Don,

This is a good point. Indeed, one of the reasons I like the idea of separate amp, is that I can use it as a monitor when playing larger parties, when I plug into the house PA.

The in-ear montiors is the next "big" thing. When I was at NAMM last January, there were several people with large displays of in-ear systems, including bi-amped in-ear transducers, wireless adaptors, and custom-molded inserts. The high-end systems are quite expensive, upward of $2500, and I had a feeling that they were aimed at the big-act pros, who want to save their hearing while letting the house soundman take care of the overall system's sound.

For my use, a speaker is more versatile, as I have to not only hear myself, but also gauge how well the public hears me. Also, I don't like the idea of running around with a speaker in the ear and a head-mounted mic - this reminds me of the plugged-in Robo-cop, where one does not know where the person ends and the machinery begins, but that's just my feeling - it might well work for other people.

I suppose, for monitoring you'd want to use a speaker in Mono mode, so that the stereo effect does not interfere with the mains.

Regards.
Alex