In Ear Monitors

E

Ed Dixon

New member
We are considering going to in-ear monitors for the praise band at church. Today we have a mix of various wedges and hot spots. They work well at the expense of higher stage volume.

Recently we have been testing two Shure PSM200 in-ear systems. They work really well, but at $600 each or $290 just for the receiver, are a bit pricey.

I know that Carvin has a PM1000 unit that is lower in cost with receivers about $130 each. Any have experiences with this model, or some reasonable lower cost equivalent?

Ed
 
hey...At my church we use the shure E2 buds for vocalists, guitars and vocals and for bass and drums(electronic drums) we use the E3 which support lower freq a little better. Each person has their own monitor mix which is really handy. These monitors work pretty well and I would recomend them, but beware that they make you feel a little isolated from your audience, so they take a little time to get used to!

good luck,
James
 
Just make sure whatever make you get has a limiter circuit built in. A sudden screech with in-ears could permanently destroy an eardrum (or 2). My son's band bought the Shure PSM200 system (2 transmitters, 5 receivers with E2 earbuds) last year. Great system but his band has lost/gained members several times. Can't seem to get a couple of the new guys away from stage monitors. I hope we don't have to sell the system as he has a lot in it. I like them because we don't have to haul around another amp rack and monitor wedges. I guess the biggest thing about using in-ears is once you set the monitor mix(s) to where everyone is happy, you leave it there no matter where you play at next. A very big plus.

DD
 
In ears are slick for repetitious gigs, but they are not 100%. The biggest problem I have with in ear monitors is what happens when they go out. It is really hard to switch back to wedges after getting used to a good ear mix.
 
In-ears are great for reducing the stage noise and allowing for you to hear exactly what you want to hear, some people love them and some hate them. I play acoustic in Praise Band and had trouble hearing myself prior to in-ears, so I am one that loves them. A couple of things to consider before making the plunge. First you will need, in my opinion, a method to monitor your own mix at your fingertips. For this we use the Aviom monitor that has 16 channels, so I can adjust any singer or band member up or down as needed. Second, you will have to adjust to less "feel" because you have removed the amps or wedges, a more sterile environment. Our bass player could not adjust and he got a product called "The Butt Kicker", a thin pad to stand on that creates vibrations with whatever he has programed. He can feel the bass kick and bass guitar. Very cool!!! I have custom ear molds, another expense, but a very good investment. Hope this helps.
 
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