10,000 Maniacs: Self-Contained Touring with Sensaphonics 2X-S

	Founding member and bassist Steven Gustafson of 10,000 Maniacs

Hailing from Jamestown in southwest New York state, 10,000 Maniacs have been entertaining music fans since 1981. Over that time, they have gone from local heroes to international stars, with various bumps in the road along the way. They stayed together after original lead singer Natalie Merchant left to go solo, survived the 2000 death of lead guitarist Rob Buck, and rode out other personnel changes over the years.

"We've been through a lot of ups and downs, made a lot of adjustments over the years," says co-founding bassist and tour manager Steven Gustafson. "But the bottom line is, we're still together and we love making music. Instead of a major label, we crowd-source funding for our albums using pledgemusic.com. Our touring is totally self-contained, too."

In order to survive and thrive, the band has adapted to the transformation of the music industry along the way. This includes a more self-contained approach to touring and taking a long-term view of the importance of hearing health by reducing on-stage sound and switching to Sensaphonics soft silicone IEMs.

Production manager and sound engineer Dave Hone was instrumental in that process. "We've really worked to minimize levels on stage, which has a lot of advantages," he says. "A big part of that process was a full commitment to in-ear monitors. We now have the whole group on Sensaphonics 2X-S, and it makes a huge difference. The silicone molds really seal well, to the point where you almost forget you're wearing them. That lets you focus on the music, not your equipment. The stage is quiet, the band is tighter, the vocals are better, and everyone loves their monitors."

Interestingly, 10,000 Maniacs does not travel with a monitor engineer. Instead, each musician controls their own mix, using an iPad attached to their mic stand to make adjustments. Hone sends the channel feeds to a rack-mounted mixer core, and the musicians use an app to take it from there.

"I do maintain a little control by handling the head amp settings and putting a limiter on for safety, but for the most part, everyone's mix is in their own hands," says Hone. "Since we got everyone on Sensaphonics, it's been pretty hands-off. The band has fallen right into it. We also carry our own mics, so everything is super-consistent. We can put the whole backline together in about 20 minutes."

Gustafson feels that Sensaphonics is a key part of the band's successful transition to self-contained touring. "With no amps on stage and everyone on Sensaphonics, there's no wedge wash, so Dave can give the audience a cleaner mix, and everyone on stage can hear exactly what they want," he says. "It's even made our rehearsals better. Instead of listening through the din of a small PA on sticks, we can all hear everything clearly. The switch to Sensaphonics has actually given us a new energy in playing together."

Asked for an example of how the Sensaphonics 2X-S has helped him as a performer, Gustafson points to his singing. "I'm really just a so-so vocalist," he confides. "My voice timbre is pretty good, but I've always struggled hearing the notes. With Sensaphonics in-ears, the isolation and seal let me hear my pitch so well that my harmonies are better. In fact, they're even letting me sing lead on one of the songs we're working up. And it actually sounds pretty good!"

Engineer Hone is a big fan of another unique tool from Sensaphonics: the dB Check in-ear sound level analyzer. It's the only device on the market that can tell artists exactly how loud they are monitoring with their IEMs inserted.

"The dB Check is really helpful for us," he says. "It gives the band a reference point for where they are, so anytime someone comes off stage saying, 'man, my mix really hit me last night,' it's never an issue. We just plug in the dB Check before the next show to see where they actually are and get them back into a safer zone. It makes the band more comfortable and confident, too."

By eliminating unnecessary backline and using venue PA systems, 10,000 Maniacs have made touring a less risky proposition. "Today, we do mid-size venues and festivals, maybe 50 or 60 shows a year. Since all the gear we carry fits in the cargo bay of the bus, we can tour without needing a truck," says Gustafson. "That means less cost, which means more and better gigs. And we actually sound better in the bargain. So really, our monitor system was a great investment for us. We're really happy with it."

10,000 Maniacs will be touring the US, celebrating the 30th anniversary of their breakthrough 1987 album, In My Tribe and playing music from their most recent live recording, Playing Favorites. For tour dates, visit www.maniacs.com.