Make your next IEM soundcheck faster with a rehearsal log

A simple IEM rehearsal log helps your band remember what worked last time, so the next soundcheck starts with clearer mixes and fewer repeated fixes.

If your band uses in-ear monitors every week, you probably know the feeling: the first ten minutes of rehearsal disappear into the same problems. The lead vocal is too low. The click is missing. Someone has the left and right channels swapped. The bassist cannot get a seal. Nobody remembers whether the pack volume was at 10 o'clock or 2 o'clock last time.

Most of these issues are not dramatic gear failures. They are memory problems. The band solves them once, then starts from zero again at the next rehearsal.

An IEM rehearsal log fixes that. It does not need to be a spreadsheet masterpiece. It just needs to capture the small details your future self will forget.

What an IEM rehearsal log should capture

The goal is not to document every second of rehearsal. The goal is to write down the few settings, mix requests, and physical setup choices that made playing easier.

Start with these categories. If a detail did not matter that day, skip it.

• Date, room, and setup. Note the rehearsal room, venue, service, or stage layout. A mix that works in a quiet practice room may need different vocal or click levels on a loud stage.
• Your IEM model and ear tips. Write down which in-ear monitors and tip size you used, especially if you rotate gear or share spares. For example: “medium foam tips sealed better than small silicone.” If you use Soundbrenner Wave or Soundbrenner Wave Pro, this is also a useful place to note which cable, tips, or accessories were in the pouch.
• Pack or interface volume. Do not write “good.” Write something you can repeat, such as “belt pack at 11 o'clock, phone click at 70 percent, mixer send unchanged.”
• Mix requests. Keep these practical: “more lead vocal,” “less overheads,” “kick click was masking the bass,” or “keys need to be louder only during pad intro.”
• Click and count-in level. If your band plays to a click, note whether it was easy to hear during loud sections and whether count-ins were clear enough to enter confidently.
• Left/right routing. Write down any panning, stereo, or cable orientation issue. “Guitar was only in right ear” is exactly the kind of note that saves five minutes next time.
• Cable route and body position. Note what kept the cable out of the way. For drummers, singers, and guitarists, this can matter as much as the mix.
• First thing to check next time. End each log with one priority. This turns your notes into action instead of a diary.

A 60-second post-rehearsal routine

The best time to write IEM notes is right after rehearsal, before packing up or leaving the stage. Wait until the next morning and the details blur together.

Use a shared note, band chat, rehearsal document, or small notebook in the gear bag. The tool matters less than the habit. The whole routine should take about one minute.

1. Ask one question. “What do we not want to fix again next time?” This keeps the conversation focused.
2. Write the three biggest details. Capture one mix note, one physical setup note, and one next-check item.
3. Confirm the owner. If something needs action, name who will handle it: singer asks for more vocal, drummer brings spare tips, keys player updates click routing.
4. Stop before it gets complicated. If the log takes ten minutes, the band will stop doing it. Keep it short enough to repeat every time.

Quick template to copy.

• Room or venue: Main rehearsal room, small stage, Sunday service, club, studio.
• IEM fit: Tip size, seal quality, comfort issue, cable route.
• Starting volume: Pack, interface, phone, or personal mixer position.
• Mix worked: What felt clear, balanced, or easy to play with.
• Mix change next time: One or two requests only.
• Click or tracks: Too loud, too soft, missing, panned oddly, count-in unclear.
• Problem to check first: The first thing to test at the next soundcheck.

Here is what a useful entry might look like:

Thursday rehearsal - Room B. Lead vocal needed +2 dB for everyone. Drummer kept click at comfortable level, but count-in was too soft during the first song. Bass player used medium foam tips and got a better seal than last week. Guitar cable worked better routed behind strap. Next time: check vocal send and click count-in before running the set.

That is enough. It gives the band a starting point without turning rehearsal into admin work.

Use the log before anyone starts playing

The rehearsal log only helps if it comes out before the first song. Build it into soundcheck, not the post-mortem.

Start with last time's first fix

Before playing, read the final line from your previous entry: “first thing to check next time.” Do that first. If the last rehearsal ended with a missing click, test the click before asking for more guitars. If the vocalist struggled to hear pitch, check the vocal send before adjusting drums.

Run a short IEM line check

A full band song is often the worst way to diagnose an IEM problem. It is too loud and too busy. Instead, run a quick line check through the parts that matter most.

1. Click or count-in. Everyone confirms they can hear it clearly, if used.
2. Lead vocal. The singer gives a real performance-level phrase, not a quiet “check.”
3. Rhythm foundation. Drums, bass, or acoustic guitar plays the groove that holds the set together.
4. Pitch reference. Keys, guitar, or another harmonic instrument plays enough for singers and melodic players to feel centered.
5. Problem instrument from last time. If something caused trouble in the previous rehearsal, check it before moving on.

If you practice with a click outside the rehearsal room, a simple browser tool like the free online metronome can help you confirm tempos before the band arrives. That way the IEM soundcheck is about monitoring, not debating the BPM.

Make fewer mix changes at once

One common IEM mistake is asking for five changes, then not knowing which one helped. Try this rule: make one or two changes, play the same eight bars again, then decide.

For example, if the singer cannot hear pitch, do not immediately raise vocal, keys, guitar, and tracks. Start with the vocal. If that does not solve it, add the main pitch reference. The log should reflect what actually worked.

Examples for common rehearsal situations

Different groups need different notes. Here are a few practical ways to use the same log without overcomplicating it.

Worship team with rotating players.

Track what helps new or substitute musicians get comfortable quickly. Note typical starting mixes for drums, bass, acoustic, lead vocal, and click. If the team uses the same stage every week, keep a “default Sunday setup” note that can be checked before rehearsal starts.

Small band in the same rehearsal room.

Focus on repeatable room quirks. Maybe the vocal mic bleeds heavily when the drums face one wall. Maybe the keyboard player always needs more bass when standing near the amp. Write those patterns down so you are not rediscovering the room every week.

Gigging band moving between venues.

Keep venue-specific notes. Do not just write “bad sound.” Write what to do differently: “stage left power was crowded, route IEM cable under pedalboard,” or “ask for more lead vocal before the opener because room gets loud once filled.”

Drummer or bassist playing to tracks.

Log the click level, count-in clarity, and whether cues were audible during choruses. These notes are especially useful because timing issues can feel like performance problems when the real issue is a buried cue.

The next time your band packs up, take 60 seconds before the cases close. Write down what worked, what needs checking first, and one mix request for next time. Your future soundcheck will feel calmer, faster, and a lot less like starting over.