Tour Rig

The Needs
I've done touring and studio work for a number of different artists, but right now I'm mainly working out of my home studio and doing fly dates for an EDM artist. For this artist, I'm exclusively playing sax, and I need the setup to be as solid as possible and as simple as possible. Here's what I went with.

IEM's
Since these shows are in extremely loud club environments, I feel wireless in-ears are important. Not only do they provide hearing protection but they also allow me to actually hear what I'm playing. The in-ears I'm using are not good and I don't recommend them, but they're the Audio Technica M2's. Bad performance overall from self-noise and sound quality to gain staging and reception. If my memory serves, there are two frequency blocks on this unit that are still free for use and those are the ones I stick to. And I like that the unit has an aux in on the belt pack, so I can listen to podcasts mixed with the IEM feed during the significant amounts of downtime that are inherent to touring. But still, don't recommend it.

I looked at replacing these and the options are either the current Sennheiser model, the past Sennheiser model, the current Shure model, or a new entrant called the Mipro MI-58. I happen to know for a fact that the current Shure model is quite noisy and though it has a more reliable belt pack, it would deliver only marginally better overall performance. I was considering the older Sennheiser model until I received an offer to purchase the new Sennheiser model for roughly the same price. But research indicates that both of these models are also very noisy and only marginally better than what I have which is flawed but not game-breakingly awful.

The Mipro MI-58 on the other hand, is a bit of a dark horse. It's extremely price competitive with the other models listed here but is fully digital unlike anything else at this price point. It is said to be NOTABLY quieter than the other models and operates in the 5gHz range instead of where all of the mics live onstage in the 500's. I struggled in Atlanta to find a single open channel at a recent venue with my Sennheiser wireless mic system, so a 5gHz solution could be extremely convenient. I've even heard people compare the sound of the MI-58 to a direct wire connection. Unheard of. Apparently no companding at all.

The issue with the MI-58 is that it runs on non-standard, non-certified removable 3.7v lithium batteries. Not only is this an issue because it means I can't just charge a bunch of AA's and have a rotation system to be sure they're always ready for the gig, but it now means I'm carrying uncertified AliExpress lithium batteries on flights all around the country. Even if regulations don't specifically forbid it, putting these batteries in the cargo hold of an aircraft isn't something I'm comfortable with, which means I'd not only have to carry these batteries on my person in the cabin but I'd also have to bring a charger for them and manage that whole thing. I want flying to be as stress-free as possible and if I'm literally planning for how to avoid starting a fire in the cabins of upcoming flights, I don't feel that'll be too comfortable of a headspace. For the record, that's a humorous understatement and the mere possibility of increased safety risk is really what's driving me.

So for the moment, I'm stuck with the M2. I'm not spending $500 on something that's only marginally better. Though I would prefer a smaller and more robust belt pack combined with autoscan functionality.