Pertaining solely to those of us playing Keys that is.
Am considering the option of going to In Ear monitoring of my Fantom X6, rather than using a On Stage AMP.
If any user of the forum currently uses this type of setup for live gigs, I would sure love input on the choices of your equipment you use.
Recently have opened for 2 current chart topping Country acts, Dierks Bentley & Keith Anderson, that both had members using no amps at all on stage. And even another act the band I'm in opened for, but I was not able to attend, had members without using amps, using IN EAR MONITORS.
Seems to be becomming more and more popular setups for alot of CURRENT bands, and I am just curious how many Fantom X users have decided to go this way?
Thanks
PapaKeys
How many users use in ear monitoring?
Re: How many users use in ear monitoring?
We use in-ear monitoring in our band... we have a Garwood PRS2 system with belt packs and Sony "in-ears".
I would think carefully before using them as the only way to monitor instruments. We currently use them to monitor vocals only... although sometimes we do run a little of the guitar and keyboard instruments through as otherwise you can end up feeling a bit "disconnected" from your playing. If you use only in-ears to monitor your keys, you might find that they are fighting with on-stage noise like guitar amps and drum-kits, so I think you will still need to use an amp to "fill-up the bottom end"..... also bare in mind that they will feel unnatural unless you can feed the system with a stereo mix, and not many PA desks can produce a stereo montor mix unless it has spare sub-groups... hearing your monitor sound in one ear only is strange and a little off-putting. We run our monitor line thru a cheap FX unit to produce a "fake" stereo signal from a mono input so that it at least plays in both ears.
Hope that helps!
)
Dave
http://www.drstudio.demon.co.uk/
"Musicians fall into three categories: those with a physical block, those with a mental block and those with a wooden block". Unfortunately, I'm in the 1st category!
I would think carefully before using them as the only way to monitor instruments. We currently use them to monitor vocals only... although sometimes we do run a little of the guitar and keyboard instruments through as otherwise you can end up feeling a bit "disconnected" from your playing. If you use only in-ears to monitor your keys, you might find that they are fighting with on-stage noise like guitar amps and drum-kits, so I think you will still need to use an amp to "fill-up the bottom end"..... also bare in mind that they will feel unnatural unless you can feed the system with a stereo mix, and not many PA desks can produce a stereo montor mix unless it has spare sub-groups... hearing your monitor sound in one ear only is strange and a little off-putting. We run our monitor line thru a cheap FX unit to produce a "fake" stereo signal from a mono input so that it at least plays in both ears.
Hope that helps!
)Dave
http://www.drstudio.demon.co.uk/
"Musicians fall into three categories: those with a physical block, those with a mental block and those with a wooden block". Unfortunately, I'm in the 1st category!
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sequencepro
- Posts: 37
- Joined: 19:54, 15 September 2005
In Ear Monitors
I've been using iem's for about 9 years. I play keys/gtr 6 nights a week at a house job.
had good luck with garwoods, and shure 600's with the metal receiver
had bad luck with shure 400's....the little grey pan dial falls off and/or the receivers keep showing red like there's a bad battery....have had three unit's do the same thing....they suck!
also had bad luck with shure e1's...they go bad at the plug
had greatluck with shure e5's... but they are expensive
after trying almost every way, i settled into only using the left side of my iem's....left, because i set up stage right, and the iem blocks most of the gtr stage volume, but i can still hear the count-offs and song names in my right ear.....and i found with one in-one out, I don't feel so disoriented.
I also learned that just having an my E5 earpiece or a good ear plug in (not even turning it on) helps me hear my voice so well I don't even need to put my voice in the IEM's.
Since I learned that, I've done lots of gigs using an amp on my right for my keys, an earplug in my left ear (the good bell-shaped foam kind from the drug store), and no monitor at all...try it!
My advise to you is Always have a backup way to hear your keys. They go bad without warning!
had good luck with garwoods, and shure 600's with the metal receiver
had bad luck with shure 400's....the little grey pan dial falls off and/or the receivers keep showing red like there's a bad battery....have had three unit's do the same thing....they suck!
also had bad luck with shure e1's...they go bad at the plug
had greatluck with shure e5's... but they are expensive
after trying almost every way, i settled into only using the left side of my iem's....left, because i set up stage right, and the iem blocks most of the gtr stage volume, but i can still hear the count-offs and song names in my right ear.....and i found with one in-one out, I don't feel so disoriented.
I also learned that just having an my E5 earpiece or a good ear plug in (not even turning it on) helps me hear my voice so well I don't even need to put my voice in the IEM's.
Since I learned that, I've done lots of gigs using an amp on my right for my keys, an earplug in my left ear (the good bell-shaped foam kind from the drug store), and no monitor at all...try it!
My advise to you is Always have a backup way to hear your keys. They go bad without warning!