Worship Leader Blog
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In-ear monitoring systems resources
I'd love to move our worship team from conventional floor wedges to in-ear monitors (IEMs), but after a few hours of research, I realize that I've got a lot to learn about this stuff. If you're in the same boat, read on, because later in this post I'm going to give you a list of links to online resources for information about in-ear monitors that might help you figure out what's right for your team.
I've been both playing live music and mixing live sound off and on for about 30 years, and if I had to pick one thing that has the potential for making things frustrating for everyone, it would almost have to be monitors. In all of those years, I've never had the opportunity to use anything but floor wedges for monitoring. Anyone who does this knows that monitors can be a source of great frustration for everyone involved, because it seems like they're never quite right, and about all you can hope for is to create a monitor mix that doesn't completely suck.
I'm probably overstating that, but if you've been on either side of that equation (as a performer or sound tech), or both, you know what I mean. It seems virtually impossible to mix monitors to the satisfaction of all the performers on the stage, or the monitors interact badly with the mains, or the EQ on the monitors is impossible to get right, or...you get the idea.
In-ear monitoring systems can potentially solve some of these problems. In-ear monitors can:
- Reduce overall stage volume for performers
- Provide each performer with a more customized monitor mix
- Eliminate problems with montors/mains interaction
That said, there are issues with in-ear systems as well:
- They're expensive, starting at around $600 per person
- They can be a little complicated to configure, compared with traditional stage monitors
- They can make communication between performers more difficult
I'm still learning about this stuff, and I've got a long way to go before (a) we're ready to jump into IEMs and (b) we're able to afford IEMs. You might be there, too, so in the meantime, here are some places you can learn more about this technology. Some of them are manufacturer-specific, so you'll want to take some of the content with a grain of salt, but there is still a lot of useful stuff in this list.
ABC's of Configuring a Personal Monitor System
Shure Guide to Personal Monitors (PDF)
January 27, Aviom Web seminar on Digital Snakes (and the Aviom monitor system)
In-Ear Monitors: Advantages and Disadvantages
The Art of Monitoring and Mixing with Headphones
Let's Hear It: Introduction to Personal Monitoring Systems (Shure)
Making the Wedgeless Transition
Focus Mode for In-Ear Monitors
Houses of Worship Podcast: In-Ear Monitoring
Grinning from Ear Bud to Ear Bud
In-Ear Monitor Tutorial (PDF)
Audiology Online: In-Ear Monitors for Musicians
If you've got links to other resources, please share them!
- dheacock's blog
- 2244 reads
IEM's
Don't know what size congregation you have...but one thing you may want to concider is an abient mic for the santcuary. IEM's - especially good ones - will cancel out all outside noises. (I wear Westones...they are awesome at providing great sound quality while blocking out outside ambient noises.) You can imagine the issues this may cause. I LOVE hearing the voices of 1,000+ souls worshiping their Lord - and the IEM's keep me from hearing that. The solution is to either remove on of your in-ears...or have a mic set up that will feed the room ambiance back to you.
Just something to think about.
IEM...
We tried that switch a couple years ago. Be mindful of the seasoned musician who likes his amp and the good old fashioned floor wedge. They will do you in and you'll be back to floor wedges in no time. Make it a gradual transition. Start with just one willing participant to give it a shot, learn to use it, and give you feedback (no pun intended). Once you get one on board and they like it, you'll have an easier time getting some others to transition because the one that used it can help others get use to it.
One thing we found that was even better than the in-ear itself was the ability to mix their own mix. We're using the Aviom personal mix system. They have 16 channels to mix however they want without affecting anyone else. We introduced it with the in-ear plugs... the verdict ended up being "we hate the in-ears, but like the Aviom". Our current solution is we've nixed the in-ears and went with some TC Helicon VoiceSolo VSM300XT personal monitors. They're small enough to be VERY directional to the person using it without blowing the stage volume out of the water, plus we still get the benefit of using the Aviom with it so that those using it can still build their own mix. They still have the choice to use in-ears or headphones if they wish.
Our drummer uses a headset which works great. If you end up with anyone using in-ears with or without the Aviom, be sure to wire-up a stereo pair of ambient room mics. Another complaint was that it was too closed-in feeling. The ambient mics allowed them to have the "air-like" live sound feeling. I have personally used the in-ears, headsets, and the TC helicon live and I liked all of them, but i'm more flexible than a lot of people. Also, the standard Shure in-ear's can be quite uncomfortable and you will have some complaints. There are some companies that make personalized ear-mold in-ears for fairly inexpensive. It may be worth the investment to save some headaches. Hope it all goes well!
aviom link
I wrote this article on the Aviom personal monitors after our church purchased them.
http://behindthemixer.com/content/aviom-personal-monitoring-system
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