In-Ear Monitor Systems -

[Warren Wright]

Ive been considering a wireless in-ear monitor system for a while and from reviews from several on-line music concerns, the Galaxy AS-1106 system seems to be a good choice for the money- - - But, I would like to hear some input from you guys who use the wireless in-ear monitor systems and why you like or dont like a particular brand and especially info about the Galaxy units.

[Dawgkikker]

I did mine on the cheap. Bought some really nice buds (not the cheap iPod ones) for about 80 bucks. These are made for performing. Got me a 35' cable to run from the board to behind my kit and it works great. I figure as a drummer I dont need the mobility of a singer or guitar player so no need to spend big money on monitors. I can use that to upgrade the kit.

[itchie]

you dont need to go crazy getting triple drivers gold splatted cones ........bla

problem is you wont know if they are comfy until they are in you're ears and even then you might find after an hour of use they hurt like hell

i got two sets cheaper shure's and a set of klipelshediger ...not actually the name but cant remember right now its close to that obviously a german name

they work fine and like dawg said ..all you need is a cable you dont need wireless if you want to go on the cheap , unless you plan to play on a 50" foot stage then just get wired

[atomcorr2]

tried them for a while , didnt like them at all , i found them very uncomfortable , and if the mix isnt perfect in them its a fight to hear what you need to hear .

[Texdrumr]

I echo Dawg and Itchie. For me...Shure E215s - $99, and a long cable. Done.

[Northern Redneck]

Tried them didnt like them, give me a 12" wedge and a good soundman any day!

[8beat]

People come up to me and talk and I have to take the things out of my ears. I just use a powered speaker for a monitor now.

[BigFatDrummer]

In ears vs wedge is a difficult one for most amatuer musicians. I've found scenarios where I prefer one over the other. In my experience, it comes down to two things:

1. How good the soundman is at giving you what you need
2. Do you actually find them comfortable.

The second one can be fixed by finding the right in-ears but this can be a long and, potentially, expensive search. I was lucky. I found a guy on eBay who took relatively standard Sennheiser buds and provided a kit to create custom molds. This means I have the perfect fitting set of in-ears for a fraction of the cost of the normal custom route.

One issue is that ears will cause you to feel somewhat disconnected from the outside world. This is particularly an issue when you need to communicate on stage and is a bit of a nightmare during rehearsals as, unless everyone talks through the mics, you won't hear them. It can also be an issue for those of us who like to bounce of the crowd a bit or for those playing in church bands where musical direction can change in a heartbeat as the situation arises.

Some gigs I've played, being able to reduce stage volume through the removal of wedges has been highly advantagous. Other times, it's not mattered one bit. Where I have used them, the soundman had a headphone amp connected to the aux channels on his desk via a multicore and we simply ran cables to boxes like this to give users overall control of volume:



This means no-one had to have wireless systems and was a cheaper alternative to get the same result.

Essentially, the choice is determined by the situation, the kit the soundman has (as drummers, we will need the kit to be properly mic'd and not all gigs warrant this) and whether an individual has found a comfortable set of in-ears whilst being comfortable with being somewhat disconnected and becoming highly reliant on the person running the on-stage monitoring.

[funkyruss]

When you play gigs, does every instrument get mic'ed? it will need to be, or you won't hear it....your mixer will need to have a separate monitor or auxillary for your monitor mix, otherwise you'll have the same mix as the rest of the band, the odds are slim that will meet your needs..regarding comfort, I got custom ear molds to fit onto my Maudio in ear monitors, so they're ok comfort wise.....it costs $, so if $ is an issue, you'll have to go to Plan B! Instead of plugging my in ears into the mixer, I setup a USB mic that has a headphone jack on it, set the thing on stage, and there's my mix....

[MDK]

I used a cheap Nady in ear that cost about $120 and surprisingly loved it. I kept one bud in my ear and tucked the other in my shirt. I since have sold it because new band does not have the transmitter and everyone uses wedges so I sold my in ear wireless and now use my wedge which I dont like nearly as much, especially when I am singing lead. I am thinking about buying another in ear monitor with a transmitter so I can do away with my wedge.

[porkpieguy]

While it's not exactly a budget item, I use an Aviom system with Shure IEMs. I'm really happy with the set-up.

[Warren Wright]

I really appreciate all the responses and I really like the idea of the "wired" system - - coming out of the board ( low level output ) to a small 2 or a 4 channel mixer and then to a headphone amp and a long cable to a pair of the shure 215s seems like a cost effective solution. Thanks to all who responded.

[Kazaamski]

+1 for shure se215's

[DrummerD]

Warren, I opted for the Shure SE425 In-Ear. I don't know how much difference there is between the dual vs. single Dynamic MicroDriver, but I don't regret this purchase one bit. I know that the Shure SE215's are rated very well. Also, I purchased a ART Personal Monitor (Headphone Amp) to use with the SE425's. I would say that you're on the right track. The ART Monitor allows me to adjust not only the volume of mix that I hear, but it also allows me to adjust my vocal mic volume as well. This capability is extremely nice to have if you do any singing.

I made one modification to the headphone amp that I would recommend if applicable. I took an old drum mic clip that I had and converted it to a mount for my amp. Here's what I did:

ART Personal Monitor



Added Velcro to Both the monitor and clip



Stick the monitor to the clip



Clamp the unit to a stand. For me, I clamp it right to my vocal mic boom stand. It allows me to easily reach over and make any volume adjustments when needed. Even while I'm playing.

[porkpieguy]

I've been playing with a wired system for well over a year now with no problems.

Before our Aviom system, I had a little Behringer board (it's the 4-channel deal with the two XLRs that you can get for about $65). I used channel one for my click track/metronome, channel two for a mix from the board (which I discussed what I wanted in my mix beforehand with the sound guy), and channel three I sometimes used for an ambient mic (or maybe I used one of the XLRs. Heck, I can't remember).

I ran my headphone straight out of the "headphone out" from the board. I did this for probably 1-2 years before we had our Aviom system. It worked really well, and it give me a little bit of control of what I was hearing.

[DrummerD]

I've been playing with a wired system for well over a year now with no problems.

Before our Aviom system, I had a little Behringer board (it's the 4-channel deal with the two XLRs that you can get for about $65). I used channel one for my click track/metronome, channel two for a mix from the board (which I discussed what I wanted in my mix beforehand with the sound guy), and channel three I sometimes used for an ambient mic (or maybe I used one of the XLRs. Heck, I can't remember).

I ran my headphone straight out of the "headphone out" from the board. I did this for probably 1-2 years before we had our Aviom system. It worked really well, and it give me a little bit of control of what I was hearing.

Nice! I'm sure that worked very well.

[Warren Wright]

Warren, I opted for the Shure SE425 In-Ear. I don't know how much difference there is between the dual vs. single Dynamic MicroDriver, but I don't regret this purchase one bit. I know that the Shure SE215's are rated very well. Also, I purchased a ART Personal Monitor (Headphone Amp) to use with the SE425's. I would say that you're on the right track. The ART Monitor allows me to adjust not only the volume of mix that I hear, but it also allows me to adjust my vocal mic volume as well. This capability is extremely nice to have if you do any singing.

I made one modification to the headphone amp that I would recommend if applicable. I took an old drum mic clip that I had and converted it to a mount for my amp. Here's what I did:

ART Personal Monitor



Added Velcro to Both the monitor and clip



Stick the monitor to the clip



Clamp the unit to a stand. For me, I clamp it right to my vocal mic boom stand. It allows me to easily reach over and make any volume adjustments when needed. Even while I'm playing.

In fact, I have one of those mic clips you have - excellent use of it. I really like your set-up and having the amp clamped to the mic stand would be really handy as I do a lot of harmony vocal as well as lead vocals - thanks so much for your input and the pics. Oh, by the way, where did you find that ART headphone amp at?

[DrummerD]

In fact, I have one of those mic clips you have - excellent use of it. I really like your set-up and having the amp clamped to the mic stand would be really handy as I do a lot of harmony vocal as well as lead vocals - thanks so much for your input and the pics. Oh, by the way, where did you find that ART headphone amp at?

Thanks and you're welcome. I'm extremely happy with the setup. I was also happy to find a use for the old mic clip that I had lying around.
Check your PM. I sent you info regarding the amp.

[slinky]

I was talking to a sound engineer last night about in ears. The studio he's at doesn't use them. He also said a drummer brought his own one time and ended up having to wear the headphones over them anyway.

I will probably just do what I did last time and either strap the headphones onto my head or duct tape em.

[mjd]

I'm not sure what you want to use it for, but my band uses the cheapie Galaxy AS-900 system for vocals only and it's been working fine for us. I still have a stage monitor for the band mix I need, and just adjust the volume on my receiver so I can hear both vocals and band the way I want to. I'm even using the crappy stock earbuds and they've been fine for hearing the singer and my backup vocals. Our singer upgraded her earbuds to something nicer.