Musician Gear & Tech Discussion

Shopping stage monitors and noticed that prices are whacked.

Some are saying EV, some say Peavey, some like Yamaha, altogether I am confused.

I noticed that the EV's are nice sounding.

Sometimes we have issues with feedback.

I am going to run 2 massive older 60's Kustom columns as mains, vocals only (16 ohm). What model/brand stage monitors would you use with an 8 ohm 250 watt per channel setup? How many speakers in the stage monitors and which? I take it 2 is plenty. I don't usually use any stage monitors.

In short I am drawing a blank. The EV's were nice, but I am on a LOW budget and time is short for me now.

Tell me which you like or dislike and why>?

Through my limited exp Cap'n. I like having monitors and mains.
My PA has two 300 watt amps for two independant sets of monitors. Can easly accomplish two monitor environments on stage. and another two 300 watt main amps. Each of the four amps has an independant EQ.
Plus 12 assignable channels. Two BR12 Yamaha 200 watt 8 ohm speakers for monitors And Carvin 300 watt 8 ohm two ways as mains.
I like the Carvins. If I did it over I would probably buy their wedges for monitors and some three ways for mains.

My old pa we used Peaveys. We had 2 flat monitors and 2 over size wedges. I dont remember the model numbers, but I always got the ones with Black Widows. The ones with Eminence speakers never had enough volume for me. New Years we borrowed an EV for our singer. Me and the bass players monitor blew a power amp, so all we had out front was that EV. I could hear it off axis good enough to not worry about it.

I have been contemplating a set of in ear monitors for myself so I dont have to lug a monitor around.

I tried the in the ear monitors once. I did not like the feeling of being cut off from the environment. I like to hear and feel my guitar and the other
guys in the band "off line."

Just the mains serve me well enough. (I play in FRONT of them.) Very little feedback problems. Monitors are for large venues. As I said before, Stan Owsley invented monitors in the 60's, and he was "trippin'" at the time! I like to hear what my listeners are hearin', only LOUDER! (monitors in small venues are for sissies and fools)
HOOOWLIN!!!

Color me fool. Ive tried with just the mains. The boys feel they can hear what each other are doing better with the monitors. but I did have the mains out to the side of us when we attempted that tactic. Might have to try again with em behind us. I could use all 1200 watts that way as mains.
YEA BABY! WOOHOO

Did you just call me a sissy or did you call me a fool!!!!!!





I come from the age of no monitors. I sang all the time, once I got some monitors and heard myself I quit singing live.

Damn that was funny John. I keep playin louder in an attempt to cover up my guitar

I love it. I am as confused as ever, but loving this conversation.

Howlin' says, Stan Owsley, huh? I dunno but if he was tripping he couldn't be all wrong. LOL

Wow, so maybe I should just plug in those 2 (5) speaker cabs and play in front and see how they do.

I surmise that might be fing loud on us in front of those towers of power. (And we do play loud, but not as loud as you might think) (My mentor always said that anything that was mastered at a low volume could then be played loud but, if it sounded bad at a low volume, louder would not solve the issue with the piece.)

Me thinks ifn you stood in front of em too long it would be irrelevent.

When I play solo, I don't need monitors, & I find that if I use them, I get distracted somehow - I know - I'm wierd.

In the many bands I've been in, most have used the ol Peaveys for monitors.

I always thought they were good until the rockabilly band I play in got JBL's. I prefer them. Good clear sound. A little smaller, too, yet they pack a punch. Good stuff.

J.B.Lansing made the most coveted, "top shelf of speakers" back in the glorious, mythical 60's.

I bought a pair of 8 ohm 10' Altec Lansing speakers, and installed them in my old "Black panel Fender Super Reverb Amp".(disconecting the remaining two stock fender speakers) .
That may seem to some of you "classic tube amp devotees" as a sacroligious act, but that "new and improved" Super served me as an excellent, clean and powerful "keyboard amp" for many years to come.Interesting to note, that when I bought my Honner Clavinet C back in 69, THAT ,(being, basicly an electric guitar with keys), sounded ballseyer with the old stock speakers.

Back on topic,

I never owned or found that I needed monitors for most of the rooms that I play. Any time I played in a large concert, or some other kind of big bash situation, the sound system was usualy provided by the venue's managment. It's best to keep things simple, unless it's realy nessassary to "pull out all the stops".

Howlin'

I prefer mains and monitors. Our keyboard player who also sings does not like monitors. It all depends on what you are comfortable with. I've always liked Peavey PA equipment. I've never had a Peavey malfunction EVER. Arguably there may be better sounding PA speakers, but I don't know if there's anything more durable. Pricewise they're pretty reasonable.

Mains behind you does work, but I prefer monitors and keep the mains out front.

For monitors, Peavey is the most durable out there, Peavey has been king of the hill in the PA world for years because they work, sound good and will hold up to roadie abuse for ages. I've never had a PA failure running Peavey stuff either. I've used their guitar amps a lot too, never been disappointed except with the non tube sound of the solid state stuff. Still using one now, but it's tubes.

I've used a couple of other monitors, but not often, usually it's been Peavey, and one nice home build set too. I haven't had a chance to try them but a friend here has a couple of small stand mounted close range monitors that he likes really well, Galaxy and a couple of others are available. Most are self powered, have a volume control for fine tuning it, and they eliminate feedback almost entirely because they usually are placed beside the singer and are not pointed toward the mic.

I can't imagine playing in a band w/out monitors...I'd miss the vocal cues, or have to keep my eyes on ppl for visual cues. I hate having to stare at someone for direction, & I think it looks like you're unrehearsed. When you have 4 ppl staring in 4 different directions, & they all start/stop/accent perfectly, it impresses me much more than when they are constantly looking for cues.

Plus, as a backup singer, for me they're a must...how do you guys do it w/out them? Do you harmonize, or only use one singer?

Our singer stutters when he talks but not when he sings. I think it affects him, though - he jumps around in the arangements, sometimes, when he gets excited...you really need those cues to know where he is in the song. Makes a huge difference to me both as a bass player & a backup singer.