Monitor Mixing Guide: Wedges vs IEMs

Monitoring is the key to a tight performance. If you can't hear, you can't groove. However, the approach for floor wedges is drastically different from In-Ear Monitors (IEMs). Your rider needs to specify exactly what you expect.

Wedges: The Art of Rejection

With floor monitors, gain-before-feedback is the enemy. You cannot ask for "CD Quality" clarity at 110dB on a wedge. Keep mixes simple. Vocals only? Kick and Snare? Asking for "everything" in a wedge usually results in a muddy, feedback-prone mess. Trust the FOH for the main mix; use the wedge for timing and pitch.

In-Ears: The Need for Ambience

IEMs isolate you from the room. This protects your hearing but kills the vibe. If you use IEMs, request "Audience Ambience Mics" in your rider. These are microphones pointed at the crowd, fed ONLY to your ears, so you can hear applause and banter. Also, always request stereo mixes for IEMs. Mono in-ears sound "in your head" and fatiguing; stereo gives space and separation.

General Rules

Always list the number of mixes, not just wedges. "4 Mixes on 6 Wedges" means 2 positions have dual monitors (likely the center vocalist). Be clear.