What Are Stage Monitors?

The performer has a different listening task

The audience hears the programme as a whole. A performer may need particular parts of it to do their job.

A singer might need a clear vocal reference. A musician might need another instrument to follow a musical entry. A presenter taking part in a remote conversation may need to hear the person joining from elsewhere.

Those are listening requirements to clarify. “We have speakers” does not explain whether the people on stage will hear what they need.

What the monitor delivers

A stage-monitor loudspeaker reproduces an audio mix for the performer. Floor wedges are a familiar form, positioned on stage and aimed toward the person who needs to hear them. The intended position matters; a loudspeaker elsewhere in the room is not automatically a useful performer monitor.

The mix is a selection and balance of sources. It might contain the performer's own voice, other instruments, playback or another programme feed. Its purpose is to support the performance, rather than reproduce every source at the same balance heard by the audience.

This is distinct from backline, the instruments and performance equipment musicians play with. An instrument amplifier may already contribute to what is audible on stage; the monitor requirement should account for the actual performance setup.

Different people may need different mixes

Consider three listening requests. These are illustrative requirements, not recommended settings:

• A vocalist needs their own voice and a musical reference for entries.
• A drummer needs the sources that help them follow the arrangement, which may include playback or a click if the production uses one.
• A presenter needs the remote guest's return audio so the conversation can continue.

One shared mix may suit some performers. Other productions need separate mixes. The number of monitor loudspeakers does not, by itself, establish how many independently controlled mixes are available.

In a suitable mixing system, separate outputs can carry different balances to the people who need them. Signal flow explains how those destinations branch from the inputs. Hearing a source in the PA does not confirm that it reaches the required performer mix.

In-ear monitoring is another delivery method

In-ear monitoring supplies a performer mix through earphones. Systems may use wired or wireless connections, depending on the chosen equipment and requirement.

Wedges and in-ear systems are different ways of delivering audio to the performer. They still require agreement about what that person needs to hear and how the mix will be controlled. A production can include both, but compatibility and responsibility should be confirmed rather than assumed.

Do not assume that an artist carrying earphones is carrying the complete monitoring system. Clarify what travels with them, what needs local supply and who prepares the feed. This is part of reviewing the technical rider, not an invitation to select equipment without consulting the artist's technical team.

Who controls the mix

Some productions create performer mixes from the console used for the audience. Others use a separate monitor console and engineer. Titles and staffing arrangements vary.

The FOH function concerns the audience mix; monitor mixing concerns performer listening. One person may fulfil both roles, but the requirements remain different. Confirm who receives requests, makes changes and checks the relevant outputs.

If a performer cannot hear what they need, describe the problem specifically: which source, which position and which mix? Treating every request as “make everything louder” can obscure a routing or balance problem. The audio team should assess the actual setup and coordinate changes with the performer.

Confirm the requirement before soundcheck

The production should establish the monitoring arrangement before asking performers to check it. Useful advance information includes:

• who needs monitoring and where they will perform;
• wedges, in-ear systems or another agreed arrangement;
• shared or separate mix requirements;
• the sources that need to be available to those mixes;
• artist-carried equipment and local supply;
• who is preparing and operating the monitoring;
• how changes of performer or stage position affect the arrangement.

A stage plot can help communicate positions. The rider and audio documents carry the supporting requirements. The input list identifies the sources; it does not necessarily describe every monitor mix.

During soundcheck, performers and the audio team check the working arrangement. If the stage layout, equipment or programme changes afterwards, identify which listening requirements need checking again.

For the wider system connecting sources, mixing, performers and the audience, continue with What Is Live Sound?.