IEM's for only one band member

morgansterne · #1 08-20-2012, 10:46 AM

Hey everyone,
I searched around but couldn't find an answer to this. I didn't wear earplugs for the band's last gig as we were outside and didn't think it would seem so loud. It really didn't seem loud at the time, but it took about twenty hours for my ears to totally stop ringing.
I'd like to do IEM's but I don't know much about how it might work if I'm the only one using them. We have a spare aux out on the board that's not being used so that could become my in ear mix I assume. We run our own sound so I'm a little nervous that things could be off and I wouldn't know it.
Will I still need my amp or could we just run bass through monitors and FOH?
I do loads of harmony singing in the band and sing lead on about 20% of the songs.

hgregs · #2 08-20-2012, 12:31 PM

if you are using your bass amp only for stage monitoring, then you could eliminate your cabinet. you still need a preamp to get to the board. then you need a headphone amp (takes the feed from the aux on the board), and a pair of IEMs -- you're good to go. hopefully your board has a limiter, or get a headphone amp w/ a limiter, so you can protect your ears from from volume spikes.

kanonfodr · #3 08-20-2012, 01:20 PM

Against every shred of Audiological Science, I do a similar thing. Drummer and myself on the IEMS in mono, one in and one out. I simply control him against me. Works well enough, but that's strictly for my purposes and I recommend to everyone else that they do their research about how they plan to use the system and insure they are doing so as safely as possible.

Peace,
Greg

jaywa · #4 08-20-2012, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morgansterne

Hey everyone,
I searched around but couldn't find an answer to this. I didn't wear earplugs for the band's last gig as we were outside and didn't think it would seem so loud. It really didn't seem loud at the time, but it took about twenty hours for my ears to totally stop ringing.

That's serious.

MoeGJBeener · #5 08-20-2012, 01:29 PM

I suggest going the IEM route. Especially if you're a harmony singer. Try to get the rest of your band on them as well. Eliminating floor monitors and guitar/bass amps makes for great FOH control. Only thing we have on stage every weekend is a drum set and a 112 guitar combo. (lead guitarist refuses to go direct) but every sound guy we work with compliments how good and clean our sound is due to low stage volume

derrico1 · #6 08-20-2012, 01:54 PM

Depends on how robust your stage wedges are. If you're the only one on IEMs, you'll probably need to keep your stage amp so the other musicians (& the drummer

) have audible bass to keep them on track.

morgansterne · #7 08-20-2012, 07:33 PM

good point derrico. The drummer would absolutely need an onstage bass cab, not a standard vocal wedge.
As for getting everybody IEM's, there's no way we could do that without getting a dedicated soundman. I read the posts above of the whole band using IEM's and periodically checking the mix out front, but that notion scares the heck outta me.

I think the bottom line is we need to redo our sound system. We were recently voted in Cleveland Magazine's Best Of issue as one of the best cover bands in cleveland and we're using a powered Behringer mixer, and using only one monitor mix for everybody!

Dantreige · #8 08-20-2012, 08:27 PM

You would not need your amp if the drummer (or anyone else that wants to hear your bass) has a good monitor that can handle the bass. I use 1x15 yamahas powered by a QSC GX5. Plenty of power and bass from those.

I've been ampless for over a year (and have done so for peoriods of time before). I don't use IEM because I need to check the FOH once in a while because we do sound from the stage. (We also provide our own p.a. When we don't, we still use our board and monitors and just give the FOH a feed from that.)

I would go that route (IEM's) if we ever hired a full time FOH person.

Good luck!

Jazzdogg · #9 08-20-2012, 11:20 PM

I've heard good things about the Rolls PM351, but have no personal experience with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=qb2Qmf8IlAY

Rip Topaz · #10 08-21-2012, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazzdogg

I've heard good things about the Rolls PM351, but have no personal experience with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=qb2Qmf8IlAY

I've been interested in that, too. Only thing stopping me is it's lack of a limiter. The Peavey HB-2 has all of the features of the Rolls but with a built in limiter.

MNAirHead · #11 08-21-2012, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

I've been interested in that, too. Only thing stopping me is it's lack of a limiter. The Peavey HB-2 has all of the features of the Rolls but with a built in limiter.

I've owned them both. The rolls is more giggable

Soon after well be discussing adding a wireless... Common units like the shure psm200 have them built in I've also tested the Samson, Alesis type smaller limiters with acceptable results

**Ric5** · #12 08-21-2012, 07:43 AM

I used IEMs for a while.

We each had 5 volume controls for our own IEM.

1 - pa main feed
2 - drums
3 - bass
4 - guitar 1
5 - guitar 2

We all had small to medium stage amps and a big pa 3000 watts.

jaywa · #13 08-21-2012, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morgansterne

As for getting everybody IEM's, there's no way we could do that without getting a dedicated soundman. I read the posts above of the whole band using IEM's and periodically checking the mix out front, but that notion scares the heck outta me.

I think the bottom line is we need to redo our sound system. We were recently voted in Cleveland Magazine's Best Of issue as one of the best cover bands in cleveland and we're using a powered Behringer mixer, and using only one monitor mix for everybody!

Re your first point: not necessarily. My 5-piece band runs all our own sound from the stage... FOH and wireless IEMs to everyone. It's a Yamaha digital board and we each have our own IEM mix saved as a pre-set into the board with the option to tweak any part of our individual mix at any time, on the fly. FOH is initially set via a standard pre-set and then tweaked on the fly after I've spent part of the first song out in the house (wireless) listening. We get compliments on our sound all the time and frankly, because of that we've determined a soundman isn't worth the extra money.

Re your second point: that's mighty impressive and congrats are in order. Maybe by all having to share one monitor mix you all... I dunno... are LISTENING to each other (instead of "More Me Syndrome") and that's why your band comes off so well. Congrats and don't be afraid to capitalize on your reputation (i.e., start charging more $

). Upgrading your sound system should only make a good band better as long as the technology re-inforces -- not replaces -- what got your band this far to begin with.

MoeGJBeener · #14 08-21-2012, 08:02 AM

Not sure about rolls or peaveys, we use sennheisers and have for about 3 years. Zero complaints!

MNAirHead · #15 08-21-2012, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoeGJBeener

Not sure about rolls or peaveys, we use sennheisers and have for about 3 years. Zero complaints!

Theyre pass through personal monitor mixers --- work best before your wireless

tuBass · #16 08-21-2012, 08:06 AM

my wife uses a rolls 351 with our band. She can control her Keys, her voice, and a general mix from an aux send from the board. It's great for her

Jazzdogg · #17 08-21-2012, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

I've been interested in that, too. Only thing stopping me is it's lack of a limiter. The Peavey HB-2 has all of the features of the Rolls but with a built in limiter.

I like the ability to blend a monitor mix, my vocal, and my instrument in a way that best satisfies my needs. When someone says IEM, the first thing that comes to mind is wireless IEM on a gig; plug the headphone-out from the PM351 into a wireless transmitter like the shure psm200, which is equipped with an integral limiter.

Having said that, I can easily imagine listening to headphones or IEM's via a PM351 (or something like it) in a home-studio where the cost of an Aviom system would be prohibitive.

Are any of you using a device like the Rolls PM351 when practicing with headphones at home?

Rip Topaz · #18 08-22-2012, 05:07 AM

I'm trying to get to that point. I'd prefer to stay wired with the IEM's though. I don't move around that much on stage, so having a wireless is just a liability to me.

I've got a separate mixer in my home studio that I use for monitor mixes, so I could run my IEM off of that, but there's still nothing limiting the signal. That's the scary part for me, since I've already got permanent damage from a volume spike through the Aviom system at church.

cycler · #19 08-22-2012, 05:35 AM

can someone clarify for me how / where something like the Rolls goes on stage / player ?
I'd like to experiment with our 5 piece mix from stage band, but don't get what goes where ? IEM's to an instrument cable tethered to guitar cable back to head and monitor mixer or can it be mic stand mounted ....?

tuBass · #20 08-22-2012, 05:47 AM

the aux from the sound board goes into the rolls directly.

The input from your instrument goes in 1/4 inch, and comes out as a XLR (it's also a direct box)

the input from your voice goes in as XLR, and also goes out XLR

Those three channels are mixed by you into headphones using the three volume knobs

I'm not sure about phantom power, ect. I've never had to worry about that.

yes, you can mount them on a mic stand, I think rolls sels a platform designed for that