DIY In Ear Monitor Molds

[Jeff Babcock]

Hi Folks,
There are several videos on YouTube of folks creating their own custom IEM molds from a couple different kinds of compounds

Example:

I have a couple of bands that I work with regularly where they are having trouble getting/maintaining seals with generic IEM buds (Shure SE112 and SE215), regardless of trying different types of rubber and foam sleeves. The cost of custom buds from companies like Westone, Ultimate Ears etc is beyond what they can/are willing to afford. I'm talking about around 10 custom IEM's in this case, which is a significant cost to a band.

Obviously this isn't ideal, but I wondered if anyone here had first hand experience with DIY molds, or has come across bands using them and has any advice they can offer as to whether or not it is a complete waste of time. I know it's not the best plan, but it's also not my money we are talking about....

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.....

 

[Gordon Brinton]

Re: DIY In Ear Monitor Molds

No, DIY molds are far from ideal. Myself and all of my band mates also tried that route. We had a very difficult time getting the IEM stem (the tube shaped part that holds the tip,) to be centered within the ear canal. Quite often, the stem would end up poking out the side somewhat and actually touching the ear canal. This causes rubbing or jabbing discomfort. It seemed to always take several attempts, (and wasted mold material,) to accidentally get one right. Then, even once we had the molds made correctly and cured, they didn't always hold that tightly in the ear anyway. We finally scrapped the idea and went back to universal tips.

The problem with Shure tips are, they are too fat and round to stay put.



You need ones that are more slim and grippy. (Yes, I made up that word.) I found a place that sells the slimmer Westone type of tips for pretty cheap. http://www.earplugstore.com/westone-star-tips-pair.html



You should be able to push them onto any brand of IEM because they are stretchy and flexible. Get yourself several pairs and try them out. My entire band uses the smallest (green) ones. We all agree that those tips hold tight the longest and are more comfortable than the Shure brand of tips.

Here are a few more things you can do that may help...

1. When inserting, pull up on the top of your ear. This opens up the ear canal and allows the tip to go deeper inside than just pushing them in. This causes a slight suction within the ear canal which helps to hold them in place. Also, the deeper they go, the more bass you will hear.

2. Clean the ear canal well of all wax before inserting. Besides blocking the ear canal, even a wax film can act as a lubricant which allows the ear bud to work itself outward more quickly when the jaw moves.

3. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, clean your silicone tips, with the highest percentage of isopropyl alcohol that you can get, after every use. If you don't, you are at high risk of getting an ear infection due to bacteria. If, after several months of cleaning, they start getting dried out, simply replace them with new tips. They are cheap enough to replace frequently.

4. To my knowledge, none of the universal tips hold tightly for hours on end. They all seem to work themselves loose after 15 minutes or so due to jaw movement or even worse, due to sweating. All you can do is push them back in and keep on jamming.

Hope this helps.

 

[Aaron Guinn]

Re: DIY In Ear Monitor Molds

<raises hand>

I made a set of custom molds for my UE's about a year ago. Figured for <$10 I didn't have anything to lose - worst case, I'd have something I could wear while riding my bike. The molds seem to be holding up well, the material is flexible enough to make it easy to put in, and the material seems to warm to body temp fairly quickly. One kit will do two sets of IEM's. If you plan on doing 10 pairs of IEM's, I'd order an extra kit or two in case the first molds don't turn out properly. Noise isolation seems to be better than the foam or silicone tips, and much more comfortable over long periods. I have worn them for 1.5-2hrs at a time without them becoming uncomfortable. I haven't noticed any issues with them coming loose or working out of my ears over time like the foam/silicone tips.

I would advise removing the foam tips from your earphones before doing the molds and trial fitting them in your ears first. I have found small changes in placement and angle will greatly effect low-frequency response. Figuring that out beforehand and then matching that as closely as possible during the molding process pays dividends during use.