How do you monitor your guitar sound on stage?

[KelvinS1965]

Given the restrictions these days on noise level, I guess plenty of people tend to use a mic'd up amp and the level is controlled by the PA. It's a new-to-me set up though and I'm finding it hard to hear my own guitar on stage. It's fine for many songs, but for more improvised parts if I can't hear what I'm playing then it's not going to work. My usual gig is two guitarists, bass and acoustic drums, but I also play in another one occasionally which also adds a keyboard player.

I use various Marshall heads/combos which have a DI output, so I was wondering about some kind of wireless monitor that can get the signal from that output. I'm not too concerned about the tone of that monitoring since the audience won't hear it, so if it can be eq'd or some kind of cab sim that's a bonus.

Is anyone using such a set up, or have other solutions to this problem?

 

[MilwMark]

I turn my amp up to where I can hear it enough onstage.

Or ask for more guitar in my monitor if the sound person won’t allow it.

Need not be any more complicated than that.

 

[bottlenecker]

Given the restrictions these days on noise level, I guess plenty of people tend to use a mic'd up amp and the level is controlled by the PA. It's a new-to-me set up though and I'm finding it hard to hear my own guitar on stage. It's fine for many songs, but for more improvised parts if I can't hear what I'm playing then it's not going to work. My usual gig is two guitarists, bass and acoustic drums, but I also play in another one occasionally which also adds a keyboard player.

I use various Marshall heads/combos which have a DI output, so I was wondering about some kind of wireless monitor that can get the signal from that output. I'm not too concerned about the tone of that monitoring since the audience won't hear it, so if it can be eq'd or some kind of cab sim that's a bonus.

Is anyone using such a set up, or have other solutions to this problem?

I point my amp at myself, often on a tilt back stand, so I hear enough and don't blast other band members. I have had to add some of my amp to my monitor, when playing on someone else's gig.

It's been more of a problem with a bigger amp that's not mic'ed, because I have to be loud enough for me and the room, but the back of the semi-open cab I use blasts the drummer. So I cover the back of he cab with a blanket, and it's just ok.

I believe in getting all the instruments to naturally balance in a room (at rehearsal), then putting it on a stage and letting the sound system and engineer adjust everything to the venue size. This means my amp is chosen for the drum (and other loud acoustic instruments) volume, not the venue size.

 

[68tele]

Amp is near me (from the side), or in-ears

 

[Marc Morfei]

Not every venue has a sound man, so for a lot of us it's DIY. I can relate to the problem since getting a good balance is a pain. If I'm loud enough to hear myself, the singer complains I'm too loud. If I turn down, the piano player says he can't hear me. If I run more of my signal into the monitors so everyone can hear me, then the singer wants her vocals louder in the monitors, then nobody else can hear themselves sing. Some gigs everything is fine, other gigs we're fighting with it all night long. I don't know anything about IE monitors, but I suppose they're worth a look. Definitely open to advice.

 

[bblumentritt]

I either position my combo amp or speaker cabcwhere I can hear it, or have the sound guy run my guitar through my monitor, which can be an in ear thing, spot monitor, or headphones. A DI works fine. I use a DI box, or a pedal, or a DI out on the amp.

 

[MilwMark]

@bottlenecker - good point about open cabs.

I now use multi speaker closed back cabs. That way the sound doesn’t blast back but I get good spread from the multiple speakers.

 

[Wildcard_35]

I have been playing a Vibrolux from the late 70s lately. I put it back by the drummer and keep it pointed at my head. I haven't really had any problems hearing myself. I guess I do have the advantage of playing joints where no one has really dogged on me about my volume, but I don't think I turn up as loud as a lot of folks do.

 

[985plowboy]

Depends on where I am and what is available.
My amp
Or the monitor
Or in ears

I prefer to have a live amp on stage set where I like it and turned up just enough for me to hear it. Mic it up and then it’s on the sound guy to mix it for the audience.

 

[schmee]

I only mic it outdoors , in clubs don't need it.
You need some "throw" outdoors, it fades away real fast even if loud as heck on stage.
You cant turn it down with the PA, only up!

 

[Ron R]

Given the restrictions these days on noise level, I guess plenty of people tend to use a mic'd up amp and the level is controlled by the PA. It's a new-to-me set up though and I'm finding it hard to hear my own guitar on stage. It's fine for many songs, but for more improvised parts if I can't hear what I'm playing then it's not going to work. My usual gig is two guitarists, bass and acoustic drums, but I also play in another one occasionally which also adds a keyboard player.

I use various Marshall heads/combos which have a DI output, so I was wondering about some kind of wireless monitor that can get the signal from that output. I'm not too concerned about the tone of that monitoring since the audience won't hear it, so if it can be eq'd or some kind of cab sim that's a bonus.

Is anyone using such a set up, or have other solutions to this problem?

In ear monitors are a wonderful thing. You don't have to have them crazy loud, they eliminate volume wars on stage, and they also eliminate what was our biggest struggle, feedback issues from the wedge monitors.
It may take a little getting used to since you can't hear anyone talking to you between songs, but it is so worth it.

 

[nedorama]

Multiple issues can be the culprit:

Depending on your amp settings, you may be using too much gain, or scooping your mids. Either one will make it tough to hear yourself. Live settings are different from playing at home. Dial back the gain.

Where is your cab - is it a 1x12 or 2x12, and is it on the floor? getting it up on a chair, road case, etc or using a tiltback stand gets the sound to your ears, which hear better than your ankles. As others have pointed out, another solution is to point your cab at you from the front, which is what Mike Campbell does with his Princetons. Mojotone even makes a 2x12 wedge monitor style cabinet.

I've really liked the QSC K10 as a floor wedge monitor - doesn't do low end, but that's not what I want in a floor wedge. $400 used and easy to set up if you need to bring your own as you can plug a mic right into it without a mixer.

 

[alex1fly]

Tilt it, raise it, put it on the stage pointing sideways. I vastly prefer hearing my amp to hearing my sound piped through monitors. Have the sound person remove your sound from the monitors to clean up the stage sound.

I feel your pain though. Intra-band loudness wars are a real thing and there's not an easy solution. Might be worth making some notes on your gigs to try and determine some factors that affect the clarity of your onstage mix.

In ears can be problematic. Great way to deafen yourself if there's feedback or somebody plugs/unplugs the wrong thing.

 

[Guitarteach]

Depends on stage setup and if its our PA or another’s.. Festivals vs pubs/bars, etc.

For our band.. we have wedge monitors that have some of the DI signal in and I have my amp on and giving me some direct sound too. Definitely you will want to angle it toward you. Rarely will I play my tube amp silent but only when sound is under full control of someone else.

Sometimes I will use a multifx and do it all through a monitor mix. It does feel flat... but sounds good.

Just asking for what you need in your monitor is simplest.. and your amp can be some extra.

I don’t like IEMs personally but a couple of the band use them.

 

[KelvinS1965]

Some great answers already. Thank you.

Neither band has a setup that would allow a monitor from the main mixer back to me: Only the singers have monitor speakers. Audiences are 150 or less in village halls, social clubs, not huge places.

I'm using Marshall SC20 1x10 combo mainly, though I also have a separate Marshall Mini Jubilee head and either 1x12 or 2x12 cabs, but they couldn't be tilted (or the head would fall off ).

I don't use much gain at all, especially in the amp and it's not what I'd consider mid scooped (I do have a Fender '64 Custom Deluxe as well, but it's too nice to gig ) The few pedals I use add varing amounts of dirt, but mostly just a light (hate the term, but here goes) transparent distortion from an MXR Timmy or Wampler Tumnus both set pretty low gain. The only time I use a lot of gain is for 'Smooth' by Santana (OCD set about half way up) and that's a one-off song/gig for a friend's 60th birthday.

In ear monitors are a wonderful thing. You don't have to have them crazy loud, they eliminate volume wars on stage, and they also eliminate what was our biggest struggle, feedback issues from the wedge monitors.
It may take a little getting used to since you can't hear anyone talking to you between songs, but it is so worth it.

I usually wear Fender ear plugs when rehearsing, to preserve what is left of my hearing and to stop making my tinnitus any worse (another possible factor?), so I'm used to not hearing people clearly between songs, though I can slightly pull the ear plugs out to regain a bit of clarity it's a fine balance between not using them at all and them making the sound too dull. That's why I figured the IEM might help, even perhaps using one and a lightly fitted ear plug in the other so I can still hear the rest of the band.

Any suggestions of brands that I might look at if I went the IEM route? Would they work directly from the DI output of an amp for example?

 

[MilwMark]

An un-mic’d 110 combo is a losing unmonitored stage formula in my experience. Doesn’t matter how loud it is.

So I would say that is the root of your problem. Ironically the SC20 was my last attempt to make one work.

 

[Ron R]

I usually wear Fender ear plugs when rehearsing, to preserve what is left of my hearing and to stop making my tinnitus any worse (another possible factor?), so I'm used to not hearing people clearly between songs, though I can slightly pull the ear plugs out to regain a bit of clarity it's a fine balance between not using them at all and them making the sound too dull. That's why I figured the IEM might help, even perhaps using one and a lightly fitted ear plug in the other so I can still hear the rest of the band.

Any suggestions of brands that I might look at if I went the IEM route? Would they work directly from the DI output of an amp for example?

All 3 guys in my band have used Shure SE215s for years, and we've all been very happy both with the sound and durability.
As for the rest of your question, I'm not really sure, but I'd suspect the DI output of your guitar amp would not work - you;d probably want something like a headphone amp between the guitar amp and your headphones. '
We used a 4 channel Behringer one up until about a year agoo (new mixer has 6 built in headphone/monitor outs). That unit cost us around $100, so I'd imagine you could get a single or 2 channel one for a good bit less than that.

 

[burnedpopcorn]

I play through the XLR out on a Tone Master Twin or Deluxe Reverb. We have wireless headphones and we can control the mix on our smartphones. I just turn myself up a little bit and that takes care of it.

 

[KelvinS1965]

An in-mic’d 110 combo is a losing unmonitored stage formula in my experience. Doesn’t matter how loud it is.

So I would say that is the root of your problem. Ironically the SC20 was my last attempt to make one work.

Sorry, something lost in translation as I don't understand your first paragraph.

I like the sound I'm getting from the SV20 and it sounds good through the PA on the (very rough) recordings that band number 2 have made. I just need some way of hearing myself above the rest of the band without simply turning the amp up and spoiling the mix for the audience.

I think the idea of the amp stand might be a quick fix as I could at least just try it raised up/at an angle this weekend's rehearsal while I investigate the IEM options.

It doesn't help that in band number 2 the other guitarist tends to have his guitar set too loud, even for the few songs where I'm playing lead (I'm just a stand in for this party as the regular guitarist is away). I don't want to get into a volume war situation, but would prefer not to make a complete idiot of myself for those couple of lead bits which are getting spoilt mainly because I can't hear what I'm playing.

In the main band we aren't currently using the PA for the guitar amps, but that is the plan for gigs. We rehearse in a small church and can turn things up to get a balance, so my SV20 gets a bit more volume in this set up. I'm just planning ahead for when we eventually play the gigs we have lined up (starting in just under 3 months, so plenty of time to sort out).

 

[Marc Morfei]

We have wireless headphones and we can control the mix on our smartphones.

Huh? Please explain. Thanks.