On the M72 World Tour, Metallica relies on Wisycom's RF over Fiber (RFoF) technology to ensure reliable wireless performance at every show. Its infrastructure delivers the scalability, mobility and reliability required for a production of this scale.
Having quickly become an essential part of the wireless infrastructure supporting Metallica's world tour, the Wisycom RF over Fiber system now enables seamless monitor mixing across extensive stadium distances while providing the flexibility required by one of the world's most demanding live music productions.
Metallica's monitor engineering team, led by Bob Cowan and Mike Bollella, relies on Wisycom's RFoF technology to maintain uninterrupted monitoring throughout the production, despite working from mixing positions located hundreds of feet away from the stage.
Wisycom is doing things nobody else is doing. We're mixing monitors roughly 750 feet away from the stage, and the system has been flawless. Reliability is everything for us—not just the Wisycom IEM packs and transmitters, but the entire system architecture. Wisycom's RF over Fiber solution has eliminated the limitations we previously faced and has performed exactly the way we needed it to, says Cowan.
Cowan, who has worked with Metallica for more than 18 years and currently mixes monitors for James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich while also supporting the technical crew, says the transition to Wisycom completely transformed the team's wireless capabilities.
Before adopting Wisycom's technology, the team relied on long coaxial cable runs that introduced signal loss and inconsistent coverage across remote monitor positions. The integration of RF over Fiber provided a stable and scalable solution, while opening the door to a much broader wireless ecosystem.
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"We were previously using extremely long BNC cable runs and constantly battling signal loss", adds Cowan. "When we integrated Wisycom's RF over Fiber system through Clair Brothers, that part of the system immediately stood out. Then I started looking deeper into the platform and realised its flexibility, bandwidth and worldwide usability were unlike anything we'd used before".
Wisycom's RF over Fiber system transports radio frequency signals over fibre optics, extending wireless coverage while maintaining signal integrity across multiple operating zones.
At the heart of the deployment is a Wisycom MFL unit equipped with a laser transmitter module positioned near the stage, sending RF signals over fibre to a second MFL unit with an optical receiver located in the area known as Monitor World. This architecture allows RF signals to be transported throughout the production infrastructure without the signal loss associated with long coaxial cable runs.
The system provides seamless connectivity between the stage and remote positions, while also supporting a dedicated backstage area where the band members gather before going on stage.
For us, Wisycom's RF over Fiber system has been a game changer because we mix from remote positions. We needed full coverage so that every transmitter remained accessible regardless of where we were working. The Wisycom system allows us to monitor exactly what the band is hearing with zero dropouts, and that has been a massive upgrade, explains Bollella, monitor engineer for Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo.
Supporting this infrastructure are Wisycom's MPR50 IEM bodypack receivers, which have become an essential part of Metallica's touring workflow. "We currently deploy 56 MPR50 receivers on stage alone", adds Bollella. "That includes the band, backup units, technicians, guests, VIPs and accessibility support. We also maintain additional units in our tuning room and rehearsal environment. The sound quality and tuning flexibility have been outstanding".
The engineering team notes that Wisycom's wide tuning range and high frequency resolution have significantly simplified the logistics of international touring by allowing the same wireless infrastructure to be deployed anywhere in the world. "The worldwide bandwidth and the ability to tune with that level of precision have made an enormous difference", says Bollella. "One rack essentially supports the entire world tour, removing a huge logistical burden".
Cowan also highlights the operational advantages provided by Wisycom's extensive device configuration options and audio optimisation features.
The amount of control available in the menus surpasses anything I'd used before. The ability to tailor settings, adjust impedance and optimise the system for different in-ear configurations creates a wider stereo image and noticeably higher fidelity, he says.
By combining advanced RF signal transport, flexible spectrum operation and a highly scalable wireless monitoring platform, Wisycom's solutions continue to support productions that demand consistent performance at every venue and in every city.
