How to hear while playing?

[phephron]

I am a newbie here. I have a late 60's Guild Starfire bass that I have started playing again after a 20 year hiatus. I play in a band that plays contemporary church music in a pretty large auditorium. My problem is that that there is so much echo with all the other instruments, I am not sure if I am sometimes a half step off when I am doing a walk, or doing a little improv. Is there a device that would let me hear myself through an ear piece? We have everything miked through a board, but I don't think that I can get a feed through that, so I would need some sort of standalone device if there is such an animal. Thanks for any help.
I am glad to be back among the living. I did not realize how much I had missed playing.

Paul

[Eyescream]

Does the place have monitors for you to use?

[phephron]

Eyescream -
Sorry I will be a bit more complete. No monitors currently. The stage is sort of awkward since it is really for a church service, so we are kind of crammed in. The way the amps are set is that they have to be toward the back, and then miked, but I have speakers from the guitar and piano pointed toward me as well as my amp. I have also got the drums right next to me. So unless things are really quiet, I am playing more by sight and feel than by what I can hear.

Paul

[thumper63449]

Would your church be willing to invest in some in-ear monitors? I'm kind of in the same boat with the echo. Our church has lousy acoustics, but I use a Sennheiser wireless in-ear that works pretty good. Just have the soundman send you what you want in your monitor and you're thumpin on the right beat in no time!

[josh_m]

my church couldnt afford the in ear monitors, but since image isnt much in a church setting they went with a headphone studio set up for the back musicians and wedges for the front. this in a middle school auditorium.

[ubersam]

We are currently using in-ear monitors instead of wedges. Works really well for me. We were getting rediculously loud because the guitar players can't control their volume, always on 10. So, it was decided that there would be no more amps/cabs on stage, not even monitors. So far, the only persons it's not working for are the guitarists, who think they should be so loud. Louder than even the vocals.

If the house can't give you a monitor feed from the board, you might be able to get your signal from your amp's DI out, provided it has one. You'll just need to adjust the gains between the amp and the transmitter.

It would go something like:

amp's DI out > wireless transmitter >>> wireless receiver >ear-piece >your ear

Or a wireless headphone system. Like these from Sennheiser: http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/category.asp?, if you have headphone jacks on your amp. Get RF, i think the infrared needs line of sight.

[Ryan L.]

I think this is more of a Misc. subject, so I am going to move it there.

BTW, I also recommend going with in-ear monitors, if possible. We (my band) started using them awhile ago, and I don't think I can ever go back to wedges.

[phephron]

Thanks everyone. I will look into the in ear monitors.
Paul

[bmc]

Check out Galaxy Hotspot monitors. They fit onto mic stands. Also, if you are miking everything, check out a used Gallien Krueger MB150 combo. It fits on a mic stand, so you position it in front of you.

bmc

[Visirale]

Quick easy cheap fix... It may not work, but it's worth a try.

Ear plugs. It sounds crazy, but it works sometimes. When you plug your ears, it tends to muffle the mid to higher range sounds, and leaves to be heard.

It works sometimes, and sometimes it doesn't, but it's worth a try to make things work until the church springs for some monitors.