Need help with IEM

nickwhittaker · #1 11-29-2012, 02:42 PM

Hey guys, I am very confused and not able to figure this out.

I am in a band that plays clubs several times a week. I have a very hard time hearing myself. I wear custom earplugs with the lowest filter so that I am protect myself, yet still hear ok.

I want to begin using In Ear Monitors (or something similar), but don't even know how to start. I use an Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 and plug the direct out into the snake for the sound engineer to receive my signal. I am interested in finding a way to have IEMs that I control on my end. I don't want to have the sound guy controlling them for me, I would like them right next to me, if possible, with the ability to get a good mix.

I really just want to hear myself in the headphones, preferably in both ears. I will be able to hear the band fine live, as they are not going to use IEMs. What can I do? Hopefully I have provided enough info to adequately describe my dilemma.

I am not too great with figuring things out on my own, and with something like this I need help understanding the logistics.

Thanks!

**bobbybass85** · #2 11-29-2012, 02:49 PM

What you can do is this.

Get a small mixer (Behringer, Alesis, etc). Have the sound man run your monitor mix from the board to one channel of the mixer. Then run your tuner output to another channel on the mixer. Use the headphone out with a headphone extension cable running to your IEMs.

You'll still have to rely on the sound guy for your bandmate's instruments, but you'll have control over your sound. If the mixer has an eq for each channel you can also tweak that to help you hear. I've been doing this for about 3 years at church and have had so much success that I've done the same setup for my normal rig.

As far as getting into actual IEMs, I did a thread not to long ago here: My experience going to custom IEMs

Lots of good information in there. Hope it helps, and let me know if you have questions.

nickwhittaker · #3 11-30-2012, 01:49 PM

This is really great, and I think I am going to do that, but is there a way to do it without the sound guy at all? The board at the clubs is far from the stage, so as a result they aren't really reachable with cables, etc.

**bobbybass85** · #4 11-30-2012, 02:10 PM

Are you running your own sounds?

nickwhittaker · #5 11-30-2012, 02:33 PM

We have our amps, which plug into a snake on stage, which in turn connects to the mixing board on the other side of the club.

derrico1 · #6 11-30-2012, 03:39 PM

If you're playing a circuit with a predictable set of FOH engineers, you should be able to get an aux mix sent back on the snake to the stage, unless either the board or the snake is already maxed.

For a self-sufficient system, ideally you'd have a splitter snake and an IEM mixer capable of giving everyone in the band their own IEM mix. If that's a non-starter, one quick-&-dirty solution is to send signals from your bass pre-amp, your vocal mic, and a single decent stage-mix mic to something like the Rolls PM351. (For the stage mic, I'd go with either a PZM or a small diaphragm condenser.)

In any case, you really want a limiter strapped across your mix if there's anything in it that could feedback or otherwise blast your IEMs w/ high SPL peaks.

MNAirHead · #7 12-02-2012, 04:55 AM

Omni ambient mic is anecessity in your case - eith pass through/splitter

overbybr · #8 12-13-2012, 12:38 PM

Here's a cheap option for you. Run your DI XLR into this, then another XLR out of this into the snake. Then feed your monitor 1/4" into this (You may want to get an XLR to 1/4" adapter in case the monitor uses an XLR). Plug in your IEM cable and viola, you can contorl the master mix as well as your volume relative to that mix. This is $20, btw

Behringer MicroMON MA400

fivestringgecko · #9 12-13-2012, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickwhittaker

I really just want to hear myself in the headphones, preferably in both ears. I will be able to hear the band fine live, as they are not going to use IEMs. What can I do? Hopefully I have provided enough info to adequately describe my dilemma.

I've been doing more and more ampless gigs lately, and only two venues have had actual full in-ear monitor systems (Aviom and Hearback). I got pretty frustrated with not being able to hear myself in crappy stage monitors (or none at all in one case), so I had the same idea of some form of personal headphone solution.

During one particularly frustrating pit gig for a musical, I started using my Shuttle 6 as a personal headphone amp, no cab attached. It was perfect, and I've been using this solution when necessary for a while now.

Bass > pedalboard > Shuttle DI to house and headphone line to me

Lately I've been thinking of replacing the Tone Hammer on my board with a 3Leaf Enabler. I don't use the AGS circuit on the TH, so the 3Leaf would be a good preamp/DI solution, and having the headphone out/aux in right there on my pedalboard (with separate volume controls) would sure be a neat trick!! It would let me have my signal in my headphones, allow me to run a mix back from the board when able/if needed and I wouldn't have to pack an additional piece of gear.

Doesn't look like your TH500 has a headphone out though. If the Enabler isn't an option, Over's headphone amp suggestion might be just the ticket.

Food for thought I guess.

5sg.