In-ear solutions

[dhbp-nord]

Hi all, just wondering if anyone here is using IEMs in a situation where the rest of the band is not?

I''d like to try IEMs but not likely to convince everyone else to do so.

I have tried a set but of course found I could not hear anyone else without having access to a monitor feed, which then requires I guess some kind of headphone pre-amp with more than one channel? I'd like to find a simple system that could be used in any setting regardless of what others are using on the gig.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

Cheers

DH

[MagicmanMark]

Hi DH,

My drummer in 2-pc uses in-ears while I do not, taking the headphone feed from the mixer so that he gets complete final mix (if that helps). Of course this is pretty simple for 2-pc since the mixer is built into my keyboard stand and I'm right next to him. You'll have more of a challenge if you are not near the board.

I tried using IEM (Sennheiser) and REALLY liked the sound I was getting, but felt too isolated from the room and crowd and decided I need to keep my ears open if mixing for the room.

Bless,

Pablo

[dhbp-nord]

Yes that was my experience too, no room sound was a little disconcerting. I will pick up a little headphone pre-amp and play around with mixer feeds when available.

Cheers

DH

[ericL]

I've been using IEMs exclusively for 5+ years and it is the single best investment in gear I've ever made. Some, but not all of my bandmates use them. We have a digital mixer with iPhone app control of our individual monitor mixes. I use a Shure personal mixer half rack unit where I run a stereo send of my keyboard rig and a separate stereo (or mono) mix of the band, so I can have separate total volume control of each. It is pretty slick and I love it.

[Quai34]

If your band uses a mixer with monitor send, at least two usually, you could adjust each channel/each members and then, send the monitor out to an headphone amp for you....I have 6 monitor aux send on my Mackie and we have six different mix for each member....only the drummer is using in ear....I cannot make it, with A. Piano and Organ, I was too much used to the real thing coming in front of me for Piano and beside me with the Leslie. Then I have two monitors than are towards me, not towards the rest of the band, but I feed the other musicians with Aux monitor mixes....So, it could be a solution, in ear instead of powered speaker...but I don't like it....And I ask my band to play softer....it works....when it's too loud I leave the place and wait.....until they are back to a proper volume....

[analogika]

What helps against the feeling of being isolated is adding one or two audience mics to the mix, aimed away from the stage. You can mix them in enough to get a feeling for what's going on, without muddying the sound too much.

In-ear whenever I can. Soooo much nicer to work with than a house-supplied sixty-pound wedge with a blown tweeter braying a totally overloaded mass of sonic mud at your back because the couldn't find a better spot that would allow you to hear it properly at BOTH keyboards...

[pablomastodon]

And I ask my band to play softer....it works....when it's too loud I leave the place and wait.....until they are back to a proper volume....

I've always felt that one of the hallmarks of a truly professional band is LOW stage volume. People cranking up their onstage amps just trying to make up for inadequacies. The mix is just so much better, so much less bleed, etc., etc. If it's too loud onstage to talk to one another, then it's too loud.

edit: this may be less true for some styles (head-banging metal?), but for most styles it's a good rule

[Quai34]

Plus 1000 on this one Pablo.....they asked me at first to use ear plugs.....Was Mozart using earplugs? Do you wear ear plugs in a classical orchestra? And the volume could fill very big theatre/stage etc....
Slow tempo and low volume are way more difficult than fast tempo and high volume.... Listen to Blues in green Miles Davis r Misty Eroll Garner and play it like they did....way more difficult than any fast be bop jazz with changes of chords that will fill anyway....