In Ear Monitoring for Singers. Suggestions?

[Marzuki Grinage]

Just curious on in ear monitors. I've never used them but I'm looking to buy one to help me hear my voice better on stage. Any suggestions on which ones are good would be appreciated. Thanks, Marzuki.

[bondsong]

Get them. You won't regret it and your vocal cords will thank you. Frank

[Rick K.]

I prefer the Sennheiser EW300's with the Future Sonics ear buds. For about $500, you got an awesome monitor. We use them and love 'em!! Rick

[jpmiii]

I highly recommend going that way well worth the investment. The band I'm playing with now uses them I didn't think I would be that thrilled with it but I'm a convert.

[61Pbass]

I'll second the Sennheiser pack, but I'm not extremely fond of the Futuresonic buds. They're a bit bulky and if you have smallish ear canals they don't fit very well. I think they lack a little high end also. I'm partial to the Shure E-5 units. They have two drivers and produce highs and lows with quite a bit more clarity. Personally I would even go for the Shure E-1's before the Futuresonics. It's all a matter of personal taste though. See if you can demo different buds and find the ones you like.

[where02190]

There are many companies (Future Sonics, Shure, Sennheisser, etc.,) that offer off the shelf IEM's that work great. The buds themselves are relatively inexpensive and you could try several to see which one you like best, keeping the others as spares. However, IEMS give you the greatest quality and fidelity if you get you onw custom molds built specificially for your ears. This requires a trip to the audiologist to get castings made of the inside of your ears, which is then sent to whomever you choose to make your molds. They custom make ear buds tht fit your ear exactly, and can be tuned to your liking. This is what the pro's do. Hope this is helpful.

[Botch.]

Marzuki, I posted the same question a couple months back: http://www.musicgearnetwork.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=008807 Several of the guys posted links, and were very helpful. I ended up purchasing the Shure E-2s @ $99. They come with three different sizes of soft plastic cones, and three different sizes of compressible foam cones. I've found the small plastic cones feel very comfortable, and have a full seal, will be trying them on stage for the first time this Friday. If they're still uncomfortable by the end of the night I might try this. My girlfriend is an RN and was able to get a bit of the molding compound dentists use to make teeth impressions; I'm toying with the idea of molding it around the earbuds, putting them in my ears and making my own custom-fit set. I'd do this with her help, but I keep picturing myself in some emergency room with a doctor trying to pry the damn things out of my ears! :D :eek: :rolleyes: I have used that putty before for custom-fit vampire fangs, so it is doable. The buds felt so good with the standard cones though, I'm hoping I don't have to go that route. Good luck!

[Marzuki Grinage]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm looking into the models suggested. Marzuki.