Creating a great monitor mix is all about prioritizing what musicians need to hear to perform their best. Unlike front-of-house mixes designed for the audience, monitor mixes are inherently unbalanced, focusing on essential elements like pitch and timing references. For example, a vocalist may need their microphone, kick, and snare for rhythm, while a bassist prioritizes their instrument with minimal vocals. This selective approach ensures clarity without unnecessary distractions.

Before fine-tuning, communication tools like vocal and talkback mics should be operational, ensuring everyone on stage can connect. Begin mixes with a mono click track to establish timing, as adding the click later can result in levels being too high. From there, unmute instruments progressively, prioritizing the primary elements for each performer. This foundational method keeps the process efficient and avoids overwhelming adjustments mid-performance.

While mono mixes require careful subtraction to avoid masking frequencies, stereo mixes offer more room to balance and position sounds. In mono, removing unnecessary frequencies or levels is key to clarity—think of it as making space for essentials rather than crowding the mix. Stereo allows for more creative possibilities, like panning instruments and adding ambient sounds such as audience mics or reverb to give musicians a sense of space, reducing isolation.

Frequency masking, where overlapping sounds compete in the mix, is a critical concept. For instance, kick and bass occupy similar low frequencies, so carving out space with EQ or sidechaining ensures they complement rather than compete. The same applies to mid and high frequencies in keys and vocals. Removing what isn’t vital keeps the mix clean and ensures every instrument or vocal shines in its intended role.