improving monitor sound...

phrygianpastor · #1 05-06-2008, 11:16 AM

hey guys,
anyone ever use an aphex aural exciter or a bbe sonic maximizer through a monitor mix? was talking to a guy at a store about it and he said he had done that with a BBE with impressive results...i personally love everything i've put through an aphex (house mix, acoustic guitar) but wondering if one would be preferable over the other in a monitory mix...

why would i even want to try this? we have a really "live" room...small mons...can't turn them up too much without fighting with the main mix coming out of the house...
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anyone?
tim

**baba** · #2 05-06-2008, 11:31 AM

What is it you are trying to gain out of your monitor sound? I don't understand how an issue of monitor volume fighting the mains would be improved by these units. Is it feedback you are experiencing?

Barisaxman · #3 05-06-2008, 01:08 PM

I'm in the camp that BBE's and the like are junk. They may make a cheap PA sound a little better, but you're better of buying the right tools to begin with. If small monitors are the issue, get bigger monitors and only put in them what you need to hear. There's no point in cranking the whole mix through the monitor system in a small room. If a small, live room is the problem consider this: when you soundcheck, first play part of a song or two with no monitors, figure out what you CAN hear before you throw a bunch of stuff you don't need into the mix. Then add what you CAN'T hear. You'll have a lot easier time. If you're monitors are so loud they're interfering with the mains you need to fix that problem first, no throw a "magic" box at it that will probably do more harm than good.

**baba** · #4 05-06-2008, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barisaxman

I'm in the camp that BBE's and the like are junk. They may make a cheap PA sound a little better, but you're better of buying the right tools to begin with. If small monitors are the issue, get bigger monitors and only put in them what you need to hear. There's no point in cranking the whole mix through the monitor system in a small room. If a small, live room is the problem consider this: when you soundcheck, first play part of a song or two with no monitors, figure out what you CAN hear before you throw a bunch of stuff you don't need into the mix. Then add what you CAN'T hear. You'll have a lot easier time. If you're monitors are so loud they're interfering with the mains you need to fix that problem first, no throw a "magic" box at it that will probably do more harm than good.

This whole post is right on.

hockey_head · #5 05-06-2008, 06:33 PM

do you have trouble with your bass in the monitors? fake bass freq from one of these devices might help, but why?

phrygianpastor · #6 05-06-2008, 09:03 PM

thanks for all the replies folks. no problem with my bass sound. my rig is strong enough for that when i play...thinking more about when i do the engineering and the vocalist complain they can't hear themselves. right now we put mainly and only sometimes the vocals through the stage mons for the singers cause the rest of the instruments are so loud through the main house speakers and their own instrument amps. our other solution has been to tell everyone to play at quite low levels...which is only practical up to a certain point with the drums. unless we get a full shield for the drums this is quite difficult.

yeah, i haven't heard convincing things about the BBE and definitely alot of conflicting opinions all over that i've read here...i've just never tried it myself anyways. the aphex however that we put through the house mix really "cleans up" and gives sweet articulation to voices and all instruments...

obviously "getting the right" tools to begin with is the REAL way to go...but that might cost us a bundle...acoustic treatment would be the next step honestly in our wall to wall drywall, unfinished ceiling and concrete floors of a space...maybe that's what i should be asking for...reasonably cheap people to give advice on acoustic treatment...

thanks all.