Why do singers wear ear monitors when performing? What does this help in? And are they listening to their own current live performance through these ear monitors or their pre-recorded version of the song?

star_gazer

doubt most singers where ear plugs while performing, because although they would enable the singer to hear themselves better, they would not be able to hear the rest of the band properly The 'buds' in their ears are most likely "In Ear Monitors" which are used for hearing themselves AND the rest of the band while performing. Besides helping the artist hear themselves better, "In Ear Monitors" prevent feedback from occurring. Feedback is when the microphone picks up sound coming from the speakers or traditional floor monitors - which creates an infinite loop of sound that resonates at a specific frequency and sounds like a screech. "In Ear Monitors" probably have little to do with hearing conservation since they are so close to the ear drum and have just as much potential for damaging the ears. Musicians don't hear the music as they play it and then a few seconds later as it comes through the speakers. The actual time delay that occurs in live sound situations is in the millisecond range! And most people can't notice the delay. Any sort of "echo" that one perceives is more likely to be caused by the architecture of the performance space, and not the sound system. A delay of seconds would require a singer to be standing on a stage 1/4 of a mile long. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070612215016AAL0Bte&show=7 Dec 18 07, 9:28 AM

MonkeyOnALeash

Well....In recording studios a singer will go in to a booth and hear the music through a headset and not out loud. The reason for this is so the recording will be of ONLY the voice and nothing else. Individual instruments and vocals are recorded on separate tracks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RVI-LltPTw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi7IuDz55Vk On-stage performances have "heads up" monitors that are low on the front edge of the stage facing TOWARDS the performers. Dec 18 07, 10:12 AM

MonkeyOnALeash

If you are referring to the small, FBI like single-ear monitors, these are for sound isolation and ambient sound control which is the optimum way to hear music properly during a live performance. It is also a way for the sound engineers and performance Directors to address the performers. Dec 18 07, 10:27 AM