Jump to content


Please note: You can easily log in to MPN using your Facebook account!

inear monitors


frontlinebass

Recommended Posts



  • Replies 22
  • Created
  • Last Reply

The lead singer in our band has recently gone with in-ear monitors and a wireless mic. This has me thinking about joining her with a set of in-ears, myself. All I would need to buy is the belt-pack and earpieces, since there's a free channel on her transmitter unit.

 

She swears by them.

 

I'd be interested to hear from a few bass players, about how they like them in the real world of live club gigs.

 

I worry a little about not being able to hear the kit properly, when only the kick drum is miced.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Look into this thread I started a while back in the EQ section. Some of the feedback discussed how different musicians were mixing the in-ear monitors:

 

http://www.musicplayer.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?/ubb/get_topic/f/28/t/000043.html

 

 

And here is another thread that I had found in the Tech forum:

 

http://www.musicplayer.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?/ubb/get_topic/f/9/t/000187.html

 

Hope this helps

"Some people are like "slinkies". They're not really good for anything;

but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a

flight of stairs."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm a sound guy, and I have been following the development of in ears since they were first annouced. so let me expound a little here. In ears have many advantages, and I'm sure that all of the salesment will tell you what they are. Your sound guy will end up loving you for them, though he may have a time of adjustment.

 

The one very important thing that I was you to know is that under no circumstances should you EVER work with only one earbud in place. Always use both. I cannot overstate this. You can take my word, or not, but if you choose to work with one earbud, you'll be seriosuly damaging your hearing.

 

I mention this because the biggest thing that happens when you wear ear buds is that there is a sense of isolation. Your sound guy has to provide you with some ambiance between songs, and that is not hard to do. But you will probably miss the THUMP that you get in a live setting. Bass players and drummers miss that low end. It is easier to help the drummer feel confortable, by sticking a thumper under his throne. But bass players just have to adjust.

 

In ears are very cool. When everyone is on in ears and there are no stage monitors, the stage sound cleans up, so the FOH cleans up, too.

 

I worked a country festival with 7 or 8 major country artists (George Strait, Dixie Chicks, etc) where there were no amps on stage at all, and it was really very cool and easy to mix.

 

Bill

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have used inears a few times. When recording and when playing at my church. Personally I like them, I am always making sure whatever I play fits with the song and the only way to do that is hearing my self with the inears. I used them for recording and it was pretty interesting. Now I just use a regular set of headphones when recording.

"All things are possible through Christ." (Matt 19:26)

 

My band: http://www.purevolume.com/fadingsilence

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I played on a stage that could benefit from IEM I'd sure not be adverse to freeing the stage mix field and not having out of phase mush overrunning FOH. As a player and as a soundman I can appreciate the advantages... And being deaf in one ear, it might even supply me with a free backup earpiece ; }

 

Around here though, the backline usually supplies 100% of the instrument noise, and minds are hard to change.

.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

SteveC, Edendude: I might more readily agree with you but for the fact that my only experience with in-ear monitors have been with extremely loud drummers and guitarists who would not forsake their Marshall full-stacks on stage, even with the IEMs.

 

If all the musicians buy into the "quieter stage" idea, I bet they probably work great. I eagerly await the day when I can find out. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why can't people understand that you don't need loud stage volume. With all the stuff at your disposal, fully cranked stacks for distortion, for example, are completely unnecessary.

 

My dream: all bands use IEM's and no stage amps with a quality PA for every gig.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Edendude,

 

I never went with them myself. My coins have gone to improve our band's overall system. Although, our singer is working on gaining the last piece she needs for a nice Shure system. I will then have the ability to add onto it someday, if I decide to make the change.

 

The one advantage I have heard that may be important enough for me to make the move is that they can save your ears, if used properly. At least this is what I have read.

"Some people are like "slinkies". They're not really good for anything;

but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a

flight of stairs."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally posted by Bill@Welcome Home Studios:

I worked a country festival with 7 or 8 major country artists (George Strait, Dixie Chicks, etc) where there were no amps on stage at all, and it was really very cool and easy to mix.

 

Bill

So where do the amps go? Under the stage? Behind? I know that the bass and the Roland Accordian can feed direct to the board through a pre-amp or just a direct box, but I have never been in a situation where there wasn't a guitar amp with a mic in front of it.

 

Maybe I'm being dense... :confused:

My whole trick is to keep the tune well out in front. If I play Tchaikovsky, I play his melodies and skip his spiritual struggle. ~Liberace
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've tried some in-ear monitoring, and it's definitely got some advantages. There is one big disadvantage though, and here it is: generally, it makes it harder for you to "push-and-pull" each other, particularly in certain cases.

 

For instance, with one of the drummers I play with in church, I generally find that I have to be the tempo-keeper, and I have to push and pull him around to keep the tempos steady. This works well when he can hear me. When we use in-ear monitoring, he can't hear me, so I can't push-and-pull him. We all have to follow him, even if the tempo's are all over the place.

 

Of course you could say "get a different drummer", but things aren't always that simple and clear-cut. Anyway, in my mind that's the big disadvantage of in-ear monitoring. That disadvantage can be overcome, of course...it just takes a little sensibility.

 

My thoughts on the ideal are actually this: in-ear monitoring for vocals, amps on stage for everything else.

 

Dave

Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs.

- Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally posted by Dave Sisk:

My thoughts on the ideal are actually this: in-ear monitoring for vocals, amps on stage for everything else.

 

Dave

Have to agree, didnt work for the bass, I did hear the bass a bit when I cupped my hand over my ear though...But I am bit strange and like to play with two hands so this solution wasnt for me
no beer until July 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally posted by Bottomgottem:

....So where do the amps go? Under the stage? Behind? ....
There are a number of solutions, and each group has their own answer. Some use things like the POD or whatever. Some use their preamps going into dummy loads. There are other workable answers for guitar players. Some bass players just go into a direct box, or a tube DI, and don't worry about it. Robert Scovill insists on iso cabs for the amps, which he mics from inside.

 

 

Bill

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally posted by Dave Sisk:

... generally, it makes it harder for you to "push-and-pull" each other, particularly in certain cases....

 

 

My thoughts on the ideal are actually this: in-ear monitoring for vocals, amps on stage for everything else.

 

Dave

Dave,

 

"it makes it harder for you to "push-and-pull" each other..."

 

Why? You are on your own discrete mix, you should be able to hear them better than you've ever been able to hear them before.

 

" in-ear monitoring for vocals, amps on stage for everything else."

 

Makes no sense. With properly fitted in-ears, you can't hear the stage. What is the point?

 

 

Bill

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have played in pretty much ever situation named above (amps with no SR, amps with SR, and no amps with in-ears), and by far I prefer in-ears. I even prefer in-ears if there is only one mix (as long as the mix is good).

 

I've spent a decent amount of time in the studio, so maybe I'm used to not "feeling" my instrument.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally posted by Dave Sisk:

...generally, it makes it harder for you to "push and pull" each other, particularly in certain cases....

 

Dave,

Is your drummer in the IEM mix, too? Our drummer at church plays electronic drums and we don't have trouble hearing each other. However, the musicians are using headphones and pods or DI boxes, and the singers use IEM's. All of us have Aviom personal monitors.

I like what Dave@WHM is saying, but can relate somewhat to what you're saying. Not so much about the push and pull thing, but in cases of dynamics. It's sometimes hard to tell if I'm in the right place dynamically when I'm trying to dig in, or lay back and play quiet, with the monitors tending to sterilize the sound a bit.

Visit my band's new web site.

 

www.themojoroots.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...