Two IEM questions- OT

[Donnie Frank]

Thanks for the thoughts.
1. The whole band (and me) have Starkey custom molded triple driver iems.
2. Yes, the drummer sings. he uses a senheiser on a boom stand. One lead voc song and 5 or so harmony songs.
3. right now the drummer uses his molds through a small behringer mixer so he can mix his click into his ears. He may stay with that, but we'll have a wireless ready for him if he chooses.

The band is well used to IEM's and they love them, but are really ready for a more positive experience. Right now they can only monitor 16 of the 30 channels being used and the mixes are mono.
Thanks

This is what I use to "mix" my audio. If he can find one, your drummer may find this extremely useful and cost-effective:



Each input is also a throughput. Note the combo XLR/1/4" inputs. Shure claims that these are mic/line level, but it's been my experience that even the TRS input is mic level (very hot), so I use an in-line variable -XdB pad for the monitor channel.

I run my kick into one channel then on to the console; my vox in another channel then on to the console; then I get a monitor mix in the 3rd channel which is everything but kick and vox (sometimes a main mix if we have no spare Aux's), and the 4th channel is for the metronome. It is a stereo mixer, so one side goes to my wired belt pack (mono, of course), and the other goes to the wireless transmitter that takes up the other half of the single rack space (Shure hardware marries the mixer and transmitter together). I can bias one or the other but usually just run the pan knob up the middle. I usually just go wired, but there have been times when I left the kit and went out front, so it was a simple matter of changing my belt back mode to "wireless" and I was good to go! In the other rack space I use a power distributor. So it's all in a 2-space rack case that sits on the ground to my left. This way it is not only easy to reach and adjust, but it's fairly invisible to audience members.

I have 2 short XLR cables permanently installed and labeled "Kick" and "Vox" to send on to the console. It's definitely one of my better ideas.

Edit: After perusing the Internet, it seems these babies have gone up in price. I originally got mine on eBay for $150.00, but now I can't seem to find one for less than $339.00!!! I guess these babies got popular as more and more musicians starting going in-ear.

[Andy Follett]

No amps on stage. Live drums. Keys, gtr, bass, two singers.

Definitely a stereo mix - I spoke with an audiologist at length about this. You'll actually turn the overall volume down if your brain perceives sounds as coming from left/right as it can tell them apart - otherwise your brain ends up looking for the loudest sound to pick out - the volume "war" begins - hearing loss coming your way. When you're hearing is gone, the music stops.

Each person mixes to their on taste. Some won't touch SAC or the computer - their loss, others tweak - their gain.

I put my vocals and gtr center and pan everything else enough one way or the other so it definitely sounds off center. Some I pan hard, some "softer" (usually the other vocalists) My mix sounds just short of a studio mix with "more me".

Don't see what you have to gain with hardware when SAC will do anything knobs and mixers will do but everyone has their own taste.