IEM setup advice

  • I'm going to dive into the world of in ear monitors for the first time.

    I'm going for a wired setup as I generally play small venues with little room to be moving around, so I reckon wireless would be wasted on me!

    With regard to the setup, I was planning to take my monitor mix from the mixer and connect it to the Aux in on the kemper, and connect the IEM to the headphone jack.


    Does run it like this, and are you happy with the results?

    Would I need a personal IEM amplifier, or is the Kemper headphone output sufficient?


    Thanks in advance :thumbup:

  • I run mine as you describe and it works great. You get a good direct stereo sound of your guitar from the KPA and blend in the rest of the band via the aux inputs. I’ve had no issues with the setup. The IEMs will play a part in how hard you have to push the headphone output. I use Ultimate Ears UE7s and my headphone master output level is around -40 so plenty of headroom left if needed.

  • My budget won't stretch to a set of UE7s, I am looking at the Shure Se535's or something similar.

    At the moment I have my guitar and band mix blasting back through a dxr10. That combined with a heavy handed drummer to my left is taking its toll on my ears. :wacko:

  • In my band they are planning to play with IEM too, but wireless. So I must take that step too.

    For this I have a Sennheiser EW 300 IEM G3.


    I've read somewehere that it's possible to receive a stereo signal through my IEM, coming from the mixing desk using the monitor mix (or Aux out) on the mixing desk if you connect things right on a powered kemper. It's about using the return and Alternative IN as stereo aux IN on the kemper's rear.

    I have read both the main and the reference manual but with these it's a hell of a job to work this out on the kemper. Can anyone explain how this is done?

  • My budget won't stretch to a set of UE7s, I am looking at the Shure Se535's or something similar.

    At the moment I have my guitar and band mix blasting back through a dxr10. That combined with a heavy handed drummer to my left is taking its toll on my ears. :wacko:

    I have the UE 5 Pros ($500 vs $900 for 7s). UE has excellent service and their people are both down to earth and very helpful. Even after telling them that price wasn't an issue for me, they confided that for guitars / vox the difference in the higher priced products was, at best, subtle.


    The single biggest factor when talking about the toll on your ears is how much isolation the IEMs offer. I own generic Shures (and I love Shure products). They have a bit of a clumsy fit and like any non-custom earpiece, a significant amount of leakage. The difference between that and custom mold earpieces is night and day. It's the isolation that's going to protect your ears, so that's what you want to spend money on.


    Here's something you might try before buying anything.


    I had some guys over to the studio a few weeks ago and we were running IEMs. One of the guitarists wasn't comfortable with the fit of the generic Shures. On a whim, we tried a set of earbuds that came with my iPhone 6. I was surprised to discover that the iPhone buds not only fit him better, they even sounded better. He did the rest of the night on the iPhone buds. And this was a rock band with a loud drummer sitting three feet away in the same room.


    Earbuds from Shure and iPhone both use the 1/8 plug. I would recommend that you get an adapter to 1/4 stereo (I'm assuming from @Joptunes that you can just plug them into the headphone jack without a wireless / amplifier) and try those out first to see if they get the job done for you. If they do, instead of buying generics from Shure or anyone else, save your money for the day that you can get custom fit IEMs. I've done both, and it really is worth the money.

    Kemper remote -> Powered toaster -> Yamaha DXR-10

  • The difference between that and custom mold earpieces is night and day. It's the isolation that's going to protect your ears, so that's what you want to spend money on.

    In fact, an ill-fitting set of ears will lead to more harm. (If there's a lot of bleed from the drums, what do you do- ask him to turn down his kit? You turn up your pack, so now you're blasting loud stuff right into your ear canal.

    I know this from experience.



    And can someone please answer that damned phone?


    KPA Unpowered Rack, Kemper Remote, Headrush FRFR108s, BC Rich Mockingbird(s), and a nasty attitude.

  • I've read somewehere that it's possible to receive a stereo signal through my IEM, coming from the mixing desk using the monitor mix (or Aux out) on the mixing desk if you connect things right on a powered kemper. It's about using the return and Alternative IN as stereo aux IN on the kemper's rear.

    I have read both the main and the reference manual but with these it's a hell of a job to work this out on the kemper. Can anyone explain how this is done?

    Yes, I use this setup exclusively for practice from a headphone output to stereo 1/4" right and left adapters. Plug the adapters into Return Input and Alt Input on back of Kemper. Then in Kemper settings, mix in the "Aux In" level for whatever output you're using. This is in Page 6 of Output Menu ("Aux In > Main", "Aux In > Monitor" , etc)

  • I have the UE 5 Pros ($500 vs $900 for 7s). UE has excellent service and their people are both down to earth and very helpful.


    The single biggest factor when talking about the toll on your ears is how much isolation the IEMs offer.

    I spotted that a place not too far from me has UE4's for €500 and UE5's for €550 including the moulds. I might hold out for a few more weeks and go in that direction.

  • I spotted that a place not too far from me has UE4's for €500 and UE5's for €550 including the moulds. I might hold out for a few more weeks and go in that direction.

    I'm not sure what they mean when they say including the moulds, but you'll need to go to an audiologist to pour gunk into your ears and make the custom moulds, which are then sent to UE to make the earpieces. If they sell the UE5s, do the ear gunk thing onsite and provide it all for 550 that's a nice, convenient approach. I didn't have a one stop shopping option so that would have been great!


    The only problem with custom ears is that once you get them, there's just no going back to wedges. :)

    Kemper remote -> Powered toaster -> Yamaha DXR-10

  • I'm not sure what they mean when they say including the moulds, but you'll need to go to an audiologist to pour gunk into your ears and make the custom moulds, which are then sent to UE to make the earpieces. If they sell the UE5s, do the ear gunk thing onsite and provide it all for 550 that's a nice, convenient approach. I didn't have a one stop shopping option so that would have been great!


    The only problem with custom ears is that once you get them, there's just no going back to wedges. :)

    Yeah they do the custom moulds that they send off to UE. I don't know if it's on site, but they organise it and it's included in the 550. Sounds good to me!

  • Yes, I use this setup exclusively for practice from a headphone output to stereo 1/4" right and left adapters. Plug the adapters into Return Input and Alt Input on back of Kemper. Then in Kemper settings, mix in the "Aux In" level for whatever output you're using. This is in Page 6 of Output Menu ("Aux In > Main", "Aux In > Monitor" , etc)

    If you mean the headphones output on the mixing desk then the instrument and voice mixing on every AUX channel for your in ear is not possible, right? Therefore I was aiming at an AUX-OUT on the mixing desk which makes this possible. Two of all inputs on that mixing desk are coming from my Kemper's main outs. So I like to have my guitar coming stereo in my in ear and combine this with every personal setting of all instruments and voices through every AUX on every mixing channel in use. This should result in a personal perfectly balanced monitor sound for my in ears. But how does Kemper fit in this construction and how to achieve that? I hope it's obvious what I write here...

  • If I understand what you are trying to do correctly, you would either send a stereo AUX signal from the mixing desk to the Return and Alt Input of the KPA. Make sure Aux >Mono is unticked and raise the volume of Aux In > Headphone or Aux In > Monitor depending on how you want to power the IEMs. The two cables from the Mixer replace the split cable in the example you quoted.

    However, if the signal from the desk also includes your guitar signal you will get potentially strange phase issues. In this case you would monitor straight from the desk without sending it back to the KPA.


    So, you either send a monitor a mix WITHOUT your guitar to the KPA and blend this with your direct guitar signal OR you monitor from the mixer instead of the KPA

  • If you mean the headphones output on the mixing desk then the instrument and voice mixing on every AUX channel for your in ear is not possible, right? Therefore I was aiming at an AUX-OUT on the mixing desk which makes this possible. Two of all inputs on that mixing desk are coming from my Kemper's main outs. So I like to have my guitar coming stereo in my in ear and combine this with every personal setting of all instruments and voices through every AUX on every mixing channel in use. This should result in a personal perfectly balanced monitor sound for my in ears. But how does Kemper fit in this construction and how to achieve that? I hope it's obvious what I write here...

    Totally obvious what you want - you want a custom monitor mix for your IEMs.


    However- since you're ALREADY asking for a custom in ear mix, that you will then add your guitar to- isn't it just a whole crapload easier to just ask for a monitor mix that includes your guitar, and not monitor through the kemper at all?


    KPA Unpowered Rack, Kemper Remote, Headrush FRFR108s, BC Rich Mockingbird(s), and a nasty attitude.

  • Yes, I understand now that you both are so right. All I need to do is go from my Kemper main outs to two inputs on the mixing desk (this is allready stereo and can I balance with the l+r on both channels) And I just would need one AUX OUT on the mixing desk and on that mixing desk I would balance all other aux for instruments and voices (l+r as well as volume) to my IEM, being my monitor mix. Right?

    So Kemper stays out for any adjustments or other routings.

  • Yes, I understand now that you both are so right. All I need to do is go from my Kemper main outs to two inputs on the mixing desk (this is allready stereo and can I balance with the l+r on both channels) And I just would need one AUX OUT on the mixing desk and on that mixing desk I would balance all other aux for instruments and voices (l+r as well as volume) to my IEM, being my monitor mix. Right?

    So Kemper stays out for any adjustments or other routings.

    That's the way I'm doing it in the studio and hopefully live as well (depends on who I end up working with and their mixer setup). Kemper main outs go to the mixer, stereo aux bus out of the mixer goes to my IEM receiver.


    I get a radio quality mix of the entire song, including the Kemper, in my IEMs, which includes just a touch of "more me" on the Kemper and my vocal mic, as is typical with monitor mixes.

    Kemper remote -> Powered toaster -> Yamaha DXR-10