Talk:Foldback (sound engineering)

Two Separate Systems?

"For live sound reproduction during popular music concerts there are typically two complete PA systems: the "main" system and the "monitor" system. Each system consists of microphones, a mixing board, sound processing equipment, amplifiers, and speakers."

Not sure you could class most of them as two separate systems these days. At least the microphones reference should be removed. I'm also not sure on mixing boards as often at smaller gigs there's just one board supplying both monitors and the mains. Pobice (talk) 21:33, 2 January 2009 (UTC)

True. I'll put this article higher up on my to-do list unless somebody else want to correct that bit. Binksternet (talk) 00:02, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

Too many assumptions made

The "Role" section implies that most music productions have separate FOH and monitor systems with separate engineers. While this is true of larger shows and larger clubs, most performances simply use a pre-fader aux mix. to drive separate EQ, amps, and speakers on stage.

I think the order should go from a powered mixer with one side for fronts and one side for monitors, to an aux mix with separate EQ, amps, and speakers, to a full blown monitor system with its own mixer and engineer.

Some references would also be nice. Robert.harker (talk) 21:29, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

Should article be renamed "Stage monitor"?

While the article name "Foldback" is technically correct, the term "foldback monitors" is not used much except in the user manuals. In the industry the term "stage monitors" or simply "monitors" is much more common. Have you ever heard the monitor mix position called "foldback land" rather than "monitor land"? Renaming the page "Stage monitor" would bring it in line with the studio monitor article name. Robert.harker (talk) 21:49, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

I'm American, but I understand from my British acquaintances that the term 'foldback' is very much alive in the UK. With the title "Foldback (sound engineering)", this article should probably contain Brit spellings when possible: equalise, colour, etc. Binksternet (talk) 04:45, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

As a Brit I've only very very rarely come across the term foldback. It's monitor world, monitor tec, stage monitors etc. - JulesN Talk 22:44, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

I'm a British keyboardist and vocalist, who's been playing in bands on British stages since the late 1970s. When I started gigging, "foldback" was the universal term most used for stage monitors. I would say that "foldback" is still in use in the UK today, although increasingly the word "monitor" is being used instead. For example, on a large stage recently, I said to the sound engineer, 'Can I have a little more vocal in the foldback?' He was a bit baffled, and said 'Do you mean the monitor?' and I said yes. Paul Strange (talk) 23:21, 19 July 2010 (UTC)

Yes "foldback" is an english term, but even in England it is not always used. I did a search of the "Sound On Stage" magazine for both foldback, "stage monitor" and "stage monitors". All three returned 8 pages of google results for the site. And in the rest of the world stage monitor is more frequent than foldback. I do know it is here in America at least. The single largest market for Professional Audio. Lets change it and leave a redirect behind. Do you have a recomendation Binksternet? Robert.Harker (talk) 04:19, 20 July 2010 (UTC)

I'm okay with moving the article now that it appears we are not disrespecting British preferences. Binksternet (talk) 13:55, 20 July 2010 (UTC)

Not just on-stage use

Foldback is a term widely used in broadcasting too, at least in the UK. One definition [1]:

Foldback is a feed of audio to the studio, via either loudspeaker, headphone or earpiece (IEM). It may be to provide the presenter and/or performers with a Cue feed from an external source or from a singer's Microphone, to reinforce a singer's voice for confidence or as an aid to tuning, or to provide actors with the reproduction of recorded sound effects. The foldback circuit may also be used for Talkback; known across the Atlantic and in OBs as IFB (Interrupted Foldback), in BBC terms it is simply TB to FB (talkback to foldback).

The article ought to reflect this more general usage, i.e. foldback being audio fed back to performers and presenters for a variety of reasons, not just musicians on stage. --Harumphy (talk) 09:38, 2 July 2011 (UTC)

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