one of my bands is going all in ear monitors, need advice on how to get into it

[jeremy]

sooo... how do i get into this relatively cheap? i tried em years ago and hated it. we are building a rack with a mackie dl32s. i need a wireless transmitter of some kind and in ear recommendations. i have a pair of cheap ass ccr c12 already from a friend, but i assume those aint gonna cut it? advice and guidance would be appreciated!

 

[Mincer]

Great monitors themselves cost as much as a good amp. I've found the more you spend, the better the fit and sound. If they are really going all-in, it is worth the $$ to get custom ones made, and the more drivers they have, the better the separation. I'd also suggest stereo over mono. To me, the transmitter/receiver isn't as important as the monitors themselves. Having less open microphones onstage results in better, more separated sounds, too, so direct bass and guitars will work better than mic'd amps. Prepare for lots of frustrating gigs until everyone is dialed in. But when it is finally dialed right, the audience and the musicians will have much better sound.

 

[jeremy]

damn dave, ya did a kinda poor jpb of selling that LOL expensive and frustrating... sounds fun!

its a six piece rock band with two full drum kits, two guitars, bass, and keys (digital keyboard and organ with leslie) i dont think we will have enough outputs to run stereo mixes for each member. i dont think im willing to give up using an amp, and i kinda doubt the bassist will either. the other guitarist is already digi, but does run a powered monitor on stage like an amp. three mics for the leslie, lord knows how many for the two kits, five vocalists

 

[jeremy]

and actually while we are at it, i cant find my 421 mic. i think i might have lent it to someone and cant remember who. i have 57s and 58s and some condenser mics, but if we are doing this it makes sense to have as much consistency as possible. i liked the 421 a lot on my '66 deluxe reverb which is my main amp. other suggestions or should i get another 421? assuming i cant track mine down of course.

 

[beaubrummels]

Buying the cheapest IEMs is a bad idea. If you hated it before, you'll still hate it more. If you have to go cheap, the Shure SE215s sound decent. But it's better if you can get ones with 2+ drivers so you get good separation and clarity. Then you might not mind having your ears plugged so much, because you'll hear everything clearly, including yourself.

57s are a go-to workhorse for anything live. Where you aim it on the cone matters.

 

[Mincer]

It can be done in mono, and with actual amps miked up, but....you are going to hate it. Not to mention cheap 1 or 2 driver in ears. Plan on some frustrating times before you sort it out. I wouldn't say that if I hadn't gone through it, and more importantly, seen other bands go through it. In ears work the best when you can isolate each instrument, and you don't have open mics onstage (except vox and drums with iso shields). Also, everyone in the band has to commit to doing it properly.

Usually, most people go to in-ears because you hear better, and the stage volume is too loud, instruments onstage are competing with the PA, and you want better mixes out front. In the end, you wind up bringing less gear to the gig. But it is not just a commitment to switch to in ears...you fundamentally have to change your thinking how you get a sound on a stage with the band.

 

[jeremy]

our issue is being able to run our own mix, sometimes its great, sometimes the house guy sucks and limits what our guy can do. our stage volume isnt massive, i use a old deluxe on 3.

i know a 57 is fine, and i know kinda where i like it, but i used to use a 421 and liked it much more. apparently i dont have, or cant find, it any more so looking for other suggestions