Important IEM Safety Tip

I was going to post this in another thread but decided to make it a discreet topic so more people would read it. I hope it helps keep all those using IEMs onstage safe.

If using IEMs as wireless monitors onstage, tell the audio engineer to keep the IEM beltpack's transmitter's output gain a bit below clipping (red LED on output meter) instead of at unity gain (loudest green LED on output meter) where most audio gear should be outputting. This will protect your ears in case of onstage feedback.

If feedback runs out of control onstage and your transmitter is at unity gain, there is around 12-18 dB of headroom before clipping (depending on the transmitter model). If your IEM's volume is already loud, that increase may enough to cause hearing damage. It can even cause you to black out and get knocked off your feet in pain; it happened to a musician friend of mine during a major concert (I wasn't the monitor engineer).

By running your transmitter gain just below clipping, you only have 3-6 dB of headroom before clipping. Runaway feedback will be unpleasant but not be loud enough to really hurt you.

Wireless transmitters have a hard gain limiter when they reach the level of clipping. This gain limiting will protect you from injury. Not a lot of audio engineers know this, make sure yours does. While limiting on the audio chain pre-transmitter is good, the transmitter's limiter is a safer and more foolproof option.

If running IEMs wired directly from an audio mixer, like drummers often do, it is a good idea to use a limiter on the output to the IEMs.

Many drummers may not need a limiter as they are only hearing a click track and/or playback tracks. If your wired IEMs have any stage mics being sent to them, use a limiter for protection. Buying one is a worthwhile investment if your audio console doesn't have a proper onboard limiter.

When using a limiter to a wired IEM, the monitor output gain doesn't have to be just below clipping. Simply set the limiter to turn on 3-5 dB above unity gain (assuming you are running your output at unity as you should be).

 

Thank you.