Foldback (sound engineering)

Monitoring (English to monitor, supervise, from Latin monere, admonish, warn ) means the sound the sound of artists or sound engineers. For events with live music, there is usually monitor speakers or in-ear monitoring for sonication of the musicians on stage, as the sound system for the audience (PA ) does not cover the stage sufficient. The monitoring serves artists to control their own playing, singing or speaking and provides an orientation to their acoustic environment. In the recording studio also allows control of the recorded and edited material.

• 2.1 Requirements
• 2.2 speakers

Monitoring on stage

At a certain stage or room size monitoring is essential, as for example by singers mostly because of the high volume of the sound system (PA) and the rest of the instruments ( eg drums ), the sound of your own voice barely heard satisfactory can.

Speaker

Mostly its own sound system, in addition to the regular sound of the audience set up solely for the stage area ( " monitor system "). Through the PA stage, the musicians received a similar listening experience as the audience and can coordinate the interaction better.

To minimize feedback effects between monitor speakers and vocal microphones, special wedge-shaped boxes are used, so-called wedges, lying up radiate to the musicians on the ground under the mics diagonally from the front.

The operation of this equipment is carried out by a dedicated monitor mixer, which is positioned behind the PA system in order to control the listening experience on the stage can, or by the main desk ( FOH ) from. If you are monitoring through speakers the lack of a separate monitor mixer is only a temporary solution that is chosen for cost reasons, especially for smaller events. A disadvantage is the need for two people to adjust the level: A technician needs the auditory impression on stage to tell his colleague on the main panel, which then operates the equipment and must assume that the change in turn describe. This lengthy procedure can only be done in advance during the sound check. Since during a performance before an audience present a modified acoustic situation, the musicians still need to submit a rule change requests " on the fly ", for example, through gestures to the FOH mixer. Such disturbances of performance accounts for both the monitor mix ( adaptation and control is carried out continuously by the same people ), as well as the explained further below in-ear monitoring, which can be controlled by the main desk, because the sensation about earphones is location-independent.

The tonal requirements here are somewhat different from those of the monitoring in the recording studio, where a linear frequency response is the main requirement. In monitoring for live concerts that the speakers can play especially high volumes without distortion. However, a linear frequency response for the prevention of feedbacks also important here. For their oppression are often lowered ( eg due to the acoustics of existing resonances) by means of a narrow-band equalizer and steep edge in the frequency response for problem frequencies. Here again, special devices called Feedback - Destroyer can be used.

In-Ear Monitoring

Since the use of stage speakers is a difficult condition for sound engineers and musicians, one goes increasingly to using earphones (in-ear monitoring), which can be seen not directly to the public. Come here - as opposed to the stage speakers - no feedback on that would normally arise when, for example, a microphone captures the amplified and over the monitor speakers reproduced vocals of a singer again. Also, from the sound of the musicians is independent of their location on the stage. To keep the cabling costs low, the earphones are usually connected via a wireless connection for the sound engineers.

Advantages of in-ear monitoring are:

• The auditory impression is always the same, regardless of whether you are in the rehearsal room or on stage.
• An in-ear set that consists of a transmitting station and a portable receiver device on the body (Body Pack ), is much easier to transport than a conventional monitor box.
• About an in-ear monitoring system stage directions can be given (eg in TV broadcasts ) without the audience noticing.
• Lower noise levels for the performers on stage.

Disadvantages of In -ear monitoring are:

• The altered impression of space for the musicians because the sound impression with movement or rotation, in turn, does not change. This can in extreme cases lead to disorientation.
• In certain areas ( singers, speakers, Brass ) from the sound because of bone conduction in the skull can be falsified.

Monitoring in the Studio

In studio recordings, the optical appearance of the artist plays no role and are there, except for the inclusion of purely electronic instruments, mostly used closed headphones. This is

• Simultaneous recording of all musicians a feedback between monitor speakers and microphones avoiding or
• ( sequentially receiving individual musicians ) avoided during overdub recording a re-recording of previously recorded material from the monitors on the microphones, as this can lead to undesirable tonal characteristics, eg due to phase shifts.

Requirements

At the monitoring are special requirements in the recording studio. This means, first, the audio signal in question to reproduce exactly as microphones, amplifiers and other sound generators spend it. In commercial hi-fi systems and some PA systems this is not the case, the frequency response is distorted in different ways. The sound imaging is thus for studio purposes not sufficiently equivalent to the original signal, it creates a distorted auditory impression. Therefore specialized monitor speakers are used in the recording studio as a rule.

A mastering for example, requires force so as a monitor, as a reference base. You need a reference when mixing, just by the fact that music is heard in a very different-sounding equipment ( and spaces ).

Speaker

Monitor speakers are special speakers for musicians or sound engineers, which are used for monitoring purposes and therefore are subject to specific quality criteria. This primarily includes the desired linear frequency response for the purpose of a reference sound performance illustration. A signal fidelity sound picture, which is essential for sound monitoring in recording studio, requires expensive equipment: the so-called studio monitors. Also needed are optimizing ( or minimizing ) disturbing room resonances and an intact and properly trained hearing.

For a long time widely used in recording studios monitors of type NS -10M Yamaha. These speakers " simulated" the limited reproduction conditions, as could be expected on the part of the consumer, rather meaningful. Today there are numerous, partially specialized manufacturers such as Klein and Hummel. For monitor speakers in the form of headphones are up to the room ambience same criteria here was in the scene such as the K 270/271/272 AKG Acoustics and the Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro as a reference. The desired quality of the desired sound radiation from a speaker in the room continues to depend on:

• The amplifiers used.
• The type of the layers and the shape of the exterior and interior material used ( by the material 's resonance behavior).
• Employed on transducers (drivers, chassis), crossovers, insulating materials and other fixtures.
• The positioning of the listener and the speakers in the room.