The new reference monitors deliver power, precision, musicality and a wealth of detail. After several months of gathering feedback from industry professionals, PMC, the British monitoring manufacturer, will announce at NAMM 2017 two new additions to the new generation of its Main Monitor range of Advanced Transmission Line (ATL) loudspeakers for music creation and production.
The new MB3 and BB6 are ultra-high-resolution active monitors with digital and analog inputs, designed for standalone use, recording, mixing, mastering and broadcasting. They are also available in both double and single versions. Both meet several key criteria, such as low-frequency response and wide dynamic range, deliver clean sound, and have impressive precision and tonal consistency. What’s more, they pair perfectly with PMC’s revolutionary ATL design and the Class-D amplifier, first unveiled in the QB1-A main studio monitor, which has since been installed all over the world, including at Capitol Studios in Hollywood.
The MB3 and BB6 are precision tools designed by and for engineers, combining market-winning attributes with PMC’s new generation of drivers, plus the use of new DSP, all in redesigned enclosures that improve resonance and dispersion.
These new monitors are a redesign of PMC’s internationally renowned MB2 and BB5. The new models retain their hand-built construction, their precise 34 mm tweeter and their legendary 75 mm midrange driver, paired with the latest generation of Radial low-frequency drivers built specifically for use with PMC’s ATL designs.
The MB3 has a 12-inch Radial driver, while the BB6 has a 15-inch one. Combined with ATL, this delivers a flat response down to 20 Hz and 17 Hz respectively. The LF drivers have been designed with an exposed exoskeleton to prevent unwanted overheating and thus eliminate the negative effects of power compression. As a result, they can be used for long periods at high output levels, always preserving their definition without tonal shifts or distortion. Both the MB3 and the BB6 are available in single-cabinet (MB3-A and BB6-A) and double-cabinet (MB3 XBD-A and BB6 XBD-A) versions. The latter also produces an ultra-smooth in-room response and delivers 3 dB more headroom.
There are versions for multichannel systems, in which subwoofers are not needed, since they cover the sub-bass frequencies between 20 and 60 Hz on their own. All the new systems include Point One inputs to accommodate the LFE channel in surround mixes, such as the effects tracks in film soundtracks.
Powerful amplification meets precise, robust drivers. The Control 1200 and Power 2400 Class-D amplifiers ensure there will always be ample headroom, no matter where the monitors have to be placed. Each channel of the new MB3-A, MB3 XBD-A and BB6-A is powered by a single Control 1200, which provides 275 W to the high-frequency driver and 550 W to the midrange unit, and a single Power 2400 unit which, as its name suggests, delivers 2400 W to the bass driver. The BB6 XBD-A is the exception, with an additional Power 2400 dedicated exclusively to the 15-inch bass driver in the XBD cabinet for total command of level and bass definition.
Like the QB1-A main monitor, the MB3 and BB6 incorporate advanced DSP, used to bring extra finesse to an unrivaled design. The DSP optimizes driver response, maximizing dispersion, ensures a 42 dB per octave crossover blend and provides non-invasive protection. The DSP also offers shelving EQ for in-room integration, plus four presets that are ideal for personal settings when several users access the system. They can be accessed via an RJ45 remote control, which allows input selection and EQ adjustments. The cabinets play a fundamental role in the high performance of the MB3 and BB6: in addition to incorporating advanced transmission lines, the enclosure construction must be of high quality to eliminate coloration and noise. Medite resonance-damping material is used with the HF and MF drivers, surrounded by acoustically absorbent StealthBaffles to minimize diffraction effects.
The MB3 and BB6 are audio engineering tools that let users do their work comfortably, even over long periods. “All our monitors have to meet a number of important criteria,” explains Oliver Thomas, head of design at PMC. “They are precise tools you can rely on in analytical audio applications, and we truly believe they allow everyone to work faster and better. Their technical aspects ensure that all the emotion put into performances is carried through to the listeners. We make loudspeakers for the heart and the mind. They offer incredible tonal accuracy, but they also manage to move us, physically and emotionally.”
