The only thing worse than having in-ear monitors is not having in-ear monitors.
I present the following situation:
Sound Engineer: Sounds good, do you guys need anything?
Joe: Yeah, can I hear a little more of me, please.
Paul (standing two feet from Joe): Can I hear a lot less of Joe, please.
What to do?
As a general rule, the bandleader is always right.
But there is another solution to this problem.
Every professional modern guitar player has had a set, or at least been offered a set of custom-molded, sound-isolating earphones. Here are some thoughts about my pair.
I don’t recommend them to anybody but performing musicians or maybe somebody who spends 100+ hours a year on airplanes. You will learn quickly that they aren’t something you want to wear while walking around busy streets because you won’t be able to hear a thing. You won’t want to wear them when you’re exercising because they can actually seal sweat in your ears (gross).
The first step is getting impressions of your ears from an audiologist. Make sure they use a bite block to keep your mouth open during the whole process. This will lead to the best fit for this type of hearing device. The molds are sent away to the monitor manufacture, & you hope they come back fitting. Make sure you are pushing them in correctly, not too far in & not falling out. They should flex around a little when your head/jaw moves, but if you ever feel like the seal is breaking, they don’t fit right; send them back. If you notice a little feeling of fullness, that’s normal, but if you’re in any kind of pain, they don’t fit right; send them back.
Here’s a chart of what they do, & why those things can be good & bad.
| Pros | Cons |
| The sound isolation gives you control more comparable to being in a recording studio, than being on stage. | They make you feel like somebody built at 2-layer thick glass box around you on stage. Your eyes know you’re on stage, but your ears think you’re still in the practice room. |
| They can make even the worst amateur look & feel like a real pro. | They can be very expensive. |
| They can potentially protect your ears from permanent nerve damage. | Most young musicians are into that kind of stuff. |
| Some singers will like the intonation they get from having plugged up ears & a limitless, feedbackless volume control on their voice. | Other singers will find it very un-natural to have plugged up ears. |
| If they’re mixed well, you can hear things with a clarity you’d never hear without them, & play better as a result. | If they’re mixed poorly, or aren’t working, you’re in a new kind of trouble. |
| A custom fit means they should fit perfectly & comfortably. | Getting them to fit perfectly isn’t always one-stop shopping. |
| Your little brother won’t ask to borrow them. | Nobody else can hear what they’re missing. |
In conclusion, if you want to hear yourself better without worrying about feedback, making yourself deaf or angry band members, in-ear monitors will solve your problems… but at a price, both in dollars and in a new set of problems.
