Stage Monitors

Stage monitors solve a different problem from the front-of-house system: they give performers enough of themselves and each other to perform, in the worst acoustic position in the room. Wedges sit close to open microphones, so gain before feedback and controlled coverage matter more than raw output. Frequency response and coverage pattern are the specifications that decide whether a wedge works on a loud stage.

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How to choose stage monitors

Treat gain before feedback as the main specification. A wedge points at a performer who is holding an open microphone. Controlled coverage that keeps energy off the microphone is what lets you run the wedge loud enough to be useful. This is a coverage question, not a power question.

Plan one mix per position, not one wedge per person. Performers in the same place can share a mix. The console's auxiliary bus count sets how many separate monitor mixes you can actually build, so count the positions first and confirm the desk can feed them.

Match the wedge angle to the stage. A wedge aimed at a standing vocalist and one aimed at a seated drummer need different angles. The cabinet's wedge geometry decides where the energy goes and whether it reaches the performer's ears or their knees.

Use processing on the monitor path. Equalisation on each monitor send, set during line check, is what makes a stage workable. Ringing out each wedge before the show is standard practice and saves the mix later.

Do not reuse a front-of-house cabinet as a wedge without checking. A cabinet designed to throw into a room has different coverage from one designed to sit on the floor at close range, and the difference shows up as feedback.

Frequently asked questions

How many monitor mixes do I need?
One per listening position rather than one per performer, since people standing together can share. Check that your console has enough auxiliary buses to feed them.

Why do monitors feed back more than the main system?
Because they sit close to open microphones and point towards them. Controlled coverage and equalisation on the monitor send are what increase usable level.

Can I use a normal speaker as a stage monitor?
Sometimes, but coverage differs. A cabinet designed to throw into a room behaves differently on the floor at close range, and that usually shows up as feedback.

What is ringing out a monitor?
Raising the monitor level during line check and cutting the frequencies that feed back first, so the wedge can run louder during the show.

Do in-ear systems replace wedges?
They solve the same problem differently and change the stage completely. Many stages run both, with wedges for performers who prefer them.