Usually the reason for this is that at the soundcheck you don't run the FOH at the same level as you have to during the event. This means that during the performance the musicians hear more of the mains and less of themselves in their own monitor, so they want the monitor levels increased.

During the soundcheck, it's not easy to get the stage FOH levels representative of what they will be during the performance, as the venue acoustic is usually very different when full of people. When I get to a venue and think there could be a problem of this sort, I look to see if I can rotate a pair of the FOH speakers to face the stage during the soundcheck. For venues where this is not possible, I groan and then unpack the separate set of speakers, stands and power amps that I bring for exactly this purpose.

Choosing the type and positioning of the stage microphones and foldback monitors to permit relatively high monitoring levels without feedback is a skill that involves a lot of trial and error in the learning process.

Thanks for the reply Boswell. Usually the FOH are mounted up high so no chance of rotating them!

For venues where this is not possible, I groan and then unpack the separate set of speakers, stands and power amps that I bring for exactly this purpose.

What type of speakers do you usually pack and how do you place them? Is it only for the soundcheck and then switch them off for the main performance?

I'm slowly starting to work out the correct position and levels of monitors in relation to FOH to avoid feedback!

Where there are many open mics, you have to watch out for singers who accidentally point their mic towards a speaker or shift their position a little

It depends on the venue, but for the size I usually work with (up to about 1000 seats), I take an old Yamaha Stagepas500 kit. It's a single wheeled case that includes the amplifier and leads, but you need an extra pair of speaker stands. During the soundcheck, I put the stands on the main floor between the front of the stage and the first row of seats and aim the speakers at the band. It's a matter of judgement and experience as to how loud you need to have them to be realistic. I pack the speakers away again after the soundcheck.

What you can't easily do with this setup is mimic the frequency filtering that is associated with reflected sound during the performance. I usually just dial back on the range above 2 KHz, given that an audience absorbs more of the HF than the mids and LF.

Thanks, I have used a StagePas 300 - not the most reliable and can easily overheat and cut-out. I guess the StagePas 500 is more reliable?

The >2kHz is a useful tip, do you compensate and add a shelf above 2kHz into the FOH when the audience is present?

..do you compensate and add a shelf above 2kHz into the FOH when the audience is present?

No, the foldback level setup is an independent process and does not feed forward to the main performance other than in the initial foldback level. Any FOH frequency correction in the main performance is done on need at the time. This is largely determined by me walking around at the back of the hall during the first few numbers while one of my assistants looks after the desk in case of any sudden changes required in the mix.