Though an arranger keyboard's 'built in' speakers may be sufficient for a small room , adding even just one active PA speaker will greatly enhance the sound. Because the EVSxA100's are relatively light & easy to transport, I generally take at least one to all gigs (even the smaller venues).

The principal attraction to the 'built-in' speakers (for me & I'm sure others as well) is their function as a personal monitor, especially in larger rooms, when the Main PA speakers can't be heard properly from your stage position.

Since the only reason I need 'built-in' speakers is for monitoring purposes, I'm wondering if I could forgo requiring an arranger board which includes 'built in' speakers, and instead, perform & monitor (my keyboard & vocal mix) thru a pair of ultra lightweight non-obstrusive headphones. Does anyone here perform this way?

Will wearing headphones still allow you to adequately hear what's going on around you (talking with the audience etc)? How about cord-less headphones, will they work very well? Any potential feedback or interference problems?

I'd like to to get feedback & advice about using headphones while performing. Specific headphone brand and model recommendations would also be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

If the above headphone 'performance monitoring' scenerio will work, it seems that the new full featured yet lightweight Yamaha Tyros will be the logical arranger keyboard upgrade for me.

- Scott

Hi Scott,
I have used "earbud" type headphones quite a bit for monitoring myself. If they were cordless, is would be much better, but actually the cord is so tiny that it is not intrusive.
I have tried coming directly out of the headphone out, but seem to have better results from the headphone jack on the Mackie 1202. I sometimes use an extender cord so that I am not so closely tied to the mixer.
You are still able to heard people talk and other normal sounds. The headphones of course are stereo and the sound is phenominal. The ones I used cost about $10.00!
Don

Hi Don: MANY thanks for your valuable input. Do you get much/if any audience comments about using them? What brand/model do you recommend? At $10, it's certainly worth a shot to see if this setup is a feasible alternative to relying on 'built in' speakers for performance monitoring. If I do end up purchasing the Tyros (seems more likely by the day) being able to monitor thru tiny ear buds would certainly beat having to purchase & drag along the Tyros speaker system including sub woofer too. If I get the Tyros, I'd proably pass on the Tyros Stand and speaker - sub woofer system, unless someone here convinces me otherwise.

Please elaborate. What kind of problems do you have when coming out of the 2000's phone jack?

Hi Scott,
I have seen on TV many bands performing live and it looks like more and more of them (especially the drummers) are wearing headphones, I guess for monitoring purposes. In some cases they even use those models with a microphone included. I wonder how good the quality can be for singing...

Andrea,
I see the bands using them more and more too. Usually the drummer is listening to a click track on his/hers.

The quality for the ones with mics included like all other mics is directly proportional to amount spent. Some of the "biggies" are using them for preforming live though.
jam on,
Terry

I think you will find interesting reading the following article:
http://industryclick.com/magazinearticle...37409&siteid=15

-- José.

Here's another one. Good reading!
http://industryclick.com/magazinearticle...56635&SiteID=15

-- José.

José:
THANKS for the links to the highly informative articles about IEMs (in the ear monitors). Seems the stage venues in the article are more rock band oriented. I'm still trying to figure out if this 'IEM' scenerio would work for my more initmate one man band style setting or not.

DonM:
I'm wondering if you might have just MISSED READING my questions to you earlier in this thread (see above).

I'm really curious to find out if you would consider switching to an arranger that didn't have 'built in' speakers (like the Tyros or SD1) and feel comfortable enough to rely solely on 'in your ear' headphones for monitoring while performing. Do you think you would miss having built-in speakers? Thanks.

Scott,
I actually did reply to your question, but for some reason it didn't get posted. My computer has been doing some strange things lately.
I didn't actually have any problems with the headphone out on the keyboard, but coming from the Mackie gives a few more options, including monitoring other sources, such as guest singers or players that are not routed through the keyboard.
I sent you an email, but I will post it here in case anyone else is interested.

"I have a couple of different headphones. I think one is a Sony. They are the “earbud” type they are designed for portable CD players. The little ear pieces actually fit inside your ear. The audience can’t even see them if you are careful with the cord. You may have to buy an extension for the cord, if it isn’t long enough. Radio Shack has them.

I usually cut my speakers off on the job, unless it is impossible to position the mains where I can hear them without feedback.

I had the Roland G800, which had no speakers. I don’t remember if the X1 had them. It is not that important to me whether there are speakers. I use them mostly for practice."

Don

. to quote the song.. "I'm old fashioned".. the look of IEMs, especially for a solo performer just doesn't do it for me as a musician or as an member of the audience ... I think it gives a sense that the performer has seperated him/her self from the rest of us ... don't seem to have the same sense with headset mics, or with IEMs being used in a larger group .... just this old man's opinion .....
t.

I agree with Tony... appearance is so critical, espically when doing a single. The only time I used an IEM was several years ago when the Buckeyes were playing UCLA on the west coast. I'll have to say, when your team scores a go ahead touchdown during your vocal, it adds a new dynamic (good thing it was an upbeat song!) of unknown source.

Recently, I've been using a Carvin spot monitor. I have it mounted on a mike stand and positioned about keyboard height aimed right at my face. It's very unobtrusive and workes well.

Glenn

Tony & Glenn: Thanks for your insightful comments. Your concerns re: iem's are the same I've been having. As a solo entertainer, an essential element to my show is the back & forth repoire I develop with my audience, so I cannot afford to feel 'removed' or seperated from them.

Is this the Carvin Spot monitor model you use?: http://www.carvin.com/cgi-bin/Isearch.exe?CFG=2&P2=PM5-B&P1=MON

How good is the Carvin Spot's bass response?

I'd like to know how the sound quality compares to the 'built in speakers' on my Yamaha PSR2000. I realize the Carvin Monitor signal would be mono (unless you utilize two Spot monitors), but it appears that both the volume & clarity of the Carvin Spots may be better than the speakers in the PSR2000 because though both the Carvin & Yamaha built ins are both 2 way 5" and include a tuned bass port to increase bass response, the Carvin offers 125 watts of power while the built in Yamaha's are only provide 12 watts a piece. I would expect that using ONE Carvin Spot monitor would produce more volume and at equal sound quality to the ones in the PSR2000. At only 5 lbs, the Carvin Spot Monitor sounds like a good solution for monitoring purposes when gigging with an arranger kb without speakers.

Thanks in advance for additional comments and feedback about going this route.

Scott

I agree that it looks better without the headphones. However, I didn't get any negative feedback, I suppose because the speakers actually are inside the ear, the wire runs up behind, and is virtually invisible to the audience.
Don

DonM ... earpiece inside ear, wire hidden away, I guess there's nothing that would look unsightly, and therefore no problem ....
t.

Using a corded head mic I am wired enough. Another one and they might as well start tube feeding me. LOL
Eddie

Scott, I used similar monitors in the worship band at church..they were not this brand, and I found on the larger stage (big church) I needed 2 of them in my face (actually in front of me, vertical stand a half an inch or so from the piano). I placed one on the right edge and left, angled in at 45 degrees or so, facing directly at me. The sound was excellent, bass response was not outstanding in our models. I eventually went to a floor wegde for more sound, because the piano was mixed on to the band, and I needed more volume to break out my parts and vocals. They probably would be great for your venues though. I have been looking into the same thing for my gigs as I won't be using the psr speakers as monitors. IMO, I'd either do this, or go the extra mile and buy personal, ear fitted, color tinted, shure or some top line model and go wireless. Bigger bucks..but you wouldn't get that isolated feeling I don't think because they are almost transparent. I tried Don's setup, but they kept falling out, and I could never secure them well enough to get comfortable...I probably have a wierd shaped ear or something. These monitors are a great option for your prospective keyboard. Good Luck Brian

Okay, this is going to get a little weird but it's a thought: remember the Bone Phone in the '70s? It worked by vibrating your collarbone, and then there are those lollipop holders that play music by vibrating your teeth. These all work by something called bone conduction. There are some new headphones by Vonia that work by sending sound through your skull rather than through your ears. I have no idea if this would work as a monitor but if did then it would have the advantage of allowing you to hear all other room ambient sounds while hearing what comes through the headphones at the same time. Great for listening to music at your next Star Trek convention with! In case you want to read more:
http://grabit.co.za/vonia/index.html

Althought I do not like the idea of being too "far away" from my audiences using one of these IEM, I confess that I see some advantages in using such a system. I do not like to carry aditional weight so I end up bringing only the main PA to my gigs (no monitors). In very noisy environments (ex: small bars where the people almost sit on my lap) I have troubles hearing myself, specially when playing romantic ballads. I feel that this affects my performance quite a bit. So, in these cases, a IEM could provide excellent quality monitoring and a little bit of "distance" from my audience, just enough to allow me to concentrate much better in a good and expressive interpretation. What has been keeping me from using these "earbuds" is the poor quality of the typical walkman headphones and, now that I read about IEMs, the huge price of these professional monitoring systems. So, in conclusion, I do not find these IEMs totally uninteresting; something to look up in a near future...

-- José.

Scott

Yep, the PM5-B is what I've been using. Bass response isn't all that great, but about as good as it gets for the size. There's always trade-offs, and at 5 lbs and $80, its worth missing some low end... at least for me it is.

Glenn

[This message has been edited by Glenn01 (edited 10-07-2002).]

Scott,
these little babies are great and versatile....
http://www.galaxyaudio.com/INDEX2.HTM




Features of the Galaxy Audio PA5X140 powered Hot Spot:
Class H amplifier. SMARTALIC gain management. 100w @ 8ohms (typically 146w @ 4ohms). Frequency Response: 200Hz-20kHz. Total Harmonic Distortion: <0.06 @ 8ohms,<0.1 @ 4ohms. EQ: Three band, center detent controls. Input connections (with individual volume controls): One balanced 1/4", One balanced XLR(with +24 VDC phantom power). Output connections: One 1/4" speaker level, One (post EQ, post level) RCA line out. Indicator LED's: Power,Compressor-Limiter. One 5" driver with 40 oz. magnet structure. Sensitivity: 98dB @ 1w/1 meter. Fire retardant styrene with cast aluminum grille. Built in mic stand mount. UL listed. 6.75" x 10.94" x 6" (171mm x 278mm x 152mm). 12.5lbs. (5.7 kg).






[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 10-07-2002).]

DNJ,
How do I order these..the web site is for dealers. And how much?? Thanks B2

Regarding the PA5X140 by Galaxy Audio - I have a pair that I use infrequently. They sound terrible: way too much midrange that is nearly uncontrollable. I use them when I have guest vocalists because they are easy to setup and they are LOUD. You can plug a mic straight into the PA5X140 and then into the mixer so the singer gets their own monitor totally... but I wouldn't wish them on anyone on a regular basis. Try before you buy.

Brian,
I've had a few of them and they are great. I also sold at least 3 in the last year or so. Guys love 'em. They run about $300,last I checked.

Pro/Dave,.......soooooooo which is it,do they sound Good or do they Suck? Hmmmmm?

My purpose is to monitor my keyboard and vocals during the dinner hour set. I might just place the speakers behind me and angle them across the room so I'm in the "bow wave", therefore I won't need a monitor. But I'd prefer one...you think a near field monitor on a stand near the keyboard would be better? Brian

I agree that the little Core Systems monitor has too much midrange by default, but that's a good thing for vocal monitoring. The human voice is mostly midrange anyway. Monitors that produce too much highs or lows are prone to feedback. I still wound up cutting the mids almost all the way to make a sound I liked. One thing for sure ....They are loud.

When I'm in a "sit-down" situation (an extended engagement where I don't have to set up and break down every night), I often use two Galaxy Hotspot monitors. The high end is terrific. If you position youself beside the mains, you will hear enough bass from them, since the bass is not that directional.
I run stereo almost always. I usually just chain the Hotspots off the back of my mains, so different amp and e.q. is not needed.
DonM

[This message has been edited by DonM (edited 10-08-2002).]

DNJ: UD didn't say they sound great, and I already said what I think about their sound. They might be "great" for certain applications, but that midrange is overwhelming (I've used the mid tone control to get rid of as much of it as I could and they still sounded like crap). They are light and fit on a mic stand so you really can have in-your-face-monitoring that singers always love no matter the sound quality, but I've tried them as keyboard monitors and I honestly think they suck out loud for that, no offense meant to anyone who owns them.

At home for practice I use a pair of powered Yamaha MS202II as seen here: http://www.yamaha.com/cgi-win/webcgi.exe/DsplyModel/?gPWS00008MS202II

They are only 20 watts each, which is far less than the Galaxy Audio powered speakers, but they sound excellent with keyboards. Yamaha makes both mic stand and speciality stands for these speakers so if you're looking for a good quality internal-keyboard-speaker substitute, this would get my nod.

Otherwise, for a little more than the price of the Galaxy monitors you could get JBL G2 10" EON's, which are great as keyboard monitors and/or mains.

Thanks to everyone here for their insights and valuable contributions to finding a speaker alternative to the TRS-MS01 specifically designed by Yamaha for the Tyros.

After finding out the actual size/weight of the Tyros speaker system and how they attach to the kb, and then giving this subject more thought, I've come to the conclusion that the Tyros total weight including its speakers is 40 lbs, and 10 lbs lighter than the PSR9000 (50 lbs).

I'd much prefer lifting 2 much lighter units separately (Tyros KB: 27 lbs, and speaker bag: approx 13 lbs), rather than dealing with lifting a single bulky sized 50 lb keyboard. I'd estimate Tyros speaker setup time would only take a matter of seconds, especially if you permanently attach the satellite speaker mounts to the KB. Just my thoughts. What do you guys think?

Scott,
You know what I think....ya' finally got your head right.
Terry

That Core System monitor is really intended for vocals. It really doesn't handle KB's well. As a singer, it's tough to get a louder speaker in a smaller package.Still .... I prefer the on board approach.

I have a few concerns about the speaker mounting system as well as the music stand mounts that you have to bolt onto the Tyros: I wonder how those will affect the Tyros when it goes into a carry case? They seem to be fairly obtrusive and could cause some problems. For that matter, I wonder if Yamaha intends to make a specialized carry case for the Tyros. Just thoughts... I have no idea.

http://www.coffeysound.com/store/monitors.html


alot more choices for presonal monitors to use with the TYROS.