EQing, and working with sound guys.

[Wiremessiah]

Maybe I'm missing something, but what does the FOH (or main mix) have to do with what you want in your IEM's? They SHOULD be completely separate entities. Now, if you WANT a representative FOH mix going to your ears that's a different issue entirely, but I can't imagine why you would need it when you would have full control over all channels going to your IEM's/wedges - the SAME channels that are in the FOH mix?
If you're saying that you can't give yourself a decent IEM mix without using FOH as a guide..there are other issues at play here ?

You can get whatever mix you want, whether its in your self mixed IEMS or stage monitors that you coordinate with the sound guy, at least usually. That's not the issue. The issue is when you don't WANT a mix that's at least somewhat like the main mix, so you don't know what your levels are while playing. All you know is what you are hearing in your personal mix. That's fine if you have a good sound guy and trust what he is doing, but dynamics between instruments is a huge part of my playing and many others. It's basically like talking with headphones on, you don't know how loud or soft you really are, so you can't adjust your voice accordingly. But if your voice in your headphones was the same relative level as your speaking voice, then you'd be able to.

 

[s0c9]

You can get whatever mix you want, whether its in your self mixed IEMS or stage monitors that you coordinate with the sound guy, at least usually. That's not the issue. The issue is when you don't WANT a mix that's at least somewhat like the main mix, so you don't know what your levels are while playing. All you know is what you are hearing in your personal mix. That's fine if you have a good sound guy and trust what he is doing, but dynamics between instruments is a huge part of my playing and many others. It's basically like talking with headphones on, you don't know how loud or soft you really are, so you can't adjust your voice accordingly. But if your voice in your headphones was the same relative level as your speaking voice, then you'd be able to.

So.. if I've got this right... what you are saying is that you don't trust the guy at FOH to mix you out front correctly and you don't know if you are too loud or not?

To be honest.. I never worry about that.. I send FOH a DI signal. Mixing for FOH is THEIR job.. not mine!
If I'm too loud on stage.. they'll tell me. I turn down. That has zero impact on my IEM mix as I'm DI'ed.
As long as I can control my IEM mix and hear what I need to DO MY job.. I don't worry about FOH.
If you do worry about it.. you'll drive yourself nuts !!

 

[Wiremessiah]

So.. if I've got this right... what you are saying is that you don't trust the guy at FOH to mix you out front correctly and you don't know if you are too loud or not?

To be honest.. I never worry about that.. I send FOH a DI signal. Mixing for FOH is THEIR job.. not mine!
If I'm too loud on stage.. they'll tell me. I turn down. That has zero impact on my IEM mix as I'm DI'ed.
As long as I can control my IEM mix and hear what I need to DO MY job.. I don't worry about FOH.
If you do worry about it.. you'll drive yourself nuts !!

I don't necessarily trust the guy, depends. But since I know mixing and studied it and do my own mixes, I know I trust my own ears, and usually the people i am playing with, and our collective dynamics. That's why I usually ask for a dupe of the main mix, and try to get others to do the same. That way we know what the audience is hearing. Dynamics are extremely important to me and my playing and the music I play, and I don't cede them to others lightly. It's basically the same to me as a player who uses pedals to have someone else control them.

 

[s0c9]

I don't necessarily trust the guy, depends. But since I know mixing and studied it and do my own mixes, I know I trust my own ears, and usually the people i am playing with, and our collective dynamics. That's why I usually ask for a dupe of the main mix, and try to get others to do the same. That way we know what the audience is hearing. Dynamics are extremely important to me and my playing and the music I play, and I don't cede them to others lightly. It's basically the same to me as a player who uses pedals to have someone else control them.

OK.. got it now..