IN THE NOT-SO-DISTANT FUTURE, WEDGES
AND
sidefills could disappear from stages large and small, ending up
as museum exhibits alongside Shure Vocal Masters and Altec
Voice of the Theater speakers. As in-ear monitoring (IEM) systems
drop in price, more working musicians may opt for the
benefits of less stage volume, less feedback, and clearer, cleaner
monitor mixes. Good affordable systems—meaning transmitter,
receiver, and earpiece for one musician—include Audio-
Technica’s M2 ($599 street), Galaxy’s AS-1100 ($399
street),
Sennheiser’s ew 300 IEM G3 ($999 street), and Shure’s PSM
200 ($599 street). If you desire custom-molded earpieces, Logitech’s
Ultimate Ear models start at $399 (retail). Here are some
things to consider before embracing IEMs.
GET FAMILIAR
IEM systems prevent volume wars between the wedges and
your backline as the monitor mixer struggles to ensure band members can hear
their parts over the roar of the amps and
drums. Instead, earpieces isolate the performer from ambient
sounds and output the monitor mix directly into the ear. This
can be a mixed blessing, however, as bassists typically dig being
enveloped by the stage sound of their amps, and vocalists often
feed off the exhortations of the audience. To prep for the cutoff
-from-everything sensation of wearing earpieces, pop on a
pair of closed headphones, listen to a stereo track, and critically
assess whether you can hang performing “in your own
head.” If you purchase a system, test it out at rehearsals long
before hitting
the stage. And if your entire band buys into the
IEM concept, work out learning curves, system refinements,
and other issues one member at a time.
EDUCATE YOUR SOUND CREW
Mixing for IEMs is quite different than mixing for wedges. The
good thing is that you’re not managing feedback with EQ in ways
that can tank sound quality. The challenging bit is that you’re
practically
mixing a record with every show. You’ll have to bring bass
and guitar solos up, and ride vocals so the singer can hear soft passages
and not get blasted by screams. Featured vocals and instruments
should be compressed individually
before the master
(safety)
limiter to ensure nothing jumps out of the band mix. Also, singers
can get too comfortable with hearing their voices so clearly, and
they may back off somewhat. It helps to mix the vocal so that the
singer has to push a little to get on top of the mix. Savvy panning
can help separate and clarify instruments, and a bit of reverb will
add some comfy dimension to the vocals and drums. To negate
aural claustrophobia, some pro mixers even set up audience mics
to feed the sound of the room into the IEM mix.
DEFEND YOUR HEARING
IEM systems can help manage stage volume to relatively safe
levels, but only if the musicians don’t blast the levels hitting
their ears. If you can’t hear something very well, discuss the
problem with the monitor mixer before you pin your receiver’s
volume knob and risk hearing damage.