2010 marks the 20th anniversary of the launch of the legendary BB5 - the reference monitor of choice for studio-professionals and audiophiles the world over - and the foundation of the Professional Monitor Company PMC

PMC are one of the very few companies to win an Emmy for their contribution to recording excellence. Their monitor systems are in service throughout most of the leading recording studios, broadcast companies, film production and post-production and audio mastering houses worldwide.

It would be easier to list the blockbuster movies that were not produced using PMC monitors, Die Another Day, Hulk, Signs, Spiderman 3, Independence Day, The Sixth Sense, Rollerball, Finding Nemo, Halloween, Titanic, Mission Impossible and Pirates of the Caribbean are just some that were.

But it's not only in movies where PMC monitors reign supreme. It's anywhere that the quality of the sound matters most.

PMC monitors are used by renowned classical labels such as Decca and Harmonia Mundi.

When the world-class Athens Concert Hall, the Megaron, opened, PMC BB5-XBD-A monitors were chosen for the recording studio.

The BBC's legendary Maida Vale Studios use them, as do Metropolis, the largest independent recording facility in Europe, as does Stevie Wonder's Wonderland Studios.

Brian May of Queen, Francis Rossi of Status Quo and Robbie Williams all swear by them, as do many leading recording artists, producers and engineers. And when the time came earlier this year for Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: DLB) to update its highly popular Playback Reference Suite, they chose PMC.

An itch they had to scratch

For Pete Thomas, manager of the BBC's world-famous Maida Vale Studios in the 80s, finding a studio monitor to meet the exacting standards of the traditional BBC output and the higher sound pressure levels of rock 'n' roll was an itch he just had to scratch. Teaming up with former BBC and FWO Bauch engineer, Adrian Loader, and working spare time in their garages, Thomas and Loader started development on what they affectionately called the Big Box 1 (BB1).

"There was very little written down about the design fundamentals, so I started spending virtually every weekend experimenting to determine the engineering basics!" says Thomas, "That was in 1986, and it took the best part of three years to figure out the theory of how the transmission line loading of a driver worked, mainly by experimenting with four-inch soil pipes."

The monitors Thomas and loader eventually produced, the BB5, were so good the BBC snapped them up. Leaving Thomas with an even bigger problem. Either he kept his job as a BBC studio manager, or as a BBC supplier. He couldn't have both. Luckily for audiophiles the world over, Thomas and Loader gave up their day jobs to set up PMC.

Quickly moving into the development of more living-room-friendly monitors, the LB1 and FB1 opened the way to a discerning audiophile market which now accounts for more than 60% of the company's turnover.

Then and now

Based in the UK, PMC is now a world-leading manufacturer of professional monitor and audiophile speaker systems featuring their own uniquely-engineered ATL™ Advanced Transmission Line technology. “Everyone associates transmission line speakers with ground shaking bass, and while they can certainly deliver that, it’s not the main thing that appeals to me," says Thomas. "It's the very clean, accurate sound, the extremely low LF distortion and the huge, three-dimensional sound-stages that they deliver."

Combining ATL™ technology with proprietary drive units, electronics and cabinet engineering provides unrivalled clarity, dynamics and tonal accuracy across the entire PMC range - from the world's smallest ATL™ design, the DB1i, to the latest version of the large-scale active control room monitoring system, the flagship BB5-XBD-A, featuring the widest frequency range and lowest distortion of any speaker ever made!

PMC's holistic design philosophy

PMC's design philosophy is simple: to produce monitors which relay the purist intentions of the artist with the highest possible resolution - without colouration or distortion.

Building on Pete Thomas' extensive hands-on experience at the cutting-edge of recording technology, the PMC design team have a clear vision of what must be achieved. They know their customers are pioneers in their field and will not settle for less than the best.

No detail is more important than another. The ultimate test is how it sounds. This holistic approach guarantees supreme power handling, ultra-low distortion and a wide, three-dimensional soundstage to be enjoyed across a wide listening area.

"You can walk around a midrange and the balance doesn't change, a requirement from the pro industry." says Pete Thomas. "You get guys sitting at a 48-channel desk, and they move up and down it. Sometimes they mix sitting down, and often standing up. They don't want midrange suckout, so you've got to get very good dispersion laterally and vertically."

All of the PMC range is voiced identically, from the DB1S+ through to the BB5-XBD-A. The balance is neutral and dynamic with wide dispersion, making image placement pin point over a huge listening window.

Quality Control

PMC's holistic, hands-on approach and intimate knowledge of traditional craftsmanship and modern construction techniques produces exceptional results. Every element is considered to enhance performance and aesthetics.

"We train all our staff so they can listen. Even though we could build 150-200 speakers in one go we still build in small batches and the staff do the whole work right through to the listening. The important thing is that every speaker that leaves the building has been listened to," says Thomas.

The best-sounding example of every single component is chosen from many different manufacturers. At every stage of construction, every loudspeaker is individually inspected, tested and subjected to both critical listening tests and exacting computerised measurements, ensuring that each and every PMC monitor is a precise replica of the original reference.

"The BBC have bought hundreds of speakers from us. They want them all to sound the same because people will do some work in one room, some work in another, and you can't have them all being different," says Thomas.

PMC have no automated mass-production lines, no robotics, no moving assembly lines. Every PMC product is hand-crafted by people who believe they are building the ultimate monitor speaker.

Only hand selected, recorded components that have passed extensive comparative listening tests are selected, and even their orientation is carefully evaluated to eradicate any electromagnetic interaction that could potentially impair signal transmission.

PMC's supreme level of excellence is derived through unequalled R&D into ATL™ Advanced Transmission Line Loudspeaker design and drive unit technology.

PMC’s long history at the cutting edge of top-quality audio production and ongoing association with leading audio facilities houses and principle audio engineers across the globe allows continual development and improvement of innovative solution for the latest recording techniques and changing monitoring environments.