Bands running their own self-contained IEM setup?

[tbirdsp]

Most of the engineers we hire have the x32 so we just use our iPhones/iPad and do our IEM mixes. However we just played a gig where the FOH was old school and not setup for a bunch of IEM mixes. I do know of several bands using their own digital mixer for IEM and splitting off to FOH. How exactly is this done? I would think the FOH should get paid less if he doesn't have to deal with monitors at all - especially if we are supplying all of our own mics/stands and mic'ing up the drums/ running all input cables ourselves - stuff the engineer normally does. I have no clue what kind of XLR splitter boxes/snakes are available. Also - say if I have a XR18r air and FOH is x32 - is it possible to get the inputs to the x32 via Cat 5 ethernet cable?

 

[SpectorBass]

Most people will use a split snake, which gives you two sets of outputs for each input. One set goes to FOH as normal, and the other plugs in to your monitor rig.

I run my own monitors using an X32 rack and it's awesome. I have a split snake for when I don't know what the FOH situation will be, but the really big advantage of the X32 system is that, if there is an X32 at FOH, you can do the split digitally. Just connect a Cat5 cable from the rack to the main console, and that takes care of it all.

 

[tbirdsp]

I run my own monitors using an X32 rack and it's awesome. I have a split snake for when I don't know what the FOH situation will be, but the really big advantage of the X32 system is that, if there is an X32 at FOH, you can do the split digitally. Just connect a Cat5 cable from the rack to the main console, and that takes care of it all.

So can you do this with a XR18 if FOH is x32?

 

[SpectorBass]

You'd have to use an analog split snake.

Unfortunately the XR line is designed to be a stand alone unit, rather than part of the X32 network.

 

[FuturePrimitive]

Unfortunately the XR line is designed to be a stand alone unit, rather than part of the X32 network.

Yep. And this is why I'm thinking I should have bit the bullet and gone with an X32 Rack or Producer. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my XR18 but by the time you add up the XR18 and a decent splitter snake, you're almost to the cost of an X32 Rack. That said, that really only works if FOH is using an X32 product, otherwise you'd still need to split. Plus, I got my XR18 "used" (it looks/functions NIB) for a decent price so I shouldn't complain. Hmmm... Guess I talked myself back into the XR18. ;-)

 

[s0c9]

i've posted on our setup numerous times..
X32 Producer, Router, S16 (for when needed) and remote FOH and IEM controls.
For house PA - we either split from their snake, of feed them L/R from the X32.
Either way.. same IEM mix (we always use our mics/cables) every time.
Wireless IEM xmitters housed in same rack.
Connect. Power Up. Go!
About as close to plug-n-play as it gets.. !!

 

[tbirdsp]

x32 ain't happening - I'm thinking about buying a XR18 myself to maybe use for other projects. Not really keen on spending more and doing a "band" purchase for my main cover band. What I was thinking was a rack mount 16 ch XLR splitter stage box in the same rack as the XR18 then a cable with XLR fan end 15-25 feet to run to FOH. I can't find anything that has very short cables on one side of the split though - only like two 15-foot snake cables.
s0c9 - sorry for being dumb - but how do you "split from their snake"? Also - "feed them L/R from the X32" - so you just send them a stereo FOH feed!? Is there an engineer or are you guys doing your own FOH in this case?
As of right now - when we hire somebody they normally have an x32 and we run our own monitor mixes using the iPhone app. The lead vox and I bring our own vocal mics and stands, but all the drum mics/stands, vocal mics/stands for guitar and drummer, and all XLR cables (input and 4 IEM aux sends) are provided - and hooked up by the sound guy. We are paying them (very well) based on them doing all of this. We use two or 3 different guys so there is still some variance in what we get in our IEM. On rare occasions we play a festival or something with multiple bands where we didn't hire the sound ourselves. If our usual guys won't take less money for us doing all of this extra work normally handled by them - it's probably more trouble than it's worth.

 

[s0c9]

s0c9 - sorry for being dumb - but how do you "split from their snake"? Also - "feed them L/R from the X32" - so you just send them a stereo FOH feed!? Is there an engineer or are you guys doing your own FOH in this case?

feeding them L/R is a simple stereo feed into the house.. and yes, either their house guy (also DJ) or our people run FOH... usually we set up the mix and get house "approval" on the sound. Our Friday gig works that way...
Other venues that have a stage snake usually have a splitter feed (XLR) that we hook into our X32. We map their channels to ours so if they have kick on ch-10, we hook the split feed into our kick channel ch-1, and so on. Those also have a FOH guy, so they handle the house mix, and we get the same IEM mix.
If we use our PA (25% of gigs) then the L/R outs go to the DSP and out to our powered tops/subs. SAME IEM mix as other venues.

If our usual guys won't take less money for us doing all of this extra work normally handled by them - it's probably more trouble than it's worth.

True.. we have a sound guy that comes in occasionally, but he just mixes. We do NOT hire full SR.. no real need to when 75% of our gigs have house systems provided and we use our cables/mics at every venue!

Back when I was playing rock n' roll - we used MY PA for EVERY gig, because it was too expensive to rent out and NOT ONE venue provided a house system. I used to do SR back then when the band wasn't gigging... but the economy killed all that!