CHURCH TECH
IN-EAR MONITORS : LOTS OF PROS , AND AVOIDABLE CONS | Matt Kees
In-ear monitors ( IEMs ) have become more and more common in the house of worship these days . What used to be something that only professional touring musicians used is now regularly used by the largest demographic of performing musicians across the US , worship musicians in the church . It ’ s been said that more people are performing music every weekend in church than are playing in live music venues like clubs or bars . And now during COVID lockdowns , I would guess that there are still more church musicians performing than bar bands , since many entertainment venues are closed .
There are a few reasons why worship musicians are leaning toward IEMs over floor wedges .
LOWER STAGE VOLUME Using IEMs greatly reduces stage volume , which in turn allows us to control the front of house volume even more effectively . Without all of the extra sound coming from the floor wedges , the only thing you really need to worry about on-stage are your drums , and maybe guitar / bass amps . And if you can get your bassist to go direct through a preamp and DI , and maybe your guitarist can use a modeling amp to go direct , you can really cut down on stage volume . Why is this important ? When your stage volume is lower , your house volume can be lower because it isn ’ t competing with it . Ultimately , the folks in your congregation who regularly tell you that the volume is too high will thank you for it . ;)
CLICKS AND TRACKS Another reason for using IEMs is that many worship teams utilize a click with backing tracks to enhance their sonic palette or to stay in sync with time related content , like video or lighting cues . IEMs allow musicians to hear the click without it being broadcast to the congregation … could you imagine ? Ha .
Backing tracks may or may not be for you and your team , but being able to use a click to start songs at the correct tempo is helpful when your drummer might be hyped up on caffeine and the song is supposed to be 60 bpm , not 90 . A metronome click is completely honest from rehearsal to performance . And while playing emotionally is completely fine , sometimes our environment contributes to tempos that either run away from us or make us fall asleep .
HEARING For me , another great reason to use IEMs is for personal hearing protection . It ’ s possible that using IEMs could possibly increase damage to your hearing , but if used with discipline , you can actually save your hearing by keeping levels lower . Custom fit IEMs have molded earpieces that actually block out external noise , allowing you to completely control your listening level .
UNIVERSAL VS . CUSTOM It is not necessary to get a set of custom IEMs to venture into the world of personal monitoring . There are many options available that are very affordable ; over-the-ear headphones , or inexpensive ear buds with a universal fit . There are even ‘ pseudo ’ custom options , they snuggly fit in your ear , but don ’ t venture down the ear canal . All of these options allow just about any weekend warrior musician to purchase a set and get on board with an ear mix .
That said , with these options there are some limitations and the level of quality may impede how well you are able to hear a clean mix . Most of the inexpensive , universal earbuds are single driver , and cannot really handle a balanced frequency spectrum . As a drummer or a bassist , you really need solid low end in your mix . As a guitarist , keyboardist or vocalist , you really need mid and high mid clarity . Single driver earbuds do not always provide the best spectrum . They rely on fitting tight in your ear for that low frequency response . Universal fit