Interesting that Metallica's amps are pretty much all modeled emulations now. Gone are the Marshalls. The speakers on stage are really just monitors. No mikes, no DIs, no cables, all wireless. Makes for a really clean look, but four guys kinda look like ants on such a wide stage.
 
Always interesting to see what pros choose when there are no financial constraints, and the only goal is ultra-high reliability.
 

they made their sound using mesa boogies.
 

read this,
and be knowledgeable
 
http://www.mesaboogie.com/amplitudes/2011/November/metallica-live-rigs.html
 
 

and this:
 
"I’m also plugging into the Mesa/Boogie Mark II C+ that we used on all the early albums."
 
https://www.guitarworld.c...allicas-death-magnetic
 

point is, 
live work, is different.

all that said,
that new live rig setup makes perfect sense.
 
now, that there is modeling available that is so close to the original,
they can model any rig they want, and send it straight to monitors and FOH and it will always be consistent.
 
even 10 years ago, they could not have put together a live rig like this.....
 
and a stage that big?
 
real amps aren't even an option.
 
 
the glory days of stacks of amps is.... not required.

bitflipper
Interesting that Metallica's amps are pretty much all modeled emulations now. Gone are the Marshalls. The speakers on stage are really just monitors. No mikes, no DIs, no cables, all wireless. Makes for a really clean look, but four guys kinda look like ants on such a wide stage.
 
Always interesting to see what pros choose when there are no financial constraints, and the only goal is ultra-high reliability.
 

Their live rigs have certainly changed. I watched this video a few days ago and was shocked to see the Axe Fx units. It all seems like overkill to me, but I guess if I had Hetfield money it wouldn't matter much.
 
What got me was the Macbook Pro on top of the roadcase. That's the deal breaker for me. lol

It makes sense to use amp sims. 
If they're recording the performance, they can record the dry tracks and change the sounds to suit what they want to release.  It's cheaper (less equipment trucks and crew to move from stadium to stadium).  And it's faster - they can get the monitor mix from presets and not even need to soundcheck the stage (this just leaves the FOH guy to mix for the environmental differences in the stadiums).  No maintenance on tube amps, no worries of tubes breaking or knobs slipping...
 
Other than appearance, I can't see why they WOULD want real amps anymore.

Back in the day, appearance was the main reason. From the walls of Marshalls that were on stage, only one or two would be used.

Really enjoyed that, thanks Dave.. But damn, now I have real bad Gas!