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"They most certainly offer more dollar value than many other less-expensive models."
Playing metal in the 80’s I travelled with two 2x15 cabinets. Set on end they gave me a wall of sound that could fill a large club. The advent of in-ear monitoring in the early 80’s has completely changed on-stage monitoring. Future Sonics’ founder, Marty Garcia is widely known as virtually inventing the concept of in-ear monitoring when he outfitted Todd Rundgren and Utopia for a tour in 1985.
Today, Future Sonics has many more competitors than it did in the late 80’s, but the company has spent most of last 20-plus years developing a list of clients many of those competitors could only dream of: Reba McEntire, Kelly Clarkson, Steve Miller Band, U2 and Zac Brown Band just to name a few.
Late last year, Future Sonics introduced what, for them, is a down-market ear monitor: the mg5pro custom in-ear monitors. Like its predecessor, the mg6pro, the mg5 sports Future Sonics’ single full-range, dynamic-driver design. Unlike some other in-ear monitors, which use an armature transducer, the Future Sonics believes monitors with a single full-range, dynamic driver produce warmer, more natural sound with less ear fatigue. “Bigger sound at lower volume” is a phrase on which the company has built a reputation. They believe in the phrase so much, they’ve trade marked it.
I received my new mg5pro ear monitors just in time for rehearsals for our church’s Christmas production. With all the starts and stops—waiting to set the actors in the next scene—I had a chance to switch back and forth to do some A/B testing between the mg5pro’s and my standard custom in-ear monitors.
As a bass player, getting good bass response from in-ear monitors (IEM) has often been difficult. My monitor mix requires more low-end than those of other players. But it’s not just frequency response I’m looking for. I want monitors that can give me the subwoofer-like sound for the kick drum, while holding together the low-mids where a bass guitar gets its growl and bite. Having used several mid- and higher-end universal fit (i.e. non-custom fit) IEMs, I was never able to get that low-end experience that I wanted. Sometimes I’d find it for a few moments, but then I’d turn my head and the universal fit would loose its seal in my ear, and the low end was gone. Just a change of facial expression would sometimes do the same thing. Now you hear it, now you don’t. That potential variability is not something any musician wants to have to worry about, especially a bass player who is holding down a complicated groove, or providing a solid foundation to a tender song in church.
Since my first experience with custom molded IEMs several years ago, I have enjoyed a whole new dimension in monitoring, and I’ve encouraged all the fellow players at my church to consider making the investment in custom ear buds. The custom molds produce a much more consistent listening experience, as it’s nearly impossible to break the seal with the ear canal. The deep penetration of the custom ear bud helps create a physical connection with inner ear canal, producing the bass response I want.
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Brian Blackmore is editor-in-chief and publisher of Church Production Magazine and Worship Facilities Magazine. He can be reached at bblackmore@churchproduction.com. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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