|
What do the Dresden Dolls, U2, Ricky Martin, Beyonce, Black-Eyed Peas, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Justin Timberlake, Incubus, Shakira, and Chris Isaak all have in common?
No, they are not playing together at the latest "Save the World from the President of the United States" benefit concert. And okay, yes — the people on this list all have budgets to buy cool gear. Any other answers?
How about "they all have ears?" You're getting closer. They all use in-ear (personal) monitoring systems!
Let's get something absolutely straight here: You don't have to be wealthy to purchase an in-ear monitor system. You may have to save up some cash, but the pricing is no different than that new, cool guitar you just bought, or the amp you're eyeing, or the killer drum kit on your holiday wish-list. And they will SAVE YOUR HEARING from the sonic din of floor wedges in live performance, let you hear yourself better, and believe it or not, make those people in the front row hear you better too! So this is the gift worth giving...and worth getting. (Yes, go ahead and forward this URL to your family for information about your holiday wish list!)
Personal Monitor Systems, or In-Ears
After a single experience with them, any musician who's had the opportunity to use in-ear monitors usually refuses to go back to regular monitors. This is because a floor wedge (the monitor speaker that sits on the floor of the stage, projecting sound at loud volumes back at the performer) is typically not adequate to give you an accurate idea of what's going on onstage. Though singers may benefit the most from in-ear systems, they're also great for other musicians.
You don't have to be
wealthy to purchase an
in-ear monitor system. |
We've all gone to shows where the lead singer is making crazy hand gestures, as though they're trying to guide a 747 across the tarmac. What they're really doing is trying to communicate (to a sometimes unaware audio engineer) that they need more "me" — they can't hear themselves well enough in the monitors. Onstage sound levels get quite loud when you include drums (acoustically pretty loud to begin with), guitar amps, keyboard amps, bass amps, etc.
Meanwhile, the vocalist only gets whatever comes out of that floor wedge, amplified via another person turning the volume knob — and in many cases, the sound system simply cannot provide enough power. If the singer steps a foot or two to the side of the monitor, they lose the sound altogether. Typically, vocalists overcompensate for this by singing louder, thereby causing strain on their voices, which can cause permanent damage (not to mention terrible vocal tones). And we've all heard that horrible "Eeeeeeee" sound coming from monitors when a microphone at a too-high gain level feeds back into them.
A personal monitoring system changes all of this. With a set of earphones that fit snugly inside the ear, and a volume level controlled by the person wearing them, sonic near-nirvana can be reached. And the best part is that the singer can also control the mix of other instruments they wish to hear.
In-ear systems range from basic to deluxe. In the simplest systems, there are two inputs: one for your instrument (voice, guitar, bass, etc.) and one for the rest of the band, so you can control how much of yourself you can hear above everyone else. You gain complete clarity of sound, volume levels that don't damage your hearing, control of your own mix, the ability to block out unwanted noise from the stage, an accurate mirror of your vocals (so you don't damage your voice trying to hear yourself), and a better sound for your audience, because they don't hear the "stage wash" of sound that projects into the audience from wedge monitors and muddies up the music coming out of the main speakers.
Features and Pricing
Previously, this type of system was well out of the price range of the average musician in a band. But now, with enhancements in small earbud and wireless technology, it's become much more affordable.
There are reasons for the pricing differences are between a basic system and more expensive systems. One of the most basic distinctions is between wired and wireless systems.
First of all, if you are a musician who stays in one place (drummers, keyboard players) you may wish to buy a wired system. Cables run from your earplugs to a belt-pack receiver that you wear, which provides the connection and signal control for your earphones. It's fine to have a cable hanging down your back if you don't intend to move around onstage. This type of system is quite a bit less expensive than a wireless system.
Wireless systems require a transmitter: a device to take the electric signal from the output of a microphone or mixer and convert it into radio frequency (RF). The transmitter sends the signal to a receiver: a device that converts the RF back into an electric signal, which returns to the earphones through a cable.
Another very important pricing difference concerns the actual earphones. There's a big difference between the cheapie mp3-player earbuds that don't fit your ear too well and have a limited frequency response, and the higher-quality earbuds you can buy separately. Similarly, the least-expensive wireless systems use a foam earphone that may not fit snugly into your ear, so you won't have as much isolation from the other sounds on stage.
At the pricier end of the spectrum are the custom-made earphones that have been molded exactly to the shape of your ear. You have to visit an audiologist to take an impression of your ear canals, then order the custom-made earphones. Companies like Future Sonics and Westone, among others, provide these custom creations. Many musicians consider this an investment well worth the extra cost, as the resulting earphones protect hearing in addition to being high-quality personal monitors.
More expensive systems also have more inputs and outputs. If your entire band decides to go with in-ear monitors, it's quite affordable to split the cost of a four-input mixer so that you can each have your own little mix (drums in one input, bass in channel 2, guitar in channel 3, vocals in channel 4). If you're the only one in the band that wishes to use in-ears, you're probably fine with a two-input system: your instrument in one channel, and a mix of the rest (from the mixing board at the club or rehearsal space) in channel 2.
Another price variation has to do with how many radio frequency selections a transmitter/receiver has. If you have interference, you can change to a different frequency. (This is extremely important for the touring systems, where every night you're in a different region with a different frequency scenario.)
My favorite systems are made by Shure. They have an array of in-ear packages at various prices, starting with the PSM200 (US$330, wired; US$600, wireless) for a basic system and progressing to the more advanced PSM700 (US$1,800, wired; US$2,000, wireless) for touring musicians.
Besides the benefits I've already mentioned, there are other advantages to in-ear monitor systems: If you carry your own PA system, you can reduce the weight and space your gear takes up by half with in-ear monitors. All those floor wedges, amplifiers to power them, and graphic EQs to make them sound right take up a lot of room, and weigh a ton! And you can greatly reduce the amount of time you need for soundcheck, because you are using the same monitoring system every night. Hallelujah!
Posted April 2007
Send to del.icio.us |
|
anonymous commented, on June 1, 2007 at 10:13 p.m.:
We just got the Aviom personal mixers with Westone in-ear monitors. What a great system! We actually won the system at the NAMM show this year. I can't say enough about how great this monitor system is...the only way to go. As most of the musicians are finding out, once they use them they don't want to go back to a wedge! And as the sound tech, it really makes my job much easier...no more muddy noise from the stage - Chorus Church, French Valley, CA. choruschurch.com