In-Ear Monitor help!

brady

Platinum Member
I was hoping to tap into the live audio knowledge of this forum.

I recently bought a personal amp for plugging my IE buds into. It's fed by a regular 1/4" cable from our mixer. The problem is that I only have sound in my left, actually if I turn up the sound all the way (WAY too high...) I can hear out of the right. My local GC, where I bought all the gear, hasn't been much help (only local source of audio techs). My cable is definitely stereo and the amp does work fine if I plug an MP3 player into it; just not our mixer for some reason. Is it possible that none of the ports on the mixer are actually stereo? I've tried 3 different ones. It's a Yamaha EMX212 if that helps. If they aren’t, what do I need to get the stereo feed happening?

Thanks.
 
how peculiar, which mixer is it? have you got a photo/diagram of the ins/outs? if you can hear sound in the right ear (when very loud) then could it be that it has been panned hard left somehow?
i know that sounds ludicrous but you never know. is it a digital mixer? could there be any settings that have been altered using an lcd screen in the past? hmm.
 
how peculiar, which mixer is it? have you got a photo/diagram of the ins/outs? if you can hear sound in the right ear (when very loud) then could it be that it has been panned hard left somehow?
i know that sounds ludicrous but you never know. is it a digital mixer? could there be any settings that have been altered using an lcd screen in the past? hmm.



It's a little Yamaha mixer; an EMX212. There's a somewhat decent picture of it on MF but you can't really make out the ports on it. I don't think it's a digital mixer. There are basically only 3 places I can plug into. A 'monitor out' which only gives me sound in the left, and next to that a R and L(mono). The L out is clearly mono so I haven't even used that one; plugging into the R will give me sound on the left and very little in the right. It sounds like it's pretty much split 90/10. I'm beginning to think that there just aren't any stereo outputs on this thing.
 
Your mixer has balanced outputs not stereo unless you use two outputs L&R or the headphone jack. Although these two types of 1/4" jacks use the same plug (Tip, Ring, Sleeve) or TRS; they work differently.

You have three options here. The first two will keep the stereo output (seperate L and R) but if all your signals are running mono (panned neither left or right) it won't matter, your essentially running mono:

1) Easiest but may have limitations - Run a balanced (TRS) 1/4" to 1/4" cable from the headphone output of your mixer to the personal monitor amp.

2) Get a Y cable with two 1/4" female jacks to one 1/4" male plug and plug this into your personal monitor amp. You will need to run TWO 1/4" cables, one from the left and one from the right outputs of your mixer, to the female jacks of the Y cable.

3) May require a few adapters and your personal monitor amp needs a mic input - insert a 1/4" male plug to female XLR (has 3 pins) adapter into one of the auxes or monitor outputs you mentioned before > run a mic cable from the adapter to the mic input of your personal monitor amp. NOTE: you will probably need to insert an inline IMP PAD to attenuate the signal from line level (output of the board) to mic level of the personal monitor amp.

Hope this helps and I haven't confused you more...
 
Your mixer has balanced outputs not stereo unless you use two outputs L&R or the headphone jack. Although these two types of 1/4" jacks use the same plug (Tip, Ring, Sleeve) or TRS; they work differently.

You have three options here. The first two will keep the stereo output (seperate L and R) but if all your signals are running mono (panned neither left or right) it won't matter, your essentially running mono:

1) Easiest but may have limitations - Run a balanced (TRS) 1/4" to 1/4" cable from the headphone output of your mixer to the personal monitor amp.

2) Get a Y cable with two 1/4" female jacks to one 1/4" male plug and plug this into your personal monitor amp. You will need to run TWO 1/4" cables, one from the left and one from the right outputs of your mixer, to the female jacks of the Y cable.

3) May require a few adapters and your personal monitor amp needs a mic input - insert a 1/4" male plug to female XLR (has 3 pins) adapter into one of the auxes or monitor outputs you mentioned before > run a mic cable from the adapter to the mic input of your personal monitor amp. NOTE: you will probably need to insert an inline IMP PAD to attenuate the signal from line level (output of the board) to mic level of the personal monitor amp.

Hope this helps and I haven't confused you more...





Thanks for the help, all.


Please bear with me. Live audio is a new thing for me. jlad, as far as your suggestions...


1) I'm finding that out... This is what I'm doing now but I'm only getting audio on my left.


2) This may work. This is pretty much what I thought I would have to do. Problem is I don't know exactly what adapter I would need. Is there an actual name (or link) for the adapter I need?

3) I lost you right after 'May require...' :) My amp doesn't have a mic input, unfortunately.

If it helps, here is a link to the amp I'm using.
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.co...HA04-4-Channel-Headphone-Amplifier?sku=180094

There is only a 1/4" 'stereo input' on the back.



And if it helps, this is my cable...
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Mogami-Gold-TRS-Patch-Cable?sku=483349
 
what jlad typed is very good information. good luck!
 
I have been using a Behringer MA400 headphone amp and Shure SM4 inner ear monitors
The Behringer has XLR connections and operates in stereo or mono and cost about 40$.
There is a huge difference between earbuds and inner ear monitors. Inner ear monitors have different drivers and fit like ear plugs providing complete noise isolation. I have used this system for two shows so far. I have never played so relaxed and was able to hear the band.
 
I have been using a Behringer MA400 headphone amp and Shure SM4 inner ear monitors
The Behringer has XLR connections and operates in stereo or mono and cost about 40$.
There is a huge difference between earbuds and inner ear monitors. Inner ear monitors have different drivers and fit like ear plugs providing complete noise isolation. I have used this system for two shows so far. I have never played so relaxed and was able to hear the band.

Just to clarify, are you using the PSM 400 monitor system? Are you using a in ear monitor, or earbud. I'm pretty sure the SCL-5 is the only Shure earphones that are dual driver. If you are looking for a true in ear monitor go with Ultimate Ears, or Westone. I use the custom UE-7 Pro and had to have an ear mold made.
 
Just to clarify, are you using the PSM 400 monitor system? Are you using a in ear monitor, or earbud. I'm pretty sure the SCL-5 is the only Shure earphones that are dual driver. If you are looking for a true in ear monitor go with Ultimate Ears, or Westone. I use the custom UE-7 Pro and had to have an ear mold made.

My Bad They are SCL4s
 
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