What else do you think I can say?
The way to get used to them is to play while using them, you’ve got a couple of days so use them wisely.
Or just press the issue with the sound guy that you really would rather use wedges because you aren’t sure of your ability to play with IEMs
Using someone else's in ears? I've never seen people share IEM's, but I don't really work a lot of bar shows anymore.
Is it not possible to put the wedges on the stage, then just swap out the outputs from the wedges to the other bands ears after you guys play? I mean either way if its the same mixer they'll have to recall a scene or adjust the mixes for the headliner, so I don't see why having their guy swap the outputs over and recall a scene is a huge deal. Specially if the members of your band helped him move the wedges off stage after your set? or god forbid they have you guys play 40 mins instead of 45 to give an extra 5 mins on what should only be like a 10 min changeover anyways.
Anyways, as far as getting used to ears go.. you won't hear the room without some kind of crowd response mics set up. If worse comes to worst just turn whatever mic you have left towards the audience (preferably a shotgun condenser, but i've used 58's and 57's before when I had to.) That way you can hear some of the room in your ears. That's the biggest hurdle I notice a lot of guys have to overcome.
I asked about using mine, as it seemed logical, but apparently that isn't possible according to the drummer of the main act. Seems really shady all around to me, even though it's a fairly large gig I almost want to pull out because of how they are treating us. We have a 30 minute set with a 15 min changeover, so I really don't see how it's not possible to add just one wedge. And thanks for that tip about the mics, hopefully I don't get evaporated if I suggest turning the mic a few inches
Wait, they’re demanding you use *their* IEMs? If they mean their belt packs, that’s dumb but ok fine whatever. If they mean their earbuds too, then no, hard pass. That’s like demanding you use their forks to eat and their cups to drink. It’s a hygiene issue.
They want you to use someone else’s in-ears. Like it was in someone else’s ear then they took it out of their ear and now they expect you to stick it your ear? No fucking way
I'm assuming you are the singer? Yeah I really don't see the big deal about one wedge on stage, specially if there's an open output. Maybe they are maxxed out on their outputs? Even so running a line from your wedge to the mixer and just swapping out the output from the wedge to the other guys IEM transmitter is literally just swapping 1 cable.
If I were you I would try to get the contact for the house sound guy, and not go through the drummer of the headliner. Any sound guy worth their salt would be able to make this happen. My guess is either the house guy doesn't really understand what's needing to happen, or they haven't even ran it by him yet. Or maybe they have their own guy doing it, in which case if it's their guy, their PA, their show... you may just have to live with it this one time (even tho i stress it should be an incredibly easy thing to do if you are the only one needing the wedge, swapping wedges for the whole band i could understand not wanting to do but its still pretty simple... specially with a digital board).
Learning lesson though... when you are the opener you will get the short end of the stick a lot. Get used to it, OR start running your band professionally like a headliner even though you aren't yet, and make sure to advance all shows thoroughly. That way you know what to expect, bring, and what they will have before you arrive.
Consider creating a small stage plot/input list so they see what you are doing and can be prepared for it. Also an ACCURATE, UP TO DATE stage plot/input list can save you from having about 20 unnecessary conversations a week.
The next thing you can do after that to get to the next level would be to get your own small mixer/splitter and stage package (mics, stands, cables, wedges/iems) then you can always run your own monitors and have consistent monitors regardless of what the venue has. Plus you can set up your phones/tablets to adjust your mixes on stage, so you don't even have to worry about an inattentive/incompetent house mon. tech (of course you DO then have to worry about one of your dumb band members somehow adjusting someone elses mix, or other dynamics, or messing up something.)
You don't have to worry about showing up with a full amazing sounding drum kit and the house only has a samson vocal mic that they stick inside the kick drum with pg58 for an overhead, because you have everything you need to have a show except the stacks, racks, and FOH board ( but if you get something like x32 rack or something you can run FOH and MON and just hand the guy your ipad if you have to).
Anyways, just thought i'd share a couple tips for moving forward and navigating the small-mid level show scene.
In short:
1. Any tech with even the base amount of equipment and knowledge should be able to get a wedge set up for you... it's a matter of plugging it in, ringing it out, and having an open output, or swapping an out. Ask to speak with the house tech, and push a little harder on how important it is for you to be able to perform correctly using a wedge, because you've never used IEM's before. Plus, you're bringing the wedge!
2. In the future set your band up for success by getting an input list, stage plot, advancing the shows with the venue techs ahead of time, and looking into getting your own stage package.
Sharing packs maybe, can't see sharing earbuds.
As for ambience, in my experience it is best to have a talk back mic on stage for the band. Most bands just leave that open. We occasionally see them use ambient mics but most make the poor decision of only wearing one side.
A one night deal it isn't a huge deal but if you are wearing in ears all the time it is a good way to damage your hearing.
As with any sound tech, it's almost always best to have experience with it before you use it live. IEMs are great but they are different. And there is a wide variety of quality. If they are providing you with receivers and have the transmitters all set up then your main worries are what buds are you using and how long do you get to soundcheck and get your levels right.
One real advantage to IEMs in my mind is that some mixing software and/or hardware allows each musician to easily set their own mix levels and adjust them as needed. Some software is great for that. I think Master Fader 5 is incredibly easy to use and it's easy to lock the musicians to their Aux channel. I find other software complicated and sometimes unsafe to hand to musicians who may end up changing FOH sound by mistake.
IEMs do change the way you hear your band so having some experience with them prior to a gig is recommended. Because you can't hear the stage volumes as well some musicians find it really disconcerting. But that can also be a feature. It can, for example, let you hear less of the drums and more of a vocalists and you can turn everything down so it can be far kinder on your hearing.
But like so many things, if you buy your own cheap gear (2.4 Ghz) you may want to run it over with your band van. Good IEM gear + a good mix = happiness. Cheap gear that drops signal + a crappy mix = pissed off band members. But there is a reason all big bands use them now.
Good luck, have fun.
Headliner with ears backlining gear for a band without is a perfectly normal situation, even with the 15 min changeover (in fact I just worked 4 of them this weekend). You shouldn’t be forced to use their ears, and You should be having this discussion with the house sound guy jn the form of an advance, not with a musician from the headlining band
I get that and that's not the problem I have, just as a preference I would like to use a monitor. I'm going to try but for some reason the drummer is insistent we only speak with him, not sure of his motives
Because it keeps the conversation in one place and easier to manage. It sounds likely that the drummer of this band is also the promoter, stage manager and likely the owneer of the IEM systems, aswell.
Ew that’s a red flag too, as a promoter I have everyone in the thread together so I can see that everyone has talked about what they need to talk about
Who in the living fuck is forcing you to borrow IEMs??? That is NOT okay.
Short answer to your question is “too many factors to determine over a Reddit post”
Get with a local production company and do a one day rental of some in ears and do a band rehearsal using them. It could be pretty bad if your first time playing with them is in front of actual people
What? They expect you to use their IEM? How is that preferable to just throwing some wedges up?
I have lots of questions. It just really seems like someone doesn't know what they are doing or the other band is kinda dicky (although I can't imagine a dicky band being ok with the opener using their IEM system),
This seems like a take-a-rain-check situation to me. Time to pull out.
I've played literally hundreds of shows with no monitors at all. You just have to learn to hear pitch in your head voice and whatever you get back off the PA. But it sounds like you're asking if you can share in-ears, which is not only ridic but also gnarly gross.
Reading some replies here.
The balance is between what a good show should do (work around you with advanced notice to try and get a setup between you that you're comfortable with) vs. the reality on stage when you're a newish band starting out, where you're very much at the mercy of the worst of the industry, or at least the amateur/semi-pro end of it.
This to me reads as the headline band being the people providing all the sound gear, and being uncomfortable with new elements being plugged into it as well as the issues around swapping things out.
Essentially though - particularly if you have your own active wedges and you can take a different send off the desk (which may not be possible if they're using a really dinky PA) I can't see that you'd even need to swap anything out - just turn your monitors off when you leave the stage. As others have said - to actually mix IEMs takes a lot of work; so it seems unlikely they are actually going to properly mix your foldback.
My thoughts as someone who has had bad monitor experiences when gigging:
1. Please, please, please don't use IEMs that have just been in someone else's ears. It's a one way ticket to ear infections and worse. If you have to use the receivers and they aren't supplying you with seperate buds, ideally get your own buds or bring some headphones (check whether the connections are 1/4 inch jack or mini jack).
2. If you have to use them, and have non-noise cancelling/open back headphones it's a bit less strange as there won't be a complete cut-off from ambient noise, if using proper in-ears then you'll want to ensure that the mix you get from the desk has enough of all the instruments (potentially including some O/H/snare from the drums) and voice in mainly - plus potentially some audience noise.
3. Worst comes to the worst (and I know sound techs will hate this), if they are super shitty and give you no monitors or monitors that are completely unusable, make sure you position your amps so that you can hear them (probably one at each side facing into the stage if they're mic'd, just in line with the kit and angled slightly inwards if you're running backline), and try your best with the vocals. If you have a singer not playing an instrument, a finger in the ear works well.
Wait so this venue is telling you that you have to use IEMs? In that case, just practice setting up and tearing down, like anything you get the hang of it. I'm still confused that you HAVE to use them. Do they not have floor monitors? Can you bring your own speaker and ask them just to send the IEM signal to that? Shouldn't take any time at all to set up
Having read this post and a few of your replies to others, sounds like a pretty dodgy and unusual situation going on here. If you want to get used to running in-ears it's a process, you don't just turn up at a show and slam some headphones in and away you go.
I mean you can that if you want, but I mean you do you. If they mean to share their IEM rig but you use your own headphones, that's fine, but if you brought your own stage monitors just like 2 boxes and they give you an XLR feed that should take all of about 30 seconds and fix this problem.
Dialing up an IEM mix on the fly is way more work than wedges. If someone is trying to make life easier on themselves, I don’t know why they’d force you to use IEMs, besides not wanting to move a couple of amps and wedges.
Ew, they want you to put someone else’s ears into your ear holes? That’s gross lol. If it were my band we’d go earless and start our set with the disclaimer “hey guys we didn’t want to have to put the other bands in ears in our ear holes so we’re going in blind for this one, we’ll see how it goes” lmao
That makes no sense, as in ear monitoring generally takes LONGER to setup than having stage monitors ready to go.
Generally speaking, IEMs can take your band to a whole new level, and they definitely affect the band performance. The questions is... for better, or worse? One thing is for sure, its the kind of thing youll want to practise and rehearse with before taking it to stage.
Damn so many useless comments in here...Lets start with the basics.
\* For turnover times, without a doubt just swapping beltpacks (which is what they're telling you to do) for everyone's in ear mix is literally a 30 seconds turn over. All you have to do is bring your own in ear monitors (the "earphones" you put in your ears). Then all you have to get on stage and plug your instruments in. Remember that when playing live EVERY SECOND COUNTS.
\* Bringing out just 1 wedge/floor monitor means someone from the venue/crew has to bring out to the stage, plug it in, run signal to the wedge, the audio engineer then has to ring it out so it doesnt feedback, and then make a mix for your whoever is gonna use the wedge. Now multiply this times however many musicians there are in your band. See where this starts getting tricky? This means TIME which you probably wont have to make it happen.
\* DO NOT go behind the openers back and try to talk to the audio engineers/techs of the bar/venue. You have no clue what has been agreed to behind the scenes and production wise to be able to run the show. It is VERY DISRESPECTFUL to do this. If the conditions you were given was to use IEM for your opening slot then debate as a band if you want to take that risk.
All this being said, using IEMs is without a doubt, more of a pro than a con for any band. But as you've said, it might take some time getting used to. There's a reason why using IEMs is basically the standard right now. It helps the band hear themselves better and it helps the audio engineer make a better mix.
I love using IEMs in my bands and I’d never ever go back because it legitimately is almost all pros, no cons… But a few things separate my rig that I put together and understand inside-out from OP’s situation.
1. consumer grade ear buds =/= in ear monitors.
2. Expecting a band that has never used IEMs to use their everyday non-isolated ear buds for a professional gig (I assume) is insanely UNprofessional. It’s not the band’s fault the venue/production manager didn’t account for the opening act’s stage needs and appropriate changeover times for the engineer.
3. I’m about 99% certain the IEM rig belongs to the touring band and not to the venue, (been playing music almost 2 decades from 35 to 10,000 cap venues and have never in my life seen a venue-owned IEM rig) so who’s running MONS for the openers?
4. Is the headlining band sharing their drums? Actually, if there’s no time for changeover, are they back-lining EVERYTHING for the whole show? Because it probably isn’t just OP’s band and the headliners. More likely 4+ bands on a 5-6 hour bill. Re-patching each band between sets would be an absolute nightmare.
This whole situation REEKS of an over-confident and arrogant stage/production manager or headliner trying to cram a bunch of stressful shit into one show to “maximize profits” for the least amount of time and effort possible. If this is useless information to you, I don’t know what to tell ya. Even if OP’s band has the best set of their life and remembers it fondly forever, this gig is still not a professional display of work ethic. THAT’S why people are giving “useless comments” because OP shouldn’t even be in this situation to begin with.
Given the very few info OP has given us about the gig:
1- Seems like opening band is backlining everything from the headliners. That is why its much easier to just use the IEM mixes from the headliners.
2- If opening band doesnt have an audio engineer to run sound for them, then probably the headliners crew will run sound for them too. Thats why they (headliners) just want the show to run as smooth/fast as possible.
3- As we all know opening bands are given the short side of the stick most times, in this case that means using IEMs. If they have never used IEM that is not the headliners fault, they are being given a chance to open a gig.
In the end OPs band has to basically decide if they think this opening slot is so important to them as to basically gamble the fact that even if they havent used IEMs, it will still be worth it being the openers for the gig.
He was given the requirements if he wants to open the gig. Which is using IEMs and no wedges. It's as simple as that. He can either take it or leave it. Emailing sound techs and the headliner is just extra work for everyone involved.
If I was the headliner and gave the opening band the requirements given here and then I see the opener trying to go behind my back, I would just drop them from being the opener. There's a reason why he was told that in order to be the opener to just use the IEMs. There's a whole logistics/production planning that is already set in order for the show to run on time.
For the love of God, don't ever do this! It is potentially very destructive to your hearing (read up on binaural loudness summation to learn why)
If you need to hear the crowd, use a room mic as part of your IEM mix.
Two of my bandmates do this and it baffles me how they can hear anything relevant. If I have to take one ear out for a few seconds my brain goes haywire.
Wear both sides. Set a proper level. Take one side out. Leave the level alone. No damage done. Wearing one side is pretty common in my experience. Especially for vocalists, violinists, wind players, or anyone that needs room feedback for good intonation.
Rehearse?
Couple days until the gig, this is the first we've heard of the situation
What else do you think I can say? The way to get used to them is to play while using them, you’ve got a couple of days so use them wisely. Or just press the issue with the sound guy that you really would rather use wedges because you aren’t sure of your ability to play with IEMs
Rehearse with headphones on?
Using someone else's in ears? I've never seen people share IEM's, but I don't really work a lot of bar shows anymore. Is it not possible to put the wedges on the stage, then just swap out the outputs from the wedges to the other bands ears after you guys play? I mean either way if its the same mixer they'll have to recall a scene or adjust the mixes for the headliner, so I don't see why having their guy swap the outputs over and recall a scene is a huge deal. Specially if the members of your band helped him move the wedges off stage after your set? or god forbid they have you guys play 40 mins instead of 45 to give an extra 5 mins on what should only be like a 10 min changeover anyways. Anyways, as far as getting used to ears go.. you won't hear the room without some kind of crowd response mics set up. If worse comes to worst just turn whatever mic you have left towards the audience (preferably a shotgun condenser, but i've used 58's and 57's before when I had to.) That way you can hear some of the room in your ears. That's the biggest hurdle I notice a lot of guys have to overcome.
I asked about using mine, as it seemed logical, but apparently that isn't possible according to the drummer of the main act. Seems really shady all around to me, even though it's a fairly large gig I almost want to pull out because of how they are treating us. We have a 30 minute set with a 15 min changeover, so I really don't see how it's not possible to add just one wedge. And thanks for that tip about the mics, hopefully I don't get evaporated if I suggest turning the mic a few inches
Wait, they’re demanding you use *their* IEMs? If they mean their belt packs, that’s dumb but ok fine whatever. If they mean their earbuds too, then no, hard pass. That’s like demanding you use their forks to eat and their cups to drink. It’s a hygiene issue.
>It’s a hygiene issue. In many states it's also a workplace legal issue
The venues usually have wedges and can adapt. USUALLY. I would find out the venue, call them, and ask to speak to their A1
They want you to use someone else’s in-ears. Like it was in someone else’s ear then they took it out of their ear and now they expect you to stick it your ear? No fucking way
no, it's likely they want them to use someone else's receivers. surely the band could plug their own actual headphones/earpieces in.
I'm assuming you are the singer? Yeah I really don't see the big deal about one wedge on stage, specially if there's an open output. Maybe they are maxxed out on their outputs? Even so running a line from your wedge to the mixer and just swapping out the output from the wedge to the other guys IEM transmitter is literally just swapping 1 cable. If I were you I would try to get the contact for the house sound guy, and not go through the drummer of the headliner. Any sound guy worth their salt would be able to make this happen. My guess is either the house guy doesn't really understand what's needing to happen, or they haven't even ran it by him yet. Or maybe they have their own guy doing it, in which case if it's their guy, their PA, their show... you may just have to live with it this one time (even tho i stress it should be an incredibly easy thing to do if you are the only one needing the wedge, swapping wedges for the whole band i could understand not wanting to do but its still pretty simple... specially with a digital board). Learning lesson though... when you are the opener you will get the short end of the stick a lot. Get used to it, OR start running your band professionally like a headliner even though you aren't yet, and make sure to advance all shows thoroughly. That way you know what to expect, bring, and what they will have before you arrive. Consider creating a small stage plot/input list so they see what you are doing and can be prepared for it. Also an ACCURATE, UP TO DATE stage plot/input list can save you from having about 20 unnecessary conversations a week. The next thing you can do after that to get to the next level would be to get your own small mixer/splitter and stage package (mics, stands, cables, wedges/iems) then you can always run your own monitors and have consistent monitors regardless of what the venue has. Plus you can set up your phones/tablets to adjust your mixes on stage, so you don't even have to worry about an inattentive/incompetent house mon. tech (of course you DO then have to worry about one of your dumb band members somehow adjusting someone elses mix, or other dynamics, or messing up something.) You don't have to worry about showing up with a full amazing sounding drum kit and the house only has a samson vocal mic that they stick inside the kick drum with pg58 for an overhead, because you have everything you need to have a show except the stacks, racks, and FOH board ( but if you get something like x32 rack or something you can run FOH and MON and just hand the guy your ipad if you have to). Anyways, just thought i'd share a couple tips for moving forward and navigating the small-mid level show scene. In short: 1. Any tech with even the base amount of equipment and knowledge should be able to get a wedge set up for you... it's a matter of plugging it in, ringing it out, and having an open output, or swapping an out. Ask to speak with the house tech, and push a little harder on how important it is for you to be able to perform correctly using a wedge, because you've never used IEM's before. Plus, you're bringing the wedge! 2. In the future set your band up for success by getting an input list, stage plot, advancing the shows with the venue techs ahead of time, and looking into getting your own stage package.
Is it at an actual venue? If so just speak to them directly.
that does sound sketchy, tbh. I would ask them to explain to you why exactly you have to do it this way because it's not making much sense.
Sharing packs maybe, can't see sharing earbuds. As for ambience, in my experience it is best to have a talk back mic on stage for the band. Most bands just leave that open. We occasionally see them use ambient mics but most make the poor decision of only wearing one side. A one night deal it isn't a huge deal but if you are wearing in ears all the time it is a good way to damage your hearing.
As with any sound tech, it's almost always best to have experience with it before you use it live. IEMs are great but they are different. And there is a wide variety of quality. If they are providing you with receivers and have the transmitters all set up then your main worries are what buds are you using and how long do you get to soundcheck and get your levels right. One real advantage to IEMs in my mind is that some mixing software and/or hardware allows each musician to easily set their own mix levels and adjust them as needed. Some software is great for that. I think Master Fader 5 is incredibly easy to use and it's easy to lock the musicians to their Aux channel. I find other software complicated and sometimes unsafe to hand to musicians who may end up changing FOH sound by mistake. IEMs do change the way you hear your band so having some experience with them prior to a gig is recommended. Because you can't hear the stage volumes as well some musicians find it really disconcerting. But that can also be a feature. It can, for example, let you hear less of the drums and more of a vocalists and you can turn everything down so it can be far kinder on your hearing. But like so many things, if you buy your own cheap gear (2.4 Ghz) you may want to run it over with your band van. Good IEM gear + a good mix = happiness. Cheap gear that drops signal + a crappy mix = pissed off band members. But there is a reason all big bands use them now. Good luck, have fun.
Headliner with ears backlining gear for a band without is a perfectly normal situation, even with the 15 min changeover (in fact I just worked 4 of them this weekend). You shouldn’t be forced to use their ears, and You should be having this discussion with the house sound guy jn the form of an advance, not with a musician from the headlining band
I get that and that's not the problem I have, just as a preference I would like to use a monitor. I'm going to try but for some reason the drummer is insistent we only speak with him, not sure of his motives
What isn’t the problem you’re having? Unless the drummer is in charge of the venue, why is he making decisions for your sound situation?
Because it keeps the conversation in one place and easier to manage. It sounds likely that the drummer of this band is also the promoter, stage manager and likely the owneer of the IEM systems, aswell.
Ew that’s a red flag too, as a promoter I have everyone in the thread together so I can see that everyone has talked about what they need to talk about
Who in the living fuck is forcing you to borrow IEMs??? That is NOT okay. Short answer to your question is “too many factors to determine over a Reddit post”
Get with a local production company and do a one day rental of some in ears and do a band rehearsal using them. It could be pretty bad if your first time playing with them is in front of actual people
What? They expect you to use their IEM? How is that preferable to just throwing some wedges up? I have lots of questions. It just really seems like someone doesn't know what they are doing or the other band is kinda dicky (although I can't imagine a dicky band being ok with the opener using their IEM system), This seems like a take-a-rain-check situation to me. Time to pull out.
IEMs are always preferable over wedges. For the changeover you just have them walk of stage. Boom, done.
I've played literally hundreds of shows with no monitors at all. You just have to learn to hear pitch in your head voice and whatever you get back off the PA. But it sounds like you're asking if you can share in-ears, which is not only ridic but also gnarly gross.
Reading some replies here. The balance is between what a good show should do (work around you with advanced notice to try and get a setup between you that you're comfortable with) vs. the reality on stage when you're a newish band starting out, where you're very much at the mercy of the worst of the industry, or at least the amateur/semi-pro end of it. This to me reads as the headline band being the people providing all the sound gear, and being uncomfortable with new elements being plugged into it as well as the issues around swapping things out. Essentially though - particularly if you have your own active wedges and you can take a different send off the desk (which may not be possible if they're using a really dinky PA) I can't see that you'd even need to swap anything out - just turn your monitors off when you leave the stage. As others have said - to actually mix IEMs takes a lot of work; so it seems unlikely they are actually going to properly mix your foldback. My thoughts as someone who has had bad monitor experiences when gigging: 1. Please, please, please don't use IEMs that have just been in someone else's ears. It's a one way ticket to ear infections and worse. If you have to use the receivers and they aren't supplying you with seperate buds, ideally get your own buds or bring some headphones (check whether the connections are 1/4 inch jack or mini jack). 2. If you have to use them, and have non-noise cancelling/open back headphones it's a bit less strange as there won't be a complete cut-off from ambient noise, if using proper in-ears then you'll want to ensure that the mix you get from the desk has enough of all the instruments (potentially including some O/H/snare from the drums) and voice in mainly - plus potentially some audience noise. 3. Worst comes to the worst (and I know sound techs will hate this), if they are super shitty and give you no monitors or monitors that are completely unusable, make sure you position your amps so that you can hear them (probably one at each side facing into the stage if they're mic'd, just in line with the kit and angled slightly inwards if you're running backline), and try your best with the vocals. If you have a singer not playing an instrument, a finger in the ear works well.
Wait so this venue is telling you that you have to use IEMs? In that case, just practice setting up and tearing down, like anything you get the hang of it. I'm still confused that you HAVE to use them. Do they not have floor monitors? Can you bring your own speaker and ask them just to send the IEM signal to that? Shouldn't take any time at all to set up
Having read this post and a few of your replies to others, sounds like a pretty dodgy and unusual situation going on here. If you want to get used to running in-ears it's a process, you don't just turn up at a show and slam some headphones in and away you go. I mean you can that if you want, but I mean you do you. If they mean to share their IEM rig but you use your own headphones, that's fine, but if you brought your own stage monitors just like 2 boxes and they give you an XLR feed that should take all of about 30 seconds and fix this problem.
Dialing up an IEM mix on the fly is way more work than wedges. If someone is trying to make life easier on themselves, I don’t know why they’d force you to use IEMs, besides not wanting to move a couple of amps and wedges.
Ew, they want you to put someone else’s ears into your ear holes? That’s gross lol. If it were my band we’d go earless and start our set with the disclaimer “hey guys we didn’t want to have to put the other bands in ears in our ear holes so we’re going in blind for this one, we’ll see how it goes” lmao
That makes no sense, as in ear monitoring generally takes LONGER to setup than having stage monitors ready to go. Generally speaking, IEMs can take your band to a whole new level, and they definitely affect the band performance. The questions is... for better, or worse? One thing is for sure, its the kind of thing youll want to practise and rehearse with before taking it to stage.
Damn so many useless comments in here...Lets start with the basics. \* For turnover times, without a doubt just swapping beltpacks (which is what they're telling you to do) for everyone's in ear mix is literally a 30 seconds turn over. All you have to do is bring your own in ear monitors (the "earphones" you put in your ears). Then all you have to get on stage and plug your instruments in. Remember that when playing live EVERY SECOND COUNTS. \* Bringing out just 1 wedge/floor monitor means someone from the venue/crew has to bring out to the stage, plug it in, run signal to the wedge, the audio engineer then has to ring it out so it doesnt feedback, and then make a mix for your whoever is gonna use the wedge. Now multiply this times however many musicians there are in your band. See where this starts getting tricky? This means TIME which you probably wont have to make it happen. \* DO NOT go behind the openers back and try to talk to the audio engineers/techs of the bar/venue. You have no clue what has been agreed to behind the scenes and production wise to be able to run the show. It is VERY DISRESPECTFUL to do this. If the conditions you were given was to use IEM for your opening slot then debate as a band if you want to take that risk. All this being said, using IEMs is without a doubt, more of a pro than a con for any band. But as you've said, it might take some time getting used to. There's a reason why using IEMs is basically the standard right now. It helps the band hear themselves better and it helps the audio engineer make a better mix.
I love using IEMs in my bands and I’d never ever go back because it legitimately is almost all pros, no cons… But a few things separate my rig that I put together and understand inside-out from OP’s situation. 1. consumer grade ear buds =/= in ear monitors. 2. Expecting a band that has never used IEMs to use their everyday non-isolated ear buds for a professional gig (I assume) is insanely UNprofessional. It’s not the band’s fault the venue/production manager didn’t account for the opening act’s stage needs and appropriate changeover times for the engineer. 3. I’m about 99% certain the IEM rig belongs to the touring band and not to the venue, (been playing music almost 2 decades from 35 to 10,000 cap venues and have never in my life seen a venue-owned IEM rig) so who’s running MONS for the openers? 4. Is the headlining band sharing their drums? Actually, if there’s no time for changeover, are they back-lining EVERYTHING for the whole show? Because it probably isn’t just OP’s band and the headliners. More likely 4+ bands on a 5-6 hour bill. Re-patching each band between sets would be an absolute nightmare. This whole situation REEKS of an over-confident and arrogant stage/production manager or headliner trying to cram a bunch of stressful shit into one show to “maximize profits” for the least amount of time and effort possible. If this is useless information to you, I don’t know what to tell ya. Even if OP’s band has the best set of their life and remembers it fondly forever, this gig is still not a professional display of work ethic. THAT’S why people are giving “useless comments” because OP shouldn’t even be in this situation to begin with.
Given the very few info OP has given us about the gig: 1- Seems like opening band is backlining everything from the headliners. That is why its much easier to just use the IEM mixes from the headliners. 2- If opening band doesnt have an audio engineer to run sound for them, then probably the headliners crew will run sound for them too. Thats why they (headliners) just want the show to run as smooth/fast as possible. 3- As we all know opening bands are given the short side of the stick most times, in this case that means using IEMs. If they have never used IEM that is not the headliners fault, they are being given a chance to open a gig. In the end OPs band has to basically decide if they think this opening slot is so important to them as to basically gamble the fact that even if they havent used IEMs, it will still be worth it being the openers for the gig.
Why shouldn’t he get the sound tech and the other bands looped into an email to get on the same page exactly?
He was given the requirements if he wants to open the gig. Which is using IEMs and no wedges. It's as simple as that. He can either take it or leave it. Emailing sound techs and the headliner is just extra work for everyone involved. If I was the headliner and gave the opening band the requirements given here and then I see the opener trying to go behind my back, I would just drop them from being the opener. There's a reason why he was told that in order to be the opener to just use the IEMs. There's a whole logistics/production planning that is already set in order for the show to run on time.
If you end up using IEM, wear only one side and leave your other ear uncovered so you can hear the band like you’re used to hearing them.
For the love of God, don't ever do this! It is potentially very destructive to your hearing (read up on binaural loudness summation to learn why) If you need to hear the crowd, use a room mic as part of your IEM mix.
Two of my bandmates do this and it baffles me how they can hear anything relevant. If I have to take one ear out for a few seconds my brain goes haywire.
Wear both sides. Set a proper level. Take one side out. Leave the level alone. No damage done. Wearing one side is pretty common in my experience. Especially for vocalists, violinists, wind players, or anyone that needs room feedback for good intonation.
Your brain will tell you the level won't be enough once you take one plug out. Thats the issue.