Looking at Wireless In-Ear Monitors

[Drew B]

My church is finally taking the plunge in getting a few sets of in-ear monitors for the guys in the worship team band. None of us doing the shopping know a lot about what's on the market though, so we could use some input on what we're looking at.

We have a $2000 budget, and we need 4 wireless units. The sales guy we're talking to is recommending Audio-Technica M2's, and as far as I can see, they look to be a good option. Has anyone here used these or know of anything better in that price range?

[nomad100]

Can someone tell me how in the world can someone play threw a set of those? It takes all the joy out of playing, and i've not heard a set sound good yet. why do they give them to the band? Shouldn't you give them to the singers, they are the ones who complain about not being able to hear themselves. Guess i'm a guitar, amp speaker kind of guy.

[Drew B]

Well, apparently it's possible, considering how many big names choose to use in-ears. Maybe you just haven't used a set that was being mixed well? A common response to naysayers in the articles I've read is that they just don't know how to mix them correctly (mixing in ambient noise, etc.).

I think I've got a good start on the mixing bit, though I assume I'll need to play around quite a bit before I get it right. I would still like some opinions from those who know about the hardware.

[nomad100]

i'm very curious myself, and how do they work when using an actual amp? loosing that intament guitarist amp relationship ruins it for me. Amp modelers don't seem to do high gain right.

[efrisch]

Without getting too far off topic (there have been several great threads on the in-ears vs. wedges debate worth checking out), I'll throw it out there that I love my in-ears. I'm not a guitarist, so I can't speak to that specific issue, but as a keyboardist/drummer/bassist/vocalist I'm a huge fan. I think a lot of it comes down to the quality of your equipment, and the ability of your monitor tech (of course, if you're using an Aviom or similar system, the monitor tech is YOU!) Our guitarists put their amps in isolation boxes backstage (we're in a very small, reflective room anyways), and then we mic them back through the house/in-ear system. No complaints so far.

As far as the original question... I own a Shure PSM200 system (with custom molded earpieces that aren't Shures, though I used the Shures for several years). I've been using it every Sunday (plus lots of non-church gigs) for 4 years without a problem. It's priced the same as the A-T you mentioned in your post. I haven't used the A-T, but I would imagine its solid given my experiences with other A-T wireless gear.

One other system that might be worth checking out is the Galaxy Audio AS-1000. I've used that system several times at an area church... seems to be ok, I've always had great sound out of it. They run 8 different frequencies to the stage. Considerably less expensive than the Shure & A-T ($400 vs. $600).

[Drew B]

I've heard of a multitude of solutions that allow that relationship to be kept in place while still cutting down stage noise. I'm a little confused as to what you mean by the modeler comment though.

[nomad100]

I've been left disappointed by amp modelers like line6 pedals. The ones i used were not as responsive as my amp. I'll look for other threads. One last question, how do you get feedback threw in ears?

[Drew B]

Maybe you haven't played with them enough? I use an X3 Live, and I get some pretty incredible tones out of it, and the responsiveness has matched any amp I've played. They definitely aren't plug and play though - it took me a lot of hours tweaking it to get the sound I wanted. It was worth it though, as my setup is incredibly simple and easy to carry around, and I don't feel like I lack anything in tone.

Regarding feedback, I've heard of a few ways people get it with in-ears. I know Lincoln Brewster keeps an amp on stage using the secondary output of his Axe-Fx. He EQs all but the bass out to give some bassy feel to what he's hearing on stage, and to allow him to use feedback. I've also heard that Brad Avery (former guitar player for Third Day) did the same thing using monitors on the occasions that he didn't have his amps on stage.

If that is still too much stage volume, then I also heard Lincoln Brewster say that you can put a volume pedal in front of the amp/monitor, and only turn it up when you want the feedback.

[dtpuga]

We use Sennheiser 300 series G2 IEMs and thy work well.

Nomad, there are a couple issues you should be aware of. We use all IEMs and while it was a rough transition for a few, it's been worth it. We have isolation boxes back sage that we put amps in and we crank them louder than we ever could before. Yes the ears do isolate you a bit but there are tons of things you can do to counter that. Here is the big thing though. It is not about the people on stage. It is about leading people in worship. In Ears make such a major improvement on the ability to get clean mixes it's almost unbelievable the difference. We went from a 350 seat room with digital drums and all wedges to a 1000 seat room with live drums but no wedges an can actually get a far better mix at lower volumes now.

And so you know, in my experience, the electric guitarist has always been the toughest covert to ears.

[bluenotemkvi]

I have a Shure PSM-200 kit and I'm pretty happy with it. They're advertised around $600 apiece but that's MAP pricing, especially if you're buying several you should be able to get them under $500 each. My biggest complaint is the lack of bass response out of the included earphones. Perhaps a higher-end set of earbuds would help but it hasn't been enough of an issue for me to go shopping. I don't use them all the time, but I've taken them to lots of gigs outside of a worship setting and they haven't let me down. The situation doesn't always call for in-ears but it's a good option to have.