Pathways Church Worship Director,
Biola University Faculty Member,
and Worship Arts Technology Summit Presenter
Jeff Urke shares...

WHAT I’VE LEARNED:
"IN-EAR" PERSONAL MONITORS

In my experience as a musician, worship leader and occasional sound engineer, the use of personal or in-ear personal monitors has expanded the flexibility of our team, allowed more control over sound in the room and increased the accuracy and musicianship of the band.

The Benefits
One of the greatest benefits my team has experienced using in-ears is the enhancement of the musicianship and the dynamics of the band.

• The accuracy in monitoring helps vocalists improve pitch, drummers improve time, guitar players improve tone, etc. You can hear everything - " the good, bad and the ugly" – and that provides the best platform for improvement.
• Personal monitoring also tends to lower the stage volume (by dissolving the need for powered wedge monitors) which gives the sound engineer more control to mix the room.
• Finally, it can provide the band flexibility to incorporate extra elements such as loop/click tracks, and even talk back mics for band communication.

The Challenges
Comfort and familiarity are the two hurdles to clear in the use of in-ear personal monitors. The average in ear personal monitor can offer anywhere from 7 to 45 DB of noise isolation, which will can you feel just that: a little isolated.

As a church musician, one of the most important aspects of leading is interacting with the congregation. That’s difficult if you can’t hear them. In-ears can also tend to sound a little unnatural, producing a very closed, dry sound.

Happily Ever After:
Five Ways to Get There
So how do we get the most value out of this versatile tool? Here are five tips that you may help in the transition:

1. Give it some time:
The most important thing in making the transition to in-ears is getting adjusted. This could take weeks or months of consistently using them for both performances and rehearsals. It sounds simple but the more you use a tool, the more accustomed you are to it and the more valuable it becomes to you.

2. Use both ears:
One of the worst things you can do with in-ear personal monitors is to use just one ear. This is the common misconception - if I only have one earbud in, I can still hear the congregation. In this case, your other ear compensates for the loss and you end up perceiving the monitoring ear as being too quiet causing you to turn it up to dangerous levels.

3. Don’t skimp:
"You get what you pay for." Generally true with in-ear personal monitors. One way to avoid dealing with an unnatural overly contained sound is to purchase some higher quality earbuds (ideally with a dual or triple driver), which produce a more full, accurate, open sound.

4. Dig those good vibrations:
One of the biggest losses that drummers and bass players experience with in-ears is the loss of the low end "punch" or "rumble" they feel from their kit or amp. There are actually products available now to simulate this vibration and can be mounted to a drum thrown or placed on the floor so that they can feel the vibration of their instrument (formerly created by an amp or stage monitor).

5. Use house microphones:
Aiming microphones at the congregation is the best (and only) way to keep from feeling disconnected and isolated from the audience.

Depending on the room this may be a shotgun mic, a large diaphragm condenser or a small omni mic. I’ve used everything from a Shure KSM 32 (large diaphragm condenser) to a small homemade omni condenser. There are many options and many preferences. This is ideal: two microphones (on either side of the stage) facing the congregation.

JEFF URKE
Jeff Urke is a faculty member at Biola University in southern California where he oversees worship ministry bands, produces conferences and teaches sound production courses. He is also the worship director for Pathways Church, a young church plant in Irvine, CA. Jeff has a passion for excellence in worship ministry and technology in the church and hopes to help the church become better prepared to produce authentic, God-centered worship services without distraction.