If you’re reading this, then there’s a good chance you’re either already using in-ear monitors, or you’re considering taking the leap. Using in-ear monitors has a number of benefits.

First, they save your hearing. If you’re playing with a drummer, things can get pretty noisy, and as great as earplugs are, most people find they can’t quite hear themselves properly with them in, so you might loosen them slightly in your ear when in the middle of a show.

Using IEMs means you can hear yourself and your band properly, but more importantly, you’re protecting your ears from those loud stage volumes and potentially helping ward off future hearing problems.

In-ear monitors can allow you to hear your mix more clearly. When they’re in, most of them block out quite a bit of stage noise, so what’s being fed through the earphones you can hear nice and clearly. This is particularly useful for guitar players who also sing, as it’s easier to pitch when you can hear yourself properly.

In my experience as a guitar player, all the earplugs I’ve tried (and I’ve tried a lot) block out some of the important frequencies that I need to hear. It’s not impossible to get through a gig by any means, but since switching to IEMs, it’s hard to go back.

As guitarists, we all take care in crafting our tone, so when you hear it back in high fidelity through your in-ears, it’s really rewarding. I find that this then helps me play with more dynamics and more expression, so it’s better for the performance too.