The XRM is a small rack-mounted mixer with mixing and routing capabilities more commonly found in larger consoles. Being rack-mountable, it can easily and unobtrusively placed on stage allowing musicians and presenters to create their own mix or mixes.

Go IEM?
If your on-stage problems include sound from monitors and instrument amps bleeding into the microphones, or if they are loud enough to affect the house mix, the situation may warrant a personal monitor system using headphones or IEM’s and getting rid of the wedges and guitar amps. This approach will clear up the FOH mix and reduce or eliminate “bleed” into the microphones.

Besides helping improve the overall sound quality, using IEM’s can have other benefits. Mark Frink, in an article he wrote recently for Mix magazine points out, “IEM’s can lower sound exposure and help conserve hearing because individuals no longer have to compete to hear themselves over others.

Besides the obvious advantage of effectively eliminating feedback, IEM’s can reduce vocal fatigue.”

But IEM’s have drawbacks too. “The isolation that IEM’s provide is great, but it can be very unnatural,” explains Rob Nevalienen, who has mixed the in-ear monitoring systems for Stephen Curtis Chapman and Styx. “You have to add ‘size’ back to the mix with reverb and audience mics, but you also have to squash the dynamic range to keep things from jumping out, especially on vocals and guitars, which you wouldn't normally do with wedges”

Nevalienen suggests a gradual introduction when making the switch to IEM’s. He also recommends sound engineers should try them, to learn the limitations, before asking the performers to make the switch.

There are two types of transducers used in-ear monitors: the dynamic driver, most commonly found in ear bud-style ‘phones, and the balanced armature type found in hearing aids. Each has its pluses and minuses. But there is one thing that most of them have in common: most IEM’s are the occluding type, which reduce ambient sound levels.

It is widely agreed that hard-wired systems have better sound, lower cost and less potential RF (radio frequency) problems than wireless. Folkestad says, “The biggest IEM problems are high cost of even a single system, and trouble getting the application right. Also, there’s the tendency of performers to use only one ear bud.” (Ear bud is a term often used for the piece of the monitoring system that is placed in the ear.)

Karl Cartwright, who works in new product development at Westone Labs, a Colorado Springs, Colorado-based manufacturer of a wide range of hearing protection and in-ear monitoring systems says, “People using one ear bud tend to run that monitor at a higher volume.” He adds those who wear a monitor in each ear usually run them at 6 dB less than those who wear just one. For those who continue to use just one in-ear monitor, Cartwright recommends alternating ears every few services or performances.

“There is an industry misconception that in-ear monitors, like earplugs, are hearing protectors,” says Michael Santucci, president of Sensaphonics Hearing Conservation, Inc. a manufacturer of ear protection, in-ear monitoring and telecommunications equipment based in Chicago. “Unlike earplugs, in-ear monitors are capable of damaging hearing as easily as a floor monitor. They can be used as a tool for hearing preservation only if used properly.”

A wide range of options exist for churches switching to in-ear monitoring systems. Walkman-type ear buds represent the entry-level solution. Standardized ear buds with removable rubber or foam inserts are a mid-level possibility. Custom-fit ear buds molded to one user’s ear canal are the high-end choice.

How about headphones?
Traditional consumer-type headphones are an also option, especially in churches where band members are on a rotation (sharing the equipment) and isolation from high sound levels is not needed.

“As a musician, I do not want to be completely isolated from the natural acoustic energy in the room and on the platform”, Alexander says. “Therefore, I prefer an "open-air" type of headphone. For people who don't want the headband over their head, there are several very good Walkman-style (ear-bud-style) headphones that are also open air.”

But, as mentioned earlier, getting the right monitor mix involves far more than having the right monitor speakers, whether they are wedges, flown or wall-mounted monitor speakers or IEM’s. The importance of monitor set ups that are pleasing to the musicians and performers on stage has led to a range of products that allow each individual on stage to control his or her own mix. These are small monitor matrix systems. The most widely used are from Furman, Rolls and Intelix.

An interesting variation, one that also addresses some of the problems associated with the un-natural isolation often associated with in-ear monitoring, Shure’s PSM 200 Personal Monitor System offers an adaptor that allows users to wear a lavalier microphone and control capability to adjust how much ambient on-stage sound is heard through the in-ear monitor.

Shure PSM 200

The entry-level PSM 200 system can also be upgraded to wireless by adding the P2T TransMixer. This unit serves as both a mixer and a transmitter. The TransMixer includes two inputs that split signals through to the FOH mixer or another P2T. The mixer feature on the PSM200 and the other individually controlled monitor mix systems fall under the growing industry term “more-of-me” (or MOM) systems. These units allow the per-form-ers to adjust the level of their voices or instruments relative to the rest of the mix without disturbing others or changing their mix.

Entry-level personal MOM monitor units include the Rolls PM series of headphone amps that can be found for less than $100 depend-ing on the model. Effects loops and limiting are not included, so that must be done with separate outboard gear. However, these, and other personal MOM units, can be placed near the performer for easy access, and any number of monitor mixes can be sent from the main console to the MOM units allowing easily expansion.

Other low-cost, multi-channel, musician-controlled MOM-style units are available from Shure, Oz Audio, Rane and Samson.