In Ear Monitor System...Should I use a cab?

[bestep123]

Hey Folks

Gear:
MarkBass CMD 121p amp
Shure IEMs
'86 Music Man Stingray
Mackie Board (for stage control of monitor mix)

Question:
I am in a 4 piece bluegrass band and we are newbies when it comes to IEMs. I am wondering whether or not I should keep my bass signal out of my IEMs and use only an amp on stage or run directly in to the IEMs and go without an amp, or blend both signals together.

We tried the system out today (1st time) and found blending worked best so far, but do you have any suggestions?

Let me know. Thanks!

[MNAirHead]

I'm confused of what you're asking. Can you guys get then dialed on without any amps

[steveksux]

If you go through the mains, you don't need an amp on stage for yourself, just put bass in the iems.

If anyone in the band is NOT on iems, you need to put bass through their monitor, or have an amp on stage for them to be able to hear it.

Never hurts to have an amp as a backup in case the iems go down, batteries fail, etc.

Also, if your earbuds don't reproduce bass freqs that well, the amp can supply the lows (they'll bleed through the isolation of the earbuds) enough to make it more satisfying tonewise.

From a mixing sound perspective, better not to have any amps on stage. They just mess with the FOH sound anyway, all IEMs is the preferred way to go.

Randy

[Wes Whitmore]

Use your combo as the preamp and put it in everyone's IEMs. Might as well just bring the combo up on stage and use it as a monitor if you need it. I would try to put it close to you, and try facing it across the stage and not out into the audience (If you have good enough PA to supply the room with bass). Only turn it up enough that it suppliments the bass in your IEMs. If you do not have good enough PA to support your bass, then you will have to point it out to the audience and turn it up like normal.
I use a single 1x10 or a 2x10 when I use a cab. I don't turn it up much, but it makes it easier to reach my amp, and gives me a good place to put my beer.
Wes

[shtik]

An amp is always good to have and helps to feel yourself more. IEM's generally give good definition for the bass, but easily you can feel that it is a bit thin sounding.

The FOH subwoofers, especially if located on or close to the stage, will give a sense of weight to the bass combined with the IEM's, but mostly it will blur the image so you'll need to raise the IEM level to unnecessary high level just to hear the bass well.

Having an amp right behind you, even at significantly low levels than what you'll use when not running IEM's, lets you better control the amount of definition, feel and bass depth, contributing altogether to the sense of hearing yourself well without using excessive levels in your ears or on the amp.

Keep in mind that the bass you will hear in your IEM's (even when using appropriate isolating earphones) is a sum of the bass feed on the IEM's, bass from your amp and sub-bass frequencies from behind the subwoofers (which also vibrate through your body).

Hope that helps.

[Rocksolid]

I am using a powered monitor with my IEM's so that there is a bit of a presence of Bass on stage. I have my IEM, a rack tuner and a preamp (Presonus Studio Channel) in a rack. the pre amp has 2 outputs so I run one to the desk and one to the powered monitor.

[jaywa]

Originally Posted by shtik

An amp is always good to have and helps to feel yourself more. IEM's generally give good definition for the bass, but easily you can feel that it is a bit thin sounding.

The FOH subwoofers, especially if located on or close to the stage, will give a sense of weight to the bass combined with the IEM's, but mostly it will blur the image so you'll need to raise the IEM level to unnecessary high level just to hear the bass well.

Having an amp right behind you, even at significantly low levels than what you'll use when not running IEM's, lets you better control the amount of definition, feel and bass depth, contributing altogether to the sense of hearing yourself well without using excessive levels in your ears or on the amp.

Keep in mind that the bass you will hear in your IEM's (even when using appropriate isolating earphones) is a sum of the bass feed on the IEM's, bass from your amp and sub-bass frequencies from behind the subwoofers (which also vibrate through your body).

Hope that helps.

Perfectly stated, and I agree 100%. I roll with IEMs plus a small combo (Line 6 LowDown150) located behind me, elevated about 4 feet off the ground and turned up just high enough to give me some "feel" in addition to my IEMs... which typically means master volume no higher than high noon. Between the IEMs, the combo and whatever translates to the stage from the FOH subs, I consistently get an onstage bass sound that ranges from really good to darn near perfect.

[Groove Master]

Yeah sure use both for several reasons.

First you can send the sound of your preamp if you like the sound of it.

Second, you'll have much more bottom end which is why we play bass.

Third, it can helps the others members to hear and feel the bass also on stage.

make sure to verify the phase between your IEM and your amp by asking the sound enginner to flip the phase on the bass strip at the board.

[jaywa]

Oh and BTW, keep the IEMs in both of your ears all the time.

Last weekend we played a show where the chick singer wasn't coming through my IEMs for whatever reason so I pulled my right earbud halfway out to hear her out of the mains. BIG MISTAKE... my left ear was fine the next day while my right ear was ringing and I felt "unbalanced" all day.

[FretFree]

Not cheap, but makes a WORLD of difference without having an amp onstage:

ButtKicker®

[robbotbass]

yup I mic my cab and blend the Di. works best by far. I have the sure E3's and l don't think I can go back to wedges.