Re: [Harp-L] Personal Monitor



I recently treated myself to an in-ear monitor setup, which included a wireless rig by Galaxy Audio and earphones by Alien Ears. Everything I hear about Nady is that they make super cheap crap which won't last you very long and the sound quality is lousy. Galaxy Audio is manufactured in Wichita, KS. They made their name with their Hot Spot powered monitors. I got the AS-900, which features your choice of four fixed-frequency transmitter/body pack kits. The next step up model, the AS-1100, features an adjustable frequency setup. Depending on your situation and where you typically play, having the adjustable range may be beneficial and worth the small upgrade in price.

So far, I have only used the wireless rig in a little personal testing and in one gig. I have found the build quality to be excellent. It was very easy to set up and integrate with the rest of our band gear, which seems to be getting more complex as time goes by. Mono or stereo input from the board, with individual gain controls for each channel on the transmitter. The body pack has its own volume control, so I can turn up or down as necessary without engaging in elaborate sign language with our sound guy. Time will tell if the fixed frequency is a problem or not in the venues we play. Nobody else in the band is using wireless for anything, so I haven't gotten into any interference problems there either (yet). My only complaint so far is the included ear buds are not very good quality. Since you are providing your own, as did I, that should not be a show-stopper for you.

You said you already have your own ear phones, but I would strongly encourage anybody else looking around to check out Alien Ears. I found them after someone else recommended them here. They have a very nice product line, at an astonishingly low cost, with options ranging from one to four (!) drivers in each ear, a variety of colors, and many other customization options. You can provide your own professionally-made molds, or buy a home kit from them, which includes excellent instructions (youtube videos) and is very easy to use. They also have a service option where they will upgrade any set of phones you buy from them for a small fee, much less than buying a new set. I bought a single-driver set, but already am planning to upgrade to dual-drivers when the band has some down-time. The company is based out of Florida, and was founded by and is operated by actively gigging musicians.

Galaxy Audio equipment can be purchased from most online music/audio retailers. Their company website is here: http://www.galaxyaudio.com

Alien Ears only sells direct, no middle-man or price markup involved. You can find them here: http://www.alienears.com/

I am in no way associated with either company, just a very satisfied customer.

On 01/23/2012 12:04 AM, Richard Trafford-Owen wrote:
I play in quite a few small venues where the band does not use a PA and I have no monitoring other than my own amp. Even when we set up or use a PA, I have great trouble getting decent monitoring. Poor monitoring means I cannot hear myself and it makes me blow harder, which damages my harps that otherwise last a very long time. I've tried putting my amp at ear level or pointing it up at me. I've tried turning it up, of course, too.

Has anyone tried personal monitoring devices that they could critique? I have good in-ear phones that could be plugged into the appropriate device. I've seen the Rolls Personal Monitor Amp, which has been mentioned in passing on the list. Cheap, but any good? I worry about the pass-through quality. Galaxy and Nady make $200 models and offer wireless capability. They go up in price from there. Also, I've seen personal monitor speaker systems that may be preferable to in-ear. I play through two different amps, one is a tube amp that probably has to be miked to get an output but the other has an output that can be used directly. Sometimes I play through the PA.

In-ear v. speaker
Pass-through issues
Mix vs. just my sound

Thanks for any ensuing discussion!

Richard

-- Seth Galitzer The beatings will continue until morale has improved.



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