Help me understand....(IEM's)

Rafi Singer

Rafi Singer

Freshman
May 17, 2011
62
0
6
Waltham, MA
www.singerproduction.com
So, yet again, I've worked with an artist who keeps on asking for more and more vocals in their ears (the only thing in them) to the point where I'm seeing red lights on the transmitter, yet they don't bother to turn their beltpack up, which is running at halfway up. I keep seeing this happen again and again, to the point where I wonder: is there something else, or is it just mass non-understanding of gain structure?
 
Re: Help me understand....(IEM's)

Rafi Singer said:
So, yet again, I've worked with an artist who keeps on asking for more and more vocals in their ears (the only thing in them) to the point where I'm seeing red lights on the transmitter, yet they don't bother to turn their beltpack up, which is running at halfway up. I keep seeing this happen again and again, to the point where I wonder: is there something else, or is it just mass non-understanding of gain structure?
Click to expand...

Check to see if the limiter on the vocalist's receiver pack is on or off. I disable them as usually they don't match the sensitivity of the ear buds used.
 
Re: Help me understand....(IEM's)

Are you using a digital mixer? A digital mixer will add some delay to the iem signal, typically order of magnitude 1ms. This delay may result in "combfiltering" when the iem signal is combined with the singers direct sound from his voice (so you - not signing -will not hear it). At 1ms delay, the first filter dip is at 500Hz, the 2nd at 1500Hz, ...
You could try phase inverting the iem signal, or adding a few more ms delay, or adding reverb, ... Anything to move or fill the dips.
 
Re: Help me understand....(IEM's)

Are you doing a stereo or mono mix? If it's mono, there's a pretty solid chance that other sources are stepping on the artist's vocals. If it's stereo, do you have other sources panned out and the vocals running right up the middle?

How are you monitoring that artist's mix? Similar earbuds through another pack, hard-wired headphones, what? What do you hear?

As other people have mentioned, it could be a digital console routing (delay) issue, it could be the pack limiter, or it could be a deaf artist. I've had artists that weren't happy until they heard the system clip on the front end.

Also, did you ask the artist why they aren't bothering to turn their pack up? If you get the response "Because then it will be too loud" - DANGER. You need to have a discussion with them about the mix balance and gain structure - in layman's terms, of course.
 
Re: Help me understand....(IEM's)

I try to avoid this situation doing the following:

- beltpack limiters off, check earbuds (level, tonal balance, are they clean?)
- start the soundcheck with the "me" signal (voice or whatever is most prominent in the given IEM mix)
- put the signal in the mix at nominal level, driving the mix a certain amount before clipping the transmitter (depends on the transmitter system and the anticipated depth of the final mix)
- tell the artist to turn up his beltpack volume until he/she feels the "me" signal is fine.
- make sure that the beltpack level is not "10" at this time, because we like to have some headroom. If it is, take a closer look to the earbuds.
- aim for a priority of "me", putting other elements into the mix. Trying to get feedback for the other elements, leaving "me" fixed, level of the "me" signal is still controlled by the beltpack volume.

- only during the show "me" signal can be raised in the mix.

Obviously this method doesn't work well with all artists, YMMV.
 
Re: Help me understand....(IEM's)

If the beltpack is halfway up the logical solution seems to ask them to turn up their beltpack...

There's no point in sending more if they don't want to turn up the beltpack to a reasonable (nominal) level. The beltpack should be set to 7 to start with.
 
Re: Help me understand....(IEM's)

Are you not worried to turn off the limiter on the iem? What if a mic is dropped and/or sudden feedback occurs?

Some users are just deaf. One drummer on digital drums had some mix balance issues so I put on his earphones and asked him to play. I ripped out the earphones screaming in pain due to the painfully high level and cursed at him for trying to kill my ears...
 
Re: Help me understand....(IEM's)

Robert Lofgren said:
Are you not worried to turn off the limiter on the iem? What if a mic is dropped and/or sudden feedback occurs?

Some users are just deaf. One drummer on digital drums had some mix balance issues so I put on his earphones and asked him to play. I ripped out the earphones screaming in pain due to the painfully high level and cursed at him for trying to kill my ears...
Click to expand...
IEM belt pack limiters are somewhat useless because they don't know the impedance of the earphones. The artist is ultimately controlling the volume and should be educated in not setting it too high.
 
Re: Help me understand....(IEM's)

If they're going to look to you to control levels, maybe send a test signal at -3dBFS and turn up the belt pack (with the buds held out from your ears) until just below gross distortion). Then put some gaff tape over the control and give it back to the talent.
 
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