Whether you are leading worship or making music at church, you can do it better when you hear yourself clearly in the mix. It’s no wonder that the personal stage monitor systems that allow us to create, change and save our own personal mixes continue to gain in popularity. And, since their introduction in houses of worship in the 1990s, the costs associated with these systems have dropped considerably, making personal monitoring an option even for churches with modest budgets. The dream to have studio quality monitoring is now an affordable reality. So why is it so difficult to decide on system?
The manufacturers of personal monitoring solutions each have different design philosophies that drive their systems’ functionality, cost, compatibility and audio quality. Some manufacturers are engineering personal monitoring into their existing audio product lines, while other companies stand alone, choosing to specialize only in personal monitoring. While they all need connectivity to the audio console, it can be via traditional analog techniques or using one or more of the several digital network and audio protocols. And, with the lines between audio engineering and IT blurring, churches can now leverage existing network hardware (wired and wireless) to feed personal monitor solutions, as well as use IOS or Android devices to control personal mixes. Knowing a bit about how some of the top players in personal monitoring “think” can help in your decision making process.
“Some of our earliest customers were churches…. Praise teams were often putting ‘electric’ music in a space not designed for that, and that presents some unique audio challenges.”
Listening to customers
As one of the most popular personal monitoring systems, most audio engineers are familiar with Aviom products. What some may not know is that many of the features found on Aviom gear are the result of its early use in worship. “Some of our earliest customers were churches,” recalls Ray Legnini, Aviom’s product research and development manager. “Talking with our church users has been a huge influence for us over the years.” According to Legnini, it makes sense that personal monitoring would develop along with modern worship. “Praise teams were often putting ‘electric’ music in a space not designed for that,” he says, “and that presents some unique audio challenges.”
One of Aviom’s keys to success with the worship community has been its design philosophy to make the features that users need easy to access by putting the features “on top,” with no menus or hidden layers. “These are features asked for by users,” says Legnini, “not engineers.”The recently expanded 36-channel Aviom A360 Personal Mixer is a good example of how the company has responded to users. It offers a 36-channel mix engine for up to 18 mono or stereo sources, because performers asked for more stereo inputs. Each channel has separate reverb and tone controls, and a Stereo Placement control helps players locate a channel in the stereo field. A One-Touch Ambience Control allows users to add realistic room sound to the mix with mics or the onboard mic. Four Instant Mix Recall buttons are provided to quickly recall favorite presets and a USB jack at the back of the unit allows settings and presets to be saved to a USB thumb drive or easily install firmware updates.Both the 36-channel Aviom A360 and the smaller A320, with many of the same features as the A360, are fully compatible with all existing Aviom Pro16 devices and third-party console cards from Aviom's partner companies, as well as Dante networks. Aviom’s solid A-Net protocol supports cable runs of up to 500 feet (150 meters).
Making it natural
Developed in Europe for touring bands, the Klang personal monitoring solution was designed by engineers who just happen to be musicians. “The designers’ own experiences on stage led them to say ‘we can do this better,’” says Ryan Shelton, national sales manager for Group One Limited (Klang’s representative in the U.S.). Their design allows Klang:app users on even basic iOS, Android, PC or Mac devices to control mixing on the Klang:fabrik over WiFi. The app allows performers to drag and drop individual audio sources anywhere around their head to create a conventional stereo, 3D or i3D mix that can be easily adjusted and saved along with artist profiles, set lists, and presets.
“Our human brains are clever at figuring out what is real and what is not. There’s a lot going on with frequency dampening, delay, time of arrival, and natural EQ shifts, but the goal is a natural, a binaural mix.”
At the core of Klang’s monitoring solution, the Klang:fabrik or the smaller Klang:vier combine cutting edge HD audio algorithms designed to make mixes more natural. “Our human brains are clever at figuring out what is real and what is not,” notes Shelton. “There’s a lot going on with frequency dampening, delay, time of arrival, and natural EQ shifts, but the goal is a natural, a truly binaural mix.” The Klang:fabrik works with MADI, Dante, and ADAT to connect to all popular mixing consoles. Up to 16 musicians can receive their individual 3D mixes with one Klang:fabrik that can handle up to 56 inputs depending on the number of inputs selected. Additional units are simply daisy-chained when more monitoring is needed.Shelton points out that there are both economic and usability advantages of using an app to control personal mixes. “Since it’s not dedicated hardware,” he says, “the devices that control personal mixing can be used for other things. It’s not so much of an investment that way.” Just as important as cost, the way apps use graphics may make them easier to use for volunteers. “Hardware controllers are easy for engineers to learn,” he observes, “but graphical interfaces are very intuitive for most people. 3D mixing by dragging and dropping images has a very natural feel to it.”
Putting performers in the zone
According to myMix’s managing director, Mathias von Heydekampf, having control of their own monitor mix helps musicians to get “in the zone.”
“Designing a successful personal monitoring system is about knowing what’s important,” he says. “Sadly, much of what we read about as new features has little relevance to the musicians on stage. There’s just more to it than what appears on spec sheets.”
“To be effective, personal monitors have to sound good and present the right information to your brain. That is one reason why individual effects and panning are so important in creating 3D audio.”
“To be effective, personal monitors have to sound good and present the right information to your brain. That is one reason why individual effects and panning are so important in creating 3D audio.”
Heydekampf’s goal for the myMix product had been to not only enable musicians to hear their music the way they want to hear it, but also to give them a tool to conveniently capture performances with multi-track recordings. Each myMix unit has two combination mic/line inputs, balanced stereo outputs, and a headphone jack. Users can choose up to 16 channels á la carte from all signals on the network for use in their individual mix. A myMix system doesn't require a master unit. Instead, individual units are connected with common Ethernet CAT5 cabling and a 100MB Fast Ethernet switch.
The ability to record a performance or rehearsal is a powerful feature of myMix units. Each stand-alone unit can record up to 18 tracks of multi-track audio to an optional SD or SDHC card. Two of those tracks are reserved for a stereo copy of the mix, including all effects, panning, volume and tone adjustments. The remaining 16 tracks are ready to capture recordings that can be imported directly into any popular recording software. All audio files are recorded in 24-bit, 48 kHz time-stamped .wav files. In addition, to maximize rehearsal time, players can use a Play Along feature to hear recorded tracks mixed with local inputs setting looping and locator points as needed.
Heydekampf points out that quality components are necessary for professional audio and that that is not always reflected on a spec sheet. “To be effective, personal monitors have to sound good and present the right information to your brain,” he says “That is one reason why individual effects and panning are so important in creating 3D audio.” Adding more or less effect puts a voice or instrument more or less "deep" in the room. This effectively recreates a 3D sound image that would otherwise be lost when using headphones or IEMs. myMix units provide a choice of three rooms and three reverbs, as well as an adjustable delay.
Rather than try to judge the quality of system by the number of new features it has, Heydekampf suggests asking users what features they need. “You must look to the musicians,” he says. “Work with them to create a simple checklist of the features that are important to them. This can be especially important for churches, because while experienced professionals on stage have learned to compensate, volunteers don’t always do so well with a poor monitor mix.”
Transitioning to in-ears
Ray Tantzen is senior product manager at PreSonus Audio Electronics for digital mixers and network products. He is also a volunteer audio systems engineer at a multi-campus church, and he helped his church with the transition of a praise band to in-ear monitors. “Our main campus has used in-ears for some time, but one of our extension campuses with attendance of 200-300 was still on wedges,” Tantzen recalls. The worship pastor needed his own mix and wanted to reduce stage volume. “Once you use personal monitors,” he says, “you see how much better it is, and you want others to have the same experience.
”Tantzen offered the praise band a setup with PreSonus EarMix 16M 16x2 personal monitors. The 16M, that offers the convenience of being powered via Power over Ethernet (PoE), offers 3-band EQ and limiting on all channels, as well as the main mix. AVB Ethernet ports can network up to 24 units with a PreSonus StudioLive Series III mixer over CAT5e or CAT6 Ethernet cable, and adding SW5E AVB switches can further expand the network. With the new personal monitoring in place, Tantzen’s praise band members are not making requests to change their mixes. “The FOH engineer can put 100% of his focus out front where it belongs,” he says. Comments from the congregation and the band have been extremely positive, including a 72-year-old pianist who has been at the church for over 50 years. “She told us that it’s the best that she has ever heard herself,” he recalls.
PreSonus has also integrated personal monitoring into its StudioLive mixers with the company’s free QMix app. QMix allows up to 14 musicians to simultaneously control the mixer’s monitor (aux) mixes using an iPhone or iPod touch. The app is smart, too, offering a “Me page” (where you select the mixer channels you want to control in your personal monitor mix) and a “Wheel of Me” (a virtual thumbwheel that adjusts the volume of your “Me” channels in relation to the rest of the monitor mix). If you push “Me” levels past unity gain, QMix automatically reduces the level of the other mix channels.
For basic in-ear monitoring, PreSonus offers an HP2 stereo personal headphone amplifier with two line-level XLR inputs and one stereo 1/8-inch headphone out with volume control. It can be set for stereo and mono, and offers a pan knob. The HP2 can be powered with an external DC power supply or a 9-volt battery, and used with a belt clip or with a standard 1/8-inch mic stand mount.
Compatibility by design
UK-based Allen & Heath specializes in quality audio mixing consoles, but has designed several personal monitoring products that will fit many scenarios. “Most churches can’t afford to tear out their audio system for a new one,” says Jeff Hawley, Marketing Manager for Allen & Heath USA. “The compatibility of A&H products allows us to do a little here and a little there.” Hawley offers the possibility of transitioning from wedge monitors to in-ears one position at a time, if that fits your budget.
“Start with how the system sounds. Listen for quality sound. That is what your musicians will hear on stage.”
The A&H ME-500 16-channel personal mixer features a clear, dimmable display, 16 backlit select keys, mute and solo buttons, master level with limiter and EQ, plus a single rotary encoder for all main navigation and control. Each unit can store and recall eight user presets for different mixes, users and shows, all of which can be saved to USB. Outputs include 1/2-inch and 1/4-inch headphone jacks, plus a TRS mono out for an IEM transmitter or a wedge monitor, should it be requested. One of the best features of the ME-500 and it’s 40-channel big brother the ME-1, Hawley maintains, is their compatibility. “They are compatible with almost anything,” he says, “Some systems ‘plug and play’ over CAT5, while others may require the addition of an ME-U hub.”
The A&H ME-U is a touring grade, 10-port Power over Ethernet (PoE) hub that delivers both power and audio to multiple A&H personal mixers. It comes with a standard input card to interface with GLD and Qu dSnake, dLive, SQ Slink, iLive ACE or Aviom’s A-Net16 protocol. The card can be replaced with a MADI, Dante, Waves SG or EtherSound card to take a digital feed from any popular audio systems. ME-500 and ME-1 personal mixers can be daisy-chained, or deployed in a star topology using the ME-U hubs.
Hawley suggests that personal monitor buyers consider build quality and overall sound quality when looking at personal monitor systems. “Start with how the system sounds,” he says. “Listen for quality sound. That is what your musicians will hear on stage.”
