Earpiece or something to hear myself when playing live in pub??

DrFroggies

Hi guys,

I'm doing a few solo slots (usual acoustic cover set up) in a bar at the moment and using their set up (which is a cheap powered mixer going through the pub speakers).

The bar is an L shape with a very high roof (but very low on the little mezzinine jut out i'm playing on) with no real surfaces to absorb sound etc (lots of tile and marbley type surfaces) and i'm really finding it difficult to hear myself at times.

Essentially what i'm hearing on my little platform is i'm told very different to what they're hearing below...but its really putting me off, not to mention making me paranoid and affecting my overall performance.

I'm thinking a monitor won't help much as it'll just start deflecting and clash with all the other sounds coming at me and there's not really enough space for a monitor...BUT i was thinking maybe an extension cable for headphones or maybe if there's some cheap specific kind of in-ear solution.

Basically wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what i could get?

Thanks
DrF ;-)

Gaspode

This is probably the sort of thing you're after.
I dont think a floor monitor would cause you too much problems tbh, certainly never had any problems with them before.

GTE

Just for your own sake be careful with those in ear buds.
The temptation will be to make it louder and louder as your ear gets used to constant stimulation (with little/no background noise).

I definitely noticed it when I used in ears as drumming monitors. Although subjectively it wasnt louder when I looked at the iPod it ended up stupidly hight.
Never again. I just now use a wedge along with ear plugs or closed headphone style things.

DrFroggies

Gaspode wrote: »

This is probably the sort of thing you're after.
I dont think a floor monitor would cause you too much problems tbh, certainly never had any problems with them before.

Aye they'd be ideal but to be honest i was thinking more along the lines of something for under €25 that i could just lash into the phones section of the mixer and pop subtly into the ears...might actually try bringing in one of my ow 150w pa speakers to use as a monitor but these really are just nixer gigs so it might be alot of extra hassle for little benefit if it just clashes with all the other bouncing sounds.

bbk wrote: »

Just for your own sake be careful with those in ear buds.
The temptation will be to make it louder and louder as your ear gets used to constant stimulation (with little/no background noise).

I definitely noticed it when I used in ears as drumming monitors. Although subjectively it wasnt louder when I looked at the iPod it ended up stupidly hight.
Never again. I just now use a wedge along with ear plugs or closed headphone style things.

I've been thinking about that too...but i'd only use them for this place whenever i happen to gig there - i'll be a regular for the next couple of weeks but after that just sporadic slots if any, so hopefully the auld long suffering ears won't be too affected.

Einstein

bbk wrote: »

Just for your own sake be careful with those in ear buds.
The temptation will be to make it louder and louder as your ear gets used to constant stimulation (with little/no background noise).

I definitely noticed it when I used in ears as drumming monitors. Although subjectively it wasnt louder when I looked at the iPod it ended up stupidly hight.
Never again. I just now use a wedge along with ear plugs or closed headphone style things.

Interesting,

As a gigging drummer myself, I've actually found the more I got used to in ears the more I've reduced the volume!

I have click, some kick, snare, keys, bass and vox...