Monitor Wedge Positioning: Optimal Placement for Stage Monitors

Monitor wedge positioning directly affects how well performers hear themselves and how much feedback potential exists in the system. Proper placement maximizes useful sound delivery while minimizing problematic interactions with microphones.

Basic Positioning Principles

Wedge monitors work best when aimed at the performer’s ears, not their feet or the air above them. The angled front panel of a wedge directs sound upward toward standing performers.

Distance matters significantly. Positioning wedges 3-5 feet from performers provides adequate level without overwhelming nearfield. Too close sounds harsh and uneven; too far requires higher levels that increase feedback risk.

Centering wedges in front of performers ensures even coverage. Off-center placement creates hot spots where one ear hears more than the other.

Angle Relative to Microphones

The relationship between wedge position and microphone rejection pattern determines feedback potential. Cardioid microphones reject sound from directly behind them.

Positioning wedges in the microphone’s null—directly behind or slightly below and behind—minimizes feedback potential. The microphone picks up minimal wedge output in this position.

Wedges angled across the stage or positioned to the side of microphones couple more strongly, requiring lower monitor levels to avoid feedback.

Vocalist Monitor Placement

Vocalist monitors typically sit directly in front of the microphone, aimed upward at the singer’s face. This places the wedge in the cardioid microphone’s rejection zone.

The distance should allow the vocalist to step back from the microphone without losing monitor coverage. Three to four feet works for most applications.

Angling wedges slightly toward the vocalist’s ears rather than their chest improves clarity. The high frequencies that carry articulation are directional; aiming at ears ensures they reach the target.

Guitarist Monitor Placement

Guitarists often need monitors positioned to reach both their ears and their playing position. Pedalboard proximity influences optimal placement.

Positioning wedges behind the pedalboard and angled up works well for guitarists who stay in one position. Those who move more may need monitors placed to cover a wider area.

Electric guitarists with onstage amplifiers may need less from wedges, primarily requiring vocals and drums. Acoustic guitarists may need their instrument prominently in monitors.

Drummer Monitor Placement

Drummers face unique challenges—physical isolation behind the kit limits their hearing of other performers. Monitor positioning must work around hardware.

Side-positioned wedges or front wedges aimed between kit hardware reach drummers effectively. Multiple wedges may provide better coverage than a single unit.

Drum fill monitors—larger wedges or subwoofer-equipped monitors placed at the drum riser—provide the power drummers often require. Positioning these in front of or beside the kit works better than behind.

Keyboard Player Considerations

Keyboardists often face the audience with monitors to their side or angled from the front. The keyboard’s physical presence affects wedge placement options.

Elevated keyboards may require wedges aimed upward at a steeper angle. Low-profile setups allow more conventional positioning.

Stereo monitor mixes for keyboardists require two wedges positioned to create a stereo field. Centering the performer between wedges creates the stereo image.

Multiple Wedge Configurations

Performers with multiple wedges gain more even coverage and higher available level before feedback. Spreading output across wedges reduces each unit’s contribution.

Stereo configurations place wedges left and right for stereo imaging. Dual mono configurations double the output with both wedges carrying identical content.

Adding wedges specifically for sidefill—monitors aimed across the stage—helps performers hear other band members without affecting their personal mix.

Feedback Avoidance Through Positioning

Every wedge position has feedback implications. Careful positioning reduces feedback before electronic intervention becomes necessary.

Keeping wedges behind microphones (relative to the mic’s front) utilizes pattern rejection. Angling wedges away from microphones further reduces coupling.

Multiple wedges at lower individual levels may produce less feedback than single wedges at high level, even at the same total acoustic output.

Floor Surface Effects

Wedges on hard floors experience boundary reinforcement, boosting low frequencies. This can sound muddy or boomy, particularly in reflective stages.

Carpet or isolation material under wedges reduces boundary coupling. Even a rubber mat makes audible difference.

Wedge position relative to nearby surfaces—walls, drum risers, equipment cases—affects the local acoustic environment. Minor repositioning may resolve specific problems.

Wedge Height Considerations

Standard wedges assume standing performers. Seated musicians may need wedges elevated on stands or tilted more steeply.

Wedge stands or specialized low-profile monitors address seated performer needs. The goal remains directing sound toward ears.

Extremely tall or short performers may benefit from wedge repositioning to account for non-standard ear heights.

Checking Positioning During Soundcheck

Walk the stage during soundcheck, standing in each performer’s position. Listen for even coverage without obvious hot or dead spots.

Ask performers if their monitors reach them properly before adding level. Repositioning may solve problems that EQ or level cannot.

Minor adjustments during soundcheck often eliminate problems that would otherwise require significant processing to address.