Have you ever seen a singer wearing earpieces? Many singers use in ear monitors to help them sing in tune and improve their vocal performance. Earpieces are small speakers that fit inside the ear canal, which means that singers can hear themselves singing without any outside interference.
Singers often wear in-ear monitors (earpieces) to prevent hearing damage and monitor their vocals. Singers sometimes use in ear monitors to help them sing in tune and to hear themselves as well as what is being played by the band or backing track. In ear monitors enable the whole band to play together in tune and in time.
In this blog post, we will discuss in more detail why singers wear them, what they do for the vocalist, and when to use them!
1. They wear IEMs to help them sing in tune
A singer’s earpiece, often called in ear monitors, does more than just help them sing in tune, it also helps to improve their vocal performance. The ear piece is designed to be a snug fit inside the ear and also for blocking external sound. IEMs allow the singer to hear themselves singing without any outside interference entering their ears, which means they can focus on how well they are projecting and whether or not they are hitting all of the notes correctly.
2.Performers wear IEMs to prevent hearing damage
The in ear monitor is an electronic device that singers use to protect their hearing. In the past, it was common for artists to listen to a speaker on stage during performances and rehearsals, but this can cause damage to hearing because of the loud volume they need.
Ear monitors help reduce noise exposure by up to 20 dB, which is enough to prevent hearing loss.
An in ear monitoring system typically has one or two speaker drivers, a transmitter and a microphone that the singer can use for communicating with those on stage while singing.
This device also lets singers hear themselves better during rehearsals so they know how their voice sounds without depending too much on monitors behind them, while also aiding hearing protection.
3. Earplug provide extra monitoring backup
A singer’s in ears is used as a backup system for when they can’t hear their own voice while performing. A common scenario that this would happen to singers on stage who have music blaring all around them but they are unable to hear themselves singing because of it. If stage monitors happened to fail or offered inadequate sound for a performer, in ear monitors can be a very good option.
4. A singer uses an earpiece to monitor and adjust their vocals
Singers use iems to monitor and adjust their vocals. Why? It’s important for singers to hear themselves in order to stay on pitch while singing onstage in front of a large crowd.
Many singers also rely on vocal coaches, who can instruct them via the wireless earpiece during rehearsals or performances without yelling across crowded stages that could cause feedback.
Singing is a delicate art requiring precision and technical skill, but without the earpiece, singers would have to depend on hearing their own voice from a stage monitor in order to stay on pitch. With in ears they can sing at full volume throughout their vocal range while still hearing themselves to make adjustments as needed. A female voice and male voice are also different and it allows the singer to adjust their own mix for their individual voice. Find out which mics singers use.
So, it’s only natural for a singer, to want to protect their voice and do everything in their power to maintain proper vocal health.
5. They help them to hearing the band or backing tracks during live performances
A standard practice in live performance is for singers to wear in ears, so they can hear an audio feed from the soundboard. The reason for this, as you may guess, has to do with how sound carries and reflects off objects when it plays through speakers. This effect can cause delays in sound reaching their ears, and can make keeping in time with the band a bit more difficult. Another reason that it is important for a singer to hear the rest of the band is that they may need to hear cues about when it is their turn to sing. Check out my more detailed post asking what do in ear monitors sound like?
In ear monitors are also helpful because it allows singers to hear the sound from their mic and other musicians better so they can blend their voices with theirs for a more even sound during performances. Check out my post, How to use an in ear click track for live performance
In ear monitors come in many shapes and sizes. Some are custom-made for an exact fit while others are made with a universal design that will work just as well no matter the size of your ears or the shape of your head. – They are lightweight and comfortable, making them less distracting than wedges would be.
6. Advantages of using earphones vs wedge monitor?
IEM systems, offer a singer a number of advantages over wedge monitors in general, and they are often used by performers who need to hear their own singing voice in the microphone. The sound quality is better, and enables them to hear audio cues much better. Another advantage is that singers can custom-fit earpieces to their own ears, which makes wearing them more comfortable. Also, they enable a sound engineer to communicate with any performers on stage without the audience also overhearing.
7. Reasons a musician also use monitors during concerts?
It is important for musicians to be able to hear themselves or a click track in the monitor mix, which often requires them to monitor their instrument with headphones.
The in ears musicians wear help reduce stage sound so that they can keep in good time and intonation with the rest of the band or backing track. In ear monitors also allow a musician to adjust the volume of individual instruments in the monitor mix. Stage monitors have been the traditional form of monitoring equipment for a concert stage, but more and more, in ear monitoring systems are becoming more common. In ear monitors are also popular among sound engineers. as it makes their job of creating the right sound mix much easier.
