Recording - August 2017 - 54

Ultimate Ears Pro
Sound Tap Personal
Monitoring DI Box
A wonderfully simple solution to the
problem of onstage monitoring
REVIEW BY PAUL VNUK JR.

PRICE: $249
MORE FROM: Ultimate Ears Pro,
pro.ultimateears.com/uesoundtap

n professional audio, Ultimate Ears Pro is best known for its
line of both universal-fit and custom molded in-ear monitors,
which we've reviewed in our December 2016 and March
2017 issues. This month we look at UE Pro's newest creation, the
Sound Tap-a personal monitoring DI box.
A musician's ability to hear himself on stage has always
involved some level of compromise, most commonly found in
the tug-of-war between drums, amplifiers, and stage monitors.
While personal in-ears are a wonderful solution to these issues,
they have speed bumps of their own, including interfacing and
system compatibility in common PA setups.
Many studios, churches, and theaters now use Ethernet-based
solutions (like those pioneered by Aviom, for example), and most
major touring acts travel with dedicated wireless monitor mix setups. For musicians in small clubs, bars, and coffee houses, in-ears
are rare. Floor wedges, with all their attendant problems with SPL
and feedback, are often the only viable solution... until now.
The Sound Tap is one of those "why didn't someone think
of this sooner?" devices. It is a simple box, about the size of
a 2-channel DI, that allows you to take a tap off of a stage
monitor feed for use with your in-ear monitors.

Tap, tap

This plastic black box measures 5.5" x 4.5" x 2.25" and
is powered buy a pair of 9 Volt batteries. While guitarists are
thinking, "Oh no, not more batteries!", you can get about 30
hours of use out of a pair of 9 Volts and there is no need to
scramble around for power outlets on stage. Just remember to
keep track of usage and change your batteries before gigs! The
Sound Tap has a rear-located power switch and dual battery
level LEDs.
On the unit's front are a switchable choice of Neutrik speakON
speaker-level ins and outs, or a pair of XLR/TRS Combo jacks for
line-level I/O. The Sound Tap can live in line with existing monitor setups or as the only device in the chain. Note that volume adjustments
on the Sound Tap do not affect other monitors in the chain. Also,
Ultimate Ears Pro includes a selection of adaptor cables in the box,
so you will always have what you need to get connected at the gig.
The headphone output is also located on the front in the
form of a TRS minijack. The Sound Tap, like a stage monitor, is
54

RECORDING August 2017

a mono unit, so your feed will be in mono only. That's the only
possible drawback I have found with the unit so far, assuming
you like to pan sources in your monitor mixes.
Levels are handled by a pair of silver volume knobs on the
top. The smaller one is similar to the input gain/trim control on
a mixer. This control, along with a pair of signal/clip LED lights,
helps get the correct send level from the mix engineer into the
unit. Once set, the larger volume knob controls your personal volume level. Internally it features both built-in spike protection and
headphone impedance matching. The last thing to note about
the Sound Tap is that it does have a small screw mount on its underside, so you can mount it on a stand with a third-party clamp.

In use

One of my jobs is as the Technical Director at a church,
where our worship setup is all in-ear and each musician has
their own Allen & Heath ME1 monitor mixer. This is great until
it's time to do a wedding with just a trio, or a pianist and
vocalist, or when guest musicians join us.
While many of them are intrigued and excited to use in-ear
monitors or headphones, many don't want to take time to
learn a networked personal mixer. The Sound Tap is the perfect
no-fuss solution, and also works great alongside musicians
who still want to use a floor wedge.
I also found a secondary use for the Sound Tap in my studio,
as a headphone extension/personal volume control unit.
Remember that it's mono, and plugging in a stereo jack only
feeds audio to one ear, so in the studio you'll want to sum or
mix to mono before feeding the Sound Tap.

Conclusion

The Sound Tap is a great device for any gigging musician
who uses or wants to use in-ears at every gig, even when the
venue only has wedges or no monitor setup at all. Since even
the most modest compact mixers offer a monitor out or aux
send, the Ultimate Ears Pro Sound Tap has you covered.

http://pro.ultimateears.com/uesoundtap

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - August 2017