I Need a CHEAP Solution!

[Mikey]

OK,
Y'all know I'm a drummer dude. Right?
Well, in Crossfyre, we have a couple amps for PA purposes. A Behringer Powered mixer that handles the bulk of the load for FOH and some small Rogue thing that we use for the two stage monitors. The way the power amps like to play is with 4 ohm loads. That leaves me (Poor Me, the itinerate drummer) with no means to hook in another speaker so I can hear what's going on. The last year or so I've been bringing an Ibanez acoustic amp in and setting it up using the pre-amp out from the powered mixer.
Lately, I've been thinking of just getting one of those cheapie 100w PA systems found in MF (Kustom) power amp and two speakers for $180.

I looked at the Galaxy powered montior thing, but it's $300 with only a 5" speaker! I used one at church and it works OK, but in a Crossfyre gig, I worry about it's doability and don't want to spend $300 semolions
Got any better suggestions?

[bonefish]

have you considered cans or earbuds?

[Mikey]

Yep! I did, but only in the present situation.
Where would I plug them in? Are we talking plugging them into the Pre-amp out on the powered mixer?
Right now the FOH & monitor mix is vocals only.
Once in a while we'll mic the guitar amps if we're doing a big outdoor gig. Same with the drums. An earbud might work out if I get a long enough cable and clip it to my shirt.
I'd rather be unencumbered but want to hear everything more than being tethered. HeckNO! That might prompt jokes about being the "Drummer Dog on a Leash"! Yikes!

[Kap'n]

Take a look around for one one those JBL EON10's. It might be $300, but well worth it.

[Mikey]

OK,
Bit the bullet and tried to kill 2 birds with one stone.
I went down to Sound Source and saw Johnny V. Ended up with a Crown XLS 202 for $269. We'll use this power amp to take the monitor out from the Behringer powered mixer, put it into a "Wye" connector and run two of the same input into the amp. We'll take one output and use it for both front monitors and the second output comes over to the drum throne where it connects into a 2x10 bass cab. Heck! If I feel really good, I could also bring along the 1x15 and really blow myself away. Might want to do that on the big outdoor gigs anyway. Use the 1x15 to carry the drums and the the 2x10 for the vocals and guitars.
This means we can cease carrying the Rogue amp, I can stop bringing the Acoustic amp, and we can all get the monitor mix like were supossed to.

[photoweborama]

Just trying to figure this out.. The Behrihnger has a mono monitor out? and you put the Y in to the crown so you get the same signal on both stereo channels?

Doesn't the Crown have a bridged mono?

[Mikey]

Yeah, if I want to run it bridged, there's there's no need.
The Behringer has a monitor out 1/4. The Crown has 2 inputs and corresponding output. The inputs are XLR connections so I need a cable that has 1/4 on one end and XLR on the other. I could just run that one input into the Crown and run one output to all three of the monitors. I just chose to split the monitor out into two inputs to the amp and keep the front of the stage monitors separate so they can adjust the volume the way they want to and use the second output to run to MY (the drummer) monitor and I can adjust the volume to suit me. All the levels in the mix are adjusted at the behringer by channel so we'll all get the same mix, but I'll be able to set the volume where I like it without the other guys bitchin.
Yes, the Crown has bridged mono, but I don't need to use it that high. 245 watts in a monitor is pretty loud. 700 watts would kill me!