In-ear monitoring, Brands
- Thread starter 11miles
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In-Ear monitors, suggestions?
Bump.
I'm ready to buy as well, just doing the research. Anyone have info, options, experience on this topic?
My understanding is that the stereo version MAY allow you to adjust your instrument volume separately from the rest of the band (ex. your instrument in channel L, the rest of the band in channel R). But don't assume, check the model to make sure.
Another option is a single ear plug (mono?) that has only your instrument.
"non-fixed" frequencies - I assume you mean an option to choose more than one frequency? I like this idea just in case the one frequency you have available is "busy" with other traffic. Gives you the option to choose the least noisy frequency.
Thanks much.
Bump.
I'm ready to buy as well, just doing the research. Anyone have info, options, experience on this topic?
My understanding is that the stereo version MAY allow you to adjust your instrument volume separately from the rest of the band (ex. your instrument in channel L, the rest of the band in channel R). But don't assume, check the model to make sure.
Another option is a single ear plug (mono?) that has only your instrument.
"non-fixed" frequencies - I assume you mean an option to choose more than one frequency? I like this idea just in case the one frequency you have available is "busy" with other traffic. Gives you the option to choose the least noisy frequency.
Thanks much.
michaelst
New member
The Shure systems are the most widely used and are very reliable. I've heard mixing in stereo, with seperate L and R mixes is disorienting, but you can get used to it.
A lot depends on the plugs used. Custom molds are a must! Otherwise they keep falling out on stage.
We use 3 PSM200's and a PSM600 in our band, out of a Peavy RQ1600M monitor board. Each guy does his own mix, after a short lesson in gain structure. We have 5 mixes going out.
Every time you remove a wedge from the stage, you increase the quality of the house mix.
A lot depends on the plugs used. Custom molds are a must! Otherwise they keep falling out on stage.
We use 3 PSM200's and a PSM600 in our band, out of a Peavy RQ1600M monitor board. Each guy does his own mix, after a short lesson in gain structure. We have 5 mixes going out.
Every time you remove a wedge from the stage, you increase the quality of the house mix.
i have heard that Shure are used a lot. HAve heard good reviews about dB Technologies products!
I think the mono mix is the way to go. I have tried monitoirng with stereo mixes and like micheal said, it can be pretty distracting! Also in mono, you can take one ear plug right out if you want, and dont lose nothing!
That is if you would feel the need to hear the stage sound, or, peopel cheering better....
I think a must have is a limiter or a built in, because the chance of getting some unexpected level flow straight into your ears...
BUt as i see the Db IEM series and the Shure PSM models have that!
Custom earmoulds are also not so important anymore
Headphoens are equipped with silicon ends on the end that can fit every ear!
I move alot with them
even jogg nto a problem
however i feel more comfortable with earmoulds!
About the UHF frequencies!
I think even with two different systems, different brand, model; being stacked in the same rack, you would not get any interference with each other!
UHF i think is pretty safe and reliable thing, offcourse if you can afford the model to change the frequnecis jsut in case, go for it!
Still dont know what to take!
Any bad expirience with Db stuff?
What about the battery?
I think the mono mix is the way to go. I have tried monitoirng with stereo mixes and like micheal said, it can be pretty distracting! Also in mono, you can take one ear plug right out if you want, and dont lose nothing!
That is if you would feel the need to hear the stage sound, or, peopel cheering better....
I think a must have is a limiter or a built in, because the chance of getting some unexpected level flow straight into your ears...
BUt as i see the Db IEM series and the Shure PSM models have that!
Custom earmoulds are also not so important anymore
Headphoens are equipped with silicon ends on the end that can fit every ear!
I move alot with them
even jogg nto a problem
however i feel more comfortable with earmoulds!
About the UHF frequencies!
I think even with two different systems, different brand, model; being stacked in the same rack, you would not get any interference with each other!
UHF i think is pretty safe and reliable thing, offcourse if you can afford the model to change the frequnecis jsut in case, go for it!
Still dont know what to take!
Any bad expirience with Db stuff?
What about the battery?
famous beagle
Well-known member
I'm not much of an expert on the subject, but here's my two cents.
I used in-ears for four or five gigs when I sat in with this band, and it was the worst live playing experience I've ever had.
It sounded like recording crappy scratch tracks with crappy tone through crappy headphones.
Unfortunately, I can't remember what brand they were.
But my point is, apparently you get what you pay for. I know there must be some good systems, because pros use them, but these certainly were not it.
So don't buy the cheap models, because that's how they'll sound.
I used in-ears for four or five gigs when I sat in with this band, and it was the worst live playing experience I've ever had.
It sounded like recording crappy scratch tracks with crappy tone through crappy headphones.
Unfortunately, I can't remember what brand they were.
But my point is, apparently you get what you pay for. I know there must be some good systems, because pros use them, but these certainly were not it.
So don't buy the cheap models, because that's how they'll sound.
mishagolin
Member
i play with in-ears all the time. my favorite transmitters are the sennheiser ew300 series. they give you a lot of options like selecting frequencies. the shure models are fairly nice as well but they don't have the options that the sennheisers have. and the shure's have larger bodypacks.
for the phones i use shure e3's. for the money they are great. i would love to get a custom molded pair of dual-driver e5's but $700 is a little much right now. the e3's are a great value.
playing with in-ears takes some adjusting. if you are just trying to get rid of floor wedges then you can play with only one ear in and use the other to get some live sound. if you're trying to protect your ears from high stage volumes then you'll have to play with both ears in. both ears in can sound a little dead/lifeless so your options are either to live with it and trust that your FOH knows what he is doing. OR you can find a way to get some live sound into your ears. if you have a few extra channels on your monitor board you can place some small condenser mics on each side of the stage and blend them in to the monitor mix to add some "air" and stage volume.
the great part about in-ears is that you can protect your hearing, but you can also damage it if your in-ear monitors are too loud
for the phones i use shure e3's. for the money they are great. i would love to get a custom molded pair of dual-driver e5's but $700 is a little much right now. the e3's are a great value.
playing with in-ears takes some adjusting. if you are just trying to get rid of floor wedges then you can play with only one ear in and use the other to get some live sound. if you're trying to protect your ears from high stage volumes then you'll have to play with both ears in. both ears in can sound a little dead/lifeless so your options are either to live with it and trust that your FOH knows what he is doing. OR you can find a way to get some live sound into your ears. if you have a few extra channels on your monitor board you can place some small condenser mics on each side of the stage and blend them in to the monitor mix to add some "air" and stage volume.
the great part about in-ears is that you can protect your hearing, but you can also damage it if your in-ear monitors are too loud
cnix
New member
I have been using in ears for 3 years in both live and practice sessions. I personally prefer in ears because I can dial in exactly the mix I need. Regardless of the brand you choose, there will be, just like paint, a good, better, and best product. We use Shure ear buds, not sure which model but around $100 bucks each, custom molds, but for me the key to our system is the Aviom mixer that each band member has. Before the Aviom, the sound guy would "try" to give us the mix we needed. This was just not very good from song to song, or session to session. Now, each band member controls his own mix using the Aviom.
The down side to in ears is that you do lose some of the live feel, but if your band has someone that wants to be the star, you can turn him down!!
Good luck!!
The down side to in ears is that you do lose some of the live feel, but if your band has someone that wants to be the star, you can turn him down!!
Good luck!!
After doing both FOH and monitors for years, I have noticed one big thing with in ear rigs. Almost everyone uses Shure transmitters and receivers unless you are willing to spend more than $1000 pre channel. In the last year or two, there have been some other additions to the market, but most people that switched, seemed to have gone back to the Shures.
First, the Shures are very durable. Depending on which model you get, they may not have as many options, but the Shure frequency locking seems to be more solid. They also have a MUCH better range. They are easy to set up, easy to program, solid during performance, and durable (except the PSM 400's which have plastic packs, so be a little more careful with those). My second choice would definately be the Sennheisers, but I know a lot of people who get interference more often with those and cutouts, even though they do offer more frequency options.
The other thing I have noticed is that most bands carrying their own in ear racks do not use the Shure ear buds. For me the E3's and E5's are OK, but the equivalent Futuresonics, Westones, and Ultimate Ears seem to handle volume better, be a little bit more comfortable, and just plain sound a little better.
As far as stereo in ear mixing goes, it certainly can be distracting. However, 9 out of 10 times this is due to bad monitor mixing. For some reason people seem to think that stereo some how means hard panning. There is no reason you should HAVE to hard pan guitars, or overheads etc.... If the ear mix is too wide it will just seem very unnatural and I can certainly see how that would be very distracting. Try narrowing you hard panned items down a bit and all of a sudden the ear mix sounds much better. I have also noticed that with a little bit of imaging in an ear mix you get much better clarity of ALL the instruments and stuff in the mix, and that artists seem to be happier with a lower overall volume in their ears than when mixed in mono. They also seem to be less prone to needing changes from song to song. By lowering the volume through stereo imaging and proper placement, this also seems to help the bands "live vibe". The ears become more natural feeling and it lets you focus on your playing as opposed to your in ear mix. You can almost forget that you are wearing them.
Custom molds are also a wonderful thing for in ears. First, thay block things out better which allows you to get a tighter better mix at lower volumes (saves your hearing more), they stay in your ear better, and they almost always actually make the frequency response and over all tone of the in ear monitors better. I highly reccomend getting custom molds for all in ear users that can possibly do it.
In the end however, in ears are not for everybody. Some people just never seem to adjust to it very well and just never will. I have noticed though that a lot of groups are kind of afraid to use in ear monitors. This is almost always due to a bad experience somewhere. I can not tell you how many artists I have worked with that now love in ears because they finally got the right mix and the right setup for them. Mixing monitors for in ears is very different than mixing monitors for wedges. Wedges is often about control, volume, and logisitcal management, and certain sacrifices due to room interaction, and wedge to monitor interaction. Wedges won't always be perfect because there is often just too mnay factors working against them. In ears can be perfect every time if the proper setup and adjustments are made. 90% of the live sound logistic problems are solved by switching to in ear monitors. But still they aren't for everyone
First, the Shures are very durable. Depending on which model you get, they may not have as many options, but the Shure frequency locking seems to be more solid. They also have a MUCH better range. They are easy to set up, easy to program, solid during performance, and durable (except the PSM 400's which have plastic packs, so be a little more careful with those). My second choice would definately be the Sennheisers, but I know a lot of people who get interference more often with those and cutouts, even though they do offer more frequency options.
The other thing I have noticed is that most bands carrying their own in ear racks do not use the Shure ear buds. For me the E3's and E5's are OK, but the equivalent Futuresonics, Westones, and Ultimate Ears seem to handle volume better, be a little bit more comfortable, and just plain sound a little better.
As far as stereo in ear mixing goes, it certainly can be distracting. However, 9 out of 10 times this is due to bad monitor mixing. For some reason people seem to think that stereo some how means hard panning. There is no reason you should HAVE to hard pan guitars, or overheads etc.... If the ear mix is too wide it will just seem very unnatural and I can certainly see how that would be very distracting. Try narrowing you hard panned items down a bit and all of a sudden the ear mix sounds much better. I have also noticed that with a little bit of imaging in an ear mix you get much better clarity of ALL the instruments and stuff in the mix, and that artists seem to be happier with a lower overall volume in their ears than when mixed in mono. They also seem to be less prone to needing changes from song to song. By lowering the volume through stereo imaging and proper placement, this also seems to help the bands "live vibe". The ears become more natural feeling and it lets you focus on your playing as opposed to your in ear mix. You can almost forget that you are wearing them.
Custom molds are also a wonderful thing for in ears. First, thay block things out better which allows you to get a tighter better mix at lower volumes (saves your hearing more), they stay in your ear better, and they almost always actually make the frequency response and over all tone of the in ear monitors better. I highly reccomend getting custom molds for all in ear users that can possibly do it.
In the end however, in ears are not for everybody. Some people just never seem to adjust to it very well and just never will. I have noticed though that a lot of groups are kind of afraid to use in ear monitors. This is almost always due to a bad experience somewhere. I can not tell you how many artists I have worked with that now love in ears because they finally got the right mix and the right setup for them. Mixing monitors for in ears is very different than mixing monitors for wedges. Wedges is often about control, volume, and logisitcal management, and certain sacrifices due to room interaction, and wedge to monitor interaction. Wedges won't always be perfect because there is often just too mnay factors working against them. In ears can be perfect every time if the proper setup and adjustments are made. 90% of the live sound logistic problems are solved by switching to in ear monitors. But still they aren't for everyone
Zetajazz44
New member
mishagolin said:
I'll second that... My band uses ear monitors all the time. For live, it's the best money we ever spent. We tried many different brands and finally bought the Sennheisers... The body packs are what sold us... They are small, light and made of metal and are very rugged... I've seen so many people wearing body packs with duck tape holding them together... We've been using ours for about 3 years now with no problems whatsoever... We've got the 'older' model Sennheisers... I think they called those the "G1's"... I transmitter, 5 body packs and 5 set's of Shure E3's, we put about $2100 into them... At the time we bought these, ear buds didn't come with the body packs like they do with the newer G2's... So I bought the transmitter and one body pack off eBay (new), bought all the other body packs from a retailer in New York, and bought all the E3's online at the EarPlugStore... If you are careful, you can buy seperate pieces like I did and get the entire system a little cheaper...But you have to be careful...
BTW, I have a friend who has a complete setup of Sennheisers, the newer G2's, 1 transmitter, 5 bodypacks, that he wants to sell... All have Shure E3's... The system has been used no more than 3 times... I'd have to ask him again to get a definate price, but I'm sure you could save a few bucks here... He bought them for his country band, then shortly thereafter, they split... If anyone is interested PM me and I'll get the details from him and/or get you in touch with him...