Metallica and Meyer Sound LEO open Quebec Arena with a TM Array in a circle

The American thrash metal band has used for the first time a speaker system from the LEO Meyer Sound family in a circular arrangement, combined with 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements in a TM Array configuration, during the opening of the Videotron Centre, in the Canadian city of Quebec, with the capacity to 20.000 people.

The opening of Videotron Centre, located in the new Quebec Arena, Main venue in this Canadian city to hold indoor events, mainly for ice hockey and concerts, with the capacity to 18.259 seats, has had in the latter case the concert of the American thrash metal band Metallica, that acted before 20.000 people.

For this concert, Metallica's engineer for more than thirty years, 'Big Mick' Hughes, has used for the first time and in a circular arrangement a loudspeaker system from the LEO family Meyer Sound, combined with 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements in a TM Array configuration.

As Hughes has pointed out, "I've never heard that amount of range in bass (with such a definition) when we play in a circular arrangement. The TM Array works fantastically well and the 1100-LFC, simply, they have an immoral amount of power".

The TM Array configuration comprises forty 1100-LFC elements, set up in four arrays suspended directly above Lars Ulrich's drums to propagate a 'doughnut' pattern, Uniform low frequency across the stands.

"Working in a circle you have to get control of what you are doing, fortunately LEO is very controlled at low frequencies," Hughes points out. You're in the near field of a part of the PA, But you may have problems with the room atmosphere generated by the rest of the array elements heading in other directions. LEO makes it completely manageable. With its phase coherence, You get better penetration in the room and avoid low-mid frequencies, extending to the rear and side areas".

The main arrays of Videotron Centre are comprised of 72 LEO-M line arrays for the long sides of the enclosure, and 72 Lyon-W line arrays with wide coverage for short shots, while four Lyon-M and Lyon-W have been installed for each down-fill for the final locks.

Eight Mica line arrays and sixteen M'elodie fed the front-fill during Metallica's concert; four JM-1Ps arranged in array were suspended for each down-fill, and 48 700-HP subwoofers covered the lower tiers. A Galileo Callisto speaker management system, consisting of two Galileo array processors 616 AES and 10 Galileo Callisto 616, provided unity and alignment of the system.

The band also performed two nights at the Pepsi Colisée (which was what it was called before its inauguration and remodeling), where most of the components of the same system were developed in an end-stage scenario configuration.

All these systems were supplied by the headquarters of Solotech in Montreal. Metallica's tours have their own on-stage monitor system, which typically includes 36 Meyer Sound MJF-210.

"The coverage was incredibly even, largely due to the way they combine LEO and Lyon in terms of patterns," adds Lee Moro, senior project manager at Solotech -, And the power allows you to hit the point with all the level you need. All the packaging and clarity was there.".

Hughes mixes live shows on a Midas XL8 digital console, with DPA D microphones:Vote 4099 on the battery. The vocal microphones used by the band are the supercardioid dynamic models Shure Super 55 that favor their musical style.