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ambient mic for IEMs

Wes Whitmore

Wes Whitmore

Mar 10, 2003
1,946
30
49
Columbus, OH
#1
I have been wireless IEM for many years now. Personal self controlled mix. Everything in the band is DI. Guitarists has no cabs on stage. I have a small cab for a little self monitoring when I want it. Acoustic drums. No stage wedges. Our stage volume is pretty quiet besides the drums. I break the cardinal rule weekly and use one ear monitor because, although I love the detail I get out of the IEM mix, I like hearing the band coming out of the back of the mains as well. I would love to be able to keep the other bud in, and be able to mix in the ambience to taste...so I have been looking at ways to do it.

I like the little mics that are on the Sensaphonic 3D systems, but that is way more than I want to spend. I am thinking of running a mic into the second input of my Shure PSM200 mixer, but I don't really have any mics that are good at picking up the same sound I am hearing when standing in front of my mic. All of mine are close field mics as far as I know.

I have thought of putting a wireless lapel mic on my bass strap so it can pick up some ambient noise, but I don't expect great things from that. I have a couple models of these already, so I could try it pretty easily. Seems like a PITA to deal with at every show, but at least the sound will move with me.

I have a behringer omni ECM8000 RTA mic that might work well. I will have to feed it phantom power. I also have read that people use "shotgun" mics with great success, but that is something I don't own, and I wouldn't know where to start with on a $150 budget for the project. Would any overhead condensor drum mic work for this?

Anyone add any personal ambience with success yet? Im really just interested in hearing people's success/failure stories on the issue.

Thanks!
Wes
 
#2
Wes Whitmore said:
I have been wireless IEM for many years now. Personal self controlled mix. Everything in the band is DI. Guitarists has no cabs on stage. I have a small cab for a little self monitoring when I want it. Acoustic drums. No stage wedges. Our stage volume is pretty quiet besides the drums. I break the cardinal rule weekly and use one ear monitor because, although I love the detail I get out of the IEM mix, I like hearing the band coming out of the back of the mains as well. I would love to be able to keep the other bud in, and be able to mix in the ambience to taste...so I have been looking at ways to do it.

I like the little mics that are on the Sensaphonic 3D systems, but that is way more than I want to spend. I am thinking of running a mic into the second input of my Shure PSM200 mixer, but I don't really have any mics that are good at picking up the same sound I am hearing when standing in front of my mic. All of mine are close field mics as far as I know.

I have thought of putting a wireless lapel mic on my bass strap so it can pick up some ambient noise, but I don't expect great things from that. I have a couple models of these already, so I could try it pretty easily. Seems like a PITA to deal with at every show, but at least the sound will move with me.

I have a behringer omni ECM8000 RTA mic that might work well. I will have to feed it phantom power. I also have read that people use "shotgun" mics with great success, but that is something I don't own, and I wouldn't know where to start with on a $150 budget for the project. Would any overhead condensor drum mic work for this?

Anyone add any personal ambience with success yet? Im really just interested in hearing people's success/failure stories on the issue.

Thanks!
Wes
Click to expand...


Any mic will pick up ambient sound, and of course you'll get better results depending on the mic. Your idea of a condenser that you'd use as an overhead is a great place to start.
 
#11
Wes Whitmore said:
Anyone add any personal ambience with success yet? Im really just interested in hearing people's success/failure stories on the issue.
Click to expand...

I've supplied a Crown PZM a few times at shows I've mixed with IEMs in use. You can find used PZM-6Ds for around $100 on eBay with a little patience, with the PZM-30s seemingly being a little more popular and hence pricier. The PZM6D is pretty small and unobtrusive and can be readily mouted on any flat surface with velcro or gaffer's tape, or hung by the cable. There's also a Crown battery power accessory box if phantom powering is problematic.
 
#12
MNAirHead said:
Main mix... yes a shure PSM will take it..

I've yet to find a sound guy that had the time to feed an ambient mic to back of house and return it for a monitor only feed.

I'd be most would be reluctant as it's a feedback waiting to happen.
Click to expand...

We used to do that at our old church building.

Shouldn't be a feedback issue, just make it a pre-fader send and keep the channel fader all the way down. That way the mic goes to the IEMs and not to the mains.

Once we get the whole band on IEMs I plan on using ambient mics again.
 
#13
We control the iem mix from stage via a split snake and 4 aux sends to 4 Psm 200s. I basically have a FOH mix now, minus the drums, in my mix now. I just want ambient sounds from the stage. The proper mic(s) should do it. I will plug it into am open input channel on the stage mixer so I can get phantom power if I need it. I am going to test it this weekend with some CAD overhead drum mics. If it kinda works, then I will probably work on trying some better mic units. I will look into that crown unit.
 
#14
I didn't mean an ambient mic from front of house, but rather a feed of the main mix. That's how we do it, works really well. We each get a stereo main mix with a "more of me" channel. Our vocal mics pick up enough "ambient" stage and room sound to suffice.
 
#19
loend68 said:
I'll be interested to see how it works out. My BL is pushing for IEM's but I want both the ambient stage sound and the real sound of my amp, not just my bass direct.
Click to expand...
I'm going to test some opened earphones. I like to hear the comments of my band members and also like the sound and feeling of my bass amp. The one I'm going to test first is Koss KSC75. This way, I think I will be able to stay in contact with my band members and also hear the sound of the mix and my bass better.
 
#20
I've always found that the vocal mics pic up all the ambient sound and room noise that I could ever want. 99% of the time I wish that I could get rid of it actually. I use a momentary mic switch/splitter so that I can communicate with the guys and only have to bring one mic. I will NEVER go back to monitors.
 

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