Looking for Non isolating "in ears" Help Please ????

[Davyo]

One of the house gigs I have is changing our band to go completely amp less, and no monitor wedges on stage either,,, they want us in-ears ONLY !!!

My problem is I still want to be able to hear the house mix, talk to my fellow band mates on stage without having to remove my in ears.

Right now I'm using some behind the neck headphones which aren't bad but not great either.

I would actually rather wear behind the head over the ear cups/headphones than "in ears" (I'm not a big fan of shoving those things into my ear canal) but I will do it if I can find the right pair.

So far ALL "in ears' I have tried will NOT stay in my ears either and fall out.

So in short, Im looking for non-isolating over the ear or in-ears that are comfortable, sound good, won't fall off or out and don't cost tons of money.

And on a side note,,,,, why do ALL in-ear makers think that EVERYONE wants to be isolated,,, I hear lots of feedback from fellow musicians that also don't like the isolation thing,,,, so I know it's just not me,,, yet no companies seem to realize there is a market for non-isolating,,, what's up with these manufacturers of in-ears,,,,, do they just not get it or are just that clueless ?

Thanks much in advance for any help.

Cheers
Davyo

 

[walterw]

i've heard of in-ears with ports you can open up, or mics on the cable, stuff like that.

thing is, you must have the buds themselves sealed up and isolated if you want any low end!

also, open earphones or whatever could be dangerous, because you'd need to have the overall level higher to hear over the stage volume; you'd be better off with a monitor wedge.

the right way to do in-ears is to have an ambient mic or two in the mix (that doesn't go out front) so you can pipe in a little stage sound while keeping everything at low volume like you're supposed to.

 

[RoadRanger]

There are beltpacks that have an input for an ambient clip-on lav mic - that's about the best you'll do. If stock IEM's won't fit your ears you need to get custom molded ones.

 

[s0c9]

And on a side note,,,,, why do ALL in-ear makers think that EVERYONE wants to be isolated,,, I hear lots of feedback from fellow musicians that also don't like the isolation thing,,,, so I know it's just not me,,, yet no companies seem to realize there is a market for non-isolating,,, what's up with these manufacturers of in-ears,,,,, do they just not get it or are just that clueless ?

Yeah, ignorance is such a wonderful thing ain't it?
Isolation is not necessarily an outcome of using IEM's. Much of it depends on the mix, the ears and how those are set up.
Can you be isolated...?? Sure you can, but you don''t have to be.
As @walterw mentioned... ambient stage mics or belt-clips is one solution.

Some IEM's can have ambient ports (adjustable) added, but you will lose a lot of bass with those as the seal is effectively "broken" when adding them and pay more!

To me, the isolation (no matter the degree) is something that some folks simply never adjust to.
I've worked with too many folks who give up without trying... I have practiced using headphones for years (so I don't disturb the family) and am used to hearing an IEM-like mix in my ears.

My take is this.. whatever using IEMs does for SAVING MY HEARING is well worth the offsetting [minor in my case) isolation.
That, plus I have control MY IEM mix and put what I want to hear in it... things I would never hear clearly (or at all) thru stage monitors.

Plus, it's great leaving stage monitors and amps at out...
YMMV

 

[Downunderwonder]

Acoustic drums on a small stage easily exceed safe volume. Work with the isolation, it's saving your hearing.

 

[kenneffdupriest]

Custom earplugs can be done by an audiologist, then Westone and/or 1964 will subtract that cost from the price of their IEM that fits only you. They both have various price ranges. One that fits your budget. You have only 6 months to make this move then its full price again. If you have good insurance they may pay for some of if not all of the audiologist cost.

Then: One side IEM, one side earplug with the lowest attenuator provided. Worx fer me. And honestly in my nine years on this planet its been my observation that when a group gets to the IEM stage of their career the on stage chatter has been all but eliminated. Mouthing words, sign language and dirty looks are the norm.

I am merely a poet and speak only for myself

 

[seamonkey]

Here's an idea
They make a two part epoxy foam, you can buy at sporting good stores. You can do stuff like this on your own:

Mash the two part epoxy foam together. Put the earbud in, the push the foam around it. It sets up in a few minutes.

It fits outside the ear canal and holds the earphone in place. See that rubber earbud nipple, you can take it off and it still stays in your ear, and it will reduce the isolation.

Seriously though, it's no big deal getting use to the isolation, it's not complete and total isolation. Band mates come up and talk close to your ear anyhow. Voices get through. Mike bleed also gets through. There are going to be a lot more musicians who get to hear better longer as they protect their hearing with good fitting isolation earbuds. A set of molds last a lifetime as you can use them in a few years to make another set of custom fit earbuds.

 

[walterw]

that's cool!

Mash the two part epoxy foam together. Put the earbud in, the push the foam around it. It sets up in a few minutes.

as i understand it, the key to making these (or any) molds work is for them to set with your mouth open, so you'll want to bite onto some kind of block to hold your jaw wide open and immobile for the few minutes it takes to set up.

 

[joebar]

I am currently looking for set too-
in our church, they are going completely ampless.
I agree with the points made above-there is one other important one though that hasn't been mentioned:

depending on your venue (mine is huge church building), if you listen to the IEM's and the house mix, there can be a time lag; in my case, it is huge. gotta have isolation in that case. plus, you have 12-1500 people singing their hearts out which can drown out the house at times.