With the advent of heavy metal in the late Sixties and early Seventies, with stacks of powerful Marshall™ amps in bigger and bigger arenas, stage monitoring became a necessity. Somewhere along the line, someone figured out that if they turned a couple of the PA's loudspeakers around to face the band, everyone onstage could hear what they were playing.

Monitors became especially important for singers, who found it much easier to sing in key when they could hear themselves without having to scream. It also allowed bands to play more gigs by saving the singer's voice from the trauma of having to constantly compete with the rest of the band.

Unfortunately, floor monitors are usually the main cause of acoustic feedback onstage. Sound from the monitors often leaks into onstage microphones, causing feedback and degraded sound for the audience.

There are complicated equations you can use to determine Potential Acoustic Gain, a formula that lets you calculate the point at which you will encounter acoustic feedback. But unless you have a degree in applied physics, you may find them a little confusing. (On the other hand, the PAG equation is yours to employ by clicking here)

These tips should help you get the most gain-before-feedback out of your system:

1. Place mics closer to sounds sources,
2. Get loudspeakers closer to listeners.
3. Turn speakers up only as loud as needed.
4. Listen, listen, listen. Are the microphones hearing the loudspeakers? Adjust accordingly.

To Wedge or Not to Wedge?
The Good, the Bad and the Heavy

Let's start with the major advantage of floor monitors: they're less expensive than the state-of-the art in-ear personal monitors. And, as far as advantages go, that's about it, other than providing a place for the guitar player to put his foot during his big solo.
Now the disadvantages: floor monitors are the primary cause of onstage feedback. They're also the primary cause of musicians' back problems and overcrowded vans. Unless you have a couple of loyal roadies, carrying those 40-lb. behemoths will get old in a hurry. Finally - and this won't be the last time you hear this from us - floor monitors increase the risk of damage to your hearing. Most musicians like to turn their monitors up to hear themselves better, which, if done too much and too often, can lead to serious and permanent hearing loss.

Personal monitoring gives you a degree of control that just isn't possible with traditional floor wedges-the power to pan, adjust volume, and, in some cases, to choose between multiple mixes on the fly. Wireless systems are more costly but have the added advantage of allowing you to move freely around the stage.

Along with being able to hear better and control volume, the advantages of in-ear personal monitoring include the ability to individualize what each musician hears on stage. With personal monitors, each musician can have the mix that makes them most comfortable onstage, which makes for a better performance. Best of all, each player can hear his own mix, as loud as he wants, without blasting the other musicians onstage

The downside to in-ear? Well, there's really only one, and that's cost. But as technology advances and personal monitor systems continue to become less expensive, the era of the wedge begins to seem as dated as an 8-track tape.

Then there's the issue of sound quality. Personal monitoring lets you get the maximum possible volume out of your sound system without having to worry about feedback. That's because the monitors are safely sheltered in your ears, eliminating the possibility of sound spilling into the microphone. And with the elimination of floor wedges, unwanted monitor sound will no longer leak into the audience. The combination of these advantages will leave you with a far superior onstage sound.

While the whole band will benefit from personal monitors, the singer will likely benefit the most. With more control over his own mix, he will never have to strain to be heard. The rest of the band will benefit because they'll be free to show off all of their rock star moves without having to worry about leaving their monitor's sweet spot. And the audience? Well, they're the real beneficiaries. Oh, and there's one more benefit: preserving your hearing. Because after all, what good is "acoustic superiority" if you can't hear it?