Karaoke Forums

Do you guys use a monitor for the singer to hear themselves better when singing? If so, could you tell me which one you use or suggest one? I knew of a KJ that used a small monitor at the base of the singer just to allow them to hear themselves better and I thought it was a good idea. Thoughts??

I do use one. Which one I use depends on my setup.

I have a Kustom KPC10M which I use in my small setup, powered by the second channel on my powered mixer.

In my large setup, I use a Yorkville YM215 active speaker.

Also popular are the Galaxy Hotspot speakers, which work quite well in a small setup.

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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.

I have a Yamaha BR12 (300 watts, 12" woofer) powered by a ART-1 amp bridged to push 280 watts @ 8 ohms. The monitor is set up about 15 feet from the singer and I run the FOH signal through the monitor, though it has a separate volume control. I have been using this monitor system for 5 years at my main bi-weekly gig and everything is still going strong and sounds great.

I also have a smaller powered Fender monitor (10", 100 watts) that I use for smaller venues and private parties that hooks up to my mobile system and does a nice job with vocals, though it is severely lacking in bass, so I usually just run it with it's own EQ an cut the bass

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C Mc
KJ, FL

We have found that most karaoke singers do not know how to use a stage monitor. They wonder why other singers sound better but it is because the sound from the mains has full EFX and is adjusted for the room acoustics. I use a JBL Eon10 G2 for a monitor and most of the time face it back towards the stage. With this method I never have any complaints from singers about not being able to hear themselves.

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I use a JBL Eon1500. I can't imagine not using a monitor because my mains are placed in front of the singers. They simply could not hear themselves if I didn't use a monitor.

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I use a monitor as well, it's a cheap powered off-name brand one that I found on eBay. I think Podium Audio was the brand name. It's a 2-way 200Watt 8" plus horn active speaker, it works great. I've previously used the Fender 1270P which worked pretty nicely as well.

I use the monitor because I do have a lot of singers that like to have it and some that actually understand how it should be used and might even ask me to adjust the monitor mix for them. It does cause issues with some folks that don't understand it and think they're singing too loud (since their voice is more prominent through the monitor). For them I usually just take a little of their vocals out of the monitor mix. In a few rare cases where I can tell the person isn't using it at all or maybe doesn't like it at all, I have shut it off completely.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

I don't use a monitor at any of my gigs. I've never had to. I think one of them might could benefit from it, but feedback is already a problem, and I fear a monitor would make it worse. If you are in a small venue and your speakers are placed so that the singers can hear them fine, you may not need one at all.

That's fine if you prominently feature the vocals in the mix. But if you are one who likes to bring the singer down into the mix, or add lots of effects, in the name of "making it sound better", then your singer is in trouble. There are lots of places where this is the case and the singer can't hear themselves well.

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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.

Will always have a monitor of some sort with it's own mix independant from the main mix. This way when a singer doesn't want to hear themselves (happens often), you can turn them down, turn the music up in the monitor - but have a regular mix in the mains. Right now I have 2 small Peavey wedges - 1 in each corner of the stage.

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I just recently upgraded my floor monitors to a pair of Harbinger HX121m 12". Quite nice addition if I might say so. They are passive, so I power them with a Behringer EP2500 amp. Also hooked up to the monitors is the DBX 212 dual 15 band equalizer. It might be a bit overkill, but sounds terrific! And quite flexible as far as application, could be used as a second set of mains. My singers love them!

I use Fender 1270P as my monitor and I love the sound it delivers for such a small package.

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Seize the day and SING!!!

Well, it's not getting a good review

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/pr ... sku=601713

What makes you say that an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5 as being a bad review? That's like calling a B+ a failing grade. I think it works great as a monitor and it puts out a lot of sound for a 100W power. It's crisp and clear for vocals. It seems a lot of low rating is due to user problems, like hissing, rather than the product.

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Seize the day and SING!!!

Hissing isn't from the product? 3.5 out of 5 is like 70 percent? Elementary, junior high, high school, college, 70% was if lucky a C.

Having said all that, I've never heard the product so I can't judge it. I'm using one of my back up speakers the Behringer 215A. Since I started using a monitor in my set up, I really like it and have gotten even more familiar with my mixer. Having gone with a monitor and without, I will be using a monitor every time I can. Haven't had feedback issues yet. I do have a good size stage to work from.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Stage monitors are great for vocalists, whether it's karaoke or professional singers. As others have said, you will want a separate mix for the wedges, and each singer will want it a little different. Don't bother asking them, because they don't know what they want; but you can tell what makes them more comfortable by how close they hold the mic. If it's 2 feet away from their face, turn their vocals down in the monitor mix. If they are screaming right on top of it, you might turn it up a bit, especially if your mic is boomy up close.

A cheap monitor rig, for karaoke, is better than none at all. I use Kustom KSC 15M wedges, which are less than $100ea on Musician's Friend right now. I'm buying two more of them next week, and a pair of 12Ms to try out as well.

Be sure you have a good equalizer or DSP so you can "ring out" your monitors, reducing frequencies that cause feedback more readily than others. You can do this with pink noise or a swept sine wave, but I use music so I know what affect my changes will have on the monitor performance. If you don't already have an extra equalizer, get any 31-band graphic equalizer or a Behringer FBQ2496, which is a 20x2 band parametric equalizer with an automatic mode. If you use the automatic mode for karaoke, set the filter lift for about 5 minutes. Otherwise, it will fill up with junk when singers are up there screaming away or pointing the mics at the wedges, and then they will sound like crap all night.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

I use one, and a more than a few singers who have previous experience in bands appreciate it and comment it is bennificial.

Even if it is doing little physical good, (I think it helps in one of my setups a lot though due to speaker placement), it does a great bennefit as a placebo effect.

I would not do a show without a monitor speaker, I used to play live myself and don't want anyone doing what I did not have available myself.

I second the question, and up it a follow up question.
Is two monitors ( one on each side ) , better than only one?
It sounds better to me when I'm singing.
What say you?

That's stupid.

[quote="Dr.agon @ Thu Aug 06, 2009 3:20 am]I second the question, and up it a follow up question.
Is two monitors ( one on each side ) , better than only one?
It sounds better to me when I'm singing.
What say you?[/quote]
If it sounds good, it is good.

I use two wedges at stage right & left, each is its own mix from the board. Mainly I do this because singers will point mics at wedges and cause themselves feedback, so if they do I take them out of the wedge nearest them. I find it beneficial but it's not a big deal. You can run two (or more) wedges as a single mix if you wish. 95% of the time I feed both of mine the same signal, but I like the flexibility once in a while. This didn't cost me anything, mind you, as I already owned all the stuff.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

Personally I think 2 monitors is over kill. The idea of a monitor is so the person singing can hear themselves and I think that can be achieved with one monitor.

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