Importance of In-Ear-Monitoring
26th June 2016Remember that time on stage when you were performing and had a crystal clear sound from your wedge monitors? Not too loud, not too low and you could hear the sound distinctly from all over the stage that didn’t interfere with the sound of the rest of the individual band members? If the answer is no then you are one of many. Even if you have an experienced sound engineer and a great on-stage monitor system, chances are you going to run into problems, like feedback for instance or an unbalanced mix, because unfortunately physics and sound acoustics have a tendency to stick to their own rules and there is very little we can do about that. And it is because of these issues that In-Ear monitors have been developed. Although these are sure to put a dent in your wallet compared to the traditional wedge speaker system, there are several advantages to using In-Ears that will offset this
You Eliminate the fight for volume
As anyone who has ever played on stage can attest, hearing yourself play/sing is vital to giving a good performance. And since the natural sound and need for amplification varies from instrument to instrument, and everything needs to come off the same monitor system, the battle for dominance is always going to be present. With In-Ear monitors this becomes a dead issue, as each band member will have his own sound injected directly in his ears at the desired volume, with the rest of your band’s mix in the background.
Ear Protection
This issue is one that is all too often ignored, especially by young musicians, and this type of damage is noticed only by the time that it is irreversible. Due to the aforementioned point of everyone battling for sound dominance, the level of sound will often reach an intolerable level. And since In-Ear monitors all offer a level of sound isolation that block outside noise, you can set your sound level to a comfortable one and still hear your entire band (especially yourself) clearly. This advantage carries over to the garage/practice room which almost always have bad acoustics and require an even higher sound level. Couple these with an electronic drum kit and your practice sessions can go well into the evening without disturbing your neighbours.
Vocal protection
Vocalists can only rely on the power of their own voice when the monitors fail them and have to shout ever harder to be able to hear themselves, in the end damaging their vocal chords over a long period of time. So this will count as double protection to your front man.
Mobility
Another great advantage is that you are no longer rooted to that position on stage next to your monitor. With a wireless In-Ear system at your disposal, the stage becomes your playground.
No more sign language with your sound man
Need more volume? No problem, simply adjust the volume on your transmitter and you’re instantly set to go instead of trying (often uselessly) to get the attention of the sound man.
Hear in Stereo
Another great advantage is that you are able to hear your own band in a realistic fashion instead of a flat sound that comes from a speaker monitor system.
No more bleeding sound off stage
All to often, due to volume demands, your onstage sound will often tend to bleed out onto the front of house, that will usually have a different mix than the one on stage. The resulting clash will often mire the sound in this location and will sometimes prompt your audience to avoid these zones altogether.