METALLICA's HETFIELD: 'For Some Reason, We Like It Loud'

May 12, 2007

METALLICA recently upgraded their Northern California rehearsal studio, replacing their old monitors with Meyer Sound's new MJF-212A self-powered stage monitors. The band also brought in six M'elodie ultracompact high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers and a 600-HP compact high-power subwoofer.

"As we started pre-production for the new album we needed PA and monitor upgrades. The speed and ease of set up of the Meyer gear is unbelievable. We truly took the monitors out of the box and plugged them in and we were done. That never happens," says METALLICA's equipment manager, Zach Harmon. "Over the years sound companies have struggled to keep METALLICA happy. Meyer has managed to meet and exceed the band members' expectations."

Vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield uses a pair of MJF-212A monitors, while lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Rob Trujillo each use a single MJF-212A.

"The MJF-212A stage monitors are able to cut through and still sound full. I can hear and feel my voice above the wall of 'TALLICA," says Hetfield. "For some reason, we like it loud!"

The band's two stacks of three M'elodie cabinets per side serves the whole band well. "The M'elodies are great," says Mike Gilles, the band's studio engineer. "They're loud, clean and transparent, with lots of headroom and excellent dynamics. And they sound very natural, even without any EQ.

"Meyer's self-powered setup really answers the needs of a smaller rehearsal space," adds Gilles. "Setup is easy and flexible, and it's nice to ditch the fan noise and the amp racks, too. Meyer Sound is the obvious choice for any professional. It's great to have equipment that adapts to the room, instead of the room having to accommodate the equipment."

The band used Meyer Sound's MILO high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers and MICA compact high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers during their 2006 "Escape from the Studio Tour" dates in Estonia and Holland, and were reportedly impressed enough to check out the smaller M'elodie arrays for their rehearsal space. "METALLICA demands the best," Gilles concludes. "Meyer Sound comes through with maximum output, clarity, and headroom, whether it's a mega-venue or a personal rehearsal space."

On July 1, METALLICA will head out on their "Sick of the Studio 07" tour in Europe with Meyer Sound equipment.

Find more on

Prev More News Next

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).