Playing through IEMs

[cphollis]

After a long and expensive journey through all sorts of exotic keyboard stage amplification, I'm now finding I'm using IEMs much more often.

I've found that being happy with IEMs has a number of prerequisites.

First, you need a mixer that can produce individual aux mixes for each musician. OK, the Behringer XR-18 has six. Done.

Second, you need a device to control your own mix. A used iPad does just great.

Lastly, you have to be comfortable being a bit "sealed off" from the sound. You're trading off gut-punching volume for pristine sonic accuracy. Although the ambient IEMs (e.g. Westone AM Pro 30s) do much better for me that the 100% isolating types.

Once your band (and your sound) gets to a certain level, a bunch of loud stage amps behind hot microphones isn't a recipe for a clean sound. We've tamed the drummer and the guitarists, and I've been happy with nothing on stage save for my keyboards.

To add some detail? These days, all of my gigs have a dedicated sound person who's paying attention, especially to keys. We bring our own PA FOH and sound person vs. depending on the venue for either. So much better, really.

My only issue is that I now have a boatload of killer amplification that only really works well as PA.

[ericL]

+1
I’ve been 99% IEMs for ten years with all of the right boxes checked to make it awesome. I too still have plenty of boutique amps/speakers that are mostly used in my music room.

[Schorsch]

++1

[fieldflower]

Yup, IEM is the way to go, specially for keys or when singing.
For strictly playing bass or guitar I prefer having an amp, as the feeling is more important to me than the tiny nuances.

I have 2 bands, one where I play bass and sing backing, and one where I play keys and sing mostly backup but a little lead.
In both bands I'm the only one using IEM, and I repeatedly feel so blessed when the other band members discuss who doesn't hear what and why at rehearsals.

Last rehearsal with the keys band the keys PA volume had been changed and a discussion started on why it was too loud.
I had to explain that I actually don't care what the "live" volume is as I'm in my own little perfect bubble where everything is perfect for me.
"You set the keys volume to whatever You want it to be - I have my own."

Must admit that in the bass band I have an amp behind me at rehearsal that's set just loud enough to rumble my pants a little so I get the feeling.
But it's the IEM that I'm listening to also for bass.
Live I don't bother with the "feel amp".

[Quai34]

Your example of the band discussing about the PA remind me a lot with my previous band.... No IEM, 4 EV 15" plus one EV Sub 15" and two EV Sub 18"!!!! So crazy loud, I had my two 10" speakers towards me directly in my face....
Now we are all on IEM.... I bought IEM for the all band, they take it or leave it.... In fact, they love them now...And we don't use anymore my two 10" speakers for practice, sound is so clean...

[Berretje]

At first we were playing all in-ears on stage and in the rehearsal room we were playing with huge speakers (next to my ears).
So I said: this is insane. We are gigging with IEM's and here I'm blowing out my ears at rehearsals. With that said we bought a XR18 and we are doing IEM also at rehearsals.

My ears are so much more relieved after a gig or rehearsal instead of playing with monitors/speakers. Keeps you more focusses too.

And if you have saved some cash, go ahead and look for some custom IEM. Mine are 4 speaker (3-way) in-ears and they sound amazing!
Really... if I ever get asked to do a gig with floor monitors, they are probably gonna be dissapointed that I'm not going to accept that, but after explaining the "why", they'll understand.

[fieldflower]

Really... if I ever get asked to do a gig with floor monitors, they are probably gonna be dissapointed that I'm not going to accept that, but after explaining the "why", they'll understand.

I made my own solution for IEM.
I'm running keyboard headphone out to a small mixer.
Using an effects box for vocals I run left out to the PA and right out to my mixer.
I also insert any monitor feed I can get into my mixer. Can be linked from someone elses active monitor - doesn't matter so much what's in it as long as there's some of everything.
And then I run headphone out from my mxer into my IEM's.

So for the venue they get their usual outputs from keys and vocals, no hard requirements on monitor from me as long as I get something, and I get my own IEM mix where I can do "more me" from playing position.
A flexible and win-win solution.

[Ivan Jochner]

Having had either Behringer x32 or x32 rack all my band mates mix any instrument from their own Android phones or IPhones wirelessly into their EIM , very comfortable.

[analogika]

Having had either Behringer x32 or x32 rack all my band mates mix any instrument from their own Android phones or IPhones wirelessly into their EIM , very comfortable.

This.

I’ve used the Allen & Heath Qu-Pac stuff and the Behringer ones for my regular non-jazz gigs for years now, and I’m never going back.

[Snigel]

+1
Everyone who got stuck between the guitar amp the the drums on stage and not even hearing yourself think, well you know how that is. Just press the keys and hope for the best. IEM makes me a better player. At least from my point of rock cover band view where it can be quite loud on stage.