In Ear Monitoring 3/14/2017

In Ear Monitoring Setting Levels Guide

When Monitoring with an In-Ear Monitoring system there are a few things to consider in order for the
system to perform well and produce a good experience.

Gain staging
This is so important to understand fundamentally. The -0db point and lower is our normal operating
range. For the sake of our discussion lets consider that anything above +4 DB is going to overdrive an
input or mixer block and introduce clipping/limiting/over compression or cutting of the signal or even
loud burst that could damage your hearing or equipment.

Assuming that instrument / vocal level input gains are set with their
nominal level between -10 and -0db. On your Aux Bus that you are
using Start with the Aux/Bus Master level set at -0 to -10db (Id
recommend starting at -10db to ensure there is ample headroom
available for adjustment.)

Then move to individual channels that you wish to include in your

monitor mix. Lets consider that you are a singer Starting with your
More Me channels starting with say your vocal, you know the thing
you want to hear the most of set that item at -0db let -0db be your
baseline. Lets say that you are also a guitarist or keyboardist that needs
your instrument to be a little dominant than other instruments but not as
hot as your vocal. Set that instrument at -10.

Next lets mix in the other instruments bring their levels up relative to
your own instrument chances are that theyll end up somewhere
around the -10db level or less unless theres a backup singer that you
need to hear dominantly, that will probably end up in the -5db range.

Now after youve set these levels at -0db or lower and youve set your
Aux/Bus Master level at -10db. You should be not be hitting any clipping
or limiting within the mixer. You will also be sending your wireless
transmitter a signal that should be optimal as to not induce clipping or
limiting at the transmitter. Some transmitters have a level control for the
input level, adjust the level so that there is no clipping/limiting happening
even when the Aux/Bus Master level is at +5db.

Now your transmitter should be sending a signal to your wireless receiver body pack that is well within
its operating limits. Raise the volume level on the receiver... if you need more signal level from the
system raise the Aux/Bus level on the mixer to -0db (This is why we left available headroom in the
system earlier.) and the receiver level appropriately

Remember that more often than not when you think I need my Vocal to be Louder you probably
need something else to be lower in fact Try your best to not exceed the baseline that we set earlier for
Nathan Noel (3Dog Nate)
In Ear Monitoring 3/14/2017

your loudest send to the Aux bus. Id wager that >90% of In Ear monitoring woes are due to exceeding
that +4db threshold somewhere in the Input Mixer Channel Mixer Bus Transmitter Reciever
chain.

Refer to the below Graphic, this would be representative of a Lead Singer that played Bass guitar. Notice
that the things that are most important to that person (Lead Vocal, Bass Guitar, Backup vocals are in the
0 to -10db range nothing exceeds +4db things that are of lesser importance will usually fall in the -
10db or lower range. Notice that the Bus master level is at -10db.

This allows for some available headroom to be able to increase the level if necessary If these levels
start out high or maxed out there is no room to increase levels without clipping something in the
chain.

Note some mixers use a different scale (Presonus for example.) 0db is the redline and -10db would be
approximately the equivalent of 0db on other mixers.

Look at the following graphic This person is going to have problems with his / her in ear mix no ifs,
ands or buts

Keep your levels modest and be aware that turning levels down usually the most appropriate when
needing to hear something more clearly.

Nathan Noel (3Dog Nate)