Reprinted from the September 2007 issue of Church Production Magazine

by Jack Kontney

So you’ve got a great worship band and a decent sound system, yet still find yourself fighting feedback and struggling for volume control and fidelity. You’ve heard that personal monitors can solve these problems. And there is truth in that assertion. But, as with many technology-based solutions, the key lies in proper implementation. This is not a plug-and-play situation. It takes knowledge, practice, and commitment to make it work—especially with a volunteer staff. The good news is that it’s totally manageable, and the benefits can be startling.

For the purposes of this article, we’ll assume a typical contemporary worship scenario. This involves an electrified band with acoustic drums, multiple vocalists, and of course, the worship leader. In most churches, there’s a single mix position, with a volunteer engineer responsible for both the front of house and stage monitor mixes.

ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Architecturally, most worship venues are designed with high, vaulted ceilings and lots of reflective surfaces. This creates a rich, reverberant sound, perfect for choirs and acoustic music. But all that sound bouncing around creates two problems: reduced intelligibility and high feedback potential.

Traditional stage monitors, called floor wedges, only add to the problem. While a monitor system is definitely needed to help musicians hear each other and play in time, they are the single greatest source of acoustic feedback on the worship stage. In addition, monitor wedges compete with the audience (front of house) sound system, forcing the engineer to perform a balancing act between giving the musicians enough level and keeping the house mix both clearly intelligible and at a reasonable volume. The tendency is for overall volume to increase, often to the levels heard at a typical rock concert.

To hear the difference for yourself, attend a full band rehearsal, with both the main house speakers and the stage monitors running at their usual levels. Sit in the audience and get a feel for the sound from a worshipper’s perspective. How loud is it? How understandable are the lyrics? Then, in the middle of a song, have the sound engineer turn off the monitor system while the band keeps playing. The difference should be quite dramatic, both in terms of volume and sound quality.

This demonstrates one of the main bene- fits of personal monitors. By inserting the monitor mix directly into the performers’ ears, stage wedges are eliminated. In addition to better sound quality for the congregation, the risk of feedback is considerably reduced and the stage gains a cleaner appearance. There are definite advantages for the performers as well. By “wearing” their monitors, each musician is always in the sweet spot. Vocalists no longer need to compete with the wedges in order to hear themselves, resulting in better pitch control and less vocal strain. Furthermore, if used properly, in-ear systems can reduce the risk of hearing damage. Lastly, striking the stage becomes a noticeably simpler task.

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS
For most congregations, the biggest issue is the equipment list. Each performer will require a personal monitor (in-ear) system, typically consisting of a set of earphones and some method of getting sound to them. There are two primary methods of accomplishing this: a personal monitor, or an on-stage monitor mixer.

Touring musicians almost invariably opt to use personal monitors. These are really just specialized headphone ampli- fiers, and can be wired or wireless. Their biggest advantages are that they have an on-board limiter and volume control, permit unlimited mobility, and offer stereo sound. Some of the brands of wireless personal monitor systems on the market are Sennheiser, Shure, AKG, Galaxy Audio, and Nady. If your church already uses a number of wireless microphones, it’s critical to do some frequency coordination before selecting a system.

Because the mixing consoles found in many churches do not have enough stereo monitor outputs for the entire stage, many have opted for on-stage monitor mixers, such as the Aviom Pro16 system or the Hear Back system from Hear Technologies. Both work by sending individual channels from the mixing desk to a hub unit, which takes the individual auxiliary outputs from the main console and distributes them to the various miniature mixing units, where each musician can set up a personal earphone mix. While this relieves the sound engineer of mixing monitors, it also shifts the burden to each musician.

Devices like Hear Technologies’ Mix Back, Crest Audio’s XRM, and Allen & Heath’s Mix Wizard WZ3 12M mixers are designed primarily for use with personal monitor systems. And Pro Co Sound’s Momentum Digital Snake System also provides an application as an eight mono, or four stereo mix personal monitor system aptly named “Ears.” They are all rack-mountable, relatively inexpensive, and will expand the capabilities of your house console to accommodate the extra outputs needed.

THE ECONOMICS OF ADOPTION
In terms of performance, it’s common for some musicians to question how the isolation inherent in personal monitors might affect them. Experience shows that most adapt quickly and, because they canen easier hear both themselves and the rest of the worship band with more fidelity, performances actually tend to improve.

Of course, the biggest barrier to going in-ear is the cost. This can be controlled by adopting personal monitors one musician at a time. This is a tried-and-true method, much easier to manage than making a wholesale change. The benefits are still very real: Every floor wedge removed from the stage reduces ambient interference with the house mix. Other band members can experience IEMs before purchase.

Professional systems like the popular Sennheiser ew300IEMG2 are actually fairly price-competitive with a high quality amplifier-floor wedge combination. Shure makes a range of systems from entry-level to tour-grade, while the new IVM 4 system from AKG includes on-board DSP functions that are well worth investigating.

It’s strongly recommended that stationary performers like drummers and keyboard players use hardwired systems. This reduces the potential for wireless conflicts and reduces the cost. Most newer systems offer automatic frequency search to ease the set-up issue, but churches located in RF-intensive urban areas should be wary of adding too many wireless channels. Of the brands mentioned above, only Shure makes hard-wired versions of its systems (P2R, P4HW, and P6HW). However, a highquality, compact headphone amplifier like the Rolls PM50 or Whirlwind PA-1 can also do the job.

Here’s another thought on controlling costs and wireless channels: Because the signal from a single in-ear transmitter can be picked up by an unlimited number of bodypack receivers, you only need a number of transmitters equal to the number of different mixes required. For instance, all backing vocalists can probably use the same monitor mix, so a single wireless system with four receivers can cover the group while adding just one wireless channel.

A word of caution: It’s critical to have— and use—a good brick-wall limiter in the system, such as those found on all professional IEM bodypacks. Extremely loud sounds pumped directly to the eardrum can be harmful, and a limiter is good preventive medicine. Audio accidents can happen, so it’s best to take precautions.

WHAT ABOUT EARPHONES?
Earphones are the single most important part of any personal monitor system. Most systems are shipped with generic, or “universal fit,” earphones. These are quite effective for most users, and several steps above consumer earbuds and headphones, which rest within or on top of the ear, rather than being seated in the ear canal. Generic earphones use either crushable foam earphone tips to seal the ear canal, or come with soft plastic or silicone “fit kits” intended to accommodate any size of ear canal. A variety of designs from about $100 to $500 are available from Future Sonics, Ultimate Ears, Etymotic Research, and Westone, some of which can be converted to a custom fit with add-on sleeves.

Touring pros uniformly use custom molded earphones, which provide a superior fit and tighter seal, resulting in better bass response and higher fidelity. These are available from the earphone companies previously mentioned, along with custom-only specialist Sensaphonics. Custom earphones require a visit to an audiologist to have molds made, and range from $550 to $900 in price. At the high end, there’s the Westone/Gennum In-Ear Sound Design SD1 for $1,200 (reviewed in this issue); Sensaphonics also offers the 3D Active Ambient system, a $2,000 system that incorporates tiny microphones within the earphones to allow the wearer to hear ambient sound naturally, while retaining the full advantages of isolation.

THE HEARING THING
Speaking of precautions, all musicians are at risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Personal monitors are widely regarded as an answer to this issue. And they can be, if they are properly used. The biggest danger is not momentary loud sound; it’s exposure to overly loud levels over time. The louder you listen, the shorter the allowable exposure time. The advantage of IEMs is that the earphones, when properly fitted, block out outside sound. This increases the signal- to-noise ratio, which in turn means that the user can hear the monitor mix clearly at lower levels.

But there’s a catch: If you don’t turn it down, you haven’t changed a thing.

Encourage musicians to see an audiologist annually. It’s the only way to really know the state of one’s hearing health.

IMPLEMENTATION
It’s critical that the praise team be involved and committed to the in-ear concept. This is a major departure from traditional stage monitoring. In making the transition, plan on giving your worship band time to make the adjustment. This might mean a couple weeks of extra rehearsals, allowing the musicians and sound engineer to get acclimated. Mixing for IEMs can be intimidating to an inexperienced engineer, but it’s really not that different. And by putting the volume control in the hands of the musicians, there are fewer distractions to building a great mix. Here are a few rules of thumb:

• Whenever possible, mix in stereo. Remember, God gave us two ears for a reason.
• Avoid using effects (reverb, delay, etc.) in the monitor mix.
• Remember to include the worship leader’s microphone as part of the in-ear mix.
• Actively encourage personal monitor users to listen at lower levels.

 

 

 

The best resources for those considering personal monitors are people who already use them. Find other churches in your area that have made the switch. Talk to engineers at local nightclubs. Consult with your sound contractor. In addition, many manufacturers offer excellent educational materials and advice via their websites and toll-free hotlines.

By eliminating floor wedges, the congregation and the praise team will both benefit from improved sound quality and reduced volume. And the performances themselves will likely also improve. If you’re looking to take your presentation to the next level, personal monitors are well worth consideration for the contemporary worship band.

Jack Kontney heads Kontney Communications Inc., a marketing and content creation consultancy specializing in pro audio and electronics. He can be contacted at www.kontneycomm.com.