Yedidyah Yehezkiel, front-of-house and monitor engineer for Unlimited Worship in Jakarta (credits include Audio System Integrator at GBI Basilea Christ Cathedral, and monitor engineer for Indonesia’s Christian contemporary music artist and worship leader Franky Kuncoro), chooses Waves eMo IEM Immersive In-Ear Mixing Software for eMotion LV1 Live Mixers.
Unlimited Worship is a Jakarta-based ministry dedicated to empowering worshipers and is part of a broader initiative to enhance worship through music and production in Indonesian churches, through training in various music disciplines, organizing conferences, and fostering community engagement.
Designed specifically for the Waves eMotion LV1 live mixer, the eMo IEM upgrade provides immersive 360-degree panning for in-ear mixing without the need for any external hardware. This straightforward software upgrade allows users to set the LV1’s monitor output to immersive, enabling performers to experience rich, immersive sound directly in their in-ears. eMo IEM enables 360 panning of all mix elements, allowing both live sound engineers and performers to control the exact location of each instrument in the immersive mix. Panning is easily controlled from eMotion LV1’s mobile/tablet remote control apps, MyMon and MyFOH, as well as from the LV1 mixer itself.
eMo IEM is powered by Waves’ proven Nx binaural technology, which recreates an immersive acoustic environment over headphones and in-ears. eMo IEM replicates the natural auditory experience of a real-world 3D environment, offering live performers a more comfortable in-ear sound with more realistic detail than traditional stereo monitoring.
Yehezkiel comments, “My overall experience using the eMo IEM at the show was incredibly satisfying for everyone involved (performers, sound engineers and system integrators). The 360 panner is fantastic! It provides performers with more space to hear themselves, simplifies the sound engineer’s positioning tasks, and integrates seamlessly since it is built into the Waves eMotion LV1.”
He adds, “Compared to other solutions, I find the eMo IEM much easier to use. Both engineers and performers can get up to speed quickly, thanks to its consistent user interface, which encourages familiarity within the software. As a result, the common complaints I often hear about other immersive IEM processors are virtually nonexistent with this plugin.”
“The difference in sound quality and detail when using eMo IEM versus traditional stereo monitoring is remarkable,” he continues. “The eMo IEM enables precise pinpointing and localization of sounds within the performer’s auditory space, making it easy to position elements exactly where they are needed. This efficiency significantly reduces the time spent determining how performers want their mixes arranged. The 360-degree panning provides greater ‘headroom’ in the mix, resulting in a clearer sound experience for the performer compared to traditional stereo monitoring devices. Additionally, the built-in integration is particularly intriguing from my perspective as a system integrator and sound engineer. It’s all contained within the LV1, eliminating the need for separate setups between the immersive IEM device and the console. There’s no hassle with network settings between the two devices, making the overall experience very straightforward—just plug and play.”
Observing the plugin’s user-friendly interfaces, he remarks, “The control interface is extremely user-friendly compared to competing brands. The consistent UI design allows performers to feel at home, so they don’t have to relearn anything when using the Waves MyMON apps.
Similarly, sound engineers using Waves MyFOH also find the eMo IEM’s 360 interface intuitive and familiar, thanks to its seamless integration within the apps. This zero learning curve translates to zero downtime, ultimately saving a significant amount of production time.”
Yehezkiel explains how 360-degree panning transforms the live performance experience for both engineers and performers: “From an engineer’s perspective, the flexibility to pan from any point of contact—whether it’s the LV1 application, MyMON, or MyFOH—is incredible. The consistent interface across all applications makes it much easier for engineers to make adjustments on the fly. This capability also opens up new possibilities for broadcast mixes using the LV1, allowing for surround panning like never before.”
“For performers,” he points out, “the ability to position instruments and voices in a three-dimensional space around their heads is a game-changer, moving beyond the traditional left-right imaginary line. They can emphasize specific instruments they want to focus on while positioning less desired sounds behind them, resulting in a more immersive and personalized listening experience.”
“For example,” he adds, “In large-format shows, where there are typically more than ten different instruments and performers, the immersive sound environment is invaluable. It enables both performers and engineers to concentrate on what they need to hear without the constraints of an imaginary line or fluctuating levels. Once you’ve mixed everything properly, set the levels, and crafted the desired tone, you can easily position the sounds in the panner and be ready to go. For smaller live recordings, such as a piano-vocal duet, jazz trio, or a string quartet, the benefits are equally significant, where the eMo IEM is especially beneficial allowing engineers to apply different reverbs in front of and behind the performers. This creates a more realistic spatial placement in their in-ear monitor mixes, enhancing their ability to perceive the sound environment as intended.”
Yehezkiel continues, “The eMo IEM offers exceptional comfort for performers, making sound adjustments a pleasurable experience. What was once a technically challenging process has now evolved into something they truly appreciate. The visual feedback provided by MyMON is invaluable, enabling performers to hear more clearly and concentrate on their artistry instead of worrying about the technical aspects of the show. Additionally, they can communicate their musical ideas more effectively, and most importantly, they experience a significant improvement in sound clarity. Musicians no longer need to request ‘more me’ because they have the control to position the sound in their heads as they desire. This empowerment greatly enhances their overall performance.”
Yehezkiel concludes: “The eMo IEM revolutionizes monitor mixing significantly. Positioning is no longer limited to a single line; instead, it can be flexibly arranged around the performer’s head. Managing individual levels becomes easier, as proper placement allows for prioritizing important sounds while pushing less critical ones to the background. Performers with hearing issues in one ear particularly appreciate the ability to tilt the balance using the trim feature, making it simpler to position the instruments and sounds they want to hear in the 360 panner. These capabilities are easily achieved thanks to the deep integration between LV1 and eMo IEM. When comparing the overall approach to monitor mixing with LV1 and eMo IEM to similar solutions from other brands, I find this combination to be the most enjoyable and easiest to integrate.”
