How In-Ear Monitors Made Me a Better Sax Player

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If you’re like me, you struggle to hear your sax on stage over loud drums and amplified guitars, and you’re tired of your ears ringing after every show. For years, I tried every kind of earplug, but my new in-ear monitors have been a total game changer. Now, I hear myself clearly, I play better, and I enjoy every gig more, all while protecting my hearing.

Understanding Onstage Sound

When you play with a band, you have speakers that send the music to the audience, these are referred to as front of house. Then on stage, each musician has their own speaker with a customized mix of the various instruments in the band. These are called monitors.

In a five-piece band, you’ll have at least five of these monitors going at once in addition to the sound from the amplifiers and the instruments themselves. Because of all this, it can get very loud on stage. The louder it gets, the harder it is to hear yourself, which leads to turning up the volume even more, creating a loop of ever-increasing loudness.

The louder the monitors are, the greater the chance for horrible feedback. Onstage volume is typically in the danger zone for your hearing health and, over time, this can cause tinnitus and permanent hearing loss.

What I Tried Before

Before switching to in-ear monitors, I played gigs with one of those sax deflector shields attached to the bell, even when I had a monitor speaker. It bounced my saxophone sound back to my ears and helped, but not enough.

I also used custom-fit earplugs. They did a fantastic job protecting my hearing, but on really loud gigs, I couldn’t hear my saxophone or the other musicians very well. Not hearing yourself clearly has an enormous negative impact on how you play. If you don’t play your best, gigs aren’t as much fun.

With poor sound conditions, it’s hard to play with nuance. I’d be playing at maximum volume, with no dynamics or subtlety. Playing in tune became more of a guessing game. You need to hear your saxophone well in order to do a good job on stage.

The Game Changer

At the NAMM show earlier this year, I visited the Ultimate Ears booth, where they scan your ear canal to make custom-fit in-ear monitors. I got the UE 5 Pro model, which, at $549, was their least expensive option. I added the ambient sound feature for $50 more, a small hole drilled into the monitor so some natural sound can come through.

A week later, they arrived. I was eager to try them out but realized I also needed a wireless transmitter system. I bought a Shure PSM 300 with two belt pack receivers, one for me, one for my wife since we often play together. I also ordered her a pair of the UE 5 Pro in-ears for $599.

With this transmitter, we can each have a separate monitor mix from the board. There are cheaper options out there, but we wanted something reliable for large festival gigs. We also got a protective case and the right adapters for the system.

In total, we spent $2,897 plus tax. Before BetterSax, I would easily spend that much on another saxophone I didn’t really need. I now wish I had invested in a monitoring system like this years ago.

The First Gig

The first time I used the system, it was a revelation. It wasn’t a super loud gig, but I could hear my saxophone sound so clearly without being overwhelmed by drums next to me.

My sound improved. I could play with dynamics. I knew if I was in tune. My time was better. My solos were better. The other musicians noticed. Most importantly, I had more fun than I’d had in years.

After that first gig, I was already planning this article to tell you how much of a positive impact these have had on me.

Upgrading the Gear

Later, Ultimate Ears reached out about a collaboration. I had already purchased a pair, but told them I’d love to compare models. They kindly sent me their top-tier UE RR+ Pro model, starting at $999.

At first, I didn’t notice a huge difference listening to music in the studio. But on stage, during a festival in France, I switched back to the UE 5 Pros during soundcheck and instantly heard more noise in the signal. Back on the UE RR+ Pros, the sound was clearer and less noisy.

Honestly, I would have been happy with the UE 5 Pros and saving the $400. But now that I have the upgrade, it’s a nice bonus.

Final Thoughts

To really know the differences, you need to test these things in real working conditions. Studio tests won’t show what these are built for.

If you’re a working musician, I highly recommend investing in a professional in-ear monitor system. It will improve your playing more than some of the gear we tend to overspend on.

Want to know what microphone system I’ve been using recently? I wrote another article about that, you can click here to check it out.

If you want to access the best online saxophone educational content, click here to learn more.

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