In ear personal monitors and custom earphones

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Performance technology: Moving your monitors in ear

When you watch top musical performers in action, you'll see fewer and fewer of them using floor wedge monitors. In ear, or personal, monitors are becoming increasingly popular – and with good reason. The main advantages of in ear personal monitors are superior sound and freedom of movement. Using custom earphones, the performer is no longer tied to blaring floor wedges to hear his or her preferred mix directly in the ear. When using in ear personal monitors or earphones this way the performer is always in the "sweet spot."

Benefits of going "in ear"

Custom earphones and monitors can help preserve the sense of hearing. Ultimately, nothing is more important to a performer than their hearing. Whether in rehearsal or on stage, performers need to hear effectively. That means hearing their instrument and voice, of course. But equally important is the ability to hear the rest of the group, in particular the beat and the rhythm lines.

Consider the traditional arrangement: when musicians rely on floor wedges to monitor the ear, protection becomes problematic. The speaker is aimed directly at the performer, using brute power to overcome the competing noise from the PA system and other performers. While somewhat effective, floor wedges tend be extremely loud, risking damage to the performer's hearing.

Personal monitors can solve this problem by isolating the ear. Monitor wedges are eliminated from the stage, while the custom silicone pieces themselves reduce ambient sound by up to 37 dB. As a result, the artist can hear the mix much more clearly, and can monitor effectively at lower, safer volumes.

Technology that meets your needs

It is imperative you work with audiologists who understand the full range of requirements that goes into designing effective devices that fit. Where "universal fit" products are always a compromise, a custom approach assures a perfect fit based on precise dimensions. The devices are built this way provide the best isolation and most comfortable fit. Devices for musicians are another option, blocking out damaging sound levels by 9, 15, or 25 db while preserving natural frequency response, thus offering a safer stage environment for those not using personal systems.

The goal is to protect while providing exceptional sound quality and comfort. Working from impressions that your audiologist provides, an expert craftsman creates personalized protection devices for you. By using soft silicone gel around the electronic components, the pieces flex with jaw movement, maintaining the tight seal necessary for full-range sound and maximum isolation. The low-profile, transparent silicone pieces are almost invisible on stage, and will never shrink, crack, or degrade in any way.