Phenyx Pro IEM PTM 22 Demo and Review
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- In this video, we'll take a look at the Phenyx Pro PTM22 wireless IEM system and put it through its paces.
I'll demo and review the PTM 22 IEM system by Phenyx Pro. The PTM22 operates on UHF and is a transmitter and receiver package providing users wireless In Ear Monitors at an affordable price. Includes rackmount transmitter and beltpacks.
Phenyx Pro link:
phenyxpro.com/...
Coupon Code:
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#PhenyxPro
#PhenyxProPTM22
#iem
I know affordable IEMs are a popular subject so I was able to get one of Phenyx Pro's wireless IEM packages to check out. The PTM 22 is a mono IEM package, but it's also a 2 mix package as well (and it comes with 4 beltpacks so that means out of the box you can have 2 mixes with 2 people on each mix sharing each of those two mixes). One quirk to be aware of is that it DOES accept stereo inputs, but it then combines them to mono. If you're using them as stage monitors, and taking a feed from a monitor/aux out on a console you're probably just going to take a mono feed and be done with it. But, the stereo input would be handy if you're taking a broadcast feed directly inline from the house feed to monitor. Plus there are L-R pass throughs so you could simply put the PTM 22 directly inline. There are some other scenarios where you might take advantage of the two inputs, but for most users I imagine it'll just be one mono feed into the PTM 22 for a mix.
I used them with a variety of earbuds, including the ones that ship with it. For band monitoring I suggest upgrading the earpieces. It's really a night and day difference when using upgraded earbuds with the system.
The KZ ZS10 Pros are still my wallet friendly favorite earbuds:
amzn.to/3EtkDi3
Phenyx Pro link:
phenyxpro.com/YsuXMi0-IdVbT
Phenyx Pro Coupon Code:
AlanHamiltonAudio
“As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”
"I earn from qualifying purchases"
I bought one of these right when they came out and was absolutely in love with it. Used it for some live gigs for my band's in-ear rig with no issue. After about 6 months one of the channels started getting pretty frequent drop outs. Phenyx was pretty great and sent me a new belt pack thinking that was the problem but nothing seemed to fix it. I think they would have likely sent me a new transmitter as well but with how much I was gigging I thought the reliability was likely low and we upgraded to all Sennheiser to make sure we didn't have to worry about these issues.
I very much believe these units would be perfect for churches or other stationary rack installations. I don't believe these units will hold up to the road and the wear that comes along with that, at least not for the long term. If you're a band that's doing any level of gigging and taking these out with your own in-ear rack I would recommend going for their next level up, I think its the PTM-10. Or possibly save up and spring for that new Sennheiser XSM model.
I'd think that would be true. I think it seems like it would hold up pretty good to typical intermittent club gigging, as long as it was taken care of and properly cased. But, for day in and day out touring, that might be asking a little much for an entry level system.
Although, maybe someone will chime in and let us know how much they use theirs.
Coffee shop duo, church praise band, weekend warrior band... All seem like good candidates for this.
I completely agree. The biggest take away that I would like people to hear is that Phenyx Audio does take care of their customers. I have always been so hesitant to buy these budget options because it feels like you're just going to throw it away if something breaks and you're out the money. Their support is a little slow to respond but that's to be expected given they are likely somewhere over seas. The company is real and back their product so don't hesitate to try this gear if you think it fits your budget and needs.
I haven't seen those before. My band uses a pair of LD Systems MEI 1000 G2's to run 2 stereo mixes from the XR18 rack. Mines in the rack permanently and the other 1 we hook up externally as it belongs to the other guitarist and he plays with another band. My upgraded buds are BASN BSinger ( I think the other guitarist uses those too). Our drummer uses the P16M with some upgraded buds. Bass player doesn't use the IEM despite me buying him a wired beltpack - I'm not so flush that I can buy another LD MEI 1000 G2.
Hey Al!
Hi 👋🏼 Al..😊
Looks interesting, but not sure if we can get it in the UK, I'll check them out. I'm currently running six monitor mixes from an XR-18. Myself and the main vocalist both have inexpensive Thomann wireless sets, whilst the other monitor mixes feed into a headphone amp and to wired iems. One of these units would allow us to go totally wireless. If we mix the two channels to suit the two other musicians who sing a lot, and let the bassist and drummer either share a mix with a singer or stay wired. I've tried Fender and Shure 215s, but have settled on CCA10s for earphones, as do most of the band. Using memory foam earbuds makes a big difference, the cheap ones are a fraction of the price of Comply and almost as good.
Let me know about whether these are available in the UK.
@@AlanHamiltonAudio doesn't look like it at the moment. the only Phenyx Pro iem unit I can find is a single transmitter and belt pack at about £250 ($300), compard to $360 for the PTM22 in the USA.
Newbie here, here's what confuses me. I have the XR18 and am using XLR to TS 1/4" into a headphone amplifier for a home studio setup. If it's a mono signal, why use a TRS 1/4". Again, I'm a newbie so I'm sure it's a stupid question, but I'm not finding an answer online that makes sense to me. ;-)
These vids are great by the way. They are very much appreciated!
You're confusing two different types of connection: BALANCED mono versus UNBALANCED stereo. A balanced signal requires 3 pins (like in an XLR or TRS connector (shield, + and -)). Unbalanced stereo just needs a common shield plus ONE wire for the left, and ONE wire for the right.
The two shouldn't really interconnect with each other because it will cause (sonic) issues.
Balanced connections offer the ability to run lines over long distances and remain noise free. The balancing process (which happens on each end of the cable INSIDE the receiving and sending devices (not the cable itself)) uses cancellation to null out any noise picked up in the run of the cable. The cable and connector types just allow this to happen as it allows all 3 connections to be made on both sides. Meanwhile, there's nothing like that happening with an unbalanced stereo send. So, while the cables LOOK identical, the process that you are connecting to is MUCH different. A mono balanced input will see that stereo unbalanced signal as a mono signal and it won't like the signal it's seeing on what it EXPECTS to be +/-. Instead it's seeing L-R... (both +) but it doesn't know that.
Unbalanced signals start to max out at 20'. 30' is about the useable limit before noise will be a definite possibility. Meanwhile, balanced lines can be ran 100's of feet.
You should always strive to use balanced interconnects in your sound system, except for things like an MP3 player connecting right at the console, or when you have the mixer onstage and connect your acoustic directly to the console with an instrument cable. Also, once you unbalanced a connection, it stays unbalanced. IOW, if you have a snake running to the stage to your amps... and it's balanced snake line all the way... but you connect a 1/4" TS instrument cable from the mixer to the snake, you've just unbalanced that entire snake run on that line.
This video talks about this with some visuals (specifically looking at stereo unbalanced vs mono balanced and typical interconnect mistakes):
ruclips.net/video/UiauwFEFe_k/видео.html
I think this video on 1/4" cables does as well, plus the info dovetails anyway:
ruclips.net/video/wO7QLLrYEgk/видео.html
And the DI video also discusses balanced connections vs unbalanced:
ruclips.net/video/6iwW5_Ia9Uc/видео.html
Hi alan, im using a 1 meter xlr female from XR18 to 1 TS jack input of the ptm 33 and im not seeing any issues with the sound or am i missing something by not using sa balanced trs jack at the end.
Hey Alan, I bought the same system but I didn't know that I two receiver will share the same mix⁷. I want 4 diferente mixes, is there a way to do it??
No. I originally thought maybe you could feed a beltpack from the left input, and another beltpack from the right input of a transmitter channel, but the ability to do that is not there on either the transmitter or the beltpacks. I double-checked with Phenyx Pro about that when I read the manual and that seemed to be the case... and I tested for that when I connected the unit.
I wanted to make sure and point out in the video it can only do 2 mixes because I'm sure some people assume since it has 4 beltpacks it must be able to do 4 mixes. Some stereo IEM systems allow you to use a system as 2 sep mono IEM systems, and then their beltpacks have a blend control to let you listen to only the left or the right side (as a mono signal). But these aren't like that.
The transmitter isn't designed to transmit in stereo... only mono... So that alone effectively limits the ability to do just the 2 mixes per side.
Hey Alan, how do you think this one compares to the PTM-10? Have you used it as well?
PTM-10 is stereo. I think I answered my own question..
I haven't tried the PTM 10.
Ptm-10 is stereo, or you can also go mono, and use left and right to get 2 mono mixes off the 1 transmitter. Been very happy with the flexibility with the unit
yo to show how you connected the system and how you're getting your separate mixes I just bought this unit and have everybody on one mix and does not sound right please help
I used an XLR-F to Male TRS from mix one output of the mixer and connected it to the LEFT channel of first channel of the PTM22. That's XLR out of mixer into TRS 1/4" of PTM22.
The I did the same with the mix 2 output from the mixer, this time connecting to the LEFT input of the 2nd channel of the PTM 22.
Technically, left OR right input doesn't matter, but normally in audio L is the 1st input so I just use that system here to be consistent always.
If you are setting up sep mixes in your console, that should get you 2 sep mixers (which is all the PTM22 is capable of as I mentioned in the video).
Is that how you're connecting it?
Question. Since this supports only mono, what about a stereo signal that has click on one side and backing tracks on the other? Does that prevent someone from using this rig?
One of the things this does is allow you to do exactly that. Put the click on one input and the rest of the mix on the other input. It'll still be combined to mono when it's sent to the beltpack(s), but you can turn the click send up or down before it hits the IEM transmitter to get the balance you want.
It also lets someone feed their vocal into one input, and everything else they want into the other input and adjust the feeds into the transmitter for the mix they want.
The caveat with these type of things are that the transmitter doesn't give you way to change the levels (independently) on it (just an overall level per transmitter side), so you have to change the levels BEFORE they hit the transmitter. Not necessarily a problem, just something to be aware of.
@@AlanHamiltonAudio Got it. Both the click and backing tracks or other audio will be heard in both ears, not click on left and mix on right since this is mono, BUT at the source I could turn up click louder than mix so it cuts through...just not have click on one side and mix on the other. Thanks.
@@jeffcarta Yip! You got it. :)
Can i have all 4 body packs in only channel one ?
I don't recall off the top of my head. I'd need to hook up the rack and check. But if you're just wanting one mix in all 4 packs, if nothing else, you could just take a Y cable and split you single monitor feed from your console into 2 outputs that feed into each input on the Phenyx.
So even IF the two channels are on different RF frequencies, they'd be getting the same signal from the console and so every pack would have the same mix that way.
But it's possible that's not necessary... Maybe the 4 packs can be assigned to the same channel. I just don't recall if side 1 and side 2 are dedicated to two different RF groups, with the packs dedicated to those groups or not.
If I can remember, I'll try and check the next time I'm in the shop.
@@AlanHamiltonAudio if ur just another review youtuber who does videos never mind. I will try to find my aswer somewhere else thank you.
@@SuAmigoElilegal I've just never used them that way. I've always done two mixes and just one pack per mix with the others as spares/engineer packs. I don't like sharing mixes unless the band really, really wants to do that. And most bands don't want to share mixes.
😄