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Brainstorming some IEM logistics


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Let's get a couple things out of the way initially:

 

I'm a bass player, and at the moment, I run a Sansamp DI into a GX5 into my cab. I've been concerned that the DI isn't putting out enough signal to my amp, as I have to almost max the amp to get a solid "loud". I recently got some IEMs (LiveWires), which I use with a P4HW bodypack. I'm in a regular gig with a group that plays without PA support (college pep-band).

 

My gigs have been mixed, as far as engineer cooperation with the IEMs. Some engineers are happy to set it up, some are reluctant to change their standard setup, and others don't even know how their monitors are patched, let alone if they have an extra AUX for me. This has been kind of frustrating, considering I invested into this project expecting to be able to use my gear on a semi-regular basis.

 

My brainstorming solution to this is to get a mini-mixer and some sort of omnidirectional condenser, and run my ears and bass through that. Right now I'm thinking mic and bass mixed and sent through an AUX to my P4HW, and bass only through the main outs to my GX5.

 

This would give me control and hearing protection in those situations where the house engineer isn't willing to give me a mix, as well as hopefully increase my clean signal to my amp, giving me some more volume and headroom. It would also allow me to use this setup for the college pep band, which is the source of my hearing loss in my right (drum) ear.

 

So, does anyone see any obvious flaws in this plan?

 

What mixer would be good for this application? I hesitate to put my bass signal through anything Behr, but would it be an alright choice, considering the scale of my operation? The only things I think I need in a mixer are two channels with mic pre, phantom, and at least 2 auxes.

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I'm doing something along the lines you've outlined with my rig now. I'm a keyboard player - using a pair of Livewire IEMs via a Shure PSM200 wireless rig. I use my keyboard mixer (a Yamaha MG12/4FX) to control my monitor setup. My keys mixer along with my Shure PSM200 transmitter and some other keyboard stuff "lives" in my keyboard rack.

 

My keys mixer sends a stereo submix of my keyboard outputs to the FOH board. My keys mixer receives an AUX send from the FOH board with "band" monitor mix. I use my keys mixer to create an AUX send that goes to the PSM200 that contains a mix of the "band" mix (that comes from the FOH board) and my keyboards.

 

When I'm using my PA - I have control of the FOH board - meaning that I get exactly what I want in the "band" mix that gets sent to my keyboard mixer.

 

However, I'd done several sub jobs where I don't have control. So far I've been able to get a discreet AUX send with what I asked for in it most of the time. The couple of occasions that I couldn't get my own mix - I was able to share the "band monitor mix" that was being sent to the wedge monitors by simply plugging the AUX send that normally goes directly into the input of the monitor amp - into a "Y" cable and plugging one end of the "Y" into the monitor amp to feed the wedges and the other into a cable that goes a channel strip on my keys mixer. I carry a couple of different "Y" chords (one with female XLR that "Y"s into two Male XLR ends, another with a TRS version of the same thing).

 

My setup allows me to always retain control over how much keys come through my IEMs - as well as to control the keys / band monitor send balance. Obviously a custom mix is better than sharing a mix - however, the couple of times I've had to use the shared mix, I got by OK.

 

Although I've never tried it - my setup would support your "microphone to pick up ambient stage mix" as a monitor input approach. (Although I'm skeptical about the quality of such a mix ... the connectivity wouldn't be a problem with my current setup.)

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