Question:
Which do you like better? Floor monitors or ear monitors. Why?
We used ear monitors last night when we lead worship for the adults. They are really kool. You can hear a lot better than with floor monitors, and the don't clutter the stage.
Answer:
Originally Posted by WorshipJesus Which do you like better? Floor monitors or ear monitors. Why?
We used ear monitors last night when we lead worship for the adults. They are really kool. You can hear a lot better than with floor monitors, and the don't clutter the stage.
We currently use floor wedges but are switching over to in-ears when our new facility opens in the Spring.
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I have to say floor monitors only because I've never used ear monitors. I'm pretty sure that I would like ear monitors better though, based upon what I've heard others say.
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We too use floor monitors. However, with at least two different worship teams using the board (remixing the sound each time, arghh), it is always a MAJOR waste of time to try to get the monitors sounding good.
I almost always just live with where my mic is levelled at, and try to blend the sound as well as I can by listening closely.
I WISH we had in-ears, at least to try. How much do they cost? We have at least 3 vocals, 2 acoustics, an electric, bass and drummer every Sunday (plus up to 2 more), so it's going to be a hard-sell to spend much money.
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Originally Posted by WorshipJesus Which do you like better? Floor monitors or ear monitors. Why? Hi WJ...
We use headphones...and most of us like them better. One singer prefers not to have them because it makes her feel less connected to the room and people in it who are worshipping.
Our style of worship involves a lot of spontaneous musical decisions, so having phones permits the worship leader a second mic (only in the phones) to give direction without coming through either monitors of mains (or going unheard).
The mix in phones is cleaner, and with full sized head phones the fidelity is awesome.
I like the idea of in-ear, but the fidelity really suffers and they slip out of ears...unless you get the sets that run several hundred $$ per set of fitted in-ear phones.
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Currently our church finally did away with the giant Peavey floor wedges and has a pair of "box" monitors that are each about 1/4 the size with all the power. They sit on half a mic stand and can actually cozy up to the stage while standing on the floor.
I'd like to try an in ear. Now that we are at an all time low for worship team members across the board it may be fesible but I doubt our church would go for it. (Especially since we just started into powerpoint as opposed to overheads.)
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For me, the monitor issue at church is usually more about how the tech team is doing with the sound than anything. Floor wedges work wonderfully if the mix is great and the stage volume isn't overpowering. The few times I've used in-ear systems, there's been a pro in the sound booth. We've got good sound techs at church, but no pros, so I don't know if things would compare favorably. I do like the idea/possibility of decreasing stage volume even further, but getting in-ears would also mean for me that I'd have to find another room to set my amp in.
Nate
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Ok here's the deal on monitors... A mix of the two is preferable but the the thing about in-ear is that they are very expensive to get a decent set. There aren't many cons other than that(i can only wear one, they drive me crazy). Floor monitors are ok depending on your enviroment. They arent real great outside or in no-accoustic rooms. There are nothing wrong with floor wedges or in ear(both have pros and cons) but the fact of the matter is that the in-ear's price sets it apart.
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I prefer the floor wedges. I like to hear the congregation to get alongside where they are, and having in ears or the wedges too loud looses all that.
I've seen the 2 mic thing work very well at big events.....
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I'd like to try ear monitors, as I've never used them before. The 2nd mic idea would be really useful for spontanaity (sp?) in services.
If you use floor monitors, and don't like to take all the time getting the monitors right, try sound mapping. That means you take about an hour sometime to get everything PERFECT. Then write down (or draw) exactly where everything is. That way, it just takes a sound man 2 minutes to set everything up on the board in the following weeks and months, and it's all perfect every time, for the most part, with no hassle of sound checks.
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Originally Posted by Matt4JC If you use floor monitors, and don't like to take all the time getting the monitors right, try sound mapping. That means you take about an hour sometime to get everything PERFECT. Then write down (or draw) exactly where everything is. That way, it just takes a sound man 2 minutes to set everything up on the board in the following weeks and months, and it's all perfect every time, for the most part, with no hassle of sound checks.
This is an interesting approach, and one that may work -
IF you have the same people in the same spots from week to week.
IF you use the exact same equipment from week to week
Otherwise, what you've got here is a good starting point, because it's good to get everything "close" right away. But unless the sound tech has no ear at all, the tech can probably come up with a better "ending point" for each service as they are individually different.
Nate
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We switched from wedge and stand "hot spot" monitors to IEM's a few months ago. After a few awkward weeks of getting used to everything, the system sounds great! I am really happy with it now. There was the feeling of being "isolated". But that was solved with a room mic that picks up ambient sound - that helps connect with the congregation a lot better. I have learned how to properly put the earplugs in the ear - which makes al the differnce. Fit is really important. The earphones came with an assortment of sleaves, had to experiment a bit to get a good fit. We are blessed to also have an awesome Aviom system, where everyone can control their own mix. That is what makes this system for us. No more signals back to the sound desk! No sound wars.
Overall the room sound is much cleaner and we can hear ourselves much better.
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I've heard how fantastic it can be, though one does tend to feel disconnected from the people... we have floor monitors at the moment.. 5 of them.
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I know some people who refuse to use IEM's (In ear monitors) but I know others who would never trade back to floor monitors.

It all depends on one's personality.

I have never used IEM's. So I kind of have a bias. But I like the idea of IEM's if it is for a larger group, but not for a group of fifty like my youth group.

And even for my church when we have 300-400 regular attenders I really like the floor wedges.
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As a guitar player I prefer floor monitors or a Hot Spot (small speaker on a stand).
1. I can feel the music
2. I can move around to get a different mix (between my amp and the floor monitor).
3. Don't feel isoloated.
4. Can hear other band members when they ask me to stop playing (that happens a lot...)

As a sound guy I want everyone to wear IEMs
1. and only reason, I can control the sound in the house without fighting a too loud monitor situation.
We use a combination of both. Our IEMs are Shure. The transmitters and receivers are good but we didn't get the best in earpeices. All of ours have developed crackling noises. Plus, I can't stand having something IN my ear. AND people have to share those things I've experimented with various other ear peices. Our drummer uses a pair of closed ear Panasonic headphones. Bass player uses Sony Walkman ear muffs.
Something like the afore mentioned Aviom system is a killer app.
Richard