So this year I have been doing some research into wireless in-ear monitoring and thought I would share some of my findings. I first was looking for a CHEAP way to do get in ear monitoring to my students on the field. (Basically getting the met and instructions to my kids in real time) So I did some research and bought a Ramsey electronics FM25B and had some students buy little AM/FM radios and it works like a champ! I have the met and a microphone piped into the Transmitter and I can give instructions and met/music information in real time. I know that Jim had been doing the isolation headphone stuff with SCV a few years back and I tried that for while and the kids really enjoyed it but when it came to moving and playing it of course had its draw backs with being wired to the headphone amp. With the FM transmitter you get all of the perks of the headphones with mobility. Just thought I would share this find with the community.

There are other FM transmitters you can purchase that are assmebled at the factory if you don't feel like solddering the FM25b kit. (which was a huge pain) Here are a few links to others that I have found that have the range of a football field without getting in trouble with the FCC.


http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=FM100B

http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=FM25B

http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=FM30     

Pre - Assembled
http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=FM35BWT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120035696867&category=4675

FM transmitter I thought would allow me to get away from blasting the Metronome and focus my ears more on musical line, dynamic contrasts and front to back issues.

[quote]A product like this had been discussed with the DigiMET guys a few years back - a wireless metronome system for key individuals (i.e. center snare). [/quote]

Did anything come of this Ryan? (Congrats on your performance in St. Louis, heard you guys did well) 

[quote author=kimera link=topic=1388.msg6318#msg6318 date=1161331165]
...we just hook up a met to four (yes, FOUR) of those battery-powered portable horn speakers sitting across the backfield line.
[/quote]

NICE!  I bet people in the next town over can hear the click!

A product like this had been discussed with the DigiMET guys a few years back - a wireless metronome system for key individuals (i.e. center snare). Heck, we just hook up a met to four (yes, FOUR) of those battery-powered portable horn speakers sitting across the backfield line.

[quote]  Besides, kids who are not interested in rehearsal can just tune out with some tunes.[/quote]

That was the first thing I thought about as well and so i suggest getting cheap radios and set the Feq and cover up the buttons that change the channels with tape or take them off of the device completly. :)

At the moment I am only using the radios with the front ensemble (since that's all we are utilizing this season) and I haven't been able to use them all of the time due to time constraints. So....it's a work in progress.

Bryan-

As for the time delay front to back.....I will begin experimenting with this next week with some of the section leaders. Maybe this application should only be used for marching percussion? Not sure yet, but if it works....who knows. :)

Strings are sounding much better since we worked out the listening environment issues. There are still a few moments when the intonation between the strings and the band gets a little hairy, but overall....It's added a whole new texture and dimension to the sound of the band. It was also a mixing nightmare for the first 2-3 weeks but it's finally coming around.

Yo Robbie,

Is the whole band using them or just the front ensemble? If the whole band is using the met, wouldn't that cause the kids in front to be ahead of the ones in the back  due to the time delay?

How are those strings sounding? Any more sweet Van Halen moments? ;-)

I did test this last year using an iPod with the Griffin transmitter attached.  It needs more output to be effective, but I definitely see the potential benefits.  Besides, kids who are not interested in rehearsal can just tune out with some tunes.

- David

VERY INTERESTING!!!

also it lets you give instructions directly to the percussion kids while other parts of the rehearsal are going on. It also allows you to remind them of upcoming changes in the music and or drill.

Well, I use it in rehearsal and I used it for the drum major this past weekend during the show. The trick is finding a clear channel to broadcast on. This morning during rehearsal the kids were saying that a spanish talk radio station was poping in and out, so I will probably change the frequencey tomorrow.

If I had the money I would have bought the LCD display kit that comes pre-built.

If you have a wireless mic/met input you just put those on a belt (or fanny pack which ever your manliness will allow and go from there) You can give instant feedback to the kids as they are playing. I have the met and wireless mic feeds running into a stereo splitter and those are plugged into the FM transmitter. The ear bud I think works best because you can have one in for met and instruction and the other out for listening environment.

This could be one of the best tools ever discovered for us!

So let me get this straight - you have the kids get small (cheap) FM radios with headphones (earbud I wonder?).  You then plug the met and a microphone in the the transmitter and once the kids ";tune in"; to the frequency you have pre-determined, the kids can hear the met [i]and[/i] your instructions [i]while playing[/i]?!?!  How much do you use this?  Just in rehearsals or in shows as well?  I am MOST curious to hear the application of this as it is something that I have [i]always[/i] wanted to be able to do.