Wireless headphone solution for stage performance

[vulcanman]

My 13 yr old has been showing off his electric guitar skills on stage these last few weeks. He typically takes his combo amp on stage and places a microphone in front of it.

One of his complaints is that he cannot hear the rest of the instruments over his own. Due to this he has a problem staying in sync. But when we turn down the level of the microphone that's placed in front of his guitar ... the relative levels get messed up.

Is there a wireless headphone he can wear that lets him hear the rest of the band ?

Thanks !

 

[biggestmuff]

"microphone level on his guitar down"

Wat?

What's that mean, man?

He could position the amp differently. Point it away from him or place it further away.

Not really many details to be of any assistance.

 

[Ika]

Wireless headphones do not block out enough sound, and wireless IEMs are very, very expensive.

Just run wires. Your son is 13 years old, it's not like he's gonna start a serious live show anytime soon.

 

[darkswordsman17]

I don't mean to be a dick, as I'm certainly not a musician, but is there some reason he wouldn't want to be focused on his own playing versus the others?

I can definitely see how turning his mic down isn't the solution, that would basically reduce him from the overall sound.

Is there some reason you want wireless? Couldn't you just get some IEMs, secure it to a headphone amp (so that he can attenuate the volume), and then run a long cord from the amp to the source?

 

[vulcanman]

I don't mean to be a dick, as I'm certainly not a musician, but is there some reason he wouldn't want to be focused on his own playing versus the others?

To ensure he stays in sync.

Is there some reason you want wireless? Couldn't you just get some IEMs, secure it to a headphone amp (so that he can attenuate the volume), and then run a long cord from the amp to the source?

Let me check into this. Ideally, I would like to take a line-out from the combo-amp (instead of placing a microphone in front of it). But most places he performs do not have a line-in jack available on stage.

I would think most stage performers have had to deal with such a situation. Do they have small monitor speakers on the floor to let them hear the muxed output ?

 

[TonyG]

Yes, stage monitors are very common to use for that exact reason, it is also very common to run cables across the stage floor and back to the mixer board when no jacks are provided on the stage.

Wireless IEM's are nice, but as mentioned, are not cheap.

 

[vulcanman]

Appreciate the info //

 

[gsellis]

Ah... I think I figured this one out. The real problem is that the amp speaker is behind him. Better is when he is not directly in the output path. You have too much trouble with a vocal mic picking up guitar and then fighting feedback.

Yes, as you were thinking and TonyG says. A monitor that plays back to him at ground level. You may have even heard in a club where a guitar player will tell the board guy, "I can't hear myself, can you turn it up?" That is the monitor.

With a wireless playback system, you then start having to worry about lag, which is why they probably get expensive quickly.

 

[kranky]

Heh, you got good answers already. Don't let him get like the band I work with. They all insist the stage monitors have to be turned up louder and louder and louder. Last event I grabbed the singer while they were doing a sound check and pulled him out into the audience. I asked if he thought it sounded OK from there and he said yes. That's when I showed him I had the main speakers turned off and all he was hearing was the stage monitors at their way-too-loud setting.

 

[rudder]

Make sure you use Duracell... that is what Jon Bon Jovi uses.