Our bass player would bring up IEMs. Eventually after the drummer and I said we would try them he just bought the whole setup.Just got home from the gig, and I'm happy to report that the IEMs worked fantastic. They make everything crystal clear, and you can hear every note without the muddiness that you get when you're hearing amps, drums and floor monitors all phasing against each other.
It was crazy how much of a difference it makes, just as you described. We've had a few practices with them now. We don't leave any gear at the drummer's house, and last time we went from load-in to playing in 30 minutes. Once everyone's mixes are dialed in it speeds it up quite a bit.
Another added bonus is when we started tracking our album, it was basically the same IEM setup as practice, but in a nice live room. And rehearsals are no extra effort to multitrack record.
I still mic a guitar amp though. Real feedback is a critical component of my playing style.
Personally, however as the bass player, I do feel like it was harder to grove with the drummer, but the crowd seemed to love it none the less. We had a great crowd, which always makes a show more fun to play.
Yeah- I have to admit I do like to FEEL the bass. But small tradeoff considering everything else.
I think it would be fun to try bolting one of those bass shakers in a dummy cabinet and see how it works out.
Dayton Audio - BST-300EX Extreme High Power Pro Tactile Bass Shaker 300 Watts
BST-300EX Extreme High Power Pro Tactile Bass Shaker 300 Watts