Are IEMs killing Stage Monitors?
- Scott Oliver
- Apr 13
- 7 min read
Updated: Jun 4
By Scott Oliver
Good question, and NOPE!
As a musician, even though I am 61 years old, I am still very active in playing live in the Nashville area. Additionally, since I am the owner of Centerline AV (specializing in Church Worship Audio Systems) and Centerline Acoustics (we make stage monitors) I can see all sides of the IEM (In Ear Monitors) v. Stage Monitors debate. It reminds me of the decades-old Mac v. PC debate. Has there been a winner on that one? Sure, there are plenty of opinions, but still no clear winner. Same with IEMs and Stage Monitors. Here's my take; your mileage may vary.
As a player at my age, a lot will assume I'm just old school and stuck in my ways simply because I do not like IEMs, but we will get to that in a moment. However, remember this, I sell both and I honestly make more money on IEM systems than I do making and selling wedges, so this is not a profit-driven writing.
Stage monitors are still widely used in live performances, despite advancements in technology. While in-ear monitors (IEMs) have become popular due to their ability to provide clear sound directly to the performer and reduce stage noise, stage monitors (also known as floor wedges) remain essential for many musicians and venues. They offer several advantages:
Simplicity: Stage monitors are straightforward to set up and use, making them a reliable choice for many live sound engineers and performers.
Cost: They are generally more affordable than in-ear monitoring systems, making them accessible for smaller venues and bands.
Interaction: Some performers prefer the physical presence and sound of stage monitors, which can help them feel more connected to the live performance environment.
While the use of stage monitors may decline in certain contexts, they are far from obsolete and continue to play a crucial role in live sound reinforcement.
My problem with IEMs is they isolate me from the real world of playing music with others. In fact, my experience with IEMs is you can only effectively monitor yourself, or others, but not both. Ever see someone using IEMs with only one ear bud in? Sure, we now have stereo IEM systems, with some even having ambient microphones, but even those fail to address the real world of playing and interacting with others. When we hear something, there are actually four dimensions at play...Length, Width, Height, and Time. If you notice the shape and design of the human ear, it resembles a speaker cone or funnel in a lot of ways. There are three parts to the human ear...the outer-ear, the middle-ear, and the inner ear. The outer-ear is designed to gather sound waves and transfer them into the ear canal. But don't IEMs do that as well? Yes to a certain degree, but what IEMs don't do, and actually do prevent is what's called localization or directionality. The structure of the outer ear helps in determining the direction from which sounds are coming, and IEMs remove that part of the ear design. The outer-ear is crucial for spatial awareness and locating the source of sounds. Localization IS the kicker in playing live music with others...that is if the interaction with others is important.
A lot of that too depends on what level of skill you are playing at. If you're only playing really simple music where you're not keying off others on stage, then IEMs are probably okay. However, if you're playing music that requires you to not be on autopilot, and appreciate the feel and interaction of playing with others in the real world, stage monitors are the only option. I simply cannot play my best if I'm chasing a monitor mix all night with IEMs.
So you're still not convinced either way?
In-ear monitors (IEMs) offer many benefits, but they also have some potential drawbacks:
Cost: High-quality IEMs can be expensive, which might be a barrier for some musicians and smaller venues.
Comfort: Some users find IEMs uncomfortable to wear for extended periods, especially if they are not custom-molded to fit the ear.
Isolation: IEMs provide significant noise isolation, which can be a double-edged sword. While it helps in hearing the mix clearly, it can also make performers feel disconnected from the audience and the stage environment.
Technical Issues: IEMs require wireless systems, which can be prone to interference and technical issues. This adds a layer of complexity to the setup.
Hearing Damage: If not used properly, IEMs can potentially cause hearing damage. It's crucial to monitor volume levels to prevent long-term hearing issues.
Learning Curve: Musicians and sound engineers may need time to adjust to using IEMs effectively, which can be a challenge during live performances.
How did IEMs come about in the first place?
Short answer: Speaker manufacturers killed a lot of their own stage monitor business. How? By not addressing the needs of musicians from a musician's perspective, and certainly not paying attention to the struggles of the FOH person. Before I go any further, I am not referring to big concert stages, but the smaller more intimate stages of churches and local music venues. Basically what most manufacturers have done in the past, and continue to do, was/is to take a PA speaker with a big driver and a long throw horn flare, cut out 45-degree slice out of the back of it, plop it on the floor and say to us "there's your stage monitor". Nope. That's not a stage monitor at all...it's a PA speaker. Other than the wedge-shaped box the components are now placed in, for all intents and purposes it's still a PA speaker, just one sitting on the floor.
The problem with their stage monitors is a matter of numbers and frequency response. Let's visualize a stage that has a PA system with two 1x12 two-way mains and maybe two 15 inch subs, then add four or five of their 1x12 "wedges" to that stage. All of a sudden, the monitoring system is just as big as the main system...and in some cases bigger. Bam, there's the problem. The poor guy (or gal) sitting at FOH mixing is now contending with the direct sound of the main PA and the indirect, and often muffled, sound from the stage monitors (with too much bottom end) pointed away from them, all at the same time. Couple that with the big low frequency drivers in the stage monitors, and all they have to mix in is a big polluted mess of direct and indirect sound. Add to that a bunch of long-throw horn flares pointing up at the stage ceiling and the pollution gets even worse with reflections bouncing back and arriving much later to not only the FOH guy (or gal), and the listening audience. It's pretty easy to see why IEMs became popular. All the while, the players are missing out on interacting with each other sonically.
Again, this is all the fault of most of the speaker manufacturers. They simply did not pay attention to or even care to notice the really simple problems with their designs. Basically, they gave away the farm (as far as stage monitors go) to the IEM manufacturers. Furthermore, this can mostly be traced back to the fact that a lot of speaker designers are so focused on measurements, graphs, spec sheets, marketing, fancy ads showing stars using their stuff, and profits that they never took the time to pay attention to the slow burn happening around them. They did it to themselves, and us.
That's where Centerline Acoustics comes in. I design and make stage monitors to be stage monitors. It's also worth noting I did not just wake up one day and think to myself "what the world needs is another stage monitor". Centerline Acoustics was born from my one experience with IEMs in about 2007. Just one experience. I was invited to play guitar as a sub at a local church in Nashville...a very prominent church at that. When I showed up with my rig, I was told I had to put my amp in a closet and use an IEM system. What a joke. As soon as the service was over, I packed up and thought to myself...NEXT!
I swore I would never do that again, and I stand by that. I'd rather not even play. They called me a couple more times to come and play, but I passed. The pay was pretty good, but not worth it to me.
It was that moment that got me to thinking about why IEMs were becoming so popular. My first step was to talk to some of the speaker manufacturers I used in my system designs for church clients, hoping they would listen to what I was noticing and what I believed the problems to be. If speaker designers at these manufacturers are deaf to anything, it's outside suggestions. One of them even stated "well, you could always make your own". Well...okay then. So, I sat out to design what I believed to be the ultimate in stage monitors for small stages, and the results nailed it right out of the box. The Centerline Acoustics CA8MW 8" Coaxial Mini Wedge was born, and that design has not changed in 17 years. The Centerline mini wedge addresses all the problems the other manufacturers refused to acknowledge. Small 8" drivers in small enclosures mean lowered low end frequency response that doesn't pollute the main room with indirect muffled sound. A coaxial driver with no horn flare to paint the stage ceiling which greatly reduces reflections. An enclosure design that allows for three angles depending on where the sound needs to be directed. Two NL4 connectors with each side having one instead of two on the back, or two together. The #2 pins wired straight through so you can run two mixes down one 4-conductor speaker cable. Lastly small enough to throw in a back seat for easy transport and storage. On top of that, don't let the small size fool you. These little wedges are MONSTERS!
So what's the moral of the story?
If you're considering IEMs because the stage wedges you're currently using are causing the same problems described above, or you're not really happy with the IEMs you have and the severe limitations they bring with them, seriously consider what we make before you invest in something you may later regret. We make our stage monitors for all the right reasons. And unlike all the other manufacturers of pretend stage monitors, we went ahead and considered both the players, and the FOH guys (or gals), and what they have to deal with on a regular basis. We're here for you!
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