The IEM (in ear monitors) Bible thread

[Jakester]

On 21/12/2022 at 23:24, Jakester said:

Just to update this, I did and they sent out some mediums. They seem better but I won’t be able to test properly until my next gig, which isn’t until late Jan! 

 

So I did try them last weekend; the isolation was much better than the large size, but ultimately I still ended up going back to the Etymotics with the 'christmas tree' triple flange tips. I do think that the 'stage' volume (and in particular the bass - I was playing drums) was just too loud, so I was having to turn the IEMs up and I was worried about the volume levels. 

 

The actual sound was brilliant though - noticeably clearer and 'more present' than the Etymotics. 

 

Going to try to get some flanged tips which, if I can find some that fit, should deal with the isolation issue for me. 

[JPJ]

Genuine question but has anyone experienced feedback between IEM’s and a vocal mic?

 

Our singer isn’t the strongest vocally so I am running almost +35db on her mic to get a good level to serve the FOH mix. At our gig on Sunday, I was experiencing a short feedback every time she came on or off her mic (an SM58). She was also complaining that the IEM’s were much louder in one ear which has me wondering whether one of her IEM’s was loose and potentially causing the feedback as she approached or retreated from her mic?

[dave_bass5]

2 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Looks a nice cable - will have to keep an eye out for something like that, it is true I spend ages untangling the cables when I first get to a gig!

The feel difference alone is huge between the two. 

When i was researching getting her the 10 Pros a few years ago  i read so many posts about upgrading the cable, that i got the cable as well. She used it for a while but then got another cable (mainly as she wanted a black one). Glad i didn't have to spend more money myself lol. 

[MichaelDean]

7 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

Just wondering if any/how many upgrade the cable that comes with the KZ’s. 
 

I had this lying around for ages, and it’s feels so much nicer. Also doesn’t tangle like the supplied one. It also has a straight Jack which I prefer. 
It’s supposed to sound better as it’s got 16 cores but I can’t really hear that. 
I got it for my singer ages ago but she prefers the OEM one. 
 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07ZQCBYXS/ref=pe_27063361_487055811_TE_dp_1

 

When I got mine, the cable upgrade was a "free gift". I didn't bother using the original one till the upgrade died a few years later. After a day or two of using the original one I ordered a new upgrade cable! I just couldn't deal with how the original one tangled as soon as you looked at it wrong!

[gafbass02]

On 24/01/2023 at 21:55, MichaelDean said:

When I got mine, the cable upgrade was a "free gift". I didn't bother using the original one till the upgrade died a few years later. After a day or two of using the original one I ordered a new upgrade cable! I just couldn't deal with how the original one tangled as soon as you looked at it wrong!

I can relate! The tangling drove me nuts, so I upgraded and I'm SO glad I did!

[Buddster]

Firstly, apologies if this info is posted elsewhere. I've read most of this thread and done searches but can't find an answer. Happy for a link to be posted where I can read up if there is one. 

 

A couple of real world questions. 

As a band, we're rehursing with IEM as were in the drummers music room at home. He has a V kit, bass/guit are di'd so it just the singing anyone else can hear. We're using a Soundcraft digital system so we all have our own stereo feeds. Works perfectly (and saves on rehursal room fees!) and we take this system out live with us. However, we've not used the IEMs live yet. 

 

So what happens when we do a 'small' festival with multiple bands i.e. not our gear? What's people's experience with this? Do we ask the engineer to unplug from the monitoring/stage box and use that as a feed into our own headphone amps? What happens if there's only 3 aux sends and we're a 4 piece. Do you forgo IEM in these situations (in this case the kit would probably be acoustic anyway). 

 

Secondly. What do people do with the lead from the earpieces? Inside your top? Hanging loose down the back? Currently I'm not wireless, so have a dual guitar lead/headphone lead situation going back to the amp/headphone amp (cable tied together) so can unplug the earphones when I take the bass off. 

 

Finally, how do you communicate with the band on stage, say if there's a set change or need to say something. Talkback on stage? Possibly an omni mic in front the drums that picks up just the stage. 

 

Hopefully someone with experience using IEMs will have come across these situations already. 

[acidbass]

12 hours ago, Buddster said:

So what happens when we do a 'small' festival with multiple bands i.e. not our gear? What's people's experience with this? Do we ask the engineer to unplug from the monitoring/stage box and use that as a feed into our own headphone amps? What happens if there's only 3 aux sends and we're a 4 piece. Do you forgo IEM in these situations (in this case the kit would probably be acoustic anyway). 

I guess it's situation dependent. Can you communicate with whoever is supplying the equipment to see if you can bring your monitoring setup? It might not require that you bring your own desk but I have seen this done before as a last resort. Most rigs at festivals now are digital (I would think) and you may just need to bring transmitters etc.

 

13 hours ago, Buddster said:

What do people do with the lead from the earpieces? Inside your top? Hanging loose down the back?

I run it loose under my shirt to the beltpack. You can also get clips which attach to your collar which helps secure the slack.

 

13 hours ago, Buddster said:

Finally, how do you communicate with the band on stage, say if there's a set change or need to say something. Talkback on stage?

This is interesting - a talkback mic would be a good idea but ambient might also work. I pop one earphone out temporarily, even though this isn't really ideal for quick transitions between tunes.

[BCH]

8 hours ago, acidbass said:

I guess it's situation dependent. Can you communicate with whoever is supplying the equipment to see if you can bring your monitoring setup? It might not require that you bring your own desk but I have seen this done before as a last resort. Most rigs at festivals now are digital (I would think) and you may just need to bring transmitters etc.

 

I run it loose under my shirt to the beltpack. You can also get clips which attach to your collar which helps secure the slack.

 

This is interesting - a talkback mic would be a good idea but ambient might also work. I pop one earphone out temporarily, even though this isn't really ideal for quick transitions between tunes.

Try this I have used this ( we have 2) with a foot switch (we have 2) which is on between songs. ....for crowd/ ambient...we found 1 was enough because its a shotgun mic

 

[JPJ]

Anyone using these ACS in-ear monitors that retrofit to the ACS custom ear moulds. They are only single driver so I’m not expecting them to be up to much compared to the more expensive multi-driver options or indeed my ZX10’s but it seems such a shame to have my super comfortable custom moulded ear plugs rendered redundant.  

[MichaelDean]

1 hour ago, JPJ said:

Anyone using these ACS in-ear monitors that retrofit to the ACS custom ear moulds. They are only single driver so I’m not expecting them to be up to much compared to the more expensive multi-driver options or indeed my ZX10’s but it seems such a shame to have my super comfortable custom moulded ear plugs rendered redundant.  

I had some of an older version. They were worse than terrible. The cable was soooooo microphonic and the sound was bad. Bass response wasn't there and the highs were tinny. Unless you can try this version before buying, I'd avoid. 

[JPJ]

2 hours ago, MichaelDean said:

I had some of an older version. They were worse than terrible. The cable was soooooo microphonic and the sound was bad. Bass response wasn't there and the highs were tinny. Unless you can try this version before buying, I'd avoid. 

Thanks, that’s what I though but always worth checking with the knowledgeable folk on here 😎

[WalMan]

Very interesting and helpful thread giving me a lot to think about for getting back into IEMs

 

Having gone the SE215 route a few years back and never really got on with it (perhaps not surprisingly it seems having read through this thread) I am thinking of trying again with better moulded plugs and a new transmitter - though the number of gigs a year may make it an expensive expensive vanity project. However by the end of the gig last Saturday I could really have done with something as I had lost the bass to raging guitars.

 

Vocalist already uses IEMs but not the whole hog just non moulded plugs and no mix just relying on bleed.

 

One guitarist uses IEMs but again not fully. Other guitarist is completely anti. Drummer was talking about starting last night at rehearsal, so it may happen.

 

I did wonder whether my Zoom H6 could be run as an ambient source, though would be a bit of a waste of the unit for rough gig recordings.

 

I was considering either one of the ACS Ambient series or maybe Mercury as they produced my last set of ear defenders and are near to the office for moulds, but maybe biting the bullet  and a bit extra for UE6 would be a better bet together with the Shure 300 or Sennheiser G4. But so many other things to get / consider to make it work (and just for me 🤷‍♂️)

[dave_bass5]

I always record my gigs and rehearsals with a small Roland digital recorder. This has a stereo out and I used this as my ambient source at the last rehearsal. 
it worked really, really well. It sits in the middle of the room and I had a really nice stereo mix in my IEM’s. Only issue was I was also in the room mix (although my direct volume was much more prominent so it wasn’t an issue) 

 

Edited February 1, 2023 by dave_bass5

[WalMan]

DOH! Just reread the opening thread and saw 3.4 that answered my Zoom H6 question 🤦‍♂️. So that’s a definite means to an end

[JPJ]

So at last nights rehearsal, our drummer tried wired IEMs and has become the second convert in the band following the singers conversion a couple of weeks ago. So now the other two singer/guitarists are interested so I can see me building an IEM rig driven from my X-Air XR18. The singer is currently using my cheapo T-Bone IEM100 UHF transmitter/receiver setup, which works fine but is a little noisy. I’ve read up on the limitations of the cheap digital solutions such as the X-Vive but we have to be realistic about the cost of the rig as we’re only playing pub gigs. So, what’s everyone using? Is anyone using one of these single transmitter/multiple receiver set ups. Yes I know that limits you to one IEM mix but that would at least give the three singers a chance of hearing themselves and each other. As I mix the sound from the side of the stage whilst playing, eliminating on stage monitors would make my life a whole lot simpler!

[mrtcat]

1 hour ago, JPJ said:

So at last nights rehearsal, our drummer tried wired IEMs and has become the second convert in the band following the singers conversion a couple of weeks ago. So now the other two singer/guitarists are interested so I can see me building an IEM rig driven from my X-Air XR18. The singer is currently using my cheapo T-Bone IEM100 UHF transmitter/receiver setup, which works fine but is a little noisy. I’ve read up on the limitations of the cheap digital solutions such as the X-Vive but we have to be realistic about the cost of the rig as we’re only playing pub gigs. So, what’s everyone using? Is anyone using one of these single transmitter/multiple receiver set ups. Yes I know that limits you to one IEM mix but that would at least give the three singers a chance of hearing themselves and each other. As I mix the sound from the side of the stage whilst playing, eliminating on stage monitors would make my life a whole lot simpler!

I like loads of bass and kick in my mix and my singer doesn't want much of either. Guitarist wants tons of kick and his guitar but none of the singer's guitar. Drummer wants a balanced mix with more bass. All of us want our own vocals to be pumped in our ears. There's absolutely no way we could ever work with a single mix. Currently using the same mixer as you. It may cost more but ultimately you're saving your hearing and for me that's worth the extra outlay if it means we will stick with it long term. Individuals would soon get hacked off with it if the mix was no good for their needs.

[dave_bass5]

I had my first outing (a gig) with my new KZ ZS10’s. Took me 3 songs to switch back to my MEE’s. 

I’ll keep them as a back up, but i found them not as enjoyable as the MEE’s. 

 

Each to their own i guess. 

[Woodinblack]

I got my tangle free lead today - weighs so much!

Still, pretty good.

[dave_bass5]

20 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

I got my tangle free lead today - weighs so much!

Still, pretty good.

Yeah, it’s noticeably heavier than the stock one, but once its clipped to my collar i didnt notice it. 

[Jakester]

On 04/02/2023 at 12:14, JPJ said:

So at last nights rehearsal, our drummer tried wired IEMs and has become the second convert in the band following the singers conversion a couple of weeks ago. So now the other two singer/guitarists are interested so I can see me building an IEM rig driven from my X-Air XR18. The singer is currently using my cheapo T-Bone IEM100 UHF transmitter/receiver setup, which works fine but is a little noisy. I’ve read up on the limitations of the cheap digital solutions such as the X-Vive but we have to be realistic about the cost of the rig as we’re only playing pub gigs. So, what’s everyone using? Is anyone using one of these single transmitter/multiple receiver set ups. Yes I know that limits you to one IEM mix but that would at least give the three singers a chance of hearing themselves and each other. As I mix the sound from the side of the stage whilst playing, eliminating on stage monitors would make my life a whole lot simpler!

 

For everyone but the singer, why not use a Behringer P1/P2? Drummer isn't going anywhere, presumably the bassist (you?) and guitars aren't leaping about, so those are easy to sort out with a wired connection.  Both allow for a stereo IEM mix too, the P1 being slightly easier to use. You can also drive an IEM setup via the headphone out by fiddling with the routing matrix in the XR18, so you can end up with 6 mono aux outs and a 7th stereo out. 

 

For the singer, I'd have thought anything but the absolute cheapest-on-amazon setup would do? Look for a stereo input - that tends to suggest it's a bit better than el cheapo (IME).

[jimmyb625]

1 hour ago, Jakester said:

 

For everyone but the singer, why not use a Behringer P1/P2? Drummer isn't going anywhere, presumably the bassist (you?) and guitars aren't leaping about, so those are easy to sort out with a wired connection.  Both allow for a stereo IEM mix too, the P1 being slightly easier to use. You can also drive an IEM setup via the headphone out by fiddling with the routing matrix in the XR18, so you can end up with 6 mono aux outs and a 7th stereo out. 

 

For the singer, I'd have thought anything but the absolute cheapest-on-amazon setup would do? Look for a stereo input - that tends to suggest it's a bit better than el cheapo (IME).

If you need to change guitars, it can be a bit of a faff using wired systems, but that aside, I completely agree.

 

We use LD systems U508, U308 and MEI1000 units, of which I think the U508 is the better version. We've had a few issues with the U308, which we've not yet managed to get to the bottom of, but it may well be down to it not wanting to sit in the rack with the other units.

[BCH]

I thought I would share a device that may help those using or contemplating wired IEM's. Its a simple torch belt clip but has been ideal and we have used for over 4 years without an issue

See pic's:  the diameter for the torch (it not round) is a perfect tight fit for the Neutrik locking stereo 1/4" female jack socket NJ3FC6. The ball join helps direction of the cable & the substantial clip fits into rear pockets or belt. It cost ~£9  (cheaper from Led torch)

https://www.torchdirect.co.uk/led-lenser-torch-accessories/ledlenser-type-f-rotating-belt-clip-for-ex4-il4.html

 

Hope this helps!

[EBS_freak]

Ooh, I like that. That ball joint is quite useful.

I've come across these before, from DAP (just reverse the clip to change the orientation of the XLR). Nice solution but obviously, it's not quick release, so becomes part of the XLR.

I don't personally like having something without a volume control on my belt though - but each to their own. (So even if I had a dedicated amp, I'd want a volume control post that). Again, what works for you and all that. 

Edited February 8, 2023 by EBS_freak

[BCH]

14 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

Ooh, I like that. That ball joint is quite useful.

I've come across these before, from DAP (just reverse the clip to change the orientation of the XLR). Nice solution but obviously, it's not quick release, so becomes part of the XLR.

I don't personally like having something without a volume control on my belt though - but each to their own. (So even if I had a dedicated amp, I'd want a volume control post that). Again, what works for you and all that. 

£85   !!!!!!!

[EBS_freak]

5 hours ago, BCH said:

£85   !!!!!!!

The DAD6001 may be.... but...

 

The clip isn't. https://www.bax-shop.co.uk/miscellaneous-adapters/dpa-plastic-belt-clip-for-dad6001-xlr-adapter