In-Ear Monitor For Drummer/Vocalist (stage)

garydolson

garydolson

Junior Member
I'm a hard-hitting drummer who also sings a lot of background vocals. My band is doing some important gigs and relying more and more on my vocals so it's time to upgrade from my old Shure E215's. I also decided to take this opportunity to loop in my metronome as I recently heard a few rushed drum fills in a recording of one of our performances. To that end, I acquired a Yamaha MG06X mixer. Turns out this little guy has a pretty decent headphone amp, so I'm ready to acquire some good in-ears. Currently at the top of my list is the Sennheiser IE 400 Pro.

Before I take that plunge, I'd love to know what IEM's work great for you. Your recommendations would be greatly appreciated!


Gary
 
I'm at the budget end of the spectrum, but I've been using KZm's for a few years now, and I love them. I had also been using 215's prior. Can't remember which exact model, something in the middle of their line, $40-$50 range. KZm 10's, perhaps? I sing both lead and backing vocals, and they work great, for me. The price is a bonus.
 
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I also play and sing. I used 215's for years, and then I saved some money and bought a set of Westone 3-driver IEM's. As a back-up, I bought a cheap set of CCA 6-drivers from Amazon for like $60 (they are currently on sale for $40 on Amazon Black Friday). I've used both plenty, so I decided to A/B them for a while. After this, I chose the CCA's as my primary set now. I love them.

 
Molded IEs will always work best because of the improved isolation. That means you'll have a better mix without trying to compensate for (read: fight) the stage volume. The more moderate levels in your ears also helps preserve your hearing.

I've been using JH Audio 'ears' for quite a while and am very happy with them. I'm not sure of the cost, but I think somewhere in the $1000-1200 range.
 
I know that I'd probably change my tune if I ever spent the money on custom molds, but I sort of like having a little bit of noise bleed in my headphones. This way, I don't have to even cut up the guitar amps in my IEM's. Plus, having some of that noise bleed in my ears helps with communication on stage during a show as well.
 
whats your budget first and foremost? and are you US based or europe/UK based? if youre UK based i can recommend the custom IEM co, they do ultimate ears, JH audio, and 64 audio and have a variety to fit your budgets :)
 
I have the Mee Audio MX2Pro in-ears and I really like them a lot. You can get custom molds done (which I did) and they aren't too expensive. Mine were about $300 including the fee for getting my impressions taken and sent to Mee.
 
I have yet to spend more than $30 for in-ears. The sound is beautiful. I could spend much more, but can't see a reason to.
I have to add that I am luck in that almost any earbuds with the large size rubber tips fit my ears well, being comfortable and forming the seal required for good bass response. I have friends who are not so lucky. Also, opening and closing your mouth, as in singing, will affect the fit and, consequently, the sound. As a singer you may need to invest in some custom molded IEM's.
Having said that, I would go ahead and order some inexpensive earbuds and see how they work for you. Worst case scenario, they will be available as back-ups.
 
DrBoom said:
I have yet to spend more than $30 for in-ears. The sound is beautiful. I could spend much more, but can't see a reason to.
Click to expand...

The quality/isolation of IEs depends on what you want to hear, and maybe more importantly what you don't want to hear. Everyone's needs are different and are governed to a large extent by the gig at hand. For example, playing to tracks with loud stage volume pretty much requires molds. Needing to hear your own vocals a bit better but where isolation isn't crucial is certainly do-able with cheaper buds.

A nice price compromise and with better fidelity are good iso phones. I've toured with GK music Ultraphones for many years and still use them in the studio. The current price is $269.95. In addition to the price and sound advantages over molds, they go on/off your head immediately, and are quickly/cheaply replaced/fixed if needed. Carrying a spare set is a good idea and is still far less expensive than one set of nice molds.

The only (possible) disadvantage would be a vanity issue... they do stick out a bit. But drummers with headphones aren't such a strange sight.

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Thanks, everyone, for your input. I never cared for the sound of the Shure 215's but they were loud enough and did conform well to my ears, so I'm convinced molded IEM's are unnecessary in my case. The real issue with the Shure's was reliability. One side was always cutting out at precisely the worst moment. I would love to find something reliable and have always assumed I'd have to spend more to get it. The Shure's were about $100. I'm willing to go as high as $400 for the Sennheiser's, but only if absolutely necessary.
 
I use the same Yamaha mixer. Never have had an issue with it and it's certainly seen it's fair share of time on the road. I don't sing a lot of backup live, mainly because I'm not comfortable with mic placement, but for IEM's I use Ultimate Ears UE11's. They isolate everything perfectly, and when I do sing I'm able to split the channel and send a line to the mixer so I can mix my own voice in my ears against the band.
 
I just ordered the KZ Z10 Pro which set me back a whopping $39.99 US. Worst case they're unreliable and/or the sound sucks and I end up spending many times more for Sennheiser's, Westone's or whatever I end up with, but feel a whole lot better about it. I'll be back to post my opinion on the KZ's.

Much obliged for the input.
 
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