Another factor that makes hearing oneself difficult is the noise level onstage. Many factors can limit how loud a signal can be brought up when using traditional floor monitors: size of the power amplifiers, power handling of the speakers, and most importantly, potential acoustic gain. The most common request given to monitor engineers is “Can you turn me up?” (Sometimes not phrased quite so politely.) Unfortunately, it is not always quite that simple. These factors include adequate volume for the performers, gain-beforefeedback, hearing conservation, reduced vocal strain, and less interference with the audience mix. There are several factors that, when taken as a whole, result in the superior sound quality of personal monitor systems.
