Replacement cable and auxiliary audio system for in-ear monitors

An audio monitoring system comprising:

• an audio signal transceiver;
• first and second in-ear monitoring devices, each of the first and second in-ear monitoring devices having a respective audio input port;
• and
• a cable device for transmitting a monitor mix signal from the audio signal transceiver to the first and second in-ear monitoring devices, the cable device including:
• first and second output connectors configured to couple to the respective audio input ports of the first and second in-ear monitoring devices;
• first and second microphones coupled proximate to the first and second output connectors, respectively;
• an audio signal mixing circuit configured to add first and second ambient sound signals of the first and second microphones, respectively, to the monitor mix signal for transmission to the first and second in-ear monitoring devices, respectively;
• and
• a controller configured to determine a power source input status to the audio signal mixing circuit, the power source input status being one of a first power source input status or a second power source input status;
• the controller being responsive to the first power source input status to cause mixed audio signals from the first and second microphones and from the audio signal transceiver to be delivered to the first and second in-ear monitoring devices;
• and
• the controller being responsive to the second power source input status to cause only audio signals from the audio signal transceiver to be delivered to the first and second in-ear monitoring devices.

A method of adding ambient noise to a monitor mix, the method comprising:

• transmitting a monitor mix signal through an audio monitoring cable device from an audio signal transceiver to first and second in-ear headphones;
• monitoring first and second ambient noises proximate to first and second connectors of the audio monitoring cable device using first and second microphones of the audio monitoring cable device, respectively, for generating first and second ambient noise signals;
• determining a power source input status;
• responsive to a first power source input status, causing mixed audio signals from the first and second microphones and from the audio signal transceiver to be delivered to the first and second in-ear monitoring devices;
• and
• to regulate the switching device responsive to a second power source input status to cause only audio signals from the audio signal transceiver to be delivered to the first and second in-ear monitoring devices.