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May 2012

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Westone SD1 Personal Monitoring System

by Loren Alldrin

Every day, the exodus from traditional floor wedge monitors to personal monitor earpieces gains momentum. Performers and live sound engineers are figuring out the many benefits of personal monitors, and manufacturers are scrambling to ease the transition from monitors you trip over to monitors you wear. But what a transition it can be. Most personal monitoring solutions plug your ears with foam or plastic, allowing you to hear only what flows in on a wire. Sound not picked up by on-stage mics and folded back through the monitors is lost, including crucial cues from other musicians, the response of the crowd, and the overall ambience of the venue. Stationary ambient mics can account for some of the loss, but they aren’t a perfect solution. In short, personal monitors can sound amazing and feel all wrong.

Westone has been working to improve the “feel” of personal monitoring for several years, and their latest effort makes great strides. Their SD1 In-Ear Sound Design system is a unique belt-pack processor designed to blend ambient mic inputs with the monitor signal. Because these ambient mics sit right at the earpiece connectors, they capture the same sound your ears would. This translates to a realistic left-to-right perspective of ambient sound (localization), and a much more natural feel. It also spells the end of the in-out-in-out dance of earpieces that grows so tedious before a performance.

Simple, Yet Profound
The SD1’s interface is a model of simplicity, with nothing more than a power switch, two concentric knobs, and an LED. The SD1’s outer knob controls the level of the ambient mics, while the inner knob controls the monitor input level. A push on the center knob steps through the SD1’s four signal processing presets.

That simple button push, and the gentle chime sound it generates, is the only external clue that the SD1 is doing more than just mixing two stereo signals. In reality, the SD1 is loaded with enough DSP power to offer six bands of EQ, two-band compression, and peak limiting on monitor and ambience channels alike. This is where Westone’s partnership with a Canadian DSP-savant company—Gennum— pays off.

Once connected to a Mac or PC computer by USB, you program the SD1 with the supplied Sound Design Audio Manager software. This software allows you to edit and save any number of presets, four of which can be stored on the SD1 for instant recall. The software will communicate with up to 16 SD1 units at the same time.

Back on the belt pack, an 1/8-inch stereo input accepts the main monitor signal from a wireless personal monitor belt pack, personal mixer, or other feed. A sturdy, locking LEMO connector carries the ambient mic signals to the belt pack as well as the main output to the earpieces. Under the belt clip is a locking door that covers the SD1’s single AA battery, which will power the unit for roughly 300 hours.

Computer Monitor
Using a computer to dial in a personal monitor may seem odd at first, but the results will soon convince even the most skeptical “old school” engineer. The Audio Manager software is quite easy to operate, with a single display showing an overview of EQ, compressor, and limiter settings. Double-clicking on any graphic brings up that processor’s control panel, where knobs and sliders allow you to dial in the desired settings.

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Loren Alldrin is a regular contributor to Church Production Magazine.