges. A wedge mix should be listened to through
wedges that are the same as those on stage, and an IEM mix should be listened
to using an IEM system and ear pieces, the same as the ones the band are
using. The Allen and Heath GL2800M that is in the Charlie Jones Live Venue
allows the mix outputs to be switched between 16 mono sends for wedge mixes
and 8 stereo sends for IEM mixes. There are two master faders, which control
the AFL (After Fader Listen, allows the engineer to listen to the mix at the output
stage of the desk) levels ;one for the IEM mixes and one for the wedges.
The diagram bellows shows the circuit for the above two types of monitoring.
Apart form that, both types of desk are similar beasts and some high end desks
can do both quite easily. There is one thing that monitor boards sometimes have
that FOH boards never do and that is a built in passive split for each channel
which removes the need for a passive stage box in a small P.A. set up.
Graphic Equalisers
It is common practice to insert a graphic equaliser over every wedge mix on the
stage. This is to add control over feedback and should not be over used. The
ones in the venue are XTA GQ600 dual 30 band graphics. These are dual
channel 1/3 octave graphic equalisers offering a 10dB cut or boost of 30 centre
frequencies ranging from 25Hz to20kHz. This means that each octave is split into
3 bands, each band has a centre frequency, which can be cut or boosted to
maximum of 10dB. For instance, between 100Hz and 200Hz as is an octave, the
same can be said for 400Hz and 800Hz. If we split these into equal parts the
centre of those parts would be 100Hz, 125Hz, 160Hz and 200Hz or 400hz,
500Hz, 630Hz and 800Hz. The frequency band between octaves is divided into 3
segments or bands, each with a slider.
Most graphics feature a high pass filter to keep the stage clean and save on
amplifier headroom (see below). The GQ600 is sweepable from 10Hz to 150Hz.
The GQ600 also offers a high frequency shelf trim with adjustable frequency and
gain, for quick tweeking of the high frequencies, and a fixed low pass filter to
protect high frequency drivers.
Voicing Up
First and foremost and before any EQ’ing takes place, the wedges or floor
monitors should be placed in the correct position according to their design, and
the position and type of microphone used. The diagram below shows the
recommended position for a Shure Beta58.
When the wedges are in place, the gain on the mic channel should be set to 0dB,
and the aux send on the channel should also be set to 0dB. Then the channel
fader should be pushed up slowly to 0dB. All being well the fader should be able
to go to 0dB without feeding back but in some situations this may not be the
case, hence the need to push the fader up slowly. In any case the fader should
be pushed up to the point where the channel just starts to feedback (preferably
with someone talking down the mic). The feedback frequency can be then
selected on the graphic and notched down until the feedback is stopped. The
fader can then be pushed a little further and another feedback frequency maybe
apparent which can be also notched. This will only work to a certain point. Over
EQ’ ing a mix may stop any feedback but will result in an unintelligible sound
from the wedges.
Wedges
Most stage monitors or wedges are a two-way speaker design, consisting of a
low frequency (LF) driver and a high frequency (HF) driver, (the most common
arrangement is a 15” and a 2”) having either a passive crossover internally, or
and external active crossover is used. Housed in a low profile floor standing
cabinet, they’re designed to be at the musician’s feet and fire upwards to focus at
ear height. The ones in the venue are Martin Audio LE1200s, which have a 12”
low frequency driver and a 1.4” high frequency compression driver. They have a
crossover point of 1.3kHz and can be used in two different modes.
1. Bi-Amped: (meaning two amp channels) Using an active crossover and
having an amp channel used for each driver.
2. Passive mode: using the internal crossover and one single amp channel
for both drivers.
If a musician needs two wedges on one mix, which wedges you choose needs
close attention. Wedges nowadays are made in mirrored pairs. This means that
within a pair of wedges, one would have the horn on the left of the LF driver (for
the left side) and one would have the horn on the right side of the LF driver (for
the right side). This is to give an even dispersion of sound around the head and
to cut down on HF spilling into the back of the microphone.
Side Fills
Side fills are extra stage monitors usually on either side of the down stage area,
firing across the stage, along the front line of the band.
Depending on the size of the stage and the needs of the band, side fills can be
anything from a couple of wedges on stands to a large, flown, FOH type PA
system. Nowadays they’re used just to add low end to a stage that only uses IEM
mixes but can be huge, scarily loud systems for rock bands. Side fills can be run
as stereo left and right or as two mono.
Add pictures from Wigwam
Drum Fills
Because a kick drum has a lot of low frequency energy, a normal wedge will not
be able to handle it, so something a little more substantial is required.
A typical drum fill would have some form of sub, usually a short throw front
mounted 18” sub box and a 15” and 2” wedge on top of it. This could be run 3
way (Low Frequencies, Mid, High Frequencies) on one auxiliary send or could be
run full range to the wedge and a separate auxiliary send to the sub. The latter
keeps the stage free from lots of unnecessary sub bass by allowing the engineer
to send only what he/she wants to send to it.
Add picture from Wigwam
In Ear Monitors
There will be a whole module on in ear monitoring so this will be a brief
explanation only. One way to describe an IEM system is that instead of a
musician having a mix at their feet they wear the mix. The mix is sent via the
auxiliaries as in a wedge mix, but for IEMs the mix is sent to a UHF transmitter
unit, which turns the signal into radio frequencies and transmits it to a receiver
pack worn on the belt of the artist. The receiver is battery powered and has a
little volume knob and a mini jack output socket for the artist to plug in their
earpieces or headphones. The ones in the live venue are Shure PSM700
transmitters and the P7R receiver units.
The artist/musician can choose from a wide range of earpieces to suit all tastes
and budgets. They can be moulded to the users ear for a perfect fit, or come as
generic sets. It is really a matter of preference and budget when choosing which
ones are right. The problem with moulded pieces is, they can’t be tried before
they are bought, and the problem with generics is they don’t always fit very well.
Tips And Tricks
Saving Headroom.
Headroom: This is the term used to describe the extra (or spare if you like) power
that an amp needs to have, if it is to properly deal with any peaks in the program
material. If an amp is running out of headroom the mix will become flat and un-
dynamic. If an amp is constantly peaking or clipping then it will be working to
hard and the intelligibility of the mix will be lost. When working with stage sound,
more headroom can be gained by cutting down on the low and sub bass
frequencies that the amps are dealing with. See point 2 below.
Keeping It Clean
Once the wedges have been placed properly and they’ve been voiced then
you’re ready to set up your mix. Obviously a stage monitor mix is a very personal
thing and there are no absolute right or wrongs, but here are some very
important guidelines:
1. THE WEDGES ARE THERE TO AID THE AMBIENT STAGE SOUND
NOT DROWN IT OUT! Make sure that the source sounds are right and
that a good balance is reached with the backline alone. Make sure that the
backline is placed right (amps not placed on the floor or firing directly at
someone who does not want to hear it). Try to place the vocal mics so as
to keep the spill from the backline to a minimum.
2. THE WEDGES ARE THERE TO FILL IN THE DETAIL NOT BATTLE
WITH THE FOH. Because of the nature of sound and the omni-directional
qualities of lower frequencies there will usually be a lot of lower
frequencies coming from the FOH system and the backline. There is no
point trying to stop this from happening! The only way round this problem
is to cut down on the lower frequencies in the wedge mixes. Try to think of
the wedges filling in the gaps to add intelligibility to the stage sound. You
will never win in a battle with the FOH!
Placing the Monitor Desk
The monitor desk must be in a position which will allow the Engineer have a
direct line of sight with every member of the band. This is to allow communication
to take place between the engineer and the band members. If there is no way
that this can happen then the problem maybe overcome by utilizing a back-line
crewmember to pass messages between the band member and engineer.
Communication And Common Language
Common language is a term used to describe the development of a system of
communication (a common language) that two or more parties can understand
and know that they’re being understood.
For instance, one sound engineer may say to another, “give me a 3dB boost at
around 6kHz with a tight bell on the kick drum channel please”. Now, we should
all know what the engineer wants, because we’re all sound engineers. But what if
you were to say the same thing to someone who has no sound engineering
experience? They will not understand a word of it! This is the problem that
musicians and sound engineers can have. Not many musicians will know how to
ask for something so specific and in such detail. Lets say you’re on tour with a
band doing monitors, and one night the drummer asks for his kick drum to be
“more punchy”. What would you do to make it “more punchy”? Lets say in this
instance you boosted 125Hz by 3dB. At the end of the show you ask the
drummer how it went, and he says he could still do with the kick being “more
punchy”. So, the next night you crank up the 125Hz for him. You talk to him again
after the show and he says, ” Well the bottom end was really rocking tonight, but
I could still do with some more punch”. A-ah! Here’s a clue! Is his punchy, the
same as your punchy? You discuss this with him and tell him you have been
adding the low end, to add punch to his kick. He then says that he means the
sound the beater makes when it first hits the skin. Now you know that as the
attack of the sound. You also know that by adding a 3dB boost at around 6kHz
you can bring out that attack. So the next night you can try this, the drummer is
smiling, you are smiling and you have the made the first step in your common
language together.
Discuss within the group:
1. Why communication is a major issue for a monitor engineer?
2. What forms of communication can be used?
3. Who needs to be understood and who needs to know they’ve been
understood?
4. Who can help and how can this be made easier?
Actual Systems
Doves, Some Cities Tour: Below is the stage plan for doves last tour of the UK.
As you may well be able to see, there are 17 separate mixes on the stage and
only 4 people. It’s not as mad as you might think, this is just how things evolved
over the years. Explanation below
Mix 1 and 2: Jimi Bass / Lead Vocal Jimi prefers wedge mixes to IEM mixes for
singing. It’s a matter of preference. Mix 1 is the centre wedge and mix 2 is the
outside, mirrored pair. This is Jimi’s main mix and is split into two to give more
clarity. A full mix of the band and vocals is sent to the outside pair but only his
vocal to the centre wedge. This meant that the mixes could be equalised (EQ’d)
specifically. The centre wedge could be EQ’d specifically for the vocal and the
outside pair EQ’d for a full mix. This also meant that the centre mix never ran out
of headroom even if the pair did.
Mix 3: Jez Guitar/Backing Vocal Jez mainly relied on his IEM mix but this
mirrored pair of wedges just had some extra drums in for that extra ”feel” on
stage.
Mix 4 Andy Drums Drum Sub: This was just used to send the kick drum to. It
gave an “oomph” that could not be achieved with the IEMs or a wedge.
Mix 5 Andy’s Seat Thumper: This is a large transducer that is attached to the
drum seat. It works rather like a speaker but doesn’t make any sound. Instead
the large coil moves a piston, which thumps the bottom of the seat. It’s used to
simulate the feeling of very powerful sub bass frequencies without having to
swamp the stage with those frequencies. The signal from the kick drum was split
into two separate channels so that it could be treated specifically for the thumper
without affecting the rest of the mix.
Mix 6 Andy’s Drum fill: This was just a normal wedge mix. Although Andy the
drummer mainly relied upon his IEM mix this was here to add a little low mid
weight to the keys and guitar sounds only. This might sound excessive but it was
there as a back up, should there be any problems with the IEM.
Mix 7 and 8 Sub Side Fills When doves first tried IEMs, their main concern was
the amount of bottom end they would get from the tiny drivers in their earpieces.
Mixes 7 and 8 are side fill subs to help deal with this lack of sub bass
frequencies. These mixes were dropped later on in the tour. There was so much
sub and lower mid frequencies on the stage coming from the FOH speakers that
there was never any need for the sub side fills.
Mix 9 and 10 Martin Keys Mix This is Martin the keyboard players IEM mix. This
is his only mix but it is split into a wireless (UHF) mix and a hardwire mix using a
Y-split lead on each output. The UHF mix used a Shure PSM700 system to
transmit a signal to a P7R receiver as mentioned earlier, but the P7R wireless
receiver was used as a backup for the hardwired pack. The hardwire mix went
straight down a pair of loomed XLR cables across the stage to a P6HWE3
hardwired monitor pack. This was done because Martin always sat down and
didn’t move off his stool for the whole gig. Being connected directly by wire
improves on audio quality. This is because the signal does not have to be
converted in to radio frequencies and back again, like in a UHF system. It also
cuts down on any potential radio interference that might occur within a UHF
system.
Mix 10 and 11 Jimi’s Drum Mix: Jimi plays the drums on one track in the show
and Andy the drummer goes to sing. Andy can take his wireless (UHF) mix with
him to the front of the stage, but Jimi can’t take his wedge mix with him, for
obvious reasons. So, because he needs a click when he’s drumming an IEM mix
is set up here for him.
Mix 12 and 13 Jez’s IEM Mix: This is Jez the guitar player’s main wireless IEM
mix using a PSM700 system.
Mix 15 and 16 Andy’s IEM mix: This is Andy the drummer’s main IEM mix. Like
Martin the keyboard player, Andy doesn’t move very much and his mix was split
in to a hardwired and a wireless system. Apart from the one song where Andy
and Jimi swap places the hardwired pack was used as the main and the wireless
as a back up.
Mix 17 Percussion Mix: On one song in the show (There Goes The Fear), Jimi
plays percussion. This happens on a different part of the stage from where he
normally stands. He was having difficulty hearing his main mix on larger stages
so this percussion mix was added. This was brought on for that song and taken
off straight after to maintain the clean look of the stage.
