Monitor L, Monitor R, Stage Left, Stage Right

[Howdy Doody Time]

Is Monitor Left on my left as I look at the monitors, or left as the performers would see the monitors facing the audience. Is Stage Left left as the audience sees it, or left as the performers (don't) see it.

I've often wondered but never been concerned, until now. I'm re-connecting everything including various monitors in my new room and I really want to get it right finally. I'm pretending to myself that I've become more professional.

[djangodeadman]

Stage Left and Right are as seen FROM the stage, ie the performer’s viewpoint. I believe this convention originates in the theatre, but is applied in music venues too.

I’ve not considered Monitor Left and Right before, but now that I do, I would imagine them to be from the listener’s perspective, ie the opposite of the stage convention.

[Hugh Robjohns]

As said above, stage left/right is as perceived by someone standing on the stage looking out to the audience.

If the monitors are on the stage for the benefit of the artists then I'd use the same frame of reference for them.

The audience perspective is typically referred to as camera left/right, and that is obviously the reverse or mirror image of stage left/right.

[Sam Spoons]

The audience perspective is typically referred to as camera left/right, and that is obviously the reverse or mirror image of stage left/right.

Or, in the theatre, "House Left/Right"

WRT stage monitors, I can't remember the last time I worked with stereo foldback but for several mono monitors I number them from my perspective (I also have my tom mic channels arranged in the same way) and from front to back.

[Saxum esse et non provolvere]

Yeah - but what if an artiste wearing stereo IEMs turns his / her back to the audience ?

[Sam Spoons]

"Stage right is the actor’s right as the actor stands on the stage facing the audience.
Stage left is the actor’s left as the actor stands on the stage facing the audience.
If the actor is facing up stage (toward the back wall), stage right and stage left are determined as if the actor were standing on the stage facing the audience. So the left side of the stage is always the left side. It doesn’t change when the actor faces different directions. The right side of the stage is always the right side. It also doesn’t change when the actor faces different directions."

[Hugh Robjohns]

Or, in the theatre, "House Left/Right"

Quite right! Sorry -- my TV background shining through!

[Sam Spoons]

Not suggesting you were wrong Hugh (heaven forfend ) just that there were other conventions...

[djangodeadman]

For some reason I had assumed the question referred to studio monitors. In the case of stage monitors I would refer to the monitors from the performer’s viewpoint.

[Dave Rowles]

Yeah - but what if an artiste wearing stereo IEMs turns his / her back to the audience ?

They deal with it being the wrong way around

[forumuser840717]

Or, in the theatre, "House Left/Right"

Quite right! Sorry -- my TV background shining through!

Or stereo/listener left/right in radio world.

And as for IEMs, they're just left and right since the wearer's persepctive of them never changes. Not without some discomfort anyway.

It can be 'fun' remembering to whom one is talking and which perspective they use when dealing with stage managers talking layouts at the same time as working on radios with a team of riggers hanging mics in a roof space where they can't see the stage properly and arm waving/pointing/hand signals aren't visible!