The PMC Dolby Atmos Music mix of the biggest selling jazz album of all time, Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue has just been released by Apple Music, making this seminal work available in an immersive format for the first time to the millions of Apple Music subscribers.

PMC’s monitor speakers are the reference for Dolby Atmos Music mixing and are featured in the top studios around the world for mixing in this emerging format. Facilities like Capitol Studios, Los Angeles and Dean Street Studios, London are the places when it comes to mixing music in Atmos and it was at Capitol Studios where Maurice Patist, president of PMC USA and head of pro global, worked on the remixing of the certified quadruple platinum Kind of Blue.

Working with the Miles Davis estate, Patist, Grammy winning engineer David Rideau and Capitol Studios’ Senior Engineer Steve Genewick gained special permission to remix Kind of Blue and Sketches of Spain into Dolby Atmos, which were presented at the High End Show, Munich in May 2019.

“At the time we did the mix it was purely for demonstration purposes,” says Patist, “but recently Sony Music contacted me and asked if they could use the Atmos mixes of both albums for future release. Of course, we made sure they did and are delighted that they have decided to release Kind of Blue, with Sketches of Spain to follow, using our original Atmos mixes.”

In addition to the Dolby Atmos multi-channel mix, Apple Music has also released a Spatial Audio (binaural) mix of the album for use with headphones, which was mixed simultaneously by the three engineers working at Capitol Studios.

Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue is available now to stream in Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio through Apple Music on compatible devices.

UK loudspeaker manufacturer PMC launches a new and exciting line of compact near-and midfield monitors for audio professionals working in stereo and large scale immersive formats.

The line consists of the PMC6, PMC6-2, and PMC8-2, along with their associated subwoofers the PMC8 SUB and PMC8-2 SUB. These monitors, which replace the company’s existing twotwo Series, have the same sound signature as PMC’s main monitor products and hence complement them well.

The creation of PMC’s new range is the result of a holistic approach to loudspeaker design, in which the company has recognised and addressed the impact all parts of the monitor has on its overall performance. PMC started from the ground up to deliver on the goal of “highest possible resolution with the lowest possible colouration”. Among the innovations PMC has incorporated are all-new drivers, new DSP and Class-D amplifiers, as well as significant improvements to the company’s proprietary ATL bass-loading and Laminair air flow technologies.

The low frequency extension of the new designs belies the cabinet dimension due to advancements in both woofer and ATL bass loading technology. These are scalable systems that can easily grow to suit the end user’s requirements. The active subs can be seamlessly combined with the monitors to create one of PMC’s unique twin-cabinet XBD systems that deliver extended bass and dynamics. Alternatively, they can be used as stand-alone LF monitors for sub channels. Future proofing has also been engineered into every model with advancements such as an expansion card slot for planned future signal interfacing options.

When it comes to configuration, PMC has paid close attention to making this as straightforward as possible via menu-driven controls on the rear panel, or through the company’s SOUNDALIGN network interface. Accessed through wired connections to any standard network via any web-browser on a PC, Mac or Tablet, SOUNDALIGN’s digital connectivity allows users to individually control each monitor or set them up in defined groups ideal for large scale immersive systems.

PMC is now taking pre orders for all models in the new range.

UK-based PMC is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, marking three decades of ‘Best of British’ loudspeaker design and manufacture for both the international professional music production and audiophile markets.

Peter Thomas, PMC founder and owner, says, “When I started the company with my friend and colleague, Adrian Loader, I had no idea that our audio knowledge and passion for music would one day end up with our small company designing and building universally respected loudspeakers for audiophiles and for some of the biggest artists, producers and audio facilities in the world.”

PMC was established in 1991 by Peter, then a BBC engineer, and FWO Bauch engineer Adrian, in response to requirements from the BBC for a monitor speaker that could handle the high sound levels required for pop and rock monitoring, but with ultra-high resolution. The pair created their first loudspeaker, the ‘Big Box’, in Peter’s garage and accompanying electronics in Adrian’s garage. Once refined and renamed the BB5, it was installed into BBC Maida Vale Studios and so started the journey of discovery and invention to perfect the art of loudspeaker design that continues today.

Shortly after the introduction of the BB5 and formation of PMC, Peter and Adrian launched their first domestic loudspeaker, the LB1. The company now has an enviable reputation in the home audio and custom installation sectors, with products that bring studio quality audio reproduction into the home. It is this bringing together of the professional and domestic audio worlds that makes PMC the speaker of choice of discerning professionals, audiophiles and music lovers.

Peter Thomas explains why this dual market approach is such an advantage for PMC, “In terms of music reproduction, there shouldn’t be a distinction between a loudspeaker designed for studio use and one for domestic use – the speaker is either reproducing the music correctly or it isn’t.

“The guiding principle for our R&D team is that the same ultra-high-resolution loudspeaker can be used throughout the entire recording and playback process – from studio to home. The work we do developing new studio speakers directly benefits our hi-fi product development and conversely, some of the discoveries we make when creating a new range of hi-fi loudspeakers find their way into our pro models. This means that domestic users can experience their music sounding the same as it did in the studio and exactly as the artist intended.”

PMC’s core technologies, shared between pro and domestic, include the Advanced Transmission Line, or ATL, bass loading, the aerodynamically designed Laminair vent, dome midrange drivers and tweeter dispersion grilles.

These innovations are to be found in the stunning products that bear the PMC name and which have been the recipients of countless awards and accolades. These include the powerful QB1 monitors that have pride of place in studios like Capitol in LA and 301 in Sydney, and the recently launched fact fenestria and twenty5i series hi-fi speakers, and the high-performance Ci Series that are ideal for so many markets including studios and home theatres.

In recent years, PMC has been leading the field in the burgeoning immersive audio market by partnering with Dolby. This has resulted in its loudspeakers being installed in Dolby Atmos music mixing rooms around the world and becoming the reference for Atmos music mixing. In addition, PMC has also engineered Atmos mixes for artists such as Miles Davis and Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band and built its own Atmos enabled mix facilities in Nashville, New York and Los Angeles. Its speakers were also chosen by the Rolling Stones for the Atmos presentation at the band’s ‘Unzipped’ exhibition.

In the 30 years since the company was founded, its workforce has gone from just two to 60 around the world. With its head office in Biggleswade, UK and satellite offices in Los Angeles, Nashville and New York and two manufacturing plants in the UK, PMC can service its global customer base with efficiency and ease.

Peter Thomas sums up his feelings about the last 30 years, “Celebrating a 30th anniversary is a major milestone for any company, and we know that we couldn’t have done any of this without the help of our staff and customers. Their support and dedication have enabled us to build a highly respected global brand. For that we are extremely grateful and would like to say a massive and heartfelt thank you as we look forward to the next chapter in the PMC story.”