Rolls PM351 Alternative

[superheavyfunk]

Hey all. I've been using the PM351 for about a year now and while it does the job well, I still worry a little about the lack of a limiter. Lucky for me, all the groups that I use my IEMs with are really very professional and don't swing their mics around or anything - although one guitarist in a band uses a hollowbody and can't quite seem to figure out how to turn down the volume of his guitar in between songs, often causing quite a lot of feedback.

I need to be able to monitor both my vocals and my instrument simultaneously and I'm pretty sure that the PM351 is the only thing in it's price range that offers what it does : Monitor In, Instrument In, Vocal In/Thru, all with individual volume controls... but what else is there, regardless of price? This can't be the only *analog* device on the market with these features, can it?

 

[Wasnex]

Hey all. I've been using the PM351 for about a year now and while it does the job well, I still worry a little about the lack of a limiter.

I don't know of any other devices with the necessary thru capability.

Ideas: 1. If the bands you play with are using digital mixers, check to see if a limiter is available on the outputs, 2. get your own limiter, 3. get a wired IEM beltpack or headphone amp with a built in limiter, and 4. get your own small digital board with built in limiters.

I don't have any personal experience with the following devices, they are just ideas for you to research: Whirlwind PW-1, Behringer XR-12, Rock On Audio Rockbox and Tastyblender V2, PreservEar Limiter

 

[Wasnex]

Also, Ultimate Ears makes a product called Sound Guard that is similar in concept to the PreservEar Limiter.

 

[matt thompson]

Any one else out there know of something similar with a built in limiter?

 

[dlb1001]

I have been researching this subject for awhile since I'm planning to use a wired IEM. But, I haven't came across other headphone amps that have built-in limiters, beyond what another poster has already listed above. I was thinking about buying dbx 266XS but the form factor doesn't fit what I want. I have seen that Rolls makes a separate limiter (SL33B); it seems that most of the wireless systems already have a built-in limiter.

 

[s0c9]

The Rolls PM55P has a built-in limiter
Never used it, so can't elaborate on it, other than what's in the marketing lit.

 

[superheavyfunk]

Rolls is a great company that makes excellent, rugged products but I'd sure love to see them update some of their line with some much needed options, ie: Optional Limiter in the PM351

 

[superheavyfunk]

The Rolls PM55P has a built-in limiter

Yeah but that's only useful to a person who doesn't need to sing as well. Both myself and the keyboardist in the band have the need for the instrument, vocal and monitor send/receives - and we'd both love to have a limiter as well.

 

[s0c9]

Yeah but that's only useful to a person who doesn't need to sing as well. Both myself and the keyboardist in the band have the need for the instrument, vocal and monitor send/receives - and we'd both love to have a limiter as well.

I guess that would depend on how you route your mixes into it

 

[superheavyfunk]

I guess that would depend on how you route your mixes into it

I don't understand what you mean.

Myself for example, I need to plug my bass and mic into the device, plus I need to hear the mix. I need to be able to balance the levels of each, so they all need an individual input. Are you aware another way of routing this with the PM351? And how does that eliminate the need for a limiter?

 

[cheapbasslovin]

I guess that would depend on how you route your mixes into it

Yes. My needs are few. If I use a mediocre set of headphones, the isolation isn't good enough to be used properly, but it still works so I can hear everything well enough to hold up my end of the gig.

I'm good enough on bass that I don't need to isolate it strongly to know I'm doing the job. The same can't be said for my singing.

 

[s0c9]

I don't understand what you mean.

Myself for example, I need to plug my bass and mic into the device, plus I need to hear the mix. I need to be able to balance the levels of each, so they all need an individual input. Are you aware another way of routing this with the PM351? And how does that eliminate the need for a limiter?

Meaning, there are multiple ways to get signal to devices like these... and not all may work for, or be convenient for you.
If you need more than 2 inputs, then yes.. challenges with many of these personal monitors. You will need an additional mixer, or figure out how to combine those into a console-side feed.
FWIW - I never mentioned eliminating a limiter. Unclear as to where that came from ?
My position is the exact opposite. I totally ADVOCATE NEEDING a limiter somewhere in between source audio and your buds. NEVER leave home without one.

That's the benefit of digital consoles... you get all of that mix control, remote IEM mixing, plus effects, eq and limiters on the output busses, all on a single feed.
Getting more "me" is easy, even when wired.

 

[Wasnex]

Any one else out there know of something similar with a built in limiter?

If you just want a headphone amp with a variable peak limiter, take look at the Whirlwind PW-1.
PW-1 Personal Wedge - Catalog - Whirlwind

I haven't used one, but I have read about it a bit and people seem to like it pretty much. It comes with a belt clip and you can buy an adapter to mount it to a mic stand or drum hardware. The negatives: It's easy to bump the controls if you wear it on your belt. It uses external power (adapter included) instead of batteries.

 

[danster]

Behringer P1 - has built in limiter

 

[Jerry Ziarko]

Are you using a digital board? If you are, you can set up a brickwall limiter using compression on your aux mix. If you are willing to spend a bit of money to protect your ears, an amazing unit you can pick up used on eBay for a song, is an Aphex Dominator II. I used one for quite some time and truthfully, one of the best. These units new cost $$$ aphex dominator in Musical Instruments and Gear | eBay

 

[Wasnex]

Are you using a digital board? If you are, you can set up a brickwall limiter using compression on your aux mix. If you are willing to spend a bit of money to protect your ears, an amazing unit you can pick up used on eBay for a song, is an Aphex Dominator II. I used one for quite some time and truthfully, one of the best. These units new cost $$$ aphex dominator in Musical Instruments and Gear | eBay

FYI. The discontinued DBX IEM also provides multi-band brick wall limiting (like the Dominator). Using a multiband device like these allows you to run the signal slightly into limiting without too much signal degradation from pumping. By lowering the limiter threshold you have more protection from loud transients. These devices used to be the gold standard for protection in IEM systems.