IEMs

Si_

We always seem to struggle with monitor volume and feedback so thinking of trying to talk the band in going for in ears. can anyone recommend and decent but CHEAP solution?

John_P

If you don't move around a huge amount on stage then you could get a cheap 4 way headphone amp/splitter and run it from a monitor aux and then use in ear phones with an extension lead.

 

Otherwise you're looking at wireless.  I use the senn ew300 but there are plenty of cheap models eg from thomann.   

Getting a nice mix takes a bit of practise as you'll be hearing everything via the desk - some people set up an ambient mic so you can hear the room and audience.   

A wired solution would be the cheap way to try it at a rehearsal and see if you'll be able to adjust.  

midiglitch

+1 to trying it wired first-it's a lot lot cheaper!

Going in ear is part of our plan and we've done a few practises with them but no gigs yet. They are very different; more clarity and separation but things sound very dry-guitars in particular. You don't feel the kick and bass the same way either.

An alternative option is to look into why you are using so much volume in the monitors? What is your lineup? We've recently made a conscious effort to try to work at the level of the drums so no drums or guitar amp in the monitors and that had really paid off. Don't know if that is common practise but have come across plenty of sound men who want to put everything in the monitors which is unnecessary.

koneguitarist

midiglitch said:

+1 to trying it wired first-it's a lot lot cheaper!

Going in ear is part of our plan and we've done a few practises with them but no gigs yet. They are very different; more clarity and separation but things sound very dry-guitars in particular. You don't feel the kick and bass the same way either.

An alternative option is to look into why you are using so much volume in the monitors? What is your lineup? We've recently made a conscious effort to try to work at the level of the drums so no drums or guitar amp in the monitors and that had really paid off. Don't know if that is common practise but have come across plenty of sound men who want to put everything in the monitors which is unnecessary.

Good points regarding reducing onstage volume. My drummer is relatively quiet, so onstage volume is low, only acoustic and vocals, sometimes keys and my electric for spread of sound across wide shallow stages. We only use 3 small active monitors and always have plenty of volume available to us. In fact a band recently remarked to me, that "no matter where I see your band or where I stand, I can always hear everything clearly, how do you do that?" The answer is reducing volume not increasing it. Too often bands whack the volume up way beyond what is actually needed, I appreciate every band is different and rock bands need to be "loud", but sometimes you lose the dynamics and the audience gets ear fatigue.