Introduction
In our quest to be a valuable resource for our customers, we want to touch on the common IEM Setup questions that we find ourselves answering.
Basics
Q- If I buy from 64 Audio, do I need anything else to be able to use In-Ear Monitors (IEMs) while performing? Am I getting the whole IEM Setup as a package?
A- Simply put, you are getting earphones from 64 Audio; the parts that go into your ear and the cable that has a 3.5mm TRS jack at the other end, similar to any other earphone. To integrate IEMs into your setup refer to the diagrams provided to see what would work for you.
Gigging Musicians
Q- I’m a musician who gigs at different venues every night, with an array of audio capabilities. How do I make sure I’m able to use my in-ears in a variety of live environments?
A- Probably the best way to be able to use your IEMs in almost any live audio environment is to own your own Wireless IEM system (transmitter and receiver). Depending on how many monitor mixes are available in the venue, you can have it run in Stereo or Mono.
Touring Bands
Q- What would you recommend for a gigging/touring band who wants to transition to IEMs but can’t ensure that every venue has IEM capabilities for monitoring.
A- Other than the actual IEMs, you should aim at providing as much of the live audio package as possible. That can start by everyone having wired IEM packs to a wireless IEM pack for every performer on stage and advancing those details with the venues.
Nowadays, more than ever, building a full IEM Setup is very affordable; Mic splitter + Digital Rack Mixer + Wireless Transmitters/Receivers. Refer to diagram giving a more detailed look into this setup.
Churches
Q- Our church is hoping to transition from floor monitors to IEMs, what do we need other than the IEMs themselves to make the transition?
A- There are many ways of integrating IEM Setup into your current system and many ways of building a system from the ground up to maximise your use of IEMs. Whether with IEMs or floor monitors it’s always recommended to have a separate mixer to handle FOH mix and Monitor mixes; without a separate mixer you can definitely still make it work with enough Mix Busses or Auxiliaries.
Probably the most popular option for churches is the route of “personal monitor mixers” for every person on stage. These can either be added to existing systems or you can look into replacing your Mixing consoles with digital mixers that have these capabilities built in. Refer to some of our setup diagrams for a more detailed look at these systems.
Budget Friendly
Q- Even the lower-end wireless systems cost about $1k per mix, what are my options if that is out of my budget?
A- You can always use wired solutions for IEMs instead of the wireless systems. They are typically less expensive and offer more reliability and sonic quality; especially for stationary musicians like drummers and keyboard players.
Video + Diagrams
If video’s more your thing, here’s Logan going over some of these details in our final installation of our four part educational series: In-Ear Monitor Systems Basics
Check out some of these diagrams we refer to, this will give you a flowchart style description of the various IEM setups you can implement.