Today's Lesson

Drums are loud, and there isn't much that can be done about that as far as control. What we can do is try to limit amplifying them further on stage. 

Most of the players will probably only want certain elements of the drums in their monitor mix to serve as rhythmic reference and time keeping; hi-hat and snare most likely and that's fine. 

The drummer however usually wants the whole kit loud and punchy coming through the monitor. Unfortunately, we're taking an already acoustically loud instrument and making it even louder on the stage now. That's not to say don't give the drummer anything, because on the other hand, there's nothing worse as a drummer than being on a loud stage and having your whole kit drowned out by the rest of the band. Another great reason to keep the guitar cabs down.

Try to find a balance that works for the drummer, but at the same time doesn't add excessive noise to the stage. One great option that can help with this is to use clear Plexiglas panels that can cut down on the stage noise while keeping the drummer happy behind those panels. 

Of course another great way to solve this is to encourage the drummer to use in-ear monitors.

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