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Audio Review: Shure PSM 900 Personal Monitor System
"Gee whiz” features include “cue mode,” for hearing up to 20 different stage mixes from a single body pack
When I first started handling sound at my church, our vocalists were using small “monitor-on-a-mic-stand” speakers for monitoring. There was a reticence to using in-ear monitors (IEMs) for some reason, despite my subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) efforts to sell our singers on the idea. This was particularly discouraging because our drummer, bassist, guitarist, percussionist, and keyboard player were all completely convinced, and used the Shure system we had available. Eventually, I was able to cajole one of our vocalists into trying the system out by offering him his own mix. During a Sunday morning pre-service rehearsal, he finally realized the joys of having me sculpt his mix exactly the way he wanted it. He sang more confidently, with better pitch, and after services asked if he could keep using the in-ear monitors. Eventually, his praises of the system finally influenced the other singers to adopt IEMs (and they even settled on a single mix for all of them—simplifying my life nicely). Our original vocalist has even purchased his own in-ear units, and now our vocalists couldn’t imagine life without IEMs, and feedback is a thing of the past.
Last year, Shure introduced its newest IEM offering, the PSM 900 Personal Monitor System, which brings several improvements and “redefines personal monitoring,” according to the manufacturer. Among other features, Shure touts improved companding to improve the quality of the signal, an enhanced digital stereo encoder for a wider stereo field and improved crosstalk spec, front end RF filtering for a cleaner signal, and a reduction in frequency intermodulation, allowing up to 20 compatible channels on one frequency band. Among the more “gee whiz” features in the system are “cue mode,” which facilitates hearing up to 20 different stage mixes from a single bodypack, “scan and sync,” which enables rapid acquisition of an available frequency, and an RF mute switch so that setup operations can be executed without RF transmission.
The system’s P9T transmitter lives in a half rack space enclosure that ships with rack ears and link bars to facilitate whatever configuration is necessary for the user’s application. From left to right across the front panel are the system’s input level controls (up/down buttons) and metering, followed by an LCD display, navigation buttons, and a data entry knob. On the right side of the front panel are the unit’s sync button, mini-jack audio output and volume knob, and switches that toggle RF and power on and off. The rear panel is very simple—from left to right, a DC power inlet, TRS stereo loop outputs, stereo XLR/TRS inputs, and finally an antenna connector.
The P9R bodypack receiver is small and very slender, and formed completely of metal. Atop the unit are the antenna connector, volume knob, and a mini-jack audio output. The top half of the front panel of the receiver features an LCD display, navigation buttons, a blue LED to indicate reception of RF, and a multi-colored LED to indicate battery strength. The lower half of the receiver’s front panel pops open with the hinge located on the bottom of the receiver. Inside, the battery compartment is found, along with an infrared window and more navigation buttons
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John McJunkin is the CEO of Avalon Podcasting in Chandler, Arizona, which offers high quality podcast production and consultation services to a broad range of clients. He’s also the host of the Podcast Pro Tech & Tips Podcast at www.avalonpodcasting.com.
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