About Myna IEMs
Why Myna?
Why boom operator Ken Strain uses Myna IEMs.
Myna IEMs
Myna in-ear monitors sound like specific headphones. The name Myna was chosen from the talking bird that mimics other sounds. Like the bird, Myna IEMs mimic the sound of the three most preferred industry-standard headphone models. No other IEM brand does this.
Your headphones are your reference. You make judgements about microphones and microphone placement with your headphones. You mix and ride gain based on what you hear with your headphones. You would never choose to change headphone models during a production, but this is essentially what is being done when needing to use IEMs, unless you are using Myna IEMs.
Myna IEMs are engineered to mimic the sound characteristics of the most commonly used professional headphone models: Sony MDR-7506, Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro, and Sennheiser HD 25. When changing back and forth from Myna IEMs to the headphone model they mimic, the sound characteristics are virtually the same. With Myna IEMs, you keep your reference.
“I can finally hear what the mic is picking up without worrying about outside bleed and second guessing myself.”
What you hear with your headphones is what you hear from your Mynas, with the added benefits unique to in-ear monitors: acoustic isolation, hearing protection, and versatility of application. All while keeping your auditory point of reference.
Acoustic isolation
When using standard headphones in a very loud environment, it can be difficult to tell the difference between audio from the microphones and sound leaking through the headphones.
This makes it difficult to know what is actually being recorded. With Myna IEMs, if you hear it, you are hearing it from the microphone. And it works the other way too. If you don’t hear the airplane overhead that everyone else is concerned about, you can let the director know with confidence that it’s not a problem.
IEMs are also very useful when working in windy conditions or on a moving vehicle. The wind blowing onto standard headphones can sound exactly like the dreaded sound of wind on the microphone. Myna IEMs don’t have wind noise, so if you hear wind, you know it’s being recorded.
Hearing protection
The inherent acoustic isolation of IEMs also help protect your hearing. This is especially true for Myna Custom-Molded IEMs, but the same applies to our Universal-Fit IEMs (provided you choose the best ear tip for your ear shape and size). Because IEMs block outside noise, they allow you to monitor at lower levels than you might with regular headphones. When crafted and utilized properly, in-ear monitors save your ears from unnecessary strain.
Versatility of in-ears
Another reason production sound professionals are adding IEMs to their kits is that they often find themselves in settings that are problematic for regular headphones. Recording on location often means being in nature’s elements. Floppy sun / rain hats can interfere with headphones. Construction hardhats are required for certain locations, and military or aircraft operations might require helmets, which can make headphone use impractical. Myna IEMs allow sound professionals to wear any protective headgear with ease, and still mix like they’re wearing their preferred daily driver headphones.
Location sound professionals often work long and demanding hours. So Myna IEMs are crafted from the same type of hypoallergenic medical-grade resin required for hearing aids, which prevents skin irritation and allows for long hours of continuous use without compromising on comfort. Each set of Myna IEMs is hand polished for a smooth and precise fit to prevent “hot spots” from long periods of use.
Staying connected
The Myna development team realizes that production sound professionals have unique cable and connector needs. For those who require a 1/4" plug, Myna offers a rugged 2-foot breakaway extension cable that terminates in a threaded 1/8" connector with an included 1/4" screw-on adapter.
Engineered with purpose
Before Myna, IEMs were primarily designed to meet the needs of stage musicians for live performances. Often, IEM models are made to emphasize specific instruments; bass players might prefer more low-end, guitar players usually prefer more midrange, and vocalists might want more “sizzle,” etc. But until Myna, no IEMs have been made to duplicate the sound of specific reference headphones.
While many IEM brands aim for a colored sound and maximize the amount drivers used to achieve their sonic effect, Myna IEMs are crafted with the exact number and type of drivers required to emulate the sound characteristics of the headphones they mimic. Years of testing and honing Myna IEM models have resulted in the Goldilocks driver configurations for each of our models, producing a virtually identical sonic signature as the headphones being emulated. With Mynas, you get exactly the sound you need; no more, no less.
The Myna lab uses precision acoustic sampling equipment with an artificial pinna to analyze the sound character of specific headphone models at the point where the sound enters the second bend of the canal, near the eardrum. Each set of Myna IEMs, whether Custom-Molded or Universal-Fit, undergoes rigorous testing to ensure a sonic match.