In ear dilemma ? 😔

[lemmywinks]

Also using the BC standard cheapskate starter pack of KZ ZS10 and Behringer P2, although if I was buying it now I'd get the AliExpress P2 copy for £12. The Behringer itself is a clone of a Fischer In Ear Stick. Do a full IEM rehearsal before gigging.

 

Get a few different tips for the KZs to see what fits you best as this makes the experience much better for pocket change, I'm currently using the memory foam ones from AliExpress which come in a pack of 3 different sizes. Have spares in case you lose them or they deteriorate, the memory foam tips don't last forever but I preferred them to the stock tips and also the Spinfit ones, much better fit and seal.

 

The most important thing for me when starting out was having full control over my mix within easy reach, making the jump is much easier if you are confident making appropriate changes in a few seconds during sound check. With our old Mackie desk this meant an iPad but now we're on the XR18 I can use a Surface Go running the full X-Air Edit. I have this on a tablet holder attached to my bass stand so I can just lean over and pull a (virtual) fader down.

 

I also use a little clip on shelf which again attaches to my bass stand, not having an amp to put stuff on means you may need somewhere to store your new gig junk such as your belt pack, IEMS, batteries and spare tips etc.

 

 

 

This is the kit I use, looks like the official KZ store no longer carries the old ZS10s, just the Pro model. Don't know if they are different so haven't linked to them:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007937614288.html

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005830541489.html

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007463049286.html

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008077698289.html

 

 

Getting this sort of monitoring quality and convenience for such a small outlay is pretty incredible.

 

[-asdfgh2-]

On 01/01/2025 at 20:45, Al Krow said:

Ok so I'm going to put a counter view to @Dood's on a couple of points, based on my own pub/function gigging experience.

 

I personally don't think wireless is a waste of money and you can get decent Xvive U4s for < £200, if you want the freedom to move around. But that will very much depend on your own performance style.

What I would say, however, is that freedom to move goes hand in hand with having a wireless set up on bass, or a wireless mic if you're a singer.

 

But it does make sense to start with wired to make sure that IEMs are for you. Not everyone is a fan, particularly guitarists in my experience, whereas singers often seem to really love them! 

I can highly recommend the KZ ZARs as in ear headphones. They're < £50 from Ali Express and folk who've A/B'd them with much very more expensive kit have often said that the top end KZ's were as good.

 

For us the cost of getting a desk to enable a stereo mix is indeed an expensive luxury (we've other pressing priorities!). Sticking with mono has been fine for us and we get the same balance as the audience does, albeit a personal mono mix still allows you to bring up / keep in the background whatever elements from the band are going through the desk, if your desk has the ability to provide a tailored mix.

 

Good luck!

I haven't tried this live, but I have a Beringer P something (P2?) - battery powered unit with a belt clip, combi socket in, 3.5mm out and a £100 set of ear buds. But I've found the cheap wireless instrument transmitter and receiver I bought (it was needed for a two gig project only, hence cheap) actually works in terms of turning the set up wireless. At home anyway, it's 2.4GHz and I don't reckon on its chances of being free of contention in a venue. 

Edited Friday at 19:54 by -asdfgh2-

[gafbass02]

I use the rolls, fantastic little box.