GEAR REVIEW
IN-EAR MONITORS ON THE CHEAP | Mitch Bohannon
These days , I think we could all say we have a limited budget . With uncertainty in the economy and prices continuing to rise , everyone is “ holding onto their pennies .” When it comes to stewarding tithe monies , I try to save as much as I can .
So , what can you do if you want to add in-ear monitors to your setup . Maybe you have IEM ’ s in your main worship center , but you ’ d like to add them to an alternate venue like students or kids worship .
We know that running an in-ear monitor system allows the room overall volume to be lower , the audio is cleaner , and vocals are more intelligible for the audience . All of that added to the ability to run a click track for worship make in-ears a valuable feature for your system .
So here it is , you want to add in-ear monitors without spending $ 1000-1500 per person . I would assume that you have a mixer with at least a couple of AUX outputs . Some of the most popular digital mixers today , the Allen & Heath SQ6 and the Behringer X32 both have 16 outputs . Even if you have an older analog mixer in a space , you ’ ll usually find plenty of AUX outputs whether they are XLR or ¼ ” connections .
In the past couple of years , I have reviewed two similar wireless IEM products , the ProCo WIEMS and the XVIVE U4 , that have rechargeable transmitters and receivers . The transmitter on these units has a female XLR end that will plug right into your mixer ’ s output . Plug it in and pair that to the small belt pack , and you have a complete wireless AUX mix . If your mixer is a distance away or in a bad position , you can always connect the transmitter to an XLR cable and place it close to the musician for a good connection . If you happen to have personal monitor mixers like Aviom , Allen & Heath ME , or Elite Core PM-16 , although they are super helpful , they can be really distracting when left placed right in front of the people on platform . I ’ ve used these wireless units with a ¼ ” to XLR adapter so that I can be wirelessly connected to a personal mixer and then move the mixer out of sight . Speaking of that adapter , if you have a mixer with ¼ ” outputs for your AUX channels , using that ¼ ” to XLR is the connection you need . These systems run about $ 200-300 per person .
Having a wireless connection for the people at the front of the platform creates a very clean front , but there are still other options . In our main sanctuary , we actually have four monitor systems for the platform . We have
112 December 2023 Subscribe for Free ...