Metallica's Secret Weapon: The Meyer Sound TM Array™ (HD)

Big Mick Hughes and Paul Owen discuss the latest innovation in live sound - the TM Array™. Using a revolutionary configuration of Meyer Sound subwoofers hung center-stage, the crew is able to achieve uniform, low-frequency coverage in-the-round like never before. A band as legendary as Metallica requires powerful sound on tour, and the TM Array delivers. Filmed in Portland Oregon on November1, 2008.

[scotts]

I could listen to this guy talk about grass growing and I am sure I would enjoy it.

[jamesrbrindle]

Respect! Whole different setup and considerations for in the round.

[Shineymcshine]

Welp, now I know what a dwarf would look like in real life. Big Mick rocking the Gimli look.

[antonio]

Metallica would indeed need the best live engineers in the world, clipping live music must be damn near impossible.

[richardsim]

I heard this system at the O2 and it really was fantastic!

[NZLeduc]

Everything on the stage creating sound is mic'd, then it goes into the mixer, that I'm sure you already knew. Then you use a crossover so that only the lowest frequencies usually between about 20-60 hz are sent directly to sub, and anything above is sent to PA. This is exactly what SKRooU2 said just with a bit clearer of a signal path. Hope this helps.

[eduardogorga]

The gentleman on the right is Mr. Paul Owens - Metallica's Monitor engineer and VP and Co-owner of Thunder Audio.

[Daan]

I fucking lol'd at 1:04, he's all like "Heavy Metal :D"

[ricksalt]

That is crazy, I guess there is no really big budget concerns . What ever it takes, do it .

[SeeBSnews]

Keep in mind that the array will be configured to get the most energy for a specific SPL at specific points, thus the J array. The lower cabinets get -3 or -6 dB so that the fans near the stage don't get high dB levels. The upper cabinets were most likely at 0 or +3 dB, meaning higher volume to hit the farthest top seats. The arena most likely was in tune to those frequencies in the upper band, creating "louder' sound by propogation.

[CarimboHanky]

Paul Owen was Metallica's Monitor engineer... he retired on January 13 2009 @ Joe Louis Arena in Detroit

[djcalvin]

TM array...   great idea... thx for sharing

[cmath]

This system once tuned in, is sort of like detonating the atomic bomb 20-30 feet above zero for maximum wave energy dispersion . I never heard it but it must be spectacular

[woowwiki]

for me TM array will be on the Center on DM Tour

[CarimboHanky]

if you have to opportunity of seen and feeling this beasty TM array live, do it, you wont be dissapointed... i saw metallica live back in march in puerto rico and uufff, the walls of amps hanging from the ceiling look intimidating hahaha the decibels were so high that i ended up with a pretty distorted recording of the gig. the volume was high enough to distort recordings, high enough to please my metal hears haha got to love metallica and their screw!!!

[greenyrockss]

I'm seeing Metallica Saturday can't fucking wait!!!

[ME]

Guy on the left: You shall not pass!!!!

[LFCantuV]

RESPECT!!!... This guy makes sound Metallica how it sounds live.

lml

[ZamCronos]

Metallica seem to surround themselves with pepole with impressive beards. They have Big Mick Hughes and Cliff Burnstein. Lars's dad Torben Ulrich has a very long beard, and Rick Rubin produced Death Magnetic... interesting

[Khae.]

That beard is just... It's more amazing than the actual array.