I need an IEM system! Help!

[mazmonster]

Hello! I am in the market for an IEM monitoring system. And I need some help!

 

Here is the setup:

 

I am a vocalist/guitarist. I play both acoustic and electric. I play out frequently, all sorts of venues from small coffee shops (solo/duo) to festivals and larger venues (full band - bass, cello and drum kit).

 

Main issue: As a vocalist, it is very hard to hear clearly on stage and I find myself straining my voice all the time. So, the main thing is the vocals.

 

*If I can get away with all the other members in my IEM's I would be a happy camper. I would just want control over the levels. It seems like it would be strange if I could not hear my guitars, or even the rest of the band...

 

*I know there are IEM's that have some sort of built in thing that allows ambient noise. Any thoughts?

 

*I also have seen posts talk about a pre-fader aux? Do most boards have this?

 

*Whatever system I purchase would need to be compatible with all boards etc. If it is a viable option for me to have control on stage of my levels that would be neat. A buddy of mine was talking about a way to just take the speaker cable that goes to the stage monitors and plug that in and then work with the sound person to get my levels, too.

 

* I have a Mackie 8 channel powered mixer at my rehearsal space with two JBL speakers. I would like to be able to rehearse with it as well.

 

*I want something that is durable and good quality. I do not mind investing a little more money to get something good. My budget is $1000. It can be more, I am willing to wait and save, but no more than $1500 and I would rather not go the more expensive route

 

As you can tell, things are a bit fuzzy here. I have tried to include as much info as I could about my situation.

 

If you have any ideas or suggestions, I would much appreciate them!

 

Thanks everyone!

[mazmonster]

forgot to mention that it would need to be wireless, although i am sure you probably would assume

[jwlussow]

Shure PSM 200 with ambient kit. It is a very good entry level mono unit. It can be either wired or wireless. We use and love these things. We are very satisfied with the sound but there are units that people here also suggest. One is the Galaxy 1000 (I think). Sennheiser seems to get a lot of love and some believe it is much better sounding then the PSM 200. Like I said, the 200 has been great for us and we are happy with the sound. Not sure if the Sennheiser will fit your budget but the PSM 200 will.

 

You will also need some very good earbuds. They should seal the ear canal enough that ambient (stage) sound does not get through. That means you will need to mic everything that you want to hear.

[fishmanrod]

Agree, shure psm 200. I have two of them. When I bought, both belt packs and transmixers are the same frequency, so with a breakdown or screw up, everything works with everything else.

 

Compatible with any board that has a prefader aux output.

 

OR you can run your mic cable and mic'ed or di cable for your instrument thru the box, get a mix from that before plugging into the snake or board, plus the sound from the ambient kit, and you can set all your own levels without bothering anyone else.

 

Highly recommend it, it's saving my hearing!

 

The thing I really like about it is if everyone plays at about the same level, and they are mic'd up, and you leave the board aux mix alone, no matter where you are, the mix in your ears sounds pretty much the same club to club, gig to gig. THAT is cool. cheers!

[nin4269]

I'm a fan of the Sennheiser system over the Shure's mentioned. I feel there is an appreciable improvement in sound quality and the receivers use AA batteries instead of 9V, and more comfortable buds. Also the trans & receiver provide more information and control, which is a benefit to me, might not be a big deal to you however. The Sennheiser IEM300 series is currently on Generation 3, which is a fairly recent. You may be able to purchase a used G2 setup for pretty cheap. Watch out for 700MHz systems if you go used (in any manufacturer). That bandwidth has recently be banned from unlicensed use and it's kind of a big deal.

 

Are you saying you want everyone in the band to use IEMs? or just you? Most all mixers have a prefader aux, you shouldn't have a problem with connection with any pro brand of IEM. I personally do not like ambient kits, I want the isolation that comes with good ear buds. Some musos don't like have ear buds at all, make sure you don't mind wearing them for a few hours at a time.

 

There's a lot on this subject, but make sure you understand that just using one ear is a bad idea.

[BillESC]

Check out Audio Technicas M2 and M3 systems. All the features you're looking for, great fidelity and well within your proposed budget.

 

http://www.audio-technica.com/cgi-bin/product_search/wms/wms.pl

[mazmonster]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I think I have narrowed it down to 2:

 

1. Audio Technica M3

2. Sennheiser EW 300 IEM G3

 

They both a have some pros and cons:

 

M3

 

*PROS*

 

1. Personal Mix on receiver (does the senn have an equivalent>?

2. Ambient mic aux input

3. Much better ear buds ( i might not be able to upgrade for a bit, although I plan on it)

4. 8 hour battery life (AA)

 

*CONS*

 

1. no equalizer (Senn has 5 band)

2. not as good build quality

 

 

Senn 300 G3

 

*PROS*

 

1. 5 band equalizer

2. more UHF frequencies (does this matter that much?)

3. secondary antenna in headphone cable (neat! but how well does it work>?)

4. Adjustable limiter (not just 1, 2, 3 0r 4 setting like on M3)

 

*CONS*

 

1. Cheap ear buds

2. no aux input on receiver for ambient mic

3. only 4-6 hour battery life

 

OK, so please tell me if I am missing something in these lists!

 

They are the same price, so not much to go on there.

 

Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks again for taking the time to help me out.

[Terry M]

I set my IEM rig up as follows.....

 

MixWiz3 16 ch

CBI Earsplitter

Sennheiser EW 300, G2

Shure SCL5 buds

 

We've got 4 separate G2 units on 4 mixes, and I keep an additional complete unit as a backup, as well as an extra set of SCL5's (in the truck).

 

I've used PSM400, PSM600 (HW), and the Senn G2. The G2 wins out of those on so many points. There are a few dealers that still have the G2, and if you don't need the networkability of the G3, my opinion is the G2 is sufficient.

 

Terry

 

 

Thanks for the replies everyone! I think I have narrowed it down to 2: 1. Audio Technica M3 2. Sennheiser EW 300 IEM G3 They both a have some pros and cons: M3 *PROS* 1. Personal Mix on receiver (does the senn have an equivalent>? 2. Ambient mic aux input 3. Much better ear buds ( i might not be able to upgrade for a bit, although I plan on it) 4. 8 hour battery life (AA) *CONS* 1. no equalizer (Senn has 5 band) 2. not as good build quality Senn 300 G3 *PROS* 1. 5 band equalizer 2. more UHF frequencies (does this matter that much?) 3. secondary antenna in headphone cable (neat! but how well does it work>?) 4. Adjustable limiter (not just 1, 2, 3 0r 4 setting like on M3) *CONS* 1. Cheap ear buds 2. no aux input on receiver for ambient mic 3. only 4-6 hour battery life OK, so please tell me if I am missing something in these lists! They are the same price, so not much to go on there. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks again for taking the time to help me out.

 

[trmckenz]

I recommend Audio Technica

[mazmonster]

trmckenz - Audio Technica - why do you recommend over the sennheiser?

 

Any thoughts on the Galaxy systems?

 

looks like I COULD get away with the G2 Sennheiser instead of the G3, but they are selling for only $100 or so less than the 3 though.

 

Thanks!

[samkokajko]

For $100 get the G3, if you end up buying more at any point in the future you'll be glad they match. Also the resale value of the G2 has gone way down since G3 came out.

[TimmyP]

Shure PSM200, $750 List, sells for $600 shipped. Reviled by pros, but sound pretty good. Ear protection limiter. Poor frequency agility, no stereo, no more me. Comes with earbuds - quality unknown. I'm told that the antennas cannot be removed so that multiple units can be used with an antenna splitter.

 

Audio Technica M2, $800 List, sells for $410.00 shipped. Stereo or "More Me" configurations. Has input for a pocket click track, or a cheap lapel mic for ambient (stage & crowd) noise. Ear protection limiter. Comes with earbuds - quality unknown. It appears that there is no rack mount available for a single unit - only pairs. It could be mounted to a rack mount shelf, which would cost about $20-$25 shipped. Don't know if the antennas can be removed (so multiple units can be used with a combiner and antenna). A much better choice than the PSM200.

 

Audio Technica M3, $1100 list, sells for $557.00 shipped. Stereo or "More Me" configurations. Has input for a pocket click track, or a cheap lapel mic for ambient (stage & crowd) noise. Ear protection limiter - adjustable. Automatic scanning to find a clear frequency. More frequencies. Detachable antennas. Better display and controls. Comes with earbuds - quality unknown. It could be mounted to a rack mount shelf, which would cost about $20-$25 shipped. Definitely worth the extra $147 over the M2. Don't know if the antennas can be removed (so multiple units can be used with a combiner and antenna).

 

 

Ambient mic for either of the above is $61.00 (I'd hold off on that).

 

 

Sennheiser EW300G3 IEM. $1500 list, sells for $$825 shipped including rack mount kit. Stereo or "More Me" configuration. Ear protection limiter. Comes with earbuds that suck (keep them as emergency spares. The antennas can be removed. Pros say that the Sennheisers are better than the M3, but will the differences matter to anyone other than a big rental house? Hard to say.

 

 

M-Audio IE-10 earbuds are $100 at any place that has them. I like them a lot.

[Axisplayer]

I have used 4 M3's with 5 receivers for the last 1+ year. Antennas come of and I am using a Sennheiser AC2 combiner with paddle antenna. Earbuds are decent but do not match up to SCL4s we had so we used them. OEM buds are decent backups and sound better than just OK. I have had zero issues with my units. They are racked in pairs with AT mounts. I truly like these units and have absolutely zero regrets. They are MILES better than the PSM200s they replaced. Louder, cleaner, agile, stereo, etc.

 

I have never worked with Senns to know if they would have been better for me, but since these have no shortcoming in my mind, and are much cheaper, it doesn't matter to me. The sound quality and build quality are both at the same level of my ATW3000 mics. If you like those, you will like the M3s. At this point, I am an AT house and no plans on switching out.

[trmckenz]

I use the M2M system, it has an ambient mic built in the receiver and independent stereo controls. It's by far the most versatile option in that price range (picked mine up for $600) and they were recommended by my sales engineer over at Sweetwater. Those guys know their stuff!

 

You will have to upgrade the earbuds... which i would absolutely recommend Ultimate Ears. They are by far the best quality sound, especially with a custom seal- and great guys to work with. The earbuds will make all the difference in my opinion, a perfect seal is vital.

 

I got the M2M ($600) with custom Ultimate Ears ($600) and I couldn't be happier- solid products that will last me for a looong time.