Live Sound / Live Music
Course 9: Monitors

Where a microphone is usually the first step for a signal flow, a monitor is one of the endpoints (along with the recording gear). A monitoring system is a speaker or headphone system that allows the band to be able to hear what is happening on stage. The monitoring system is often a different mix than what the audience hears in the house.

The monitor system allows each musician, or a section of the stage, to hear select elements in a mix in order to accurately perform with the rest of their bandmates. Course 9 will cover different types of monitors, how they are placed around the stage, and how they interact with the microphones.

You’ll learn the role of a monitor engineer and how they can make or break a live set as well as different monitor systems that are employed in different venues. From floor monitors to wireless earpiece monitors to a combination of the two, you’ll learn the best ways to set up the monitors for the band and fill in the gaps in the venue sound system. The two systems shouldn’t be competing with each other or the venue itself.

Learning how to test your monitors before a show and properly configure your monitors to help your band hear themselves in any venue will make you a more efficient live sound engineer.