The IEM (in ear monitors) Bible thread - a guide to help every musician

[Al Krow]

Great review, thanks Woody!

 

Looks like the Swiff WX520 is definitely worth putting on a "buy-list" for anyone thinking of going wireless and presents an even better upgrade over the Xvive U4 than Xvive's own recent U45 update?

 

Lack of sufficient monitor outputs on my desk is going to prevent us all going stereo and feels a bit cheeky for that to be an option for just a couple of us and not the whole band, haha! I'm guessing without that key benefit the decision to switch over becomes a little more marginal?

Edited yesterday at 09:48 by Al Krow

[Phil Starr]

58 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Great review, thanks Woody!

 

Looks like the Swiff WX520 is definitely worth putting on a "buy-list" for anyone thinking of going wireless and presents an even better upgrade over the Xvive U4 than Xvive's own recent U45 update?

 

Lack of sufficient monitor outputs on my desk is going to prevent us all going stereo and feels a bit cheeky for that to be an option for just a couple of us and not the whole band, haha! I'm guessing without that key benefit the decision to switch over becomes a little more marginal?

I've been absent from this feast for a while. Interesting to catch up on developments. The Swiff definitely looks like an interesting option. I'm still wired but if I went wireless the Swiff is really attractive.

 

I'd have thought that offering your singer stereo would be where I might go first if you have a spare aux. Or try it yourself. Just knowing what advantages it brings might be useful to know when the next upgrade comes along.

[Woodinblack]

2 hours ago, Al Krow said:

even better upgrade over the Xvive U4 than Xvive's own recent U45 update?

 

I haven't actually tracked that, so I am not sure what that upgrade offers?

 

2 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Lack of sufficient monitor outputs on my desk is going to prevent us all going stereo and feels a bit cheeky for that to be an option for just a couple of us and not the whole band, haha! I'm guessing without that key benefit the decision to switch over becomes a little more marginal?

 

Well, it is less of an upgrade but for me I would still do it. I am lucky in my groups, in the metal group we are entirely IEM but have the P16s so you can have as many stereos as you have people (and get to set it up yourself). In my other band, the drummer has one channel (and seeing as he only has himself in it, I doubt he needs stereo), and the guitarist and singer don't use IEMs - the guitarist doesn't like the sound, the singer won't have any ear protection at all

 

[Al Krow]

5 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

I haven't actually tracked that, so I am not sure what that upgrade offers?

 

Xvive U45  is still mono, but moves frequency from the crowded 2.4 GHz of the U4 to the less busy 5.8 Ghz

[dave_bass5]

29 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

 

Xvive U45  is still mono, but moves frequency from the crowded 2.4 GHz of the U4 to the less busy 5.8 Ghz

im starting got think 5.8GHZ is getting too busy these days. At a few recent gigs ive scanned the networks and found hardly any public wifi networks broadcasting on 5.8, and only a few on 2.4, but have had to switch back to 2.4 for our XR18 to work smoothly. I guess with everyone now using 5G on their phones maybe this end of the freq band is filling up. We  have had more issues with our XR18 since more band members have started using 5.8Ghz devices (mainly on smaller stages). 

[Al Krow]

3 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

im starting got think 5.8GHZ is getting too busy these days. At a few recent gigs ive scanned the networks and found hardly any public wifi networks broadcasting on 5.8, and only a few on 2.4, but have had to switch back to 2.4 for our XR18 to work smoothly. I guess with everyone now using 5G on their phones maybe this end of the freq band is filling up. We  have had more issues with our XR18 since more band members have started using 5.8Ghz devices (mainly on smaller stages). 

 

Not sure 5G has anything to do with 5.8 Ghz, though, Dave?

[Woodinblack]

11 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Not sure 5G has anything to do with 5.8 Ghz, though, Dave?

 

No, it doesn't touch that band - its a combination of 700MHz, 3.5GHz and 26-40GHz, all clear of 5.8GHz (and 2.4)

[dave_bass5]

11 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

 

Not sure 5G has anything to do with 5.8 Ghz, though, Dave?

No, not the same freq, I was just pointing out that things are shifting away from 2.4ghz and 5.8 is getting more crowded now. I do appreciate even 5G works in the 2.4Ghz range. 

[dave_bass5]

4 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

No, it doesn't touch that band - its a combination of 700MHz, 3.5GHz and 26-40GHz, all clear of 5.8GHz (and 2.4)

Yeah, I was not clear with what I was trying to got say. Worded it wrong and way off the mark lol,  but I am noticing more issues with 5.8 than I did a few years ago, at least at gigs we do regularly.  

[TimR]

Yes. I guess one problem with WiFi is people having their phones searching for SSIDs all the time. Latching onto your transmitter and trying to see if they can connect. 

[dave_bass5]

For two gigs i went to 6E for our XR18 and that was really smooth. No lag and certainly no congestion. It just wasn’t very convenient as i was using my home router. Still thinking about going that route though if we get any more issues. At the moment 2.4ghz is working better for us. 

[Al Krow]

3 hours ago, Phil Starr said:

I've been absent from this feast for a while. Interesting to catch up on developments. The Swiff definitely looks like an interesting option. I'm still wired but if I went wireless the Swiff is really attractive.

I'd have thought that offering your singer stereo would be where I might go first if you have a spare aux. Or try it yourself. Just knowing what advantages it brings might be useful to know when the next upgrade comes along.

 

2 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Well, it is less of an upgrade but for me I would still do it. I am lucky in my groups, in the metal group we are entirely IEM but have the P16s so you can have as many stereos as you have people (and get to set it up yourself). In my other band, the drummer has one channel (and seeing as he only has himself in it, I doubt he needs stereo), and the guitarist and singer don't use IEMs - the guitarist doesn't like the sound, the singer won't have any ear protection at all

 

All of my extended crew have been on IEMs this past year, which is so much better than just half of us a couple of years back with a previous line up, which felt a bit like a dog's breakfast with the guitarist still using a stage amp for monitoring.

 

We're still a mix of wired and wireless for mics, IEMs and instruments, but, as it happens, one of the singers has been making noises about getting a wireless for her IEMs so I'll be recommending the Swiff WX520 to her and suggest she gets it off AliExpress which seems to be considerably cheaper. I'm definitely tempted to join her and then have my old Xvive U4 as a back up for the occasional dep. And yup she and I could both go stereo...

Edited yesterday at 13:47 by Al Krow

[Woodinblack]

I havren't had any problems with 5.8 being busy, even though I am a heavy user of it - i have the IEMs, the XVvive transmitter for the bass and a 5.8g modem for the X18, also the singer is on my wireless microphone transmitter and has just got a wireless sax. Its surprisingly been trouble free

 

[dave_bass5]

32 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

I havren't had any problems with 5.8 being busy, even though I am a heavy user of it - i have the IEMs, the XVvive transmitter for the bass and a 5.8g modem for the X18, also the singer is on my wireless microphone transmitter and has just got a wireless sax. Its surprisingly been trouble free

 

To be fair the issues have been on very small stages. Larger stages have always been fine. 
First time it happened (only talking  about the XR18, nothing else has issues) the bass players 5.8 reciever on his amp was maybe 6ft from the router if that, which was stuck on the floor. We had occasionally freezes but nothing too drastic. 
The next couple of times were when my singer had her 5.8 wireless mic receiver plugged directly in to the XR18. This was maybe a foot from the router. Too close i know but it was tight on the stage. Each time we turned off her recorder we had more luck, and when we got the bass player to run off his system we got full control back. 
I have now got workarounds for this, inc moving the router as far away as possible from the mixer and bass player, and also using 2.4ghz. So far it’s all working as it used to before the shift to 5.8. 
We have played the small venues a couple of times since going to 2.4, an even though the router is still on the floor close to the bass amp its been fine. 

[Woodinblack]

We do the small venues too and didn't have a problems. However we went to 5.8 in the first place was I used to use the internal router on the X18. As soon as I turned the XVive U4 on, there was no X18 connection. You could have one or the other, so I had to go to a an external 5.8 router.

[dave_bass5]

By small, i mean a 6 piece band on (or off) a stage that holds 3 at the most 🤣

 

Edited yesterday at 15:38 by dave_bass5

[Woodinblack]

Played in places where that seems like a luxury!

[JapanAxe]

1 hour ago, dave_bass5 said:

By small, i mean a 6 piece band on (or off) a stage that holds 3 at the most 🤣

 

Loving the Thomas-the-tank-engine PA speaker!

[dave_bass5]

3 minutes ago, JapanAxe said:

Loving the Thomas-the-tank-engine PA speaker!

Ah, i didn’t notice that. That’s actually photoshoped as the guitarist behind is always complaining no ever see’s his face 🤣

[JapanAxe]

16 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

Ah, i didn’t notice that. That’s actually photoshoped as the guitarist behind is always complaining no ever see’s his face 🤣

If he looks like Thomas the Tank Engine I don’t know whether that would be a good thing or not…

[dave_bass5]

31 minutes ago, JapanAxe said:

If he looks like Thomas the Tank Engine I don’t know whether that would be a good thing or not…

He plays like him…..😇

[Al Krow]

1 hour ago, dave_bass5 said:

He plays like him…..😇

 

Was there an ant infestation on the floor that everyone apart from Dawn spotted? 😅

[dave_bass5]

2 hours ago, Al Krow said:

 

Was there an ant infestation on the floor that everyone apart from Dawn spotted? 😅

Yeah, tell me about it. I have 30mins of video from a gig there and not once does ‘Thomas’ look up. In fact he spends 95% of any gig sideways on looking at his bloody amp, like it’s going to run away of something. 
To be fair though, that shot was taken at sound check so we were just setting things up. 

Edited 21 hours ago by dave_bass5

[javi_bassist]

That Swift wireless system seems interesting. In Thomann however, it has not so good reviews. The thing about dropouts I guess it depends on your gigs. I currently use the Xvive U45 (5.8) and I never had an issue. The rest of my band use the U4 (2.4) running simultaneously 3 U4 and never had an issue either. 

I must say that with my Line 6 wireless (G10s and G30) I had some dropouts sometimes, but I still use them. I use also the Fender Telepath and I had issues when using it close to the U45. 

 

I have also received the Westone X30. They sound incredible. However, the cable is really really annoying. I mean, when you have it in place it is fine, but I do not like it. But the sound is really good. I am comparing it now with the Sennheiser ie400 and ie100 and it is difficult to choose one. I am still making more tests... 

Edited 6 hours ago by javi_bassist

[Woodinblack]

Will post back if I get any dropouts, haven't so far, but early days. I don't think I had any dropouts with the U4 (although I did have a total transmitter failure) so maybe I just don't go far enough!

I also haven't had any inteference with any of the other wirless stuff.