What do you ask for in your Monitor mix?

[mambo4]

What do you ask for in your Monitor mix?

I honestly have never put much thought into it, and I may be missing some obvious choices that would help me.

so any of you TBrs who've tried a variety of monitor mixes and found things that work particularly well for you - let's hear it! (a note about genre/ensemble config might be helpful too

I play Pop/rock (bass, drums, 2x gtr and vox).I generally ask for lead vocals, my vocals and to a lesser level the guitars. I never have a problem hearing the drums.

What do you ask for in your Monitor mix?

[baba]

Some guitars, keys, a little kick and LOTS of lead vocals and LOTS of my vocals.

[SteveC]

As wer are basically a no backline band (save for my combo) I usually have lots of me, some keys, some guitar and lead vocals. The rest I hear from wash from the other guy's monitors - especially the keys as he is basically deaf and has everything cranked. I hear drums just fine.

[jaywa]

I like a bunch of kick (enough to feel and preferable EQd up with a little 'click" so I know EXACTLY where it's hitting.) I like some hat to hear the subdivisions. Then enough of me to know what I'm doing relative to the kick (depending on the gig I also have either a bass cab behind me or my Line6 LowDown "kicked back" in front of me so I can fine-tune the level of bass in my immediate area that way).

If the guitarist(s) and/or keyboardist have good rhythm I have them in. If they don't, I have them taken out. I have enough of the vox in to know where we are in the song but apparently I like them a lot lower in my mix than a lot of people do. There is usually so much vocal coming out of the other monitors that I don't need much if any right in front of me. If I'm singing background I'll have them up higher than I do otherwise.

I know I have annoyed some sound techs by asking them to EQ my monitor mix but my ears are really sensitive to mids and mid-highs and since those are the frequencies a lot of keyboardists and guitarists seem to crank on their amps I will ask to have those freqs "scooped" out of my monitor if they're too extreme.

[Fnord Explorer]

Kick, snare, and rhythm guitar. Everything else is distracting.


When I use in-ears, it's just the click track and the sequencer. Nothing else.

[liquid-dream-ex]

My bass, a very little bit of my vocals, a bit more of the singers vocals and a medium amount of the guitar. Usually no kickdrum, except for when the monitors are nice and big and have plenty of power.

[markjazzbassist]

kick drum, hi-hat and snare.

a little of the other instruments.

bass (if i can't already hear it from my amp).

usually i just do the drums and that's it though.

[Dave Muscato]

Totally depends on the gig. Aside from myself, on sessions, I want everything, but a little more kick drum, hi-hat, and snare than the rest. For acoustic/church gigs, I need the vocals and acoustic guitar, because sometimes the leader will break off from the form and you have to be right there to follow him/her, but still want the drums heavy. I love hearing backup vocals and even when they're not relevant to my part, I always lwant them in my mix at least a little bit. For my band, really, everything - we're a power trio and we follow each other a lot - vocals aren't quite as up front, but I definitely want electric guitar, me, hi-hat, snare, and especially kick drum.

I'm more of a "live" monitor guy - I want to hear what the audience hears, if I can help it. The Bose L1 system or a simple unplugged mix is ideal for me.

[Rattman]

First thing I always ask is: "turn it down!" then..

Lead vocals

Rhythm guitar

Backing vocals

Just a bit of lead guitar

[Ryan L.]

We use IEM's on stage, and do not use amps, so I have pretty close to what the FOH mix is going through my IEM's, with the bass being just a bit louder.

[AREA]

We´re also go with IEM and I hear everyone in my Band on every Point of the Stage. Just wonderful. I put my Bass on my personal Mix a tiny little bit in Front so it sounds as I was playing to a CD.

That works fine for me.

[deaf pea]

lead vocal
lead vocalist's guitar (mostly plays rhythm)
hihat and ride cymbal
a little sax (to follow him when he's soloing)

the lead guitarist is next to me (and we set up relatively close even on big stages), so I don't need him in the mix . . . everything else (other horns, 'cello, Hammond and the other parts of the drums) just gets in the way

[JTE]

Generally I only want vocals in the monitors. Guitars and drums are too loud anyway, my bass rig is right behind me, and unless the monitor system is very high-end (as in having a totally separate mix for each musician AND the monitors are bi-amped with plenty of power) putting anything except vocals in the monitors only causes the vocals to get lost. So the singers cant' hear and they ask for more monitor. So the guitars and keyboards turn up because the monitors are louder. So the drummer hits harder and asks for even more kick drum. And the volume wars are going...

If I have the luxury of real monitors then I want vocals, high-hat, snare, some keys (but keep the low end clean and uncluttered!), and maybe the guitar. But the guitars are always too loud anyway so yank them out again...

jte

[Laserman]

Vocals only. That's what monitors are for. Why would a bassist or guitarsist need anything else UNLESS you are playing a arena or Huge outdoor concert with a Big Stage? If you are in a club the only thing you need is vocals. If You have only one monitor mix and put other things in the monitors you are only ruining your vocalists ability to hear themselves and perform well.

[deaf pea]

Originally Posted by Laserman

Vocals only...Why would a bassist... need anything else UNLESS you are playing a arena or Huge outdoor concert with a Big Stage?...

FWIW, this weekend (24th of May) we're playing a "Huge outdoor concert with...(3)...Big Stage(s)"!

Vive Latino 2008

http://www.vivelatino.com.mx/reporte...arios_festival

What I said in post #12 is ONLY when I have my own, dedicated monitor mix . . . obviously (to me, at least) when playing large shows with separate FOH and Monitor mix consoles . . .

[baba]

Originally Posted by Laserman

Vocals only. That's what monitors are for. Why would a bassist or guitarsist need anything else UNLESS you are playing a arena or Huge outdoor concert with a Big Stage? If you are in a club the only thing you need is vocals. If You have only one monitor mix and put other things in the monitors you are only ruining your vocalists ability to hear themselves and perform well.

One monitor mix? Blasphemy!

With one of my bands, I always NEED lead gtr in my monitor since his amp is on the other side of the stage and in a 6 piece band it often gets lost. It's pointed at him, not me. Same with keys most of the time. I'll take snare and kick because it can't hurt.

[mjolnir]

I like mostly vocals (everybody in the band sings, so a clean mix of all four of us) and a little bit of guitar. If I can't hear my drummer behind me banging away without monitor support I have a serious problem on my hands...

[gb2]

at my last show, I had basically 80% bass in the monitors and I had the best time ever. but our keyboarder wasn't too pleased to share the monitor way with me. he tried to discuss the mixing, but I'm quite dominant, so..

[makaky]

a very loud kik is all i need

[makaky]

Originally Posted by gb2

at my last show, I had basically 80% bass in the monitors and I had the best time ever. but our keyboarder wasn't too pleased to share the monitor way with me. he tried to discuss the mixing, but I'm quite dominant, so..

LOL