IEM mix , please help

Hi all.

I'm a keyboard player in a band (drums, bass, 2 guitars, vocal).

I bought a Sennheiser In Ear monitoring system.

But I have problems with adjusting it.

What do you have in your IEM mix?

(scale1-5, 5=very loud)

for example: keyboard 4, guitars 2,...

I use an Aviom in-ear system for our band ( I also play keys) and I tend to make sure things are panned. We basically have the same intrumentation and I mix my keys the loudest, but by no means are they LOUD. Then I'll mix in the kick and snare panned very slightly. I'll mix the guitars far left and right and fill in the rest with vocals. I usually keep bass centered with my keys.

I think it's a matter of preference, but try panning some intruments to get so you can hear each one in the stereo field. I don't know if I can give you numbers as far as what instruments are louder than others, but when I'm playing I create a mix that sounds like if I was listening to a song on the radio....just that I have my keys a little louder than the rest of the mix.

Chris

The problem here is,....

All the people on the forum can tell you how they prefer their mix but it's your ears and comfort.

Just tweek and twitch and listen till you get it right,...

I guess that's what 98% of the soundengineers do also.

I have a bunch of PSM200 systems and also some PSM400 systems. As you all probably know, the PSM400 transmitters are stereo (or "more me," your choice), whereas the PSM200 transmitters are mono but include a two channel mixer in the transmitter.

They are apples and oranges, but each perfect for a different application.

I never use the PSM200s unless my PA is not in use, i.e. I'm playing at a club or coffee house with their own PA. This describes most of the places in Austin, actually. And a lot of these places require you to set up and start playing in 15 minutes or less.

So if you want IEMs, it's much simpler to just unplug the mike you'll be using and plug its cable into the back of your PSM200 transmixer. Then run a short XLR you brought to the microphone. Plug your guitar into the other channel of the transmixer and when the soundman shows up asking WTF? just tell him everything is cool and could he run a DI for your guitar from the back of your little transmixer.

This assumes an acoustic guitar. If electric, you might not need that in your IEMs so you have the second channel free for something else. You could do the same trick with the mike in front of your guitar cab, or hook something else up. Adding a little $20 Radio Shack lavalier mike to the 1/4" input on your beltpack completes sonic heaven, and all of this can be done in about a minute.

Now you have three channels coming in to your IEMs and the mixer for them right next to you on stage, under your control. The lav mike hears everything on the stage, and you have a volume control for that on your beltpack. Very optimal for this sort of gig situation.

Now if you do bring a conventional PA, I recommend the PSM400 system. Put the transmitters in the back (or at the monitor board) and let that engineer do your mix for you. The first time you get the luxury of a lengthy sound check, optimize all the settings and put a little grease pencil mark by each of them by the AUX knob on the board. That way, provided the channel pads aren't moved, you'll be immediately in the ballpark every gig thereafter.

And here's a huge tip: Buy at least one spare set of earbuds and maybe even a spare beltpack. You won't need it except in case of emergency, but the monitor mix guy can wear them and plug them into each transmitter (PSM400s have a headphone jack on the front) and hear exactly what each player is listening to. Saves a tremendous amount of time vs. all the usual yelling at the monitor guy to turn whatever up or down.

Alternately, set up the PSM400s for "more me" operation. 90 percent of the time what you hear from the band is "MORE ME, DAMN YOU!" That doesn't look or sound very good during a performance, so some people resort to sign language such as pointing at their ear and then at the instrument they want more or less off, possibly followed by a finger pointing up, a thumb pointing down, or the universal finger across neck slicing motion which usually means either (a) I'm going to kill you after this set is over, or (b) remove that instrument entirely.

Much better to set them up where they have their own "more me" control right on the beltpack, which the PSM400 system allows. They can just turn their own damn vocals up with a quick twist."

Whichever route you choose, I've always found that not being able to hear yourself well on the stage almost always results in a less than optimum performance. Everyone goes into what I call "Safe Mode," and plays the bare minimum very cautiously while locking onto something they can hear (hopefully the drums) and praying that everyone else is doing the same. This tends to sound pretty boring to the audience since rock 'n roll is about energy.

My band opened one concert for a national act where there were maybe 10,000 people out front. You'd think that would guarantee a good monitor mix but you'd be wrong. Everyone went into safe mode as described, locking to the drums which were on a riser. Unfortunately, the keyboardist played the entire five minute tune in the wrong key (not noticing his keyboard was set to transpose). Since he could not hear any of the rest of us, he couldn't detect his error.

Of course the FOH mix guy only let that pass for maybe 5 seconds before muting him the fronts, but as it was a keyboard driven song it must have sounded pretty strange with just bass and the occasional guitar fill.

As the resident proselytizer for IEMs, let me just add the usual tips:

IEMs on stage means no monitor feedback ever again.

IEMs on stage means tighter sound out front, since the audience doesn't hear the backwash and reflections from the wedges.

IEMs on stage means your monitor mix is the same no matter where you walk around to.

IEMs on stage means no heavy wedges to pack and carry, nor the heavy, power consuming amplifiers needed to drive them. Less chance of popping a breaker.

IEMs with an ambient mike added removes the feeling of isolation.

IEMs protect your ears for a long career, if you're smart enough not to run them full blast. They're like earplugs you can hear clearly through.

IEMs with custom ear molds are comfortable and have plenty of bass.

IEM's aren't expensive when you compare them to the cost of the wedges and power amps they replace.

IEM's don't take up much room in the truck or hurt your back carrying them.

Terry D.

What anyone else has in their IEM is irrelevant. You need to work with your monitor engineer and acclimate yourself to IEM use. It takes time to adjust and find the right balance for you. Only you know what works for you.

Me thinks exactly the same...

Thank you for helping me.

Special thanks to MrKnobs,