It is not uncommon for an artist performing on stage to have a small earpiece in his ear. As a rule, vocalists use it. This is called a personal monitoring system.
Why does an artist need a headphone
An artist performing on stage needs an ear monitoring system to hear himself. The fact is that at a concert the speakers are directed towards the audience, and the singer may not hear the melody very well because of the noise from the audience, especially if it is a rock concert. In addition, loud music coming from the speakers, reflected from all walls, makes it difficult for the singer to follow the rhythm and tone of the song. His own voice is also muffled, which becomes difficult to control. Because of this, the singer can start out of tune, miss the notes and generally feel insecure. In the headphones, he hears the same music ("backing track" of the song), in sync with the music fed into the hall from the speakers. This helps to orientate and start singing on time.
In order not to get lost, opera singers closely follow the movements of the conductor, who shows the right tempo, rhythm and when to join. For performers of other genres, headphones are the conductor.
The backing track can include all instruments except vocals, or one instrument and vocals - it all depends on the preferences of the singer himself. Headphones-monitors are also useful for the artist for other purposes - for example, during a concert he can be informed about some changes in the performance program and various unforeseen circumstances.
In addition to the vocalist, musicians can also use headphones. For example, a metronome sound can be played to the drummer so that he does not get out of rhythm.
Details
Such an in-ear personal monitoring system consists of an earphone attached to the musician's fuselage, a receiver and a transmitter included in the monitor console. The earphone is usually made individually for a particular performer, based on a cast of his ear. As a personal monitoring system, reinforcing headphones are often used, which have a number of advantages over dynamic ones.
On stage, ambient sounds - from live instruments, from speakers, noise from the audience - often turn into one continuous hum, knocking down and distracting the singer. The matter is even more complicated if he needs to sing and dance at the same time.
Headphones are rarely used in chamber and acoustic concerts. They are generally used in medium to large areas. There are often monitor speakers on the right and left of the stage, aimed at the musicians. If the stage is large, and the singer is running around it, he can go out of the coverage area of the monitors. In this case, it will be much more convenient for him to use headphones and have freedom of movement. In addition, monitor speakers do not always provide the required sound level to control the rhythm.
