Monitors

[strumNgrin]

Many gigs we play are festivals that use a single cartiod pattern mic. We would like to use a monitor but can not get enough output from the monitor to be of use before we get feedback from it. Any solutions?

[Jonathan Reinhardt]

So where is the monitor, and at what angle? What distance (stage front) from the mic? Just one? Sound company with 31 band EQ for the monitor? Other feedback gear (Sabine etc.)?

[TonyP.]

Floor monitors don't work with the single mic setup. Tell them to turn them off and just stay close together so you can hear yourselves or get in-ear monitors, that's what all the "big boys" use.

[Rob Anderson]

I agree with the above post. Don't use a monitor with a wide pattern condensor mic. Tell the sound guys to turn off all the floor wedges.
I just get close enough to the mic for lead vocals and breaks so I can hear it from the mains. You won't be able to hear the other stuff through the mains but you can hear it acoutically.

[jim simpson]

I never thought I could get used to playing without monitors but it seems quite natural now. Rob is right about hearing yourself from the mains, that does happen too.

[mandroid]

If there is a big enough null spot, (to hide a monitor) , small ones on a mic stand , behind the boom, are a possibility, Its closer to your ears and so doesnt need to be so big.(or loud) most are vocal range. E-V, Carvin and Galaxy have offerings in this category.

[GTison]

last year we played a place that had a tent overhead and concrete floor. We use an at4033. It was an outdoor event. We got absolutely no reflection of sound from "the house" mains. I was strange, it seemed that we couldn't hear ourselves either. so... the next set we had the sound me put a tiny bit into the monitors not really enough to live with, by multi mike standards but just enough to say they were on.
That gave us enough to operate by.

[strumNgrin]

Thanks, everyone. Confirms what I thought but wasn't sure if anyone else had a better answer. Didn't think about the ear monitors though. Are they pricey?
Daryl

[MartinD_GibsonA]

We use the Shure PSM400. #Don't know what they run now, or if they've been discontinued, but as I recall, the basic kit (transmitter, receiver) was about $800. #The extra receivers were close to $300 each. #Shure earphones were $150, so we opted for the $29 kind from Best Buy, Circuit City, Radio Shack. #Check Musician's Friend or Lentine's (spelling?).

Don Smith