Does the quality of a monitor affect the amount of possible feed back

theshadow2001 · #1 09-10-2008, 08:35 AM

Well it says it all in the title. I know there's other factors like mic speaker placement eq headroometc. But how much of an impact does the actual monitor make on the likely hood of getting feedback

AlembicPlayer · #2 09-10-2008, 09:17 AM

I'd say the quality of the monitor engineer has the most impact on feedback

dwanetom · #3 09-10-2008, 09:51 AM

Monitor PLACEMENT has a LOT to do with feedback. If you place them too close to the wall at your back you'll get it big time. Our rock band uses inexpensive Kustom 12" and we don't have a problem with feedback unless...they're too close to the back wall.

WalterBush · #4 09-10-2008, 10:06 AM

Yeah, some monitors have a tendency to feed back more than others. It's not just a matter of quality, though--more a matter of frequency response. A monitor with a peak at 400Hz is a lot more likely to feedback at 400Hz than a monitor with more of a flat response curve. Most feedback is operator error in the case of monitors, in my experience.

Bob Lee (QSC) · #5 09-10-2008, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WalterBush

Yeah, some monitors have a tendency to feed back more than others. It's not just a matter of quality, though--more a matter of frequency response. A monitor with a peak at 400Hz is a lot more likely to feedback at 400Hz than a monitor with more of a flat response curve. Most feedback is operator error in the case of monitors, in my experience.

Very true. A peaky frequency response in a monitor can be a real PITA to work with. A monitor with, say, a 2 dB peak at 400 Hz, as Walter described, will be more likely to feed back at 400 Hz, and that will in turn reduce the usuable level from the monitor over the rest of the spectrum. Poor-quality monitors may have several response peaks, multiplying the problem.

mrokern · #6 09-10-2008, 12:25 PM

Bob

I love the fact that an AES VP has that quote in his sig.

No more measurbator jokes allowed, I suppose...

-Mark

JTE · #7 09-10-2008, 03:28 PM

Oh, of course! Better monitors have flatter response. A more critical factor is if your monitors aren't matched well to each other. If one is hot at 800 Hz and another has a dip there, you're going to have to EQ that frequency out for the peaky one, so the person using the one with the dip is going to loose some vital information.

jte

51m0n · #8 09-10-2008, 05:10 PM

IME a better monitor isnt always the most expensive one (same as any other purchase). But I have yet to find a really good monitor that was really cheap.

And yes feedback rejection is a factor of monitor quality. More even frequency response blah blah.

My band currently run with some new JBL 12" monitors (sorry don't know the model) and they just will not feedback under any 'ordinary' conditions. That is to say if the vocal is loud enough in the monitor the monitors wont feedback. Only if the vocal is painfully loud (read, way too loud) can you get them to feedback with anything short of chucking the mic right into the speaker. Our previous monitors sucked big time in comparison.