I need help with a setup using in ear Monitoring

    Some simple guides from my perspective:

    1) The best solution is a feed from the desk, ideally a separate mix for each band member. Most desks have more than 4 aux outputs used for monitors/IEM's. Latest digital solutions also mean you can control your own mix on your phone/Tablet. This is what my band does..This means everyone needs their own IEM solution. I've seen people trying to take a feed from their Kemper and sort of mix it with ambient sound but I think this is least successful. Definately avoid the 1 ear in and one out!

    2) The wireless aspect generally is not what determines the quality but the headphones/ear buds used.

    3) Good quality in ear buds are expensive!

    4) I've never got a really good sound in IEMS despite good quality equipment

    5) IEM's isolate you from the audience. Quite a few times I've taken them out to realise people were cheering after a song!

    ....BUT the benefits are huge. No backline needed, ear protection, being able to hear everyone makes your playing way better etc.

    Quote from V8guitar

    [...] 5) IEM's isolate you from the audience. Quite a few times I've taken them out to realise people were cheering after a song![...]

    My actual iem are Westone Audio AMpro30. They are semi-open type. Ambience is still heard around -12dB. Between songs, I understand what someone says on stage or in front audience.

    BTW, first AMpro30 seem to lack some bass, but in real world stage, while PA volume is on (huge bass all around), the global perception is absolutely perfect for me. For sure playing with iem has a learning curve, and chosing the right earbuds (hit and miss) will involve some serious money.

    Quote from adok54

    My actual iem are Westone Audio AMpro30. They are semi-open type. Ambience is still heard around -12dB. Between songs, I understand what someone says on stage or in front audience.

    BTW, first AMpro30 seem to lack some bass, but in real world stage, while PA volume is on (huge bass all around), the global perception is absolutely perfect for me. For sure playing with iem has a learning curve, and chosing the right earbuds (hit and miss) will involve some serious money.

    As I understand it, most higher end solutions promote isolation as it provides a clearer baseline, so leakage is not usually desireable.

    I appreciate in practice this isn't the case but it adds a variable - stage volume and placement etc..

    Quote from DonPetersen

    2) the bodypack used makes a huge difference

    3) good quality ear buds do not cost a premium anymore

    2) Does it? I've tried some cheap ones and expensive ones and never noticed much. I've always viewed it similar to guitar wireless systems which are at a general quality (I'm aware of compression etc.)

    3) I think its all relative :)

    Quote from V8guitar

    As I understand it, most higher end solutions promote isolation as it provides a clearer baseline, so leakage is not usually desireable.

    I appreciate in practice this isn't the case but it adds a variable - stage volume and placement etc..

    I believe it depends on instruments, stage level, music type and personnal expectations as a playing musician. I do own Shure 535 iem, too, which are “isolation“ type, which means “dead silent room“ to me. In fact, I do enjoy hearing what you call “leakage“, as long as it's low level. With my Westone Audio AMpro30, “leakage“ is -12dB and it is just fine for me. Gives me the sensation to be “in the room“ with my budies on stage playing for real people in audience.

    BTW, Westone Audio has exact same iem products in “isolation“ type and “ambiant“ type.

    I have the Westone AM Pro 30x as well and love them ... I've used several others and these are hands down much better. The included silicone eartips work great for me (although I having customs made as well). I'm now using them with an Audio Technical ATW-3255 ... an expensive unit but it provides literally all UHF frequencies legally available in the US. Most others at that price (e.g., Shure PSM300) provide a very limited range of frequencies and you have to purchase a unit with a set bandwidth based on where you think you'll be using the system the most. The AT provides all frequencies, so you're covered (in the US) even when the FCC changes the available bands a little.

    I have to disagree with DonPetersen a bit -- the transmitter/receiver hardware matters, but only to the point it can provide a clear channel to broadcast on. I've used cheap and not-cheap rigs, and the difference isn't so much audio tone as susceptibility to interference (both in frequency band to find a clear channel, and RFI/EMI). If you buy the right frequency range in the hardware, finding a clear channel is somewhat binary -- you find one or you don't. Once you do, the quality of the audio doesn't change much from the $100 units to the $1,000 in my real world experience.

    The quality and fit of the earbuds, however, matters tremendously and determines 90+% of the quality of the IEM experience, especially the seal of the earbud in the ear. Again, as long as you have a clear channel, the earbuds are the single biggest determiner of quality sound in IEMs.

    I love the Westone's because they seal great, but the passive ambience still provides some outside sound and doesn't make them feel so isolating.

    It's interesting to see how a post about basic in ear monitoring hook up, has evolved to full in ear discussion and philosophy. I love it!

    My 2cents about IEMs, I don't like too much how it sounds my in ear headphones (Shure 215). They're all about clarity, but also a bit fizzy and doesn't have proper weight for a full balanced sound. It does the work for me, just because in our band half of us has IEMs as personal monitor. However, we don't connect them to a mixing board, we don't have a metronome, and we use them to passively isolate ourselves from the rest of the band and focus more on our instruments.

    When considering upgrading to a better alternative, I tried some (hi-fi and consumer) in ear headphones, and despite most of them sounded better or balanced, no of them could beat the Shure in two fields: noise insolation and ear fit. I know there would be better alternativas out there but playing live twice a year. I guess I'll stick with what I have.

    Quote from Casuso

    It's interesting to see how a post about basic in ear monitoring hook up, has evolved to full in ear discussion and philosophy. I love it!

    My 2cents about IEMs, I don't like too much how it sounds my in ear headphones (Shure 215). They're all about clarity, but also a bit fizzy and doesn't have proper weight for a full balanced sound. It does the work for me, just because in our band half of us has IEMs as personal monitor. However, we don't connect them to a mixing board, we don't have a metronome, and we use them to passively isolate ourselves from the rest of the band and focus more on our instruments.

    When considering upgrading to a better alternative, I tried some (hi-fi and consumer) in ear headphones, and despite most of them sounded better or balanced, no of them could beat the Shure in two fields: noise insolation and ear fit. I know there would be better alternativas out there but playing live twice a year. I guess I'll stick with what I have.

    That's partially my fault :)

    I also have some Shure 215's and some Westone AM30's I think ( they are the triple drives and cost me abut £400?). I also invested in custom mold 7 driver ultimate ears. I have run cheap LV systems and I now run the LV u508 and have used sennheiser transmitter and packs.

    I've also played with ear plugs and customer ACS filtered. I also invested in the ACS adapter to convert to IEM - avoid, does NOT work!

    I have personally found:

    1) The sound is never as good as live or over ear headphones ( obviously). I always find the sound a bit fizzy. It's not terrible but also I feel I miss "the" sound

    2) Isolation or not? I found that even if you get some sound bleed its not enough to hear the audience enough ( maybe we need to get them to cheer more ha!).

    The only reason I'm saying all this is that I found after a lot of money spent that they are not perfect and there is a level of investment.

    However I still prefer to use them and sometimes you just need to get used to things for the wider benefit :)

    Just my two cents, here. What you hear and feel in a calm rehersal room with iem, may be very different of what you hear and feel on stage behind a big PA system. Now, I set some sort of “fake PA" in my studio: the whole band mix goes in a bass amp set at moderate level. A few hit and miss, of course, but now rehearsals feelings with iem translate much better on real stage with iem. And, as a second benefit, soundcheck has turned fast and easy.

    Quote from adok54

    Just my two cents, here. What you hear and feel in a calm rehersal room with iem, may be very different of what you hear and feel on stage behind a big PA system. Now, I set some sort of “fake PA" in my studio: the whole band mix goes in a bass amp set at moderate level. A few hit and miss, of course, but now rehearsals feelings with iem translate much better on real stage with iem. And, as a second benefit, soundcheck has turned fast and easy.

    This works really well when using your own PA.

    As a band when we rehearse, we have taken the time to set up the PA and IEM's so its almost plug and play...obviously, this is only suitable when using our PA.

    • Official Post
    Quote from GCNC8068

    I have to disagree with DonPetersen a bit -- the transmitter/receiver hardware matters, but only to the point it can provide a clear channel to broadcast on. I've used cheap and not-cheap rigs, and the difference isn't so much audio tone as susceptibility to interference (both in frequency band to find a clear channel, and RFI/EMI). If you buy the right frequency range in the hardware, finding a clear channel is somewhat binary -- you find one or you don't. Once you do, the quality of the audio doesn't change much from the $100 units to the $1,000 in my real world experience.

    we switched from Shure bodypacks to Sennheiser and the difference was stunning

    We have bought a set of 3 dual-mono EW 300 iem Systems. Together with a combiner (and 3/3 EW dx mic / instrument systems).
    My main complaint is the poor stereo separation. Due to budget constraints we have to use mono, but the bleed from the other channel is pretty massive.

    I started with a cheap Nady 4 channel mono IEM rig (900mhz) so that the 4 piece band all had wireless IEMs. I used Shure 215s as the earbuds, then BASN 3-driver earbuds. The Nady was very noisy. I then tried a Phenyx PTM-10 in stereo just for me (500mhz band). It was good and sounded very good but has a noise floor that was annoying. I then upgraded earbuds to Westone Am pro 30x and they are great - biggest improvement in audio quality. Finally i bit the bullet and bought the Audio Technica ATW-3255 wireless - astounding channel bandwidth (470 – 608 MHz, basically all the legal channels in the US) and it sounds great with the Westones. The main difference I heard in the wireless units themselves was interference (rfi and emi) not so much audio quality - the upgrade in earbuds drastically improved the pure audio tone of each. The ATW3255 is amazing in that you are essentially assured of finding a clear channel.