Shure’s in ear monitors are essential for every touring musician today.
Shure’s line of in-ear monitoring devices has slowly become the industry standard for live-performing musicians over the past five years.
And if you are a performing artist or touring act who hasn’t jumped on the bandwagon, let us help you get up to speed. Because in-ear monitoring, made by companies like Shure or their competition, offers a wealth of benefits and utilities that are impossible with conventional monitoring speakers on stage.
So let’s dive into everything you need to know about this easy-to-use system and help shed some light on what makes these small tools an essential part of your gig bag.
What Do Shure In Ear Monitors Do?
In a normal live musical environment, the performer would have a speaker for monitoring either directly in front of them or to the side of them (as many DJs do when playing in clubs). These monitors allow the musician to accurately hear what they are playing.
The problem here though is that the noise bleed from the monitors can play back and leak into the microphone and all the other equipment behind the monitoring speaker.
Shure’s solution to these issues is their Personal Stereo Monitors (PSM), and Shure’s In-Ear Monitors allow the musician to hear what they are doing on stage when they perform without the risk of audio bleeding, feedback, and other frustrations that can occur with standard monitoring.
What Are The Benefits Of Shure In Ear Monitors? There are many benefits of relying on Shure’s in-ear monitoring systems.
The primary benefit is that it essentially cleans up the performance audio. Without the risk of audio bleeding from front of house or standard monitoring speakers, the playback and ability for musicians to hear themselves perform are drastically improved.
The next benefit is that, because in-ear monitoring systems render standard monitoring methods obsolete, stages are also cleared away of speakers and extra wiring that would make any stage presence less aesthetically pleasing. While this may not be that big of a game changer when it comes to DJ’s club shows, it can make a world of difference for guitarists, vocalists, and other larger bands while they are performing.
And finally, audio playback is clearer and more defined by the nature of the headphones used. Because the monitoring inputs are placed directly into the musician’s ears, the inputs can be panned across the in-ear monitors which allow for crystal clear and defined monitoring of what the entire band is doing!
Why Do Musicians Need In Ear Monitors?
Playing alongside large ensembles is made easy with this system
Shure’s in-ear monitoring systems are the undisputed future of live performance monitoring.
Because of the custom inputs, each member of the band controls their input and output from the wireless transmitter which allows them, in turn, to receive their custom mix from the receiver. This allows the bass player, who may want to focus heavily on the groove the drummer is playing, to hear a more percussion-based monitoring mix than the vocalist, who may want to push their levels higher to hear what they are singing.
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Another reason why in-ear monitoring is essential to touring musicians is its simple practicality. Before in-ear monitoring, touring musicians and their road crews would have to wheel in crates of heavy amps and monitors. But Shure’s in-ear monitoring systems are lightweight, portable, and user-friendly.
And finally, musicians will become best friends with the countless front-of-house engineers they work with as they tour various cities simply because in-ear monitoring negates the need for complex room EQing and feedback noise since the monitoring is going directly into your ear.
Shure’s In Ear Monitors
Shure offers a line of in-ear monitors designed for musicians and performers of all levels. Let’s break down our three favorite models so that you can make the call on which one is best for you.
If one of these in ear monitors isn’t hitting the spot for you, Sweetwater breaks down their essential list of in ear monitors at any price point in the video below:
Shure PSM 300
Shure’s PSM 300 series is the ideal in-ear monitoring system for the average touring musician. It’s at the most approachable price point while still allowing you to get the most utility from the system with its straightforward operations.
With its 300-foot range, 90dB of dynamic range, durable build quality, and crystal clear audio, this is the workhorse version of Shure’s PSM systems.
Check Out Prices For The Shure PSM 300 Over At Sweetwater Here
Shure PSM 900
The PSM 900 is a slight upgrade over the 300 series. The biggest upgrade that this series features is purely in the number of individual inputs and mixes that the 900 series offer. If you are in the bigger band or touring group or singing in gospel in church, this would be the preferred series for you.
Check Out Prices For The Shure PSM 900 Over At Sweetwater Here
Shure PSM 1,000
The Shure 1,00 is going to be your go-for-broke series designed for massive touring systems. When you are looking for monitoring in massive venues with large ensembles (I’m talking up to 39 individual mixes and inputs), this is going to be the model series tailored for your needs.
Each received comes with twin antennas that offer industry-leading stereo reception, seperation, and transmission range.
Check Out Prices For The Shure PSM 1,000 Over At Sweetwater Here
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