use in ears

sylvainvallieres · Post by **sylvainvallieres** » 1 Apr 2023 1:50 pm

Hi there ! some of you play on stage with in-ears ?? sometime the guys near me got is ear in line with my set up and we don't have the place to put the monitor in the other way,and if you use,what do you use ??

Michael Hartz · Post by **Michael Hartz** » 2 Apr 2023 8:19 pm

I’ve used in ears exclusively for the last 20 yrs on stage. Haven’t had an amp on stage for the same time period. Would never go back, have always had great in ear mixes with my steel sounding like I’m playing in a studio. There is no stage volume except drums and my mix/tone sounds perfect every single time. The key I believe to getting a great in ear sound is the quality of your in ear gear. It’s not a cheap investment, I use custom molded triple driver ear buds from Alclair Audio and a Mipro MI-909 wireless digital in-ear system. Get the best in-ear system you can afford like the ones from Shure, Sennheiser, or Mipro. The Mipro is about $400 to $500 less than the Shure or Sennheiser sytems and actually sounds much better than both. My two cents worth.

Paul Sutherland · Post by **Paul Sutherland** » 2 Apr 2023 8:37 pm

My experience is much like Michael's, but I've only been using them for a couple years on stage. They work really well when you get good equipment and don't pinch pennies.

My IEM's are from Ultimate Ears and are custom molded. They cost about $1500. I use a wireless system with a Rupert Neve headphone preamp. It cost $500 when I bought it, but now it's about $700. The IEMs sound much better with the Neve then when using something like a Behringer or Rolls headphone amp.

I control everything from a tablet so my mix is just what I want and adjustable on the fly.

The greatest benefit is the protection provided to my hearing.

CORRRECTTION: My set is hardwired, not wireless.

Howard Parker · Post by **Howard Parker** » 3 Apr 2023 5:41 am

Another fan here with a lower end Shure system. The band's use of a Mackie DL-1608 mixer allows for custom IEM mixes.

Living room volume levels.

It's probably added years to my ears

h

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 3 Apr 2023 7:50 am

I like using in ears too. Setting up your own monitor mix without the blasting stage volume is a pleasure.

sylvainvallieres · Post by **sylvainvallieres** » 3 Apr 2023 8:56 am

thank's guys ! interresting response,it't seem like I think and I look to pay investissement in the good gear before I get to play in my backyard in ``zoom team``

Brad Issendorf · Post by **Brad Issendorf** » 3 Apr 2023 4:04 pm

I guess that I'm also an advocate for IEM. So nice without all of the volume and I can always plainly hear myself which helps me to play better. Even in situations where I use a speaker on stage I still use them to help dull the roar of the stage volume while yet being able to hear over what bleeds through. I have become reliant on them.

Jon Voth · Post by **Jon Voth** » 4 Apr 2023 6:19 am

In ear monitors are just headphones, nothing more. You do want them to seal the ear and block outside noise, which some types of earbuds probably do nicely.

There are millions of Chinese ones; look at KZ in ear monitors for one. The one I use has six drivers on each side (you can even get some with 12 drivers on each side). That's probably meaningless but to me they sound fabulous and were $50. And a Presonus amp was about $200 (wired). So you can get started without spending a ton of money.

Dan Beller-McKenna · Post by **Dan Beller-McKenna** » 5 Apr 2023 2:14 am

I've been using them with my monthly gig for about a year now. Westone Pro X30 buds through a Sennheiser system (XSW Band A). I can control my own mix with an app on my phone called Mixing Station. Whole thing set me back @$1000, and I have to admit it has taken a lot of getting used to. My main problem is discerning just how loud I am in the mix. I suspect I am pulling back to much when I'm not soloing. No one can really advise me on this, because only I know where I want my volume to be when I am comping. Occasionally I pull one bud out to check my stage volume. I still prefer gigs where we use wedges. That said, the in ears have gotten easier to work with and, as others have said, you can really hear yourself more cleanly in the mix with in ears than with wedges.

Bryce Van Parys · Post by **Bryce Van Parys** » 5 Apr 2023 10:54 am

I'm all in ears now. One band uses entirely, another is a mix of IEM and wedges. There's quite a learning curve. But it helps me tremendously to have my own mix, and then I can feed my steel and vocals to at least one ear without cranking my amp to hear myself. It's so nice to get done with a 3-4 hour gig without ear fatigue and tinnitus too!!

Step 1, get good ones. I tried a few, ended up with triple driver Westones.
Step 2, break them in. Makes as much difference as breaking in a speaker. Play some loud music through them for several hours
Step 3, practice with them, a lot!

Tips: If they're overdriving, turn the Aux level down at the board (source) and then turn up your headphone amp.
I use the XVive system, but it runs on 2.4Ghz, same as my modem for my Soundcraft board, so I had to move the transmitters away from the board to avoid interference. You can pull the monitors out slightly to get the stage mix in one ear to help orient yourself

Spend the bucks and get yourself your own mix that you can dial in with a tablet or phone. I have 3 mixes going for 5-6 band members. Vocalist needs lots of themselves. I need lots of steel. you get the point

Once you dial in, you won't go back, but it is a process to work out the bugs

Steve Rosko · Post by **Steve Rosko** » 15 Apr 2023 6:02 am

How do you handle verbal cues from the lead singer? I use IEM’s at home practicing so my wife doesn’t have to listen to me playing the same lick over and over

. But I’m reluctant to use them with the band as it’s not that unusual for our singer to deviate from the set list and I know I won’t hear his direction. Also, the point about your volume. How do you gauge your volume level vs the rest of the band?

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 15 Apr 2023 6:39 am

Steve Rosko wrote:How do you handle verbal cues from the lead singer? I use IEM’s at home practicing so my wife doesn’t have to listen to me playing the same lick over and over. But I’m reluctant to use them with the band as it’s not that unusual for our singer to deviate from the set list and I know I won’t hear his direction. Also, the point about your volume. How do you gauge your volume level vs the rest of the band?

This is a really beautiful part of in ears. There can be open talk back mics so the band can talk with each other without it going over the PA. It can be pretty fun along with useful and sometimes nightmarish if there is a neurotic band leader. Worship gigs that use tracks include a guide track to give the musicians a heads up about the next transition.

If the guide tracks or talk back bothers you it can be muted and you can pretend it isn’t working.

Steve Rosko · Post by **Steve Rosko** » 15 Apr 2023 6:43 am

Bob, that's very interesting. How do you accomplish that, separate mics?

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 15 Apr 2023 6:48 am

I want to ad that I actually don’t like IEMs. But they do work really well and seem to be essential in many situations. I do play in bands with really loud guitard players and cymbal crazy dummers where IEMs would be an improvement.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 15 Apr 2023 6:50 am

Steve Rosko wrote:Bob, that's very interesting. How do you accomplish that, separate mics?

Yea, an extra mic or mics.
It is part of the standard stage set up.

Btw. You do your own mix with an app on your phone or iPad. Or it can be done on the mixer.

Roy Carroll · Post by **Roy Carroll** » 15 Apr 2023 8:25 am

We use IEM's , The mix is either controlled by the sound man or we can adjust our on on our phones or iPad. It is imparative that you run the mixer EQ flat. That way you can hear your exact tone going through the mixer. Our drummer uses electronic drums, so you simply add him to the mix in your ears. We do not have an issue with being load enough out front, as it is carried by the PA set.

Obviously, we do not play very loud on stage, I still us my speaker cabinet (at a low volume) for stage ambience, as does the bass man and fiddle player. Just enough to be heard. We actually could do with out the speakers , but old habits are hard to break.
* Note:
You will not like the at first, give it a month or so until you really like it.
We use Behringer amps and ear buds that have 4 drivers. Pretty cheap set up but ie will get you started. Do not purchase the battery powered. They work but eat batteries.

Bryce Van Parys · Post by **Bryce Van Parys** » 15 Apr 2023 10:53 am

Steve:

It's not uncommon to find someone using IEM in only one ear, especially when getting used to them in live settings. I just saw Sting at Cesar's in LV and the whole band was 1/2 IEM and 1/2 stage monitor, meaning they had IEM in one ear only. I find it really helpful to have it in one ear for steel and my vocals with my own control over my personal IEM mix. That way I can really hear myself and tune without having to blast myself or the stage with amp. In my rock band where I play lead guitar, we are 100% IEM. With the country band (where I play steel) I mix my vocals and steel in right ear and use left ear for room/stage (I sit stage right)

You can set up a "king" mic for ambiance and leader cues that goes straight to the IEM though an AUX without going to the house.

Michael Hartz · Post by **Michael Hartz** » 16 Apr 2023 9:50 am

Even though I’m completely guilty of this in the past it really is dangerous for your hearing to be only using one ear monitor in. The problem is we tend to want to balance the level of the monitor in one ear with the stage ambience of the other ear without the monitor. No one likes to listen to headphones where one side is louder than the other. When in reality if you were to cover your open ear you would find the ear with monitor in it is way too loud and probably damaging your hearing. Kinda like the car stereo level with the window down effect. I would highly suggest keeping both ears in and using a condensor audience ambient mic to pipe in crowd/stage sound. Your hearing is precious, once you lose it you don’t get it back. Just my two cents as I do have hearing loss and wished now I would have made some changes way back.

George Redmon · Post by **George Redmon** » 16 Apr 2023 11:39 am

Hi Guy's I'm "old's-cool", and i received the news I've been dreading for a while now. I was told politely, but sternly, this time by the music department head, (With his hand on my shoulder, and a half smile on his face) "George your 12" wedge monitor has gotta go."

Any advice for first time users? A young lady told me she started out by listening to music on a good set of ear buds for awhile. Will that help to get use to IEM? I hear you can git infection and all kinds of nasties from these things. We still prefer amp's on stage. Just hoping i can even use these things. The school recommends and endorses Shure products. I can git a discount through the school.
Any advice is helpful.

Michael Hartz · Post by **Michael Hartz** » 16 Apr 2023 1:35 pm

I have never gotten an ear infection from using iems. Amazon sells a little spray, bottle of ear, mold cleaner that I use after every use to keep them looking new and cleaning all the earwax off. I don’t think they really take that much getting used to especially when you can start to hear every little nuance of your playing, it’s actually quite enjoyable. Shure makes some pretty good universal fit monitors that sound fantastic. I would get at least dual or triple driver earbuds though for the headroom. Either get a good quality wireless system or use the headphone jack on your preamp if you have it. After the learning curve, I believe you will not want to go back to a speaker. that’s my experience anyway.

Rex Blevins · Post by **Rex Blevins** » 27 Apr 2023 3:41 pm

Buy Future Sonic IEM. Look at what brand the National acts are using. They are not cheap but they are worth it !

Tom Cooper · Post by **Tom Cooper** » 27 Apr 2023 4:18 pm

I have to use them for my church gig. Don't like them much at all. Suck all the mojo out for me. Tethered to a cable isn't fun for me. Would never use them in my own band, I play at a stand up lap steel, plus Gtr, and like to be free to move around. They fatigue my ears too. Just don't care for them much at all.

The Steel Guitar Forum

use in ears

use in ears

use in ears

IEM’a

In ears