Alclair In Ear Monitors Tour Season Prep

5 essential tips to make sure you can hear yourself on stage while on tour

Tour season is ramping up. That means it’s time for tour season prep. Time to check your in-ears and make sure your touring monitor kit is all ready to go.

Going on tour is as much about being prepared for the inevitable as it is about music. And let’s 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.

Top Tips for Preparing for a Tour

Test and inspect in-ear monitors and cables
Deep clean your in-ear monitors
Buy backup cables
Gte extra cleaning tools and an in-ear vacuum
Make sure you have a backup
Invest in hearing protection

DEEP CLEAN YOUR IN EAR MONITORS

When you use your in-ear monitors frequently, sweat and wax can collect on the colored damper rings. When sweat evaporates, mineral despots can start to choke out the sound. To make sure your monitors are sounding 100, let us give them a cleaning and test them to make sure they are functioning at peak performance.

BUY SOME BACKUP CABLES

Extension Cable - 1/4" Jack to 3.5mm female

What do guitar strings, drum heads, mic cables and in-ear cables have in common? They all are subject to wear. As you move around on stage, the braids of your cables are stressed and flexed. Drummers are especially susceptible to worn cables since they move so much.

Pick up a couple extra cables so you have them ready for those emergencies. And if you are not running wireless in ears, it’s a good idea to pick up an IEM extension cable too! Extra cables are tour season prep 101.

GET EXTRA CLEANING TOOLS AND A VACUUM

To keep your ears functioning well for the whole run, it’s a good idea to have an in-ear vacuum on the bus or van. Make it a habit to wipe down your in-ears and vacuum the tubes shortly after you come off the stage. This will keep any buildup to a minimum.

A BACKUP SET IS ESSENTIAL TOUR SEASON PREP!

Tour life happens. In-ears get banged, dropped, stepped on and even washed (on those rare occasions you get to a laundromat). A backup set of in ear monitors is an insurance policy against the inevitable.

And let’s be real for a second. If you RELY on your in-ear monitors, you NEED to have multiple pairs. We can’t tell you how many times we hear from someone who is up a creek because their monitors broke and they don’t have a backup. And although we do our best, depending on how many other unfortunate victims of the tour gremlins are before you, it might be a few days before we can get yours fixed and back out to you.

Alclair UV2 Universal fit dual driver in ear monitor

We recommend having a couple sets of our universal UV2 or UV3 models for the band and a handful of extra tips. That way, when something breaks, you have something to use while we rush a fix for you.

INVEST IN HEARING PROTECTION

Lastly, one of the greatest things about being on tour is having a front row or “side stage” seat for every show. But that can be LOUD! Your in ear monitors provide hearing protection while you are on the stage. Investing in some hearing protection or earplugs will protect your hearing when you are off stage. Musicians Plugs with filters block a lot of the sound but still let you hear the concert and should be an essential part of your tour season prep kit.

Black filtered hearing protection for live sound, concerts, stages, work and job sites

Like anything in life, your success depends on how well you prepare. Of course, stuff happens and we are here for you when it does. Shoot us an email at sales@alclair.com, chat us up on our site, hit us up on social media or give us a call if you need in-ear monitor support on the road. We want to get you up and running as fast as possible!

Andy Swanson

Andy began his career in the late 90s studying audio engineering, but a passion for brand strategy and marketing led him to a successful career with global brands like Nintendo and Bayer HealthCare. This unique blend of skills ultimately brought him back to his roots in audio production and product development.

As a product designer, Andy is credited with key contributions to the popular Livemix personal monitoring system. He has also designed guitar amps and recording gear for brands like Renovo Amp Works and other top-tier audio brands. With a deep understanding of both technology and the creative process, his mission is to help people use gear to inspire them to better performances and to help bring their artistic visions to life.