Interested in moving to IEM. Have questions

[ian_dissonance]

I think mono would be fine. We're just a bar cover band.

Mono is perfectly fine if your goal is hearing everything and staying together as a band. It’s not quite as enjoyable as stereo, but totally functional. If your band is still using amps and drums on stage you more or less want to use the IEMs as ear plugs that allow you to filter hard to hear things less than loud things.

 

[spawnofthesith]

No complaints using mono here

 

[burningyen]

My 5-piece band uses the X32 and MX-Q app and is happy with our mono IEM mixes. I can't vouch for the experience of playing through other IEMs, but as a long-time CLR user I've been pretty happy with my 3DMEs with custom molded tips paired with a Sennheiser G4 wireless.

 

[pipelineaudio]

Keep in mind that if you go the Xair or whatever route, you either have to rely on the venue to be able to send you some specific outs (which they may not necessarily have) or provide the venue a proper splitter (which they may not be inclined to use if its a multi band event)

 

[ian_dissonance]

Keep in mind that if you go the Xair or whatever route, you either have to rely on the venue to be able to send you some specific outs (which they may not necessarily have) or provide the venue a proper splitter (which they may not be inclined to use if its a multi band event)

If you’re not going to be self-contained I don’t think it’s worth it, honestly. I have yet to have a sound guy have an issue with put splits, as labeled in lines in one place are usually the smoothest functional part of a gig.

 

[Ledvedder]

Well, if we upgrade to a digital mixer, we'll also have to replace our passive speakers and floor monitors. Any recommendations?

 

[ian_dissonance]

Well, if we upgrade to a digital mixer, we'll also have to replace our passive speakers and floor monitors. Any recommendations?

What’s the budget? My personal experience is spend now and then don’t worry about it. If you’re getting by with that Peavey setup a pair of EV ZLX powered speakers will blow your mind, lol.

 

[pipelineaudio]

I have yet to have a sound guy have an issue with put splits, as labeled in lines in one place are usually the smoothest functional part of a gig.

I think you've been lucky. With a 15 minute changeover EVERYTHING is an issue. You sound like one of the types that makes it as easy as possible for the soundman, so that may be skewing your perception. The normal dipshit who has his girlfriend yelling at the soundguy during that whole 15 minutes is more the norm

 

[ian_dissonance]

I think you've been lucky. With a 15 minute changeover EVERYTHING is an issue. You sound like one of the types that makes it as easy as possible for the soundman, so that may be skewing your perception. The normal dipshit who has his girlfriend yelling at the soundguy during that whole 15 minutes is more the norm

I also do sound, so you better believe I’m making it as way as possible on the sound guy. We did a 10 minute band flip on Saturday, it was pretty smooth other than the sound guy plugged my bass drops into a channel and then thought it was another channel. I also wouldn’t recommend IEMs for people that don’t want to go in full ass with it. I’ve done shows FOH with a variety of levels of bands using them and the only ones that ever really caused a lag or an issue where the ones where one or two guys in the band wants to use them, wants me to do their mix, and forgot to tell me about it until they were already mostly loaded on stage. IME it’s a do-it-as-a-group-or-don’t-bother proposition when you’re playing live.

 

[pipelineaudio]

We have a guy that's been coming in lately with his own in ear thing, while the rest of the band is on wedges. His device has a mic on the receiver that you can mix in with the direct. Looks like a good idea. But the guy stands onstage between songs going "maaaaaaah maaaaaaah maaaaah" just like in some old sitcom, big bang or fraser or something, while he adjusts the mix knob. I thought he'd figure it by the first show, but he's still doing it and it makes the audience go to the game room or bars instead of his room. I wish I knew what receiver that was.

 

[GuitarBilly74]

Well, if we upgrade to a digital mixer, we'll also have to replace our passive speakers and floor monitors. Any recommendations?

I use QSC K10.2s for mains and Altos TS408s for wedges.

The QSCs are expensive but well worth it IMHO. If you are on a tighter budget, LD Systems ICOA 12s are very good for the price. LD Systems is a division of Adam Audio and they make good stuff. My drummer has pair of them for his practice room and they sound great.

The Altos are affordable and work well for floor monitors but I don't know if I'd use them for mains. Maybe the 12s would be okay but overall they don't sound as clear and punchy as the QSC or LD. Definitely good enough for floors though.

 

[Ledvedder]

I use QSC K10.2s for mains and Altos TS408s for wedges.

The QSCs are expensive but well worth it IMHO. If you are on a tighter budget, LD Systems ICOA 12s are very good for the price. LD Systems is a division of Adam Audio and they make good stuff. My drummer has pair of them for his practice room and they sound great.

The Altos are affordable and work well for floor monitors but I don't know if I'd use them for mains. Maybe the 12s would be okay but overall they don't sound as clear and punchy as the QSC or LD. Definitely good enough for floors though.

Do you run drums and bass through the 10's?

 

[GuitarBilly74]

Do you run drums and bass through the 10's?

Yes. No issues. Put a compressor/limiter on the kick drum, which is a good idea regardless of your setup.
I want to add subs eventually but it sounds fine without them.

 

[spawnofthesith]

I also do sound, so you better believe I’m making it as way as possible on the sound guy. We did a 10 minute band flip on Saturday, it was pretty smooth other than the sound guy plugged my bass drops into a channel and then thought it was another channel. I also wouldn’t recommend IEMs for people that don’t want to go in full ass with it. I’ve done shows FOH with a variety of levels of bands using them and the only ones that ever really caused a lag or an issue where the ones where one or two guys in the band wants to use them, wants me to do their mix, and forgot to tell me about it until they were already mostly loaded on stage. IME it’s a do-it-as-a-group-or-don’t-bother proposition when you’re playing live.

I’m a big proponent of being as communicative and detailed with the sound guy as possible, but I swear, half the time it’s like the sound guy never read the response to the advance email detailing our setup…. It’s like they just are finding everything for the first time during load in


That said still usually a good experience and I’ve started threads how pro-sound guy I am. I don’t really trust guitar players that are -constantly- whining about sound guys, and generally I’ll differ to assuming the guitar player is fucking up if they’re constantly having sound guy issues


There are bad apples/actors out there, but 99% of the time the sound guy rules

 

[ian_dissonance]

I’m a big proponent of being as communicative and detailed with the sound guy as possible, but I swear, half the time it’s like the sound guy never read the response to the advance email detailing our setup…. It’s like they just are finding everything for the first time during load in


That said still usually a good experience and I’ve started threads how pro-sound guy I am. I don’t really trust guitar players that are -constantly- whining about sound guys, and generally I’ll differ to assuming the guitar player is fucking up if they’re constantly having sound guy issues


There are bad apples/actors out there, but 99% of the time the sound guy rules

If everyone communicates everything tends to go pretty smoothly.

 

[Jaji]

I started using IEMs this year. Our main goal was to keep stage volume down. Can't do a thing for the drums unless our drummer goes to a digital kit, but whatever. For me the benefits are: 1 - much less hard on my ears. My ears no longer ring after a gig (aside from the tinnitus I've already acquired. 2 - We have a much better balanced stage volume. 3 - I can hear everything clearly. 4 - I can control my own monitor mix.
The downsides are: 1 - No "feel" from the amp on stage. 2 - Yes I hear myself clearly, but it does not sound the same as a roaring amp.
In the end, I still enjoy what I am doing, even if the sound and feel isn't what I have become accustomed to. There is somewhat of a learning curve, but a lot of that is your brain adjusting to hearing things differently. The fact that I am now doing much less damage to my ears just feels better after a gig - no more "WHAT???" when speaking with others after playing.
Be sure to do yourself a favor and spend a little more than you think you need to. You don't need $700 ear buds, but the $20 ones won't work well, especially not for very long.