There are two ways you can describe the sound of an in-ear monitor. Ok, there are WAY more than 2 ways. But as broad categorizations go, there are two ways of looking at the sound of an earphone. You can use many different words (and we will in a bit) to describe these sonic generalizations, but for the sake of this post, we’ll call them CONTOURED and FLAT.

The world of in-ear monitors is relatively new and unfamiliar to most folks. It has its own language and buying process. If we are talking custom in-ear monitors, it might be the first custom ANYTHING you have ever bought. So what do you need to know before diving in?

Getting a perfect fit on your custom in-ear monitors starts with getting great impressions. Ever wonder what the process is like and what you can expect? This post explores each step of the ear impression process.

Going on tour is as much about being prepared for the inevitable as it is about music. And lets face it, on tour, the inevitable is a certainty. In-ear emergencies don’t give you any warning so it’s best to be prepared. The more you can plan for those road bumps, the more enjoyable the tour will be.

Using in-ear monitors for mixing, producing, and editing solves a lot of problems. With the quality of today’s in-ear monitors, entire records can be mixed on in-ear monitors.

When two or more speakers are used together their ranges overlap. The places they overlap will produce a louder volume than where the frequencies do not overlap. At its most basic…

One of the most common frustrations musicians have with in-ear monitors is not the monitors themselves — it is the mix. A great IEM can sound terrible if what is going into it is not built right. And a lot of people have never been taught how to build a monitor mix from the ground…

Love your IEMs and they will love you back. The single biggest cause of degraded sound in in-ear monitors is not driver failure. It is sweat and wax buildup that slowly chokes the acoustic filters inside the tubes. The good news: most of this is entirely preventable with a quick routine after each use. Why…

Custom in-ear monitors fit differently than earbuds or universal IEMs. They are designed to seal against the walls of your ear canal. Getting that seal right on the first try takes a little practice. Most people have it figured out within a few sessions. Here is exactly how to do it. How to Insert Your…

When deciding which in-ear monitor to get, there is more to the decision than just the number of drivers.

Different frequencies require different amounts of power to produce. Low frequencies needs lots of power where higher frequencies don’t need as much. There are lots of technical articles available for those who want to learn more about headroom and loudness curves. We’ll try to keep it simple here.

More drivers does not mean better sound. It means more drivers. The right driver count depends entirely on what you need the monitor to do, and a five-driver IEM built for bass players can be a worse choice for a guitar player than a three-driver IEM designed for midrange clarity. Here is how to think…

A driver is a speaker. That is it. When a brand tells you their IEM has four drivers, they mean four individual speakers packed into a single monitor shell. The type of driver matters as much as the number. Most custom in-ear monitors use balanced armature (BA) drivers rather than the moving coil drivers found…

Erik Zachary is the consummate media host, producer and director. He has hosted radio shows for iHeartRadio in New York, Chicago and Boston, presented for and produced multiple national MTV/Viacom projects, including a 2017 revival of TRL. Erik is currently the host and editor in chief of XYZ…

We are pumped to highlight custom ear monitor user, artist, and longtime friend of Alclair, Jeremy Passion. Jeremy is a singer/songwriter born and raised in San Francisco, CA. Known for being one of the pioneers of the acoustic R&B movement …

Lester Estelle, is one of the most respected drummers in the business and he relies on Alclair for his studio and monitor mixes. His studio and live credits include drumming for some of the biggest names in music…

Robert Venable is one of those mavens that other music professionals want to be – a Grammy nominated, Emmy and Dove Award-winning producer, recording engineer, mixer & accomplished rock drummer.

The Alclair Horizon is a reference in-ear monitor built from the ground up for one purpose: to show you exactly what is in your mix. No boosted low end. No elevated treble. No interpretation. Just the recording. Exactly as it was captured. For producers, mixing engineers, and critical listeners who need a monitor they can…

There are two ways you can describe the sound of an in-ear monitor. Ok, there are WAY more than 2 ways. But as broad categorizations go, there are two ways of looking at the sound of an earphone. You can use many different words (and we will in a bit) to describe these sonic generalizations, but for the sake of this post, we’ll call them CONTOURED and FLAT.

The world of in-ear monitors is relatively new and unfamiliar to most folks. It has its own language and buying process. If we are talking custom in-ear monitors, it might be the first custom ANYTHING you have ever bought. So what do you need to know before diving in?

Nashville producer/engineer Russ Long put Alclair Audio’s flagship ESM 13 and Studio4 in-ear monitors to the test in the recording studio, and the verdict was….

Love your IEMs and they will love you back. The single biggest cause of degraded sound in in-ear monitors is not driver failure. It is sweat and wax buildup that slowly chokes the acoustic filters inside the tubes. The good news: most of this is entirely preventable with a quick routine after each use. Why…

Custom in-ear monitors fit differently than earbuds or universal IEMs. They are designed to seal against the walls of your ear canal. Getting that seal right on the first try takes a little practice. Most people have it figured out within a few sessions. Here is exactly how to do it. How to Insert Your…