In Ear Monitoring w/o a Monitor Mixer

[Bang]

Even in LA, some of the nicer clubs like Viper Room and Knitting Factory DO NOT have a monitor mixer.

 

So therefore, if you are a vocalist who uses In Ears, you either have to trust the FOH guy to set up an aux and sent it to your transmitter (usually takes a long time and cuts into your set time, plus he'll never get the levels just right) or you have to have your own mixer.

 

Right now here is my setup:

 

Shure PSM 400 with the four channel mixer and wireless transmitter. I plug in my vocal mic, my own guitar mic (which is not the same as the one the FOH uses for the club's sound), and then another 57 that I put on the stage facing the audience. The PSM 400 mixer as dual outputs so with an additional set of XLR cables, you can plug the output of the vocal channel to the main SNAKE which goes to the FOH mixer.

 

So my little Shure mixer then goes to an Alesis Midiverb 4 on a reverb setting so that everything that goes to the wireless system is wet. I plan on getting a nicer TC unit that will provide compression, eq, and reverb.

 

I'm wondering how you guys would recommend the use of In Ears for guys that don't have their own monitor mixers. My setup is by no means ideal and I often have a lot of muck in my ears. I wonder how much better the PSM 600 is or the Sennheiser unit.

 

Thanks

[jasps]

 

Even in LA, some of the nicer clubs like Viper Room and Knitting Factory DO NOT have a monitor mixer. So therefore, if you are a vocalist who uses In Ears, you either have to trust the FOH guy to set up an aux and sent it to your transmitter (usually takes a long time and cuts into your set time, plus he'll never get the levels just right) or you have to have your own mixer. Right now here is my setup: Shure PSM 400 with the four channel mixer and wireless transmitter. I plug in my vocal mic, my own guitar mic (which is not the same as the one the FOH uses for the club's sound), and then another 57 that I put on the stage facing the audience. The PSM 400 mixer as dual outputs so with an additional set of XLR cables, you can plug the output of the vocal channel to the main SNAKE which goes to the FOH mixer. So my little Shure mixer then goes to an Alesis Midiverb 4 on a reverb setting so that everything that goes to the wireless system is wet. I plan on getting a nicer TC unit that will provide compression, eq, and reverb. I'm wondering how you guys would recommend the use of In Ears for guys that don't have their own monitor mixers. My setup is by no means ideal and I often have a lot of muck in my ears. I wonder how much better the PSM 600 is or the Sennheiser unit. Thanks

 

 

It sounds like you are only needing 3 sources mixed. Is that right? 1 vocal mic, your guitar and what seems to be an audience mic. Are you just a solo act or are there others?

 

Are you thinking of expanding your setup at all? This would fit your needs, but it is a monitor mixer and you would have to buy it. However, instead of needlessly upgrading your wireless product, you could get something to fit your application:

 

http://www.allen-heath.com/US/DisplayProduct.asp?pview=69

 

It has a built in passive splitter, which would make it nice for the clubs w/no monitor mixer.

 

As to the muck, I'd look first to your mics. Can you use a DI for your guitar or is a mic "necessary?" The 57 you're using--I assume you use for an audience mic? I'd try ditching it. If you are buying an FX/dynamics processor, I'd try processing your mix very little, as that will tend to muddy things as well. And you don't really have control over what gets wet and what doesn't. Hope this helps.

 

Be a little more detailed with what you are doing, and there may be some different options. ciao

[jguitarguy27]

Another thing you can do which would be much cheaper than an actual monitor mixer is to purchase a small splitter snake. This is what we do with my band, and it works out great.

 

Basically, a splitter snake is like a regular XLR snake, but has two fantails coming out of it instead of one. Essentially, it just splits each signal into two. One fantail goes to the stage snake for FOH, and the other tail goes to your own mixer that you keep on stage. On this mixer you'd use the auxillary sends so you can dial in each person's mix exactly how you want it.

 

I believe the PSM400 is stereo. If that's the case, you might want to try using a pair of pencil condensers for your audience mics, and panning them hard left and right for stereo. This may yield a more natural sound for your in-ears and help your performance.