# In ear monitors



## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I've agreed to a position in a band that plays almost entirely between May and October as they only do out door gigs. May do the occasional casino gig in the winter but mostly take the winter off. One of the requirements is I'll have to get In ear monitors. I'm looking at the Sennheiser G4A. They're quite expensive so I'd like to use them in my other band as well so I feel I'm getting value from purchasing them. But in that other band I'd be the only one with IEM's. Is this something that can work? Pros, cons?


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

In-ear monitors are great. It takes a bit of getting used to as you don't hear the room in the same way but the improvement in the house sound from not having stage monitors is amazing.

You'll lose the advantage of improved sound if you're the only one using them, but you can still customize your mix nicely (assuming that your mixer has a pre fader aux out to spare). You will need to make sure that there is no chance of feedback and you will have to train the rest of the band not to unplug while you're wearing them as squeals and pops are excruciating with in-ears.

Congrats on the new band!


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

In your other band, they’ll help you but won’t help the other guys.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

bw66 said:


> In-ear monitors are great. It takes a bit of getting used to as you don't hear the room in the same way but the improvement in the house sound from not having stage monitors is amazing.
> 
> You'll lose the advantage of improved sound if you're the only one using them, but you can still customize your mix nicely (assuming that your mixer has a pre fader aux out to spare). You will need to make sure that there is no chance of feedback and you will have to train the rest of the band not to unplug while you're wearing them as squeals and pops are excruciating with in-ears.
> 
> Congrats on the new band!



Hmm. Sounds like it might be best to leave the in ears at home for my other band. They aren't that serious about sound and I can see getting squealing feedback driven in to my brain. The new band is far more serious.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Assuming that you have decent monitors, that's probably a good plan. You could always incorporate them in the other band at a later date, once you're used to them.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I'm looking at this IEM set Sennheiser G4A Sennheiser - EW IEM G4-A Wireless Stereo Monitoring Set

Hopefully this is a good quality in ear monitor. Can anyone tell me what I can expect as far as guitar tones through this? I really like the sound of my amp but is it going to matter anymore. I've never liked in the past when sound guys wanted to feed my guitar amp in to the stage monitors.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

guitarman2 said:


> I'm looking at this IEM set Sennheiser G4A Sennheiser - EW IEM G4-A Wireless Stereo Monitoring Set
> 
> Hopefully this is a good quality in ear monitor. Can anyone tell me what I can expect as far as guitar tones through this? I really like the sound of my amp but is it going to matter anymore. I've never liked in the past when sound guys wanted to feed my guitar amp in to the stage monitors.


There are two reasons I would foldback guitar.

1. if the player is too loud coming off stage and obviously needs to hear him or herself better.
2. if the player asked me to do so.

The guitar tone you hear in your IEM depends on the entire signal chain, (all the way from you amp back to the monitors and everything in between).

There's no reason that can't be excellent.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Milkman said:


> There are two reasons I would foldback guitar.
> 
> 1. if the player is too loud coming off stage and obviously needs to hear him or herself better.
> 2. if the player asked me to do so.
> ...


#1 was definitely me. Yes I was one of those annoying guitar players that sound guys struggled with. However in my more advancing years I have struggled with tinnitus and can't take the loud stage volumes anymore. Even my own. I'm thinking these In ear monitors might be the best way to allow me to keep playing for more years with out fear of further damaging my ears.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

guitarman2 said:


> #1 was definitely me. Yes I was one of those annoying guitar players that sound guys struggled with. However in my more advancing years I have struggled with tinnitus and can't take the loud stage volumes anymore. Even my own. I'm thinking these In ear monitors might be the best way to allow me to keep playing for more years with out fear of further damaging my ears.


Well, I'm a big fan of IEMs. In my opinion, there's not a better form of hearing protection and they come withOUT the side effect of making the player even louder.

What I mean is that most people I know who use hearing protection (db reduction filters) tend to play louder as a result. It's not hard to figure out why.

Once you put those IEMs in, you're both blocking ambient noise and surgically controlling what you DO hear.

From the moment I started using them, I started getting requests to turn UP.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Milkman said:


> What I mean is that most people I know who use hearing protection (db reduction filters) tend to play louder as a result. It's not hard to figure out why.


I will start the night out wearing db reduction plugs and take them out before long. I hated the way my amp would sound or basically how anything would sound. I've got several pairs and some are better than others but none are great for sound.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

guitarman2 said:


> I will start the night out wearing db reduction plugs and take them out before long. I hated the way my amp would sound or basically how anything would sound. I've got several pairs and some are better than others but none are great for sound.


What do many people do when wearing earbuds or earphones?

They shout.


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## jfk911 (May 23, 2008)

With your band do you need to buy the receiver and transmitter as that's the bulk of the cost in that set, if they have an open channel you may be able to get away with just the receiver. 
Looking at that set I'm not to familiar with the IE4 but 79.99 for an IEM is on the relatively low. My primary set of IEMs is 64 audio A3 and I have Shure 215s as my back up pair, I have zero experience but hear really good thing about KZs and they are inexpensive from what I remember. 

The biggest thing will be getting a good seal to cut off all outside noise and getting use to the sound of using IEMs as its definitely not the same as wedge monitors. If you guys run Stereo IEMs hard panning instruments to their location on stage helps and setting up a stage right and left ambient mic's to put some room noise back in.

Also don't get lost when they start advertising driver count, driver count does make an impact but not all drivers are created equally. A KZ with 8 drivers per side will get destroyed by any custom IEM made by a reputable manufacturer. Most of the big guys all get their drivers from the same place and just tune them slightly different. Also make sure they are tuned for what you want, a bass player or drummer will usually want a different set then a guitar player.

Also the cheaper of an IEM you get, the crappier the sound will be. Will distort earlier wont have instrument separation and less overall which leads people to talk down on IEMs, but when you have a $4,000k + rig running through $80 dollar headphones you cant expect it to sound the same. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

jfk911 said:


> With your band do you need to buy the receiver and transmitter as that's the bulk of the cost in that set, if they have an open channel you may be able to get away with just the receiver.
> Looking at that set I'm not to familiar with the IE4 but 79.99 for an IEM is on the relatively low. My primary set of IEMs is 64 audio A3 and I have Shure 215s as my back up pair, I have zero experience but hear really good thing about KZs and they are inexpensive from what I remember.
> 
> The biggest thing will be getting a good seal to cut off all outside noise and getting use to the sound of using IEMs as its definitely not the same as wedge monitors. If you guys run Stereo IEMs hard panning instruments to their location on stage helps and setting up a stage right and left ambient mic's to put some room noise back in.
> ...



Yeah I never noticed that the in ear headphones that came with that rig were cheap. I sourced out another Sennheiser headphone that were around $500 that probably would be much better quality.
I messaged the band to ask if I'd need a transmitter as well. If I used what they had does the limit me in any way to how I can set my monitor mix?
I assume that if I had a Sennheiser receiver that it would be compatible with their Shure transmitter?


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## TimH (Feb 4, 2006)

Long time IEM user here. A few thoughts as I've been reading:

1. Do you _need_ a wireless feed? Are you that mobile as a guitarist? In many situations one can save a lot of money by using a proper IEM headphone amp (presonus/shure/behringer all make great options). Wireless is only helpful if you need to move a lot. Otherwise it's expensive and inherently an audio compromise. 

2.If that answer to #1 is "no" then depending on your rig you might have other options. I used to run my monitor mix through my Helix on a discreet audio path. So the Helix acts as the headphone amp. Several Fractal units could do this as well. So then no need to buy a headphone amp, and you could get a custom cable made with a headphone cable linked to a guitar cord so you're not any more limited in range of motion than you are tied to your pedalboard/FX unit.

3. *This is the big one and can not be overstated*: Headphones are the key to happiness. Do not cheap out. After having had headphones at every price point (KZ, 215s, Westone 3's, Molded Westones, 1964 Audio V6 Stage and 64 Audtio A6t's) you really do get what you pay for. I think the sweet spot is probably the previously mentioned A3t's from 64 Audio. I know they aren't cheap but this is what you're hearing EVERYTHING through. Folks spend more on their speaker cabs. It's simply a terrible idea to go with IEM's and cheap out on the headphones. 

Hope that helps!


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

TimH said:


> Long time IEM user here. A few thoughts as I've been reading:
> 
> 1. Do you _need_ a wireless feed? Are you that mobile as a guitarist? In many situations one can save a lot of money by using a proper IEM headphone amp (presonus/shure/behringer all make great options). Wireless is only helpful if you need to move a lot. Otherwise it's expensive and inherently an audio compromise.
> 
> ...


Currently I'm not a mobile guitarist. Although I've been considering wireless guitar for a while I don't know if I'd want a wire hanging down from my head to an amp beside me. A guitar cable is one thing but then to be tied with 2 things...


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## TimH (Feb 4, 2006)

guitarman2 said:


> Currently I'm not a mobile guitarist. Although I've been considering wireless guitar for a while I don't know if I'd want a wire hanging down from my head to an amp beside me. A guitar cable is one thing but then to be tied with 2 things...












Voila.

Not the prettiest cable here but I had Dwayne from Revelation Cable Company make me one of these out of nice cables and this is your solution.


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## tonewoody (Mar 29, 2017)

Many benefits to using In-ears. Being able to customize your own "personal band mix" is sweet. 

Unless you are going full di (no amps), try experimenting with blending in the stage sound. Basically, insert one of the in-ears only part way.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

A buddy was telling me how he won't use in ear monitors because the sound guys are not trustworthy. He was playing a gig a couple of years ago and their band was setting up. Out of the 11 people in the band he wouldn't use the in ear monitors because he didn't trust his hearing to a sound man. As they were warming up everyone on stage but him made a terrifying grimace and dropped to their knees clutching their ears. The sound guy fucked up. He said he could tell by the look on the singer's voice she experienced hearing damage from the super loud screech that was accidentally driven through everyone's head. That's not the only time he has seen iem failure.

So there's that...


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## Nork (Mar 27, 2010)

I've used and mixed IEM's on and off for a bit. They take some getting used to, but if the rest of the band is into them it's a good idea.

i agree with the wireless need - if you don't need the wireless mobility, there are lots of options that'll do. 

The only thing I would caution is - mono IEM's can be tough to mix and be happy with - it's a lot to crunch down to one channel, so sometimes less is more. So if it's possible for a stereo feed, then sweet. Also - throw an ambient mic in your mic list for the venue. That sometimes helps with the "fishbowl"ness of IEM's.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Nork said:


> I've used and mixed IEM's on and off for a bit. They take some getting used to, but if the rest of the band is into them it's a good idea.
> 
> i agree with the wireless need - if you don't need the wireless mobility, there are lots of options that'll do.
> 
> The only thing I would caution is - mono IEM's can be tough to mix and be happy with - it's a lot to crunch down to one channel, so sometimes less is more. So if it's possible for a stereo feed, then sweet. Also - throw an ambient mic in your mic list for the venue. That sometimes helps with the "fishbowl"ness of IEM's.


This might be a stupid question but as I said earlier I know nothing about these systems. Is the ability to run a stereo mix dependent on the transmitter\receiver or the board the mix is coming from?


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## jfk911 (May 23, 2008)

guitarman2 said:


> This might be a stupid question but as I said earlier I know nothing about these systems. Is the ability to run a stereo mix dependent on the transmitter\receiver or the board the mix is coming from?


short answer both, its also dependent on how many monitor outputs they have available. I've played at venues that support stereo but played way more that could only do mono, as most bands aren't set up for IEM.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

TimH said:


> View attachment 378112
> 
> 
> Voila.
> ...


This is the coolest thing I've ever seen! I'm a Helix user, too, and I could really use one of these cables! I'll have to see if I can source one.


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## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

Does anyone using IEMs get ear infections?


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Hammerhands said:


> Does anyone using IEMs get ear infections?


Just don't trade with your friends. 😁


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## TimH (Feb 4, 2006)

Hammerhands said:


> Does anyone using IEMs get ear infections?


never.


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## jfk911 (May 23, 2008)

Hammerhands said:


> Does anyone using IEMs get ear infections?


Been using them for about 10 years and never once


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## Nork (Mar 27, 2010)

guitarman2 said:


> This might be a stupid question but as I said earlier I know nothing about these systems. Is the ability to run a stereo mix dependent on the transmitter\receiver or the board the mix is coming from?


 not stupid - the answer is both. the transmitter needs the LR inputs and the ability to transmit in ST and the desk needs to have the available outputs and config to send out a ST aux mix.


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## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

guitarman2 said:


> I've agreed to a position in a band that plays almost entirely between May and October as they only do out door gigs. May do the occasional casino gig in the winter but mostly take the winter off. One of the requirements is I'll have to get In ear monitors. I'm looking at the Sennheiser G4A. They're quite expensive so I'd like to use them in my other band as well so I feel I'm getting value from purchasing them. But in that other band I'd be the only one with IEM's. Is this something that can work? Pros, cons?


The cover band that im with now practices using in-ears. We set up a room mic so that we can hear the room better (pro's do it too, so that they don't feel so isolated from the crowd)
We dont use packs,we use cables...everyone gets the same mix, but we can customize volume to each person..it has cut down practice volume and made us a tighter unit since you can hear everything clearer...
We havent had a post covid gig yet,but the plan live is to use monitors

Half the band has these and likes them, shoukd you be interested










MEE audio M6 PRO Musicians’ in-Ear Monitors with Detachable Cables; Universal-Fit and Noise-Isolating (2nd Generation) (Clear) : Amazon.ca: Electronics


MEE audio M6 PRO Musicians’ in-Ear Monitors with Detachable Cables; Universal-Fit and Noise-Isolating (2nd Generation) (Clear) : Amazon.ca: Electronics



www.amazon.ca


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## Fuzzy dagger (Jun 3, 2016)

I see one can “loosen” the buds to allow stage sound, does that work? I would use this only to hear vocals and we don’t mic the amps (kick and snare sometimes). Are there buds that allow room sound?


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