Hello everyone. I've got a gig coming up where I'll be monitor mixing for a band I've never heard before. Well actually me and my crew are running sound for a festival but the headliner insists on bringing their own console(instead of using our Midas Verona 56ch) along with their own FOH guy. So we're suppose to run their monitor mix. The bands rider says that along with six custom mixes for the six wedge monitors on stage they also want six "stereo" mixes(12 AUX's) for ear monitors for 8 different people. I think the rider also says something about them wanting 2 monitor consoles.
Ok so first off none of us have ever dealt with in-ear monitors, the only times we encountered them the band had their own monitor engineer. Secondly I am really confused by the fact they are asking for Stereo in-ear monitor mixes. Are they maybe just trying to make sure they have a "mono" mix in both ears? I didn't think an actual stereo mix was possible with a standard monitor mixer, ours is a Soundcraft spirit 2. The outputs on it are XLR and there are only eight auxes.
As we have never encountered ear-monitors before maybe someone could out there knows what kind of input they take. Do they take a mono XLR feed and split it to both ears? Or do we need to split each mono output into a L and R?
Besides that stumbling block I am also wondering how I can get the proper levels when we will not have in-ear monitors for comparison. Will they have little volume boxes clipped on their belts?
Ok I know those were a lot of question/confusion. If anybody could tackle some of this and share with me some insight I would be very grateful.
Thank you!
Comments
Thanks for the info Moonbaby. I have been thinking since I first
Thanks for the info Moonbaby. I have been thinking since I first looked at the rider that we don't have the proper gear to deal with this group. It would seem to me that one of the benefits of using in-ear monitors would be that they could use nearly the same mix for monitor world night after night. Why the band brings their own fOH guy and insists on switching out boards in the middle of a show but then lets someone who has never heard the group run their 6 custom mix in ear monitor system is a bit confusing to me. Hopefully their tech will get back to me today. I'll let you know how this all shakes out.
My first thought to your post was: "Why isn't the band travellin
My first thought to your post was:
"Why isn't the band travelling with their MONITOR rig, rather than the FOH, if it's that important to warrant what they spec'd.?" Also, your better IEMs are custom-molded to the performers' ears, did they even mention that they were providing the earbuds? Anyway, you need to give yourself
enough time for the learning curve if you decide to dive into that end of the pool. Best regards!
Alright, well I talked to the bands tech and he sounds like a to
Alright, well I talked to the bands tech and he sounds like a total pro. He will be bringing his own GL2400 for the monitors and setting them himself. They will also be bringing all their own mics and their own FOH board, which their tech will be running. Luckily we have two snakes so we can set their stuff early in the day and only have to the switch board outs into the Gallileo when its their turn to rock. Should be interesting seeing what someone else can do with our meyers. And also now we can probally get away with bringing our gl3300 instead of lugging the Midas. Thanks for the response!
Terrapin: I realize that this is may come off as negative and ma
Terrapin:
I realize that this is may come off as negative and maybe downright rude, BUT:
1) You are in over your head. IEMs for a gig like you described need to be handled by a professional. A professional that is experienced with them and who has the necessary ancilliary gear (mainly enough channels of brickwall limiting to keep from frying 8 stereo IEMs and their related performers' ears). Not to mention a stage crew that can deal with the RF issues of all that wireless transmitting onstage.
2) When you state,"I think the rider also says something about wanting 2 monitor consoles", you are in over your head.
3) When you ask what they mean regarding "stereo" IEM mixes, you are in over your head. Yes, they want their IEMs to work and sound just like the iPods they wear on the tour bus all friggin' day and night. NOT easy.
Personally, when I get a rider for a rig like that, I turn it over to another company that CAN handle that. And based upon your post and the description of your gear, I'm better-equipped than you. It also seems that maybe you were the "low-baller" when it came to the bidding? Maybe the other local sound companies (if there are any) resent this and want to watch you shoot yourself in the foot on this gig? Instead of this, you might want to form sort of alliance with one of them who can do this gig.
Because, if you don't come clean, and this headline act shows up expecting this gear you can't provide or operate...there's going to be some real crap hittin' the fan. Good luck.