レディー・ガガのモニター・エンジニア、ラモン・モラルスがイヤモニについて語る。
（Ramon Morales: Mixing Monitors for Lady Gaga）

The day before mixing Lady Gaga’s headlining show at Lollapalooza in Chicago, monitor engineer Ramon Morales stopped by Sensaphonics headquarters to visit with founder and president . “I’ve been a huge fan of Sensaphonics several years now,” he states. “In fact, I pretty much insist on wearing the when I mix. I’ve tried just about everything out there, and there’s really nothing that can match it for sound quality and comfort. On , the whole band is on Sensaphonics, and most of the techs are wearing them as well.”

Morales began using Sensaphonics when working with another mega-star, Beyonce. “My first pair was the , and I could tell right away that the Sensaphonics design was different and better. The soft gel seals a lot better than the hard plastic molds, and the sound quality is great, very balanced and true,” he notes. “With earphones from other manufacturers, I usually have to use the output EQ to make them sound good. But Sensaphonics just sounds better, smoother. Everything’s there, so I don’t have to do anything to make them sound great. I don’t have to do anything but mix.”

In terms of hearing protection, Morales sees a major advantage to Sensaphonics soft-gel silicone construction. “It’s not just a comfort thing,” he explains. “The silicone gives better isolation than anything else, which keeps everything you don’t want out of the mix. That means you don’t have to push the volume so hard. It’s like lowering the noise floor, which gives you a clarity you can’t get any other way. Any good sound engineer can relate to that.”

Another important factor in providing earphones for a large tour like Lady Gaga is reliability. “When you are on the road trying to keep eleven musicians and the tech crew happy, support is a big thing,” says Ramon, “and that’s been a big positive with Sensaphonics. They’re always ready to help, whether it’s spare cables, new earphones or whatever. When you have a great product and the factory support to match, you can’t ask for more than that.”

Based in his hometown of Houston, Ramon Morales has been in pro audio for 15 years now, 11 of those on major tours. His job history reads like a “who’s who” of female stars of the past decade or so, dotted with names like Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Patti LaBelle and Michelle Branch. “As you can tell, it seems to be a lot of R&B and pop, so I guess I have a reputation,” says Ramon. “I’ve been really fortunate to work with these artists. I try to give them the best sound I can, and that means Sensaphonics ears.”