Metallica and in-ear monitoring both exploded in the early Nineties. The legendary thrash act had been making waves in underground metal circles for a few years by then, but took off to dominate ’90s rock as it packed stadiums around the world. Around the same time, in-ear monitoring, which had been gaining traction with touring acts primarily through the efforts of Marty Garcia and Future Sonics, took off as major pro audio manufacturers like Shure and Sennheiser stepped into the fledgling marketplace.
Today, you’ll find some members of Metallica sporting Sennheiser G3 personal monitor systems, but for all the benefits of in-ear monitors, there’s still things they can’t do—like shake your body with the kind of instantaneous feedback that SPLs from a loudspeaker can. That’s why Metallica still has plenty of Meyer Sound floor monitors augmenting its stage, providing literal in-your-face audio for the group.
In recent times, with the band increasingly opting to headline festivals around the world rather than tour, getting that kind of sound from smaller, lighter wedges became a priority in order to aid with the portability of the band’s system. With that in mind, monitor engineer Bob Cowan began working with Meyer Sound on what became the MJF-210—of which the band now owns 76 units. How does a collaboration between a major rock act and a major pro audio manufacturer happen? That’s what this new short from Meyer explores.
