inexpensive monitor

[ira]

hi, tired of not being able to hear ourselves play. any suggestions for an "inexpensive" but functional monitor?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif??

thanks

[mrbook]

Musicians Friend usually has some Kustom monitor speakers for about $40.00 each. I have used their loudspeckers and find they are okay for all the venues where we use our own sound equipment - up to about 300 people (Bigger places usually have their own systems). I would have bought them, but I had already bought a pair of Peavey monitors that lock together to form their own plastic case - about $160/pr. Since switching to a single microphone, they only get used about once a year when we have to use separate mics.

[mandroid]

2 way 8 ohm carvin PM5. smaller mic stand mount, rather than floor. I use one when I want to hear myself better at our friendly Jam.
#when I use the PM5's on the home stereo, nice accuracy, handles more power than my neighbors allow.
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
addendum: Those 1270 Fender things aren't too pricey, actual wedge monitors, 2 way, 10" drivers.

[Doug Edwards]

We've used the Hot Spots ($100 ea.) They're OK if your crowded together with less feedback problems. Larger monitors will get the job done better. We've two Hot Spots we'd sell cheap since we don't use them ($75 for both). I'd bet there are a lot on the Cafe that have equipment they no longer use.

[Dennis Schubert]

We played on a stage last Sunday for a mixed-genre festival, and the sound crew used two small keyboard amplifiers (the $100 kind with 8" speakers) as powered monitors. They were resting on slant-back stands, but you could rig a functional stand out of a coathanger or scrap lumber. Sounded surprisingly good at low/moderate volume.

[zeke]

We've been using the Galaxy hot spots for the last few years (cheap was the operative word here) and the worked well enough for the cost. They were far from perfect though; prone to feedback, hard to get the mix right, and not good for every situation, and always required a bunch of tweeking (including placing a feedback destroyer in line). One of our issues was that the guitarist and I do a lot of doubling, and his placement is always on the far side of the group, with bass and fiddle between.

Although not cheap, I think we've finally found a workable solution. We were turned onto this arrangement by some German sound guys when we were playing over there this spring. We now use two Trace Elliot TR50R's on either side. They are two channel, so we link the guit and myself together. They are soooo clear and strong that I can perfectly (well, that's very subjective!) find my spots relative to the mike for rythem, fills and lead, while still hearing guitar leads totally clean. We have now tried them over the last few weeks in large cubs, outdoor fest setting, and loud crowded bars, and they have performed so dang well that I want to sing "Sweet Mystery of life, at last I've found you!" I found mine on ebay for 3 bills, so deals can be had on these.

[steve in tampa]

Just got a Galaxy PA5X140, and tried it out. Set up a mic for vocals and a mic for the mandolin. Was able to hear myself well, and stay out of the feedback.
Also gat a powered floor monitor, but the Galaxy beats it hands down. Not too much to tote around either.

[Jim Garber]

A friend of mine bought a pair of monitors from Vidsonix and took a changce on them and said they were very good for the price. You can see them here (http://www.vidsonix.com/vidsonixnew/vidsonix_pro.htm) for $79.95 per pair.

They also sell on eBay and you may get an even better deal there.

Jim

[Jim Hilburn]

I've got a pair of the Peavey 10" monitors that snap together to make a single unit for transport coming in the mail. I haven't heard them yet, but they get good reviews. I got mine on ebay, and people always bid them up to nearly as much as they sell for new. I snagged some with a buy it now price.
But the Galaxy 8" passive units, now those were my dream machines.

[TonyP]

I don't know what kind of PA and "setup" you have. There are different philosophies here. There is the rock band approach, plugged in with pickups , separate dynamic mics and the dreaded floor monitors. Then there is the large diaphragm single or double mic setup. Personally I hate the rock band approach and think it sounds "processed", not like the instruments really sound. You can get really loud with that kind of setup though. With the condenser mic setup you have to be more careful of noise on stage and monitors are a major offender. I've been noticing for years the "big boys" all use wireless but to go the Shure route was just too expensive. Then while surfing ebay one day I saw some like these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws....98&rd=1 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3274&item=5743959598&rd=1)

At the time it was an buy it now for $25 for a whole single setup. We bought setups for the whole band for $100. You use one transmitter setup for the house mix. You can use any headphones. We all use in ears. Everybody is hearing the house mix and since we work the mic to mix it works great. No feedback from monitors. They come with a rechargeable battery in the pack that plugs into the transmitter unit. It's not perfect as it has a little hiss and if you are under florescent lights it causes some interference. We tried the little cheap Nady units they broke straight out of the box. These have been way cheaper and better. YMMV

[jim_n_virginia]

Don't know what inexpensive is to you but over the years through experience I have learned that "inexpensive" usually means I buy sometime used and cheap and I usually get what I pay for. I am rarely satisfied.

When I got to the point where I needed monitors I got JRX112M JBL monitors which are the lower wattage, lower end 12" monitors of the JBL line which makes tha greatest speakers in the world... well OK maybe not the greatest but pretty durn good. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

Pretty versatile too, now we have 2 15" mains and 2 12" monitors for bigger venues and if we get a small house party or something I just use the 12" speakers.

Got a nice warranty on the speakers and if and when I ever have to sell them to upgrade I won't have too much problem.

One is about $215 picked up two of them for less than $400

good luck

[mandroid]

How much do you want to haul in?
I also see a power amp, 3 channel mixer preamp,[no phantom], 250watts #for placing in a speaker cab for about $120, and a carpet covered cabinet , with horn and 12" driver, for another $140.
see at www.partsexpress.com/
in addition to that speaker cab, one of the amps will drive a 2nd cabinet.
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

[PhilGE]

I just picked up 2 EV S100's off of eBay at $185 including shipping. They look pretty old, but if they're in good shape, I'm set for sound for a long time. They could be our mains or monitors. We have some EV SX80's that smaller, but are rated higher - could work as mains or monitors, too. The EV S100's and SX100's are pretty much tried and true workhorses for small acoustic bands. We're doing sound for contra dances, so we're looking at sound reinforcement, not rockin' the stadium.

By the way, a second pair (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=47094&item=3775982043&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW) is still available, but I think they're a bit more "used."

Good luck!

-Phil

[mandroid]

I have a pair of the SX80s, [and the #pair of the PM5s] , the use of the same amps outputs results are significantly louder with the sx80s, a good value.
One can still put the #2 speakers,stands in the backseat of the car,
1-3'duffle, 2 stand bags. modest haulage.
a samsonite with cables and the powered mixer.

[steve V. johnson]

I use the Galaxy Hot-Spot 'three-pack', with a 'master' speaker with the inputs in it and then two satellite Hot-Spots, for both an Irish trio (fiddle, bouzouki/guitar, bodhran/bones) and an acoustic songwriter band of four to six people (guitar, dobro/mando, fiddle, sometimes banjo, another fiddle, percussion, another guitar) all mic'ed with good quality mics. We haven't had feedback problems at all. The whole rig came in one bag, and while the monitors are heavy, they work and travel well for us. The pkg price for these was under $400 from Full Compass over a year ago.

stv

[ronlane3]

What about using In-ear monitors? This big cost is in the unit itself and usually comes with 1 or 2 sets of ear buds.

[mandroid]

Even cheaper if you buy a headphone extension cord,or 2,at 15' each, #a 1/4 to 1/8 adaptor and earbuds, if youre not frogwalking onstage, that is http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

No RFI from the local zealot' radiostation. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif