Question
What are the most common long-term care and maintenance issues with musicians' monitors worn in the ear?
Answer
Perhaps the most overlooked arch enemy of musicians' monitors that are worn in the ear is perspiration. Moisture inside your monitors is never a good thing and can cause them to temporarily malfunction. In rare instances, your monitors can even sustain permanent damage.
So what can you do to keep your monitors safe? Unfortunately, there's really no way to fight perspiration during a performance. If you sweat, you will sweat. The physical exertion of your performance combined with the inevitable heat of stage lighting isn't going to help matters and can really cause you to lose your cool.
There is good news, however. We human beings do not perspire inside our ears. Therefore, if you're getting a good seal with your monitors, you shouldn't have any perspiration problems until you remove the monitors from your ears.
There is one thing you can do before removing your monitors that can help decrease your chances of harming them with perspiration. Before removing your monitors, use a towel to wipe off your ears, the sides of your face and your hair above your ears.
After removing your monitors, don't keep them hanging around your neck where they can be exposed to additional moisture. Put them back in the case they came in, preferably something that utilizes a desiccant. Used frequently and correctly, a desiccant will help remove whatever moisture may have been trapped inside the monitors (Adapted with permission from. www.westone.com/music/perspiration.html)
About Westone:
Westone Music Products is a division of Westone Laboratories, Inc., www.westone.com a company that has over forty years of unparalleled knowledge and experience with the human ear. With over eight million custom products for the ear made, our experience and skill are unsurpassed.
In addition, Westone has been a leader in musicians monitoring devices that are worn in the ear since the early 1990's, having been behind the two most successful musicians monitor product lines in use by touring professionals the world over. Specializing in both custom-fit and universal-fit musicians monitors worn in the ear, with in-house hearing healthcare professionals and musicians on the design and production teams, Westone is the in-ear expert. More information can be found www.westone.com/music/
Dale Douglass is a Product Specialist and in charge of Artist Relations for Westone Music Products.