Are Drum Monitors Necessary?

pxavier

Senior Member
Band says I should invest in earbud/headphone monitors for live performances (before I get my mic's for recording), but how necessary are they?

My favorite drummers are lived throughout the 60's to the mid-70's.
How many drummers through the 60's to the mid 70's used monitors during live shows?
Including John Bonham, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon (I think I've seen his headset), and Ginger Baker. I don't feel it to be to necessary, as speeding up and slowing down is only natural.
 
Its absolutely unncessary, but its a great luxury. Once you get used to in ears its hard to go back to floor monitors. We have more things available to us because of technology, why not take adavantage of it if you have the means?
 
Do they mean in ears to set a click to or just monitors to hear the rest of the band?

I see the need for hearing the band during a set, but I usually just use a normal monitor.

If its to play a click, then maybe the band is saying something about your timing...

I also agree that speeding up/down is also natural and lets the music breath, but if its too drastic that can cause problems.
 
Do they mean in ears to set a click to or just monitors to hear the rest of the band?

I see the need for hearing the band during a set, but I usually just use a normal monitor.

If its to play a click, then maybe the band is saying something about your timing...

I also agree that speeding up/down is also natural and lets the music breath, but if its too drastic that can cause problems.

Yeah it's a timing issue because it's one of those "DRUMMERS KEEP TIME!" things (everyone keeps time in a band -__-)... But yeah, it's for the click. And no, it's never drastic. Funny because one time I screwed up and was off expo using a metronome at practice and before I could say it by the end of the song, everyone said it was perfect. I just laughed to myself.



Its absolutely unncessary, but its a great luxury. Once you get used to in ears its hard to go back to floor monitors. We have more things available to us because of technology, why not take adavantage of it if you have the means?

Yeah sorry man I meant for the click haha.
 
Always a good idea to get yourself comfortable playing to a click. Now adays if you want to make it anywhere as a drummer, you have to be able to play with a click.
 
Always a good idea to get yourself comfortable playing to a click. Now adays if you want to make it anywhere as a drummer, you have to be able to play with a click.

I definitely am! Especially when the click sounds organic and not like a robotic beep! I'm just wondering- are clicks necessary?
 
I'll use a monitor at a gig if it is already there. most of the time, the band is close enough together that I can hear vocals through the mains, or hear enough coming from the front monitors. I usually only need kick drum and vocals in my monitor if I use one for myself. But when we have a sound company running things, I just let them do their thing and keep my mouth shut. That is their business, and those guys always give good monitor mixes.

I definitely mean to draw a distinction between a sound "comapny" and an in house "sound-guy". House guys can be hit or miss, and often personalities clash because musicians are egomaniacal basket cases, and sound guys are usually washed-out musicians. That's painiting with a broad brush (admittedly) but I generally have a lot more of a professional experience from a guy who is part of a 3-4 man crew, who knows their equipment.
 
Live I use a floor wedge to give me a better mix of what's going on. I'm pretty fussy about mixes in general, as if my sound is good at the back, I tend to play better. Ear protection is very recommended (although I find it very uncomfortable and shy away as much as possible, to the detriment of my hearing!) but in-ear monitors won't work so good unless everything is mic'd up. You will ideally want your own personal monitor mix with in-ears, which means extra auxiliaries or monitor outs on the desk, (which usually means a new desk!) and that can get very expensive very quickly.

Click playing is a must. You should always practice to a click. I agree that music has a natural fore and aft around the click, but you should be aiming to be as close to it overall as is humanly possible, even if there is no click live. Then you substitute for what is know as your internal metronome (a natural groove that keeps everything solid). If you play to samples or anything Pre-recorded it a must in a live scenario, as even being slightly off will stand out a mile. Also everything in a studio sense is click tracked now.
 
Practice doesn't make perfect

I definitely am! Especially when the click sounds organic and not like a robotic beep! I'm just wondering- are clicks necessary?

Practice doesn't make perfect.

PERFECT practice makes perfect.

When I have people over to the studio to work on stuff, I will always try to get a click in the monitors. Its always shocking to me how many melodic instruments won't or never have played with a click. Think drumming is rough? Try picking a 12 string with a cowbell slapping in your ear.

:)

Even if your band / project / gig isn't currently using sequencers or canned BGV's, or even percussion sweeteners live - one day they will. I'm usually the guy encouraging them to. It phattens up the sound, when tastefully applied, and can make 4 or 5 guys sound like 7 or 8 guys - and when we sound better, we all win.

If you can't groove live to a click, someone else is gonna get the gig. Its really that simple.

Make it a cowbell. They friggen cut through anything. Some like a side stick, some a cowbell.

Get a small in-ear and a cheap mixer so you can control the volume. All you need is a feed and you're managing your own mix. I will always, always, always try to handle my own mix. Send me 3 or 4 or 10 feeds... gimmie a moment and I'll dial myself in.

-K
 
Re: Practice doesn't make perfect

Practice doesn't make perfect.

PERFECT practice makes perfect.

When I have people over to the studio to work on stuff, I will always try to get a click in the monitors. Its always shocking to me how many melodic instruments won't or never have played with a click. Think drumming is rough? Try picking a 12 string with a cowbell slapping in your ear.

:)

Even if your band / project / gig isn't currently using sequencers or canned BGV's, or even percussion sweeteners live - one day they will. I'm usually the guy encouraging them to. It phattens up the sound, when tastefully applied, and can make 4 or 5 guys sound like 7 or 8 guys - and when we sound better, we all win.

If you can't groove live to a click, someone else is gonna get the gig. Its really that simple.

Make it a cowbell. They friggen cut through anything. Some like a side stick, some a cowbell.

Get a small in-ear and a cheap mixer so you can control the volume. All you need is a feed and you're managing your own mix. I will always, always, always try to handle my own mix. Send me 3 or 4 or 10 feeds... gimmie a moment and I'll dial myself in.

-K

I gotcha :). I love playing to a click, I groove even better. I was just curious as to whether a click live is important! Thanks for the advice man

Live I use a floor wedge to give me a better mix of what's going on. I'm pretty fussy about mixes in general, as if my sound is good at the back, I tend to play better. Ear protection is very recommended (although I find it very uncomfortable and shy away as much as possible, to the detriment of my hearing!) but in-ear monitors won't work so good unless everything is mic'd up. You will ideally want your own personal monitor mix with in-ears, which means extra auxiliaries or monitor outs on the desk, (which usually means a new desk!) and that can get very expensive very quickly.

Click playing is a must. You should always practice to a click. I agree that music has a natural fore and aft around the click, but you should be aiming to be as close to it overall as is humanly possible, even if there is no click live. Then you substitute for what is know as your internal metronome (a natural groove that keeps everything solid). If you play to samples or anything Pre-recorded it a must in a live scenario, as even being slightly off will stand out a mile. Also everything in a studio sense is click tracked now.

Are clicks just as important in a live scenario?

I'll use a monitor at a gig if it is already there. most of the time, the band is close enough together that I can hear vocals through the mains, or hear enough coming from the front monitors. I usually only need kick drum and vocals in my monitor if I use one for myself. But when we have a sound company running things, I just let them do their thing and keep my mouth shut. That is their business, and those guys always give good monitor mixes.

I definitely mean to draw a distinction between a sound "comapny" and an in house "sound-guy". House guys can be hit or miss, and often personalities clash because musicians are egomaniacal basket cases, and sound guys are usually washed-out musicians. That's painiting with a broad brush (admittedly) but I generally have a lot more of a professional experience from a guy who is part of a 3-4 man crew, who knows their equipment.

Ahhh, sounds awesome! Thanks man, I'll let my band know about that
 
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