The IEM (in ear monitors) Bible thread

[Chienmortbb]

11 hours ago, MartinB said:

Integrated current limit protects your ears and headphone

Probably just a resistor in line, standard fare to limit current and reduce RF interference. It will do flip all to limit loudness.   

[Chienmortbb]

On 08/12/2024 at 13:55, EBS_freak said:

The links are all in the opening posts - but admittedly, this one was out of date.

 

If you are handy with soldering, heres the cable you need - https://www.sommercable.com/en-gb/Instrument-Cable-TRICONE-SYMASYM-1-x-2-x-0-14-mm2-PVC-11.3-x-11.3-mm-black/301-1101#neonCfg=pulength::pu100

Sorry for the delay in my reply but, if anyone wants these cables, I can get them as I have a trade account with Sommer, however they are almost €12 before VAT and shipment and the extra customs and handling charges that good old Brexit has resulted in. ( I was looking at retail price, I can sell it at £7/metre). So you are sailing close to £16 per metre plus connectors and connection charges.

Edited December 18, 2024 by Chienmortbb
Quoted RRP rather than sell price.

[dave_bass5]

11 hours ago, MartinB said:

I've got both the Behringer P2 and the Aliexpress version now. The Behringer claims

but both units will turn up to unholy volumes with no suggestion of any kind of limiting. I saw a post elsewhere suggesting that this is really more about protecting the amplifier from being damaged by short circuited headphones than protecting the user's hearing.

So a no-score draw there. The battery access, belt clip and mono-stereo are definitely better on the Aliexpress job, though to be fair Behringer "inherited" their design from Fischer so it's not strictly their fault 😆. Weights are very similar. Behringer is slightly smaller in cross-section. The locking input on both applies only to XLR cables - a TRS will pull right out of there.

I wonder if the Aliexpress version is like the Gear4music version. I spent ages trying to  get the stereo in on XLR working, brought new cables, even sent the first one back and got a replacement (actual they said to keep the first one as it wasn't worth the cost of sending it back). Neither seems to be wired, or at least working, for stereo XLR. The middle 1/4 works fine in both modes. SameXLR cables on the P2 work as expected.

[Al Krow]

Back to KZ ZARs - still loving mine. However...

 

I bought a set with the built-in mic in the earphone cable and found I was only getting output through one ear piece.

Replacement cable ordered for £9 inc P&P and IEMs working perfectly again.

[MartinB]

8 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

I wonder if the Aliexpress version is like the Gear4music version. I spent ages trying to  get the stereo in on XLR working, brought new cables, even sent the first one back and got a replacement (actual they said to keep the first one as it wasn't worth the cost of sending it back). Neither seems to be wired, or at least working, for stereo XLR. The middle 1/4 works fine in both modes. SameXLR cables on the P2 work as expected.

 

Here's what I found:

Source		Connector	Mode	Output
======		=========	====	======

Stereo		XLR		Mono	Mono
Stereo		XLR		Stereo	Stereo
Stereo		TRS		Mono	Mono
Steroo		TRS		Stereo	Stereo

Balanced mono	XLR		Mono	Mono
Balanced mono	XLR		Stereo	???
Balanced mono	TRS		Mono	Mono
Balanced mono	TRS		Stereo	???

 

Not sure what's going on with a balanced mono source on the Stereo setting. It's doesn't sound the same as Mono - it's quieter but "wider". Possibly it's panning one signal to each side, which then results in weirdness because each ear is out of phase with the other?

[Buddster]

Had an interesting experience with my inears at Saturdays gig. 

Sound checked, all fine, as normal. 

1st set, sounded great and really happy. Few adjustments on the pad to my aux send (using Soundcraft ui24 system). Great 1st set. 

 

Start of 2nd set. Quick check, make sure it's working. Hmm, sounds a bit less bassy than it did. Checked the volume pedal. Ok. Checked the plugs. Ok. Checked the jack wasn't 1/2 out. Nope. Ah, maybe the FoH isn't up yet. That'll be it. 

Start the set. Better, but still not as before. A bit treblely than before too. And more ambient. 

Ah well, carry on. 

 

Gig went very well, and at the end took off my iem's and turned to pick up my hearing aids and couldn't find the dammed things. Had they dropped on the floor? 

Nope, I'd left the stupid things in my ears and put the iam's in as well! 

 

Dooh! 

[acidbass]

Just received a pair of Ultimate Ears UE Live phones to replace a pair of JH Audio Roxannes (see my comments above for reasons behind this change!)

 

First impressions (pun very much intended):

 

- They are a lot smaller than the HUGE Roxannes which protruded quite a bit past my outer ear. UE Live are more flush and natural looking - as much as is possible anyway. They are super lightweight also.

 

- I don't like the IPX cable. It's very tangly. Already spent way longer untangling than I ever did with JH 7 pin cable which was a beast to be fair. Also no memory wire on UE which might be interesting

 

- I don't like the case - it's a bit small, would have preferred a larger option with hooks to attach the wound cable to

 

- The sound is awesome! The Live model has a dynamic driver for the lows as well as the usual armatures (a bit similar to KZ!) Certainly not as much sub bass as the Roxannes but a lot of focused low end. Reminds me quite a bit of the UE11 which I used up until around 2019. There is a lot of detail in the mids and the highs are crisp but not overpowering.

 

First gig with these babies is starting in around an hour! So will report back.

 

Danny

[mrtcat]

On 20/12/2024 at 20:46, acidbass said:

- I don't like the IPX cable. It's very tangly. Already spent way longer untangling than I ever did with JH 7 pin cable which was a beast to be fair. Also no memory wire on UE which might be interesting

Completely agree. The ipx cable is rubbish. I went through 2 in 4 months before sending my UE6s off to Lugs for him to replace the connector to allow me to use a better (and far more sensibly priced) cable. The IPX cable is just overpriced rubbish.

[jimmyb625]

On 18/12/2024 at 15:41, Al Krow said:

Back to KZ ZARs - still loving mine. However...

 

I bought a set with the built-in mic in the earphone cable and found I was only getting output through one ear piece.

Replacement cable ordered for £9 inc P&P and IEMs working perfectly again.

Been there, done that! 🤦‍♂️

[tauzero]

I now have a Behringer P2 and somewhere I also have a Lekato MS-1. I'd like to have a play with wireless IEMs. No problem driving them (I have an XR-18 which is currently driving two monitors so there's a further four AUX outs). However, the XR-18 is currently only getting the vocals. No problem also sticking the bass through one channel and routing it to AUX only, but relying on vocal mic spill for the two guitars and drums doesn't seem ideal. I have quite enough to do with the vocals, buggered if I'm putting mics on the drums and guitars too, but I wondered if an ambient mic sent just to the AUX would work, and what would be a good mic to use costing less than £40. Any suggestions?

[EBS_freak]

Pair of Behringer C2s

[paddy109]

Complete novice with IEMs but I used them for the first time last night. The band was very patient with helping me set up and find a sound I was happy with. 

Sounded great and I could hear the vocals and my bass clearly - sometimes I find this gets lost as I stand next to the drums. 

I was worried about loosing the live sound experience and feeling disconnected but the opposite happened. Another bonus was I tended to play with less aggressive action which was easier on my fingers. 

When starting our 3rd set the sound wasn't right and it took me a few songs to realise I hadn't plugged my headphones back in!! 

 

[Si600]

Can I ask a really stupid question, feel free to delete me and I'll not be offended, but what's the basic connection diagram?

 

Mine would be Bass -> B3n -> Mixer -> IEM processor/sender -> belt pack -> ears?  Or do I stick my GK/Barefaced into the gap between the B3n and the Mixer?

[Greg Edwards69]

4 minutes ago, Si600 said:

Can I ask a really stupid question, feel free to delete me and I'll not be offended, but what's the basic connection diagram?

 

Mine would be Bass -> B3n -> Mixer -> IEM processor/sender -> belt pack -> ears?  Or do I stick my GK/Barefaced into the gap between the B3n and the Mixer?

It depends on how much your GK head is part of your tone. If all of your tone is coming from the B3n, then go straight to the mixer from that. If the GK head is an essential part of your tone, then send the signal from that instead.

[Si600]

It really is as simple as that then.  Thank you very muchly.

 

Of course the GK is an essential part of my rockstar tone  

 

It's been used as a table for the last year, we rearranged the rehearsal room and I didn't bother to set it all up again, just went from the pedal board to the PA.  My drive patches need a bit of work, they sound a bit flat without the head but that's a setting tweak, not a reason to plug the amp back in.

[Woodinblack]

2 hours ago, Greg Edwards69 said:

It depends on how much your GK head is part of your tone. If all of your tone is coming from the B3n, then go straight to the mixer from that. If the GK head is an essential part of your tone, then send the signal from that instead.

 

Also note that its 'If the preamp of your GK is part of your tone' - you won't get any of the sound imparted by your poweramp or speaker in it, as you mentioned your speaker in the comment.

[Greg Edwards69]

46 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Also note that its 'If the preamp of your GK is part of your tone' - you won't get any of the sound imparted by your poweramp or speaker in it, as you mentioned your speaker in the comment.

Absolutely. I just didn't want to confuse matters, as getting the speaker cab tone to the mixer adds a whole extra level of confusion! @Si600 didn't mention which BF cab they have. Some are more neutral than others (or indeed marketed as FRFR) and don't colour the amp's tone so much.

 

This is one of the reasons I don't use an amp and cab anymore and just go direct from my Helix with amp/cab modelling.

[Si600]

It's a Super Twin, but as I mentioned, both it and the GK have been used as a mixer table for the past year so I've just been going through the B3n.  I have an audition with a new band on Tuesday, and I don't know whether they use backline, in-ear or both so the rig may come out to play again, or it may not.

[Chienmortbb]

57 minutes ago, Greg Edwards69 said:

Absolutely. I just didn't want to confuse matters, as getting the speaker cab tone to the mixer adds a whole extra level of confusion! @Si600 didn't mention which BF cab they have. Some are more neutral than others (or indeed marketed as FRFR) and don't colour the amp's tone so much.

 

This is one of the reasons I don't use an amp and cab anymore and just go direct from my Helix with amp/cab modelling.

Most Barefaced cabs are not FRFR. If they do not have a tweeter, they cannot be and even the one 10 with tweeter is not Flat Response. In fact most cabs with a tweeter are not Flat Response. 

[BigRedX]

5 hours ago, Si600 said:

Can I ask a really stupid question, feel free to delete me and I'll not be offended, but what's the basic connection diagram?

 

Mine would be Bass -> B3n -> Mixer -> IEM processor/sender -> belt pack -> ears?  Or do I stick my GK/Barefaced into the gap between the B3n and the Mixer?

 

This depends on a couple of things:

 

1. How important is it that what you hear in your IEMs is exactly the tone that you would hear without them.

 

2. What does the audience hear? The sound produced by the speakers in your rig or is it from the PA in which case at what point does the PA take its feed from your signal chain?

Edited 14 hours ago by BigRedX

[EBS_freak]

3 hours ago, Chienmortbb said:

Most Barefaced cabs are not FRFR. If they do not have a tweeter, they cannot be and even the one 10 with tweeter is not Flat Response. In fact most cabs with a tweeter are not Flat Response. 

...and most IEMs aren't either... just to add to the fun!

[Chienmortbb]

22 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

...and most IEMs aren't either... just to add to the fun!

Very true.