A bad monitor mix can be distracting, and can make it very difficult to perform a show. I tend to prefer to have as little as possible in my in-ear monitors to lower the chances of a possible meltdown. Depending on the size of the band, I usually make a priority list of what I need in order to function. With the help of the monitor engineer, I put the people with the best time-feel the loudest in my mix. I prefer those people to be the bassist and percussionist. That way, we can get a nice, rhythmic, low-end machine going on the stage, and then we can let everyone else push and pull on top of that foundation. Sometimes, the rhythm guitarist may have the best time-feel, so I will go with that. Other times, the lead vocalist can have the best time-feel. He or she might have a unique phrasing-style which is essential to the music, so I’ll choose to lock in with that.

I’d estimate that I use click tracks roughly 50 percent of the time in a live scenario. Of course, it varies from artist to artist. There are many different reasons to have a click track running for a song or an entire show. Sometimes, there is a complex light show that runs off of a time code, and the only way in which to sync the music and lights together is to use a click track. Sometimes the band uses certain elements like sequenced strings, loops, arpeggiators, or background vocals. In those cases, we’d need to lock with a click track, too. Even when I play with an artist where click tracks are not necessary, I still find it helpful to use a metronome for count-off’s. It keeps the transitions between songs seamless.

In my perfect world, I prefer using a combination of in-ear monitors and wedges. Sometimes I find in-ears to sound a bit weak and lacking in the low-end department. They rarely feel powerful, or rocking, enough. You have to really crank the volume up, which gets to be detrimental to the health of your eardrums. Therefore, it’s great to have an 18” inch sub behind me, and/or a couple of wedges that I can isolate musical elements such as the bass guitar, the kick/snare/toms, and so on.

For elements that require more time-accuracy, I’ll put them through the in-ear’s, such as loops, percussion parts, click tracks. That allows me to use the wedges and subs for vibe and energy. Having big wallops of air pushed at you is better than having little percussive nails shot into your ear canals! In the end, this helps me keep my overall stage volume lower, which in turn helps keep me from going deaf.