The global, two-year “M72 World Tour” by Metallica that recently kicked off in Europe is being supported by a large-scale sound reinforcement system incorporating 288 Meyer Sound PANTHER large-format linear line array loudspeakers under the direction of the band’s long-time creative director Dan Braun.
Two concerts will be presented at every tour stop, with separate music sets for each show. The celebrated “snake pit” has been relocated inside a ring-shaped stage, requiring four drum kits for Lars Ulrich to rise up as needed. Also, the sonic field has been expanded to present a wide stereo spread of guitars and drums in every venue.
“I’m always concerned about making all these new ideas work at scale,” says Braun, “but we have great partners to rely on, not the least of which is Meyer Sound. So, I never let things like practicality and logistics inhibit the creative process.”
He took his idea for the sound directly to company founders John and Helen Meyer, who assigned director of system optimization Bob McCarthy to design audio for the tour. “I told Bob that my goal was to have full stereo sound at every point with no overlap, from the center pit to the nosebleed seats,” Braun continues. “We wanted everybody to hear the band as if with nearfield monitors, and I think we’ve come closer to that than ever before in a concert setting.”
Braun also credits the new PANTHER line array loudspeakers as a key component in the concept. “The clarity of the system is breathtaking, and that combined with Bob McCarthy’s brilliant design is giving us a show that sounds spectacular.”
Crafting the Metallica sound from front of house is Greg Price, a veteran known for his long stints with Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne as well as “The Glee Show on Tour,” Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, and Chicago. “We’re only a few shows into the tour and so far I’m very impressed,” says Price. “And I would have to say that I don’t think there is any other PA manufacturer in the world that could take on what we are trying to do on this tour.”
Price describes the arrays as “a PA system that acts like a reference monitor, like an Amie or a Bluehorn in the studio. I’m hearing things in my mixing that I always knew were there but lacked definition. Now they are right in my face, and I can work with them.”
The system is deployed in three concentric rings. The outer ring arrays are suspended from eight towers, with two PANTHER arrays on each tower: 16 cabinets per array on the four long-side towers and 13 cabinets on the four short-side towers. Each tower also carries dual hangs of six-each 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements and one set of six VLFC very low-frequency control elements.
The inner system, suspended from a web over the stage, has eight hangs of seven-each PANTHER line array loudspeakers, providing stereo coverage out to 42 meters from center. The “doughnut hole” in the stage center is covered by eight inward-firing UPQ-D2 narrow coverage loudspeakers, while the outer side of the ring employs 20 ULTRA-X40 compact loudspeakers as front fill. Ground sub-bass is powered by eight sets of 2x 1100-LFC elements around the stage.
The entire system is connected, controlled, and monitored over three MILAN AVB networks. One network connects Milan directly to all 288 PANTHER loudspeakers via 10 Galileo GALAXY 408 and two Galileo GALAXY 816 Network Platforms using a fiber network incorporating 26 Luminex Gigacore switches. The other two networks are primary and secondary networks for signal distribution and monitoring of the remaining analog Meyer Sound loudspeakers as well as providing redundant analog inputs to the PANTHER loudspeakers. The three networks comprise 52 Luminex switches and 35 GALAXY Network Platforms. Meyer Sound’s new Nebra software platform manages all network configuration, connection, and real-time system monitoring.
The “M72 World Tour” employs Meyer Sound’s Spacemap Go spatial sound design and mixing tool to a limited extent. As an intro to “One,” the rumble and roar of a four-engine vintage bomber circles the stadium with added reality. “We had some people outside wondering if there was a real plane flying around in the stadium,” says Price. “But Metallica is a straight-ahead band and not into trickery. The focus with spatial audio for Metallica is to enhance show content, remaining true to the band’s performance.”
The “M72 World Tour” is supported by Clair Global. “We salute Clair Global for their tremendous effort in building the M72 audio systems,” Price concludes.
