Karaoke Forums

I have a JBL 15 inch powered speaker that I want use as a monitor. What is the best or proper way to hook it up to my Mackie CFX12? Thank you

Hook it up to the AUX SEND 1 jack.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

How do I control the volume?

The Aux Send Master control will control the overall volume. It is in the upper right hand area of the console, just above the EFX Unit controls (to the left of the EQ). You can control the mix of the individual channels going to the monitor by adjusting the AUX1 send on each channel.

Take special note of the PRE-FADER switch on each channel. If you engage this switch (i.e. it's pushed in) then the fader for that channel will not affect the level that is being sent to the aux send. If it is disengaged, then the level sent to the aux send will vary as you adjust the fader for that channel. Personally I'd recommend going Pre-Fader (switch engaged). This way you can manage the level for each channel using only the aux send control on that channel and their monitor level isn't affected by their level in the main mix.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Is that a first generation or a G2? If it's a G2 I would definately get something else for a monitor and use that speaker in conjunction with your mains. I use a JBL Eon10 G2 for a monitor and first generations for fill or sound for other rooms.

Add speakers instead of power and you can disperse and fill any venue with a lower volume and have better control.

Remember that at the wrong angles speakers will cancel esp at bass freqs.

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pre-fader monitor sends is always the right thing to do for a band, but I have done both with my karaoke singers, and I feel like post-fader monitor sends is easier when you have a different singer or group every 5 minutes.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

Why? I use the monitor level to control the distance the singer puts the mic from their mouth.

I guess I sort of get it. The singer will be more or less a value anyway, and you can make the monitor sound more appropriate at the same time you make the mains level right.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

It is customary to use a "Pre-fade" Aux send for monitors as changing the " channel fader will not effect the monitor volume, which is desired in most applications. I actually use a second mixer for my monitors so I don't degrade the quality of my FOH when fighting feedback on the monitors. Doing this is probably the single most improvement to my FOH while making monitor feedback a thing of the past.

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Quickness of mind will deceive the eye

I run my monitors pretty hot with a lot of EQ to suppress feedback. You literally can't hear the front-of-house on my stage because the stage wedges completely drown out the off-axis stuff you would otherwise hear from the FoH cabinets. I like it this way, and it's how you would do a band. Unfortunately, I can't sit in a place that allows me to hear the FoH (partners think it is a bad idea) so I have to walk in front of an FoH cabinet to listen to it. To avoid doing this all night long, I post-fader the monitor sends and normalize them after each singer, then adjust as necessary for the next person.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

London, I am curious about what other measures you took to fight monitor feedback?

I have an ART XL231 for my monitor mixes, and I use the -18dB cut mode liberally. It is really tough to get feedback from my monitors -- you pretty much have to point a mic directly at a monitor.

I thought about putting a Behringer "Feedback Destroyer" on the monitor mixes instead, but I figured it would do more damage than I would ringing out the stage manually. Also, since I have limiters on all my mic channels, and it is not unusual for a few singers to ride the limiter, I figured it would guess poorly and eliminate a lot of their vocals, or else simply not detect feedback.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

Thank you all for your replies and comments, I learned a lot.

I took your advice and I'm now using an EON 10G2. Please explain what you mean by the wrong speaker angle will cancel esp at bass frequency. Thank you

speakers that are placed in a way that directed sound waves intersect or even face each other can and will actually cancel themselves, creating a hole in the frequency range affected and sounding less than desirable. The lower the freq the sound the larger and further the wave will travel, even through objects. Reflected or refracted sound waves can also be a problem causing cancellation. A stage monitor placed out in front and firing back at your FOH mains can cause a problem as can a monitor faces straight up at the ceiling. The best monitors are usually wedge shaped allowing good sound direction on stage while minimizing feedback (a mic pointed at the speaker is almost always a bad thing)

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-Kona

ahhh, now I got it. Thank you kona d

A couple things to consider here, just for fodder nothing more. One advantage of having the monitors sent pre-fader is that you can remove someone from the house mix without taking them out of the monitor mix. I've found this helpful when you have the nut that wants to scream garbage into the mic before or after their song. You can take them out so no one hears them except themselves and you without picking a fight over why you muted them (I have seen some drunks get enraged over it).

As far as pointing the microphone at the monitors, you can actually get your monitors to the point where you can do this. My stage monitor is EQ'ed such that an open mic pointed directly at it from 3 feet away will not feedback. I run my Karaoke monitor the same way I do for bands (read: plenty loud). It takes some doing to get your monitors rung out this way but it sure is nice when you're only concern is the frequencies reflected off the tin ceilig 2 feet above the singer's head (yes I do have this in one of my clubs).

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

As a singer I prefer a setup where I can move a wee bit and hear monitor or FOH only and there is a sweet spot to hear both.

Your normal karaoke singer does not know how to use a stage monitor. When you run typical band style you get complaints or those looks of whats wrong. Look at the photo below. It is an enclosed stage where the stage monitor dominates. My regs were saying whats wrong. I put the monitor on the opposite side of the dance floor towards the stage where they could hear what they actually sounded like with full EFX. Everybody was happy again.

This a typical setup of mine and we run either a 50 or 100' snake.

photo

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When you run monitors for a band you learn really quickly what peoples preferences are and adjust accordingly. Lead singers usually like their vocals very prominant and a mix similar to the main mix of everything else underneath. When harmonizing singers will want to hear each other. However there are lead singers that want very little of their own vocals. I have some musicians/singers who like to be able to hear the PA as well as their wedge. As a monitor engineer you learn to be able to identify what a musician/singer needs or wants without them having to tell you.

So when it comes to Karaoke, I'm the same way. Some of my singers like to have a lot of vocals. Some don't want to hear their vocals just the music. Many are in between. Often when I get that singer that sings far off the mic, I turn them down in the monitor. Suddenly they think they're not singing as loud so the move the mic closer to their mouth to get more volume. I even have a few singers who don't want any monitor at all. One guy actually will go and stand a couple feet in front of the PA and sing from there (don't know how that works for him since i can't imagine he can hear the horns at all that close, but anyway).

What I mean by running it like I do for a band is it's loud enough to be heard over the reflection and bleed from the PA. It's directional enough that it can't be heard in the house over the PA. I have it rung out so that singers holding the mic at their side facing the monitor are not going to generate monitor solos. And finally I start with what a typical lead singer monitor mix would be and adjust based on either what I know about the person's preferences or what I can tell from their stage behavior they need.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke