A monitor mix is the blend of audio sent back to the people on stage so they can hear themselves and each other while they play. To answer what is a monitor mix simply: it is a separate mix from what the audience hears, tailored to a performer’s needs and sent to a floor wedge or in-ear monitor. Without it, musicians are guessing.
What is a monitor mix vs front-of-house?
There are two different jobs happening at a gig. The front-of-house (FOH) mix is what the crowd hears through the main speakers — balanced for the room. The monitor mix is what the band hears on stage, balanced for the performers. They are almost never the same.
A drummer might want lots of bass and kick in their monitor but no drums in it at all (they hear those acoustically). A lead singer usually wants mostly their own vocal, with just enough band to stay in time. The FOH mix, meanwhile, has to make everything sit together for the audience. If you are new to building the audience mix, start with how to mix live sound.
How a monitor mix is created
Monitor mixes are built using the aux sends (auxiliary sends) on a mixer. Each input channel can be sent to an aux at an independent level, and that aux output drives a monitor. So you can dial a unique blend for every wedge.
- Set the aux send to “pre-fade” so the monitor level doesn’t change when you move the main faders.
- Assign one aux per monitor mix — for example, aux 1 to the singer’s wedge, aux 2 to the guitarist’s.
- For each mix, turn up only the channels that performer needs, at the level they want.
- Watch the gain structure — a monitor that’s pushed too hard will feed back. Make sure your gain staging on the mixer is solid first.
Pre-fade vs post-fade sends
This trips up a lot of beginners. A pre-fade send takes the signal before the channel fader, so the monitor level is independent of the FOH mix — exactly what you want for monitors. A post-fade send follows the fader and is used for effects like reverb. For monitor mixes, set your aux sends to pre-fade.
Wedges, in-ears, and shared mixes
A monitor mix can feed a floor wedge or a set of in-ear monitors. Wedges are simple and shared; in-ears give each performer a private, consistent mix and lower stage volume. The trade-offs are covered in in-ear monitors vs wedges. Small setups sometimes run one shared monitor mix for the whole band to save aux sends, which is fine if everyone can live with the same blend.
Who controls the monitor mix?
At small gigs, the same person mixing FOH also rides the monitors from the front. That works but means compromises. Larger shows use a dedicated monitor engineer at side-stage. If you’re running everything yourself, our guide on mixing monitors from the front of house shows how to juggle both. Solo performers can manage it with our solo performer sound guide.
Keeping a monitor mix clean
The golden rule: less is more. Only put what a performer truly needs in their monitor. Every extra channel adds stage volume, muddies the mix, and increases feedback risk. Cut low frequencies on vocals in the monitor send, and ring out the wedges before doors open — see how to ring out monitors.
Frequently asked questions
Why can’t the band just listen to the front-of-house mix?
The main speakers point away from the stage at the audience, so performers hear a delayed, off-axis, room-coloured version. A dedicated monitor mix points the right blend straight at the performer at the right level, which is far easier to play to.
What’s the difference between an aux send and a monitor mix?
An aux send is the tool; a monitor mix is the result. You use one or more aux sends to build a custom blend of channels, and that blend, routed to a wedge or in-ears, is the monitor mix.
How many monitor mixes does a band need?
One per performer who needs a different blend is ideal. A small band can share a single mix; a full band on a digital mixer often runs four or more so the singer, drummer and other players each get what they need.
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