2010General Discussion forum
Whether to purchase a personal headset for live event work or rely on production-supplied equipment
16 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
DisputedParticipants disagreed and reached no conclusion. Read the findings as positions, not as an answer.
What the thread found
- Production companies typically supply headsets for operators on live shows, making personal purchase unnecessary for short-term gigs.
- Wireless headset systems reduce cable management requirements and allow freedom from being tethered to equipment during downtime.
- Double-ear headsets are preferable to single-ear models because they stay secure and cover the full ear, whereas cheap single-ear designs tend to fall off.
- Custom wireless in-ear monitor systems with professional noise dampening provide hearing protection over standard truck-supplied headsets, which is important for operators doing frequent music recording work.
- Operators doing extensive live work often build personal wireless headset setups with custom in-earbuds, wireless transmitters, and receiver packs mounted on a vest.
- For new operators with limited budgets working short-term gigs, investing in cables, batteries, and chargers may provide better return than purchasing a headset.
- A basic headset can be assembled inexpensively by obtaining a broken headset from production maintenance, having a female mini stereo plug soldered to the 5-pin XLR, and mounting a short microphone on the back of the camera with Velcro.
Depends on
- The thread discusses practices specific to live music and event work in a particular industry context from 2010.
- Whether to invest in personal equipment depends on career trajectory and frequency of live work, which varies by individual.
- Hearing protection value proposition is based on personal experience rather than systematic comparison data.