Ideas: small stage monitor for acoustic open mic

[hooty2]

Hi all...
I'm looking for recommendations for a smallish powered stage monitor.
I sold most of My l-acoustics rig but kept back X2 112p which I use sometimes as monitors... I want something smaller/lighter for use close up on a small stage, so a good angle needed.
I'm supplying a small open mic initiative where the vibe is acoustic/meditative/poetic... their mixer will be ZED10fx. Mostly solo talent sometimes duo. Small hall/room, audience typically close.
Any suggestions welcomed.. budget flexible.
Cheers in advance

[hooty2]

P.s. the organisers tried without fold back and most of the inexperienced talent struggled on regardless. A few more experienced musicians said they would prefer something coming back to them.

[The Korff]

Have you considered one of those monitors that attaches to a mic stand? If compact is the name of the game then they'd be pretty hard to beat, and there's a few options now (the Galaxy Audio Hot Spot was the first, I think):

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/galaxy-pa6s
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/mackie-srm150
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/st ... r-livesys5
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/studiospares-pm150

If it's a small stage, something like that might just about do for two performers too.

Cheers!

[hooty2]

[Sam Spoons]

I had a couple of TC Helicon VoiceSolo mic stand monitors and they were very good, I sold them after I bought my Bose S1 Pro's and one of those would be my current suggestion*. But, I've done a lot of acoustic stuff over the years and have rarely ever felt a need for foldback (what is it they are trying to hear themselves over) unless it's a noisy audience? My current open mic is running without any PA as I don't like the idea of sharing a mic since Covid but it is in a separate room not a noisy pub full of normal punters.

* The S1 Pro is not without it's faults but is a useful little box and sounds pretty nice, the main lack is a smartphone mixer app but that has been rectified with the mk2 and should make it even more useful.

[Murray B]

As you'll have limited options on setting an separate eq on the monitor speaker you might choose to use, I think it would be wise to choose something that with at least some basic eq on the speaker itself.

Personally I use an some older Yamaha MSR100's for this role, they work great, but the slant angle for want of a better term is a little too shallow for some uses - easily fixed by propping them up on the covers I bought for them.

Another option have a eq of some kind between the mixer and the speaker, although it results in an unbalanced line to the monitor a Boss GE-7 has proven to be a very useful emergency solution for eq-ing monitors until I got a digital mixer.

Mid priced options (400-500) if you use an external eq would be QSC CP8 or RCF Art 708's
I have used these with other bands - they work well.
LD systems make a small format dedicated monitor speaker with a 3 band eq - I've never tried one of these though. The model number is MON 8 A G.

There's lower priced options of course, but given that you are used to L-Acoustics stuff, I don't think you'd like them.

[tacitus]

I have some db technologies FM10 floor monitors we use in our function band, including rehearsals. Even now I can carry one in each hand and everybody likes the sound. They’re fairly flat, so you can stand right next to them on a small stage and there’s an 8-way selector for various dsp modes. They replaced the range with FMX models a year or three ago, a few pounds dearer but the same format. I used to use a pair for keyboards in church and they worked well; although I have a 12” version it’s a lot bigger and heavier.

For rehearsals, our singers plug their mikes directly into the speaker (one each).

[hooty2]

These ideas and user experiences are appreciated.
A friend invited me to this open mic and I went along out of interest. My instant and first impression was why do you even need any sound system in this room with this music and this audience?
A KRK rokit8 speaker is on floor & the mixer was placed behind and to one side of all of this.... there was no chance for the person operating that to really hear what was going on. The gains were set and faders left up and Mics open regardless..
The point I'm struggling to get across here is there was a well-meaning and well intentioned young couple trying to run this event. The girl was very attentive and trying really hard while the guy dipped out for r&r in the shadows. I had genuine reason to leave and the girl rushed over and asked for some advice as a musician had pointed out my interest in sound. It was basically "it's all too loud ..The guitars are too loud you can't hear a single element of the spoken or sung word and everything's booming and bassy..just turn it all down maybe consider listening to what's happening before you even touch a fader....
Set up properly with better attention I personally don't think a monitor would be needed so I asked the question here for other interests because I would like to have some smaller monitors for other events that are similar but more demanding.
Sam's comments are pertinent here...
However, there is potential for this event to grow in scope and a monitor may well be useful...

[hooty2]

P.s. (again).... I offered to fund and organize a proper training session in the basics with my pro sound colleague who does this work 24/7 but so far they have declined.
If I displayed any reticence on the evening itself it was partly because this group initiative developed out of a female only empowerment group and I didn't feel like being the man who immediately says this is all wrong you need to do something different.... Just saying