Which Is Better - In-Ear or Stage Monitors?

In this video, we talk about some of the important things about both In-Ear Monitors and classic Stage Wedges that you need to know! Watch Now and decide!

Which Is Better - In-Ear or Stage Monitors?

This question has come up multiple times.

Is it better to have stage monitors? Or in-ear monitors?

I hate to say this this way as an "old school" singer, guitarist, and performer, but the truth is, it's a lot like asking the question: "Should John Henry continue to build the railroad with his bare hands, or could machines come along and do it a lot more efficiently and faster, with greater longevity and stamina?"

Because I'm an old school performer, I'd have to say nothing beats the feeling of the really loud sound pressure (volume) of your instrument peeling your face back with crazy power and authority with a great monitor system on the stage, side wedges (when you move side to side on the stage) and a massive PA system filling a room with energy.

And truth be told, it has taken me quite some time to adjust to the feeling of the disconnect I have when wearing in-ear monitors - compared to this 50,000-Watt sensation I have with loud stage monitors and a great PA.

But there are many give and takes to both sides.

In this video, I discuss these give and takes so you can make your own educated, informed decision.

I hope you find this video informative and helpful on your performing journey.

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Oh, yeah! And here's some news some of you may be interested in:
Some Fun Nostalgia For You.
My Old Shout Records Have Been Remastered.
For Anyone Interested: You Can Find Them Here:
#InEarMonitors #StageMonitors #WedgeMonitors #kentamplinvocalacademy

[themeatjesus]

As a FOH engineer of 20 years I would say this is mostly accurate. What I do if a band says they are going to have IEMs is grab a simple condenser like an AKG 214 and sit it back at the booth to blend in the room. It's honestly a secret weapon for any sound guy. I would say though that gaming a great sound guy is to your detriment because if you are half ass singing at sound check and I'm gain staging the compressor for that level then I'm going to half to redo the gain staging later when the compressor ends up receiving too much gain and now the vocals are entirely flat because the compressor is smashing the dynamics completely, not to mention the gain staging after that through the IEM mix. I would say just sing full blast so I can mix you correctly and do a full song sound check with full band to dial in changes to prevent major hearing loss or blowing out your expensive in ear drivers. Also do not be scared to ask your sound guy for compression and reverb in your IEM mix, you would be shocked at how many sound guys raw dog the unprocessed vocals in the IEM mix and It can be an absolute game changer to have your vocals cut through a thick mix. Most digital boards are completely capable of this. I still prefer wedges too because most sound guys don't blend a room mic in but I've had a couple that do and it's the missing link to a great live IEM performance mix. Very esoteric topic like you said haha

[julierocks]

I love my in ears, I fought using them so many times in the past, but now I am used to them and I find that they help me a lot in hearing myself and not straining my voice over loud tube amps. I love my wedges, but I like hearing myself more, at least I know im singing in key, I have so much more control over myself with my in ears, I cant always control stage volume

[Theospeak]

Ken you are the best! Keep being you and sharing your wisdom and the love of Christ with others. The world is a better place because of you.

[learnfromthemastersmusicou]

Agree with the other comment: PLEASE DO MORE OF THESE SHORT TECHNICAL VIDEOS. Very valuable perspective - your experience as a veteran performer plus your vocal teaching expertise makes all the difference.

[VIDEOHEREBOB]

Wedges for me too preferably. I also prefer a wired mic. Thanks Ken.

[fernwehric-lifeinabus]

Switched most artists I worked with to in ears however still had sides and singer wedges just in case. The disconnect you feel I would run crowd mics and only feed the applause into the ears so they could hear the appreciation.

[christopherforry]

I've been a singer in a casino/wedding/event band for 15 years. That was my introduction to in-ears and I never went back. I feel the flexibility offered by using in-ears is unmatched. We can play almost any space with nearly zero stage volume with an electronic drum kit and a couple of Helixes and sound great. We can also be set up and ready to play a show in any venue without having to go through the time and energy of ringing out monitors for every member of the band and it also nearly eliminates the risk of feedback. In regards to performance, the ability to have complete control over my mix and the confidence that I am in tune and on beat with the music is so much better for me personally. The caveat is that it works best if everybody is using the monitors and is actively keeping their stage volume down. Thanks for the discussion. I've had many passionate discussions about this subject, and I love to hear people's thoughts...

[itsahsah]

Have yet do do my first live show, but your wonderful on cam personality, and wisdom kept me watching till the end 🙌

[МаксимГвоздев-ку]

For singers is much prefer in-ears. If you want more contact with audience, use survey microphones directed to the hall. Works 100%

[ZipSnipe]

I was going to do an ear monitors for my live electronic set but at the last minute decided I’d rather have a line array speaker in front of me blasting the sound towards me that way if there’s anybody back behind me they get good sound too

[JoeBaermann]

The disconnection can be solved with audience/room mics.
So put the in-ears all the way in and protect your ears if you have a loud backline and use ekstra mics instead of gambling with your hearing.
Even worse is to have one all in one ear and almost out of the other.

[PaulOnGuitar]

One of the main problems with "extremely loud wedges" is the inability to avoid microphone feedback (especially in smaller clubs). With the band packing a good punch, there are zero chances that a vocalist can win the 'loudness war' with other band members without running into feedback from their monitors. The use of in-ears allows singers to overcome this limitation in less-than-ideal conditions and get the levels of volume comfortable to them without the dreadful 'squeals' in the middle of the show.

Another good idea is to force the bass player to use DI instead of the live amp. This 'clears the stage' immensely and really removes muddiness from other mics on drums, guitars, and vocals.

[PascalRemans]

I absolutely love inears! Been using them for over 20 years now, but I also find in some situations it can really mess with my pitch!

[Sqweeps]

I dont know very much about the equipment side of music. This video was really helpful, and maybe sometime soon you could do a video about the basic types of equipment somebody will have to invest in when doing things like recording, doing songs for YouTube or another platform, and live shows?

[jeffschielka]

Hey Ken! Often wondered why singers have different preferences? Thanks for this very informative vid. You're da man!🦻🔈🔉🔊😎

[angelh]

This was very helpful. Thank you. Need to do more research before investing on either method. Again thank you.

[emilmayev]

Would love to see you do more technical videos like this for all the live singers, producers, and sound people watching

[ShelaghDonnellyMinist]

Thank you Ken for your Wonderful Channel🎸🎵❤️🌅
Best wishes and Greetings from Ireland🇮🇪🎵🕊️

[kentherapy]

Very useful information for singers who are starting to perform on stage with musical accompaniment. I'm old school too. Old beaten up wiretapping is enough...😆

[MetalManiac]

I've had the problem that I can barely hear myself over our drummer in the practice room for a long time. We've tried different wedges, passive and active, but despite it having gotten better, it's not gotten good. Trying to turn up the mic volume always leads to mad feedback. I will try in ears, maybe they'll solve the issue. Thanks for your advice Mr. Tamplin.