Tech: In-The-Ear Monitors

Subject: Tech: In-The-Ear Monitors
From: DonMeixner
Date: 07 Oct 03 - 06:15 PM

Anyone have an opinion on these things? Which units work better in what situations? Single ear units or twin ear units? How do you decide which? Is one brand preferred over another?

Don

Subject: RE: Tech: In-The-Ear Monitors
From: NicoleC
Date: 07 Oct 03 - 11:24 PM

There are generally 3 reasons why people want these:

1) A consistly lousy monitor mix by either the sound engineer or the guy doing it from the stage or the lack of usable feedback from the band to the mixer to get a better mix. If you think the monitors are loud enough, but you still can't %$#^&!, this may be your problem.
2) It's too loud on stage and the band is sick of it. Someone suggests in-ear monitors to reduce the volume. This is frequently caused by problem number one.
3) The desire to make it LOUDER on stage.

#1 and #2 are not bad reasons -- both have better solutions but not necessarily easier ones, and can help save your ears.

#3 is dangerous unless one has a hearing problem. Like all headphones, people tend to turn them up louder and louder until significant damage can be done. (Including to people who already have hearing problems.)

For those with hearing problems in ear monitors can be a big help. But, before sticking ANY speaker in your ear and turning it up, get a through hearing test to help determine your specific issues. If you can target your weak areas with a better mix and/or EQ, you can prevent further damage. For example, I can't hear much at all from 2-6k in my left ear, and am totally deaf at 4k in that ear. If I were to get one, I'd stick an in-ear monitor in the left ear and boost just the frequencies I can't hear. The net result could help me hear without damaging what's left of my hearing.

As for choosing which ear, most people have a dominant ear. You know which one it is, even if you haven't thought about it before. It's probably the ear you use the phone with, but it might be the one you use to hear harmonies.

Subject: RE: Tech: In-The-Ear Monitors
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 08 Oct 03 - 01:15 PM

At last technology catches up with what some folkies have been morer or less doing all these years...

Subject: RE: Tech: In-The-Ear Monitors
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 08 Oct 03 - 03:31 PM

Nicole, my worry wasn't whether to use the right or left ear but whether the single in ear monitor was prefered over the two ear device.

And I think you left out a fourth obvious reason why people would want one and that is mobility on stage.

IN my case I am deaf in one ear and the noise with the rest of the band, drums especially just gives me fits. Also it is hoped that with a front end monitor mix other band members will be able to hear themselves better and be able to better control their awareness of keys.

Thanks for the reply .

Don

Subject: RE: Tech: In-The-Ear Monitors
From: NicoleC
Date: 08 Oct 03 - 08:48 PM

>mobility on stage

See point #1.

Your situation sounds like a good candidate for in-ear monitoring -- it'd probably make things easier on you and the band, too.

As for one or two ear... I dunno, I've mixed for them but never used them myself. I'd think that most live music musicians wouldn't want to be cut off from the audience, and only using one ear might help their perception of the gig as a whole. The only time I've seen two-ear ones in use were for live stage pop/rock musical situations where somebody in the orchestra pit *really* needed/wanted to hear something specific, and they mostly can't hear that great down there. Since they follow the conductor anyway (who CAN hear... we hope), the outside world isn't that important to them, I guess.

Subject: RE: Tech: In-The-Ear Monitors
From: GUEST,Jim Moray
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 08:09 AM

I've been using in-ears on and off for the last six months. I wouldn't recommend the one ear versions because they are really disorientating and very hard to sing from unless you have loud wedgest too which defeats the object... If you can, a better solution is to put a stereo mic (like ones for recording onto minidisk) somewhere pointing at the audience just for your monitors. If you have a coluding engineer this can even be faded down during songs to 'mute' the audience.

It helps with singing because it discourages you from straining your voice, and it certainly helps with mobility (how else could you get hi-fi stereo while standing up on stage?). It does cut you off somewhat however.

As for safety, I don't think you can buy a IEM system that doesn't have a limiter built in in some way. I would never have in-ears anywhere near as loud as I would wedges either.

Brand wise the common ones are Trantec (cheap but decent), Shure (probably the best) or Garwood (the original ones, but very very expensive). I'd recommend www.handheldaudio.co.uk for advice too.

Subject: RE: Tech: In-The-Ear Monitors
From: Big Mick
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 08:22 AM

A number of my friends use them, and they love them. They solve the problem of isolation from the audience by "micing" the audience as described above. Each player has their own mix, and the singing improves as you don't strain any where near as badly. We are considering them, and would probably go for the Shure.

No one I know uses a single.

Mick

Subject: RE: Tech: In-The-Ear Monitors
From: DonMeixner
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 12:21 PM

Thanks everyone. Anyn opinions about Nady Products?

Don

Subject: RE: Tech: In-The-Ear Monitors
From: clansfolk
Date: 10 Oct 03 - 04:59 AM

we've been using in-ear monitors for years - single ear piece - so I can hear "live" as well!

UHF sets are all the rage..... and expensive except...... ours, which work on the legal (here in UK)channel cost in the region of £35!!! - consist of a transmitter that plugs into the phono output of the desk, a belt pack receiver with a 3.5mm output jack and a pair of stereo earphones (although I use them with a mono set).

they've been great - especially when playing in larger line ups.

and as a mater of interest they work on the same frequecies as the o/b headset used by the BBC and we have used ours on several occasions with them (in stereo mode) to be aware of the on going live conversation and also the "talk Back" from the studio - of course you could also have a similar system with your sound man with the mix in one ear and him giving you prompts in the other!!!!!   now how does that next verse go???


and here's the model number GPR 9000RF not sure if this model is still available but a unit much the same is from a wholesaler in Preston Lanc's UK.


good luck Pete

Subject: RE: Tech: In-The-Ear Monitors
From: clansfolk
Date: 10 Oct 03 - 05:11 AM

further information.......from: CPC Preston Lancashire



A wireless stereo audio system consisting of a transmitter and pocket sized receiver unit with integral belt clip. The system allows the user to connect their favourite headphones and earphones to give total listening freedom around the house or building. Supplied with transmitter AC adaptor and earphones..


Stereo hi-fi sound quality

863MHz radio frequency operation

Signals pass easily through walls and ceilings allowing the user total freedom of movement

Up to 100m operating distance (dependent on conditions)

Fine tune control

Volume control

3.5mm stereo Jack socket for earphone/headphone connection

Battery recharge function

Require 2x AA type batteries (not supplied)

Subject: RE: Tech: In-The-Ear Monitors
From: clansfolk
Date: 24 Oct 03 - 07:46 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Tech: In-The-Ear Monitors
From: DonMeixner
Date: 11 Nov 04 - 09:48 PM

Hey Vickie!

Look at this stuff for awhile.

Don

Subject: RE: Tech: In-The-Ear Monitors
From: GUEST,BIGmrC - Adam Courthold
Date: 12 Nov 04 - 05:33 AM

I've used In-Ears since 2002 (twin in-ears) playing the drums in ceilidh bands.

I don't have the tech info/manual on me, but I can post some on Mon for you.
I also posted a not on eceilidh in the past which I post on hear to about the wireless system I've got.

Make sure you can change the Frequency as more and more people are using wireless, musicians, callers, singers, taxis!

If you got the money, invest in t top unit, ear are talking about our ears which we only get one chance with.

Mine is a Sennheiser IEM In Ear Monitor System but I cant remember which version. My unit also have let four recievers pickup a signal from one sender, idealy for a band which all want IEMs and it cheaper than buy a full system for each person.

Adam Courthold - Drummer
Pepper in the Brandy

Subject: RE: Tech: In-The-Ear Monitors
From: GUEST,BIGmrC - Adam Courthold
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 06:31 PM

My in-ear monitors are:
Sennheiser EW300-IEM
RRP £649 bought from SoundControl £399 in July 2002.

its a wireless system. & its a UHF.

More info on Sennheiser's website:
ew 300 IEM G2 Article No. 21510
http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/icm_eng.nsf/root/21510

I hope that helps
Adam Courthold