Using IEMS

  • Hi guys, was wondering if anyone could help me....i'm wanting to use iems on stage, but i have a major issue with the sound. The clean sounds are really nice, but the overdrive sounds are thin and trebly and fizzy and bloody awful....i know i'm doing something wrong but i don't know what. How do you iem users have the settings on the kemper? Thanks guys.

  • What type brand of in-ears do you have?


    Are your connecting them to the Headphones out? When playing on a live stage with cabs and FOH, I would think those should fill up the low end of the IEMS sound to create a nice blend. But I haven't used them before.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • Hi mate, thanks for the response.....iems are triple drivers, not sure of the make, kemper main outs to the mixer, aux feeds from the mixer to the in ears....i have been using live cabs but i'm trying to go with just iems in the future....

  • If things sound good from the headphone output, then see if you can get an aux feed from the board without your guitar. Send that signal to the aux in on the kemper and blend it in to taste. That’s how I use IEMs.

  • If your driven sounds are harsh of bright in the IEMs, then they may well be for an audience too. High volume makes the highs and lows a lot stronger and you will often need darker with more mids for live because of the Fletcher Munson effect.


    If you have studio monitors at home try turning them right up for a few seconds to get an idea of how the sound changes.

    Karl


    Kemper Rack OS 9.0.5 - Mac OS X 12.6.7

  • It depends a lot on the IEM's. I had the same exacts experience the first time I tried because of cheap IEM's. Then I got custom ones from 64Audio.(but if the budget doesn't allow for customs, there are things like the KZ AS10 & AS 16's that are really, really, like, not kidding good and cheap.) But, If you plug iem's into the Kemper headphone out and it sounds fine, then the problem is not with the Kemper it's what you are getting through your Mixer and IEM system. There is so much involved with getting the IEM's system to sound good. Contact me if you need help. You also need to be running a stereo IEM mix.

  • The KZ AS10's are just AMAZING, especially for the price!

    Live From… Peace Frog’s Den features South Texas songwriters and musicians performing live original music from Peace Frog's Den's studio in San Antonio, Texas. All styles of music are welcome. Would love for you to check us out at https://bit.ly/livefrompfd.

  • Try your setup plugging in a decent pair of headphones into your IEM receiver. If you like the way that sounds, then the issue is PROBABLY in the quality of your in-ears. If you're using solid headphones and it still sounds weak or high ended, then it could be the profiles themselves that need to be tweaked.


    For reference, I'm using Westone 5-drivers (UM-PRO 50). I've found that triple drivers don't deliver enough bottom end with the bass or kick drum for everything to sound full. Made the move to the 5-drivers and it was like night and day. Definitely improved what I was hearing.

  • I think I would go with these first... great reviews plus SW has a 2 year warranty. Forget Amazon.


    https://www.sweetwater.com/sto…-isolating-earphones-blue


    If money wasn't an "impedance" then I would get some custom-fit 12-driver Westones with the subwoofer brain implant. ;)

    In my 8 years of using IEMs, Guitarists and Singers only seem to get close to happy with more drivers in their IEMs. Everyone else seems to manage without complaining constantly ? Like OhG said, 4/5 drivers seems to be the sweet spot, where playing in them just becomes as transparent as they need to be for MOST performers. Of course that many drivers costs $$$.


    I recommend folks start with the KZ AS10s because they run $40-$50 so cost of entry is low and sound quality over my 4 years and my many purchases, they just have not let anyone down. The reviews on Amazon back this up. YMMV as everyone's ears and "headphone" feeling vary. I keep a few extras new around for musicians to buy when they come in the studio.


    I didn't know about the AS12s or AS16s until OhG's post - I'd like to try those next!

    Live From… Peace Frog’s Den features South Texas songwriters and musicians performing live original music from Peace Frog's Den's studio in San Antonio, Texas. All styles of music are welcome. Would love for you to check us out at https://bit.ly/livefrompfd.

  • I think I would go with these first... great reviews plus SW has a 2 year warranty. Forget Amazon.


    https://www.sweetwater.com/sto…-isolating-earphones-blue


    If money wasn't an "impedance" then I would get some custom-fit 12-driver Westones with the subwoofer brain implant. ;)

    I have used these several times at a gig where they are provided by the venue. They sound almost good if you get memory foam cushions for them. With the stock rubber ones, I could not get enough lows and mids for the guitar to sound right.


    Has anyone directly compared the 215s to the KZ? I only play a few IEM gigs per year, but, I am interested in the KZ if they sound remarkably better.

  • I have used these several times at a gig where they are provided by the venue. They sound almost good if you get memory foam cushions for them. With the stock rubber ones, I could not get enough lows and mids for the guitar to sound right.


    Has anyone directly compared the 215s to the KZ? I only play a few IEM gigs per year, but, I am interested in the KZ if they sound remarkably better.

    I haven’t tried the KZ but have SE215 and SE425. I struggled with the bottom end on both with regular generic inserts. However, I had a pair of Snugs custom molded covers made and it totally transformed them in mich the same way as I am sure Bryan experienced when switching to the 64 Audios.

  • I used the Shure SE 215's with memory foam tips for a few years, then upgraded to 64 Audio A3e's. Huge difference. The custom molds are a big part of the equation too.

    For me this was a much bigger difference than the quality of driver. I used various Shures before and none of the tips really got a satisfactory seal for bottom end.


    The odd thing is that I ended up preferring the single drivers for guitar. Too much clarity at the top end is distracting for distorted guitar tones.

    Karl


    Kemper Rack OS 9.0.5 - Mac OS X 12.6.7

  • The odd thing is that I ended up preferring the single drivers for guitar. Too much clarity at the top end is distracting for distorted guitar tones.

    something i found too- as a guitarist, you don’t need the ultra highs and lows if the primary sound in your iem mix is your guitar. If anything, it’s nice having less bottom end “polluting” your iem when there can often be enough ambient LF on stage.

  • something i found too- as a guitarist, you don’t need the ultra highs and lows if the primary sound in your iem mix is your guitar. If anything, it’s nice having less bottom end “polluting” your iem when there can often be enough ambient LF on stage.

    That’s what I found too. I like the Shure SE425 for that reason. They are really clear and detailed in the mids where the guitar sits which makes it easy to hear myself in the mix