IEMs... Please edjumicate me.

[FuturePrimitive]

Im not opposed to spending money. I just don't want to be throwing it away if this band doesn't work out.

I had this concern as well before I pulled the trigger on mine (1964 Qis). It was a lot of money for me, my band didn't play out more than once a month so it seemed like overkill, and custom molded IEMs are not an easy item to resell if they don't work out. After using them however, if I never played live with a band again I would still buy these all over again, that's how good they are. I use them at home to practice and I use them all the time for casual music listening so my "overkill" concern was moot as well. They are the single best piece of gear I've ever bought. That's my 2 cents anyway.

EDIT: Also ear fatigue/comfort. I have relatively small and shallow ear canals and I've never been able to wear regular buds or ear plugs for more than an hour without some discomfort. I can (and have) worn these for 6 hours straight without any discomfort at all. That alone is worth half the purchase price to me.

 

[TedH]

Im not opposed to spending money. I just don't want to be throwing it away if this band doesn't work out. I currently have no other situations where I'd be using them. As stated in my OP, my main concerns right now are blocking out anything that might trigger my tinnitus. I'm most concerned about the drums. Once I get an idea of what this is all about, and check out some of the less costly options - if the band works out for me I'll have no issues investing in whatever will work best. I'm not the type to skimp on gear. I am the type to not needlessly throw away money though.

I'm the only one in my group that has IEM and I use them whenever possible, so even if the band isn't IEM, you still can be. I don't like tinnitus, and I only have it for a day or so after a gig with no ear protection. With my 64 Audio A4's, I get a 20db cut in ambient noise, and my bass and vocals at a minimum in my ears.

Arguably with your tinnitus situation, you SHOULD ALWAYS be IEM. I run wired, not wireless, so look at it this way - the XLR that would feed a floor monitor goes to my headphone amp, and if need be, I run a line from my bass head/DI to the headphone amp as well. Everything I need, even if not every instrument is mic'd in the PA - guitars are always plenty loud, so maybe I don't have the clarity of the guitar, but I have the basic level. Not sure if you ever played the Bayou in Fleetwood/Mt. Vernon, but the stage is a postage stamp. I run IEM there because I'm right on the ride cymbal of my drummer. I take an XLR out from the old, crappy PA and my bass DI, and I have ear protection and some clarity on me and the vocals. I don't get so much kick in that situation, but I can deal with it as I have a great drummer and get plenty of hi-hat and snare ambiently. Point being, no matter the setting, you can run IEM and get the benefit, of which it is a distinct health benefit in your situation.

Given your story, I'm sort of curious as to why you didn't go IEM for yourself much earlier. Great investment in your hearing and mental sanity given the side effects of tinnitus.

 

[MrLenny1]

Joe, does your IEM have volume protection???
I.E. a limiter so you can't get blasted ?
My ears have been comprised at times by stupid sound men and extreme feedback.
I need to do something soon.

 

[s0c9]

Joe, does your IEM have volume protection???
I.E. a limiter so you can't get blasted ?
My ears have been comprised at times by stupid sound men and extreme feedback.
I need to do something soon.

IEM's do NOT contain limiters.. it's the systems that feed them that do..
Most wireless IEM systems have limiters built into the receivers (body paks), with the higher end ones having adjustable limiters.
Wired systems (unless there's a brick wall limiter on the mixer busses) REQUIRE in-line limiting.

 

[TedH]

My ears have been comprised at times by stupid sound men and extreme feedback.
I need to do something soon.

like yesterday kind of soon.