A history of PMC

Peter Thomas (Manager of BBC Music Studios) and Adrian Loader (Engineer at FWO Bauch) were dissatisfied with the speakers that were commercially available at the time for both studio and home use. They began designing their own, developing transmission line technology and after four prototypes created the first BB5 (big box version 5), which was promptly sold to the BBC. The rest is a history here for you to see...

LB1 & BB5 (PMC’s first products) prototypes completed

PMC - The Professional Monitor Company is founded

The first domestic loudspeaker, the LB1 was launched, at the time the world’s smallest transmission line design.
It was quickly adopted by the BBC, other broadcasters, mastering houses and post production facilities around the world

First pair of BB5 XBD Active including PMC designed and built active electronics installed in BBC Maida Vale Studios. It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 6 Music including The John Peel Sessions

PMC takes part in its first trade show, the Association of Professional Recording Services in London

The first dedicated manufacturing facility was established in Watford, UK

Launch of the AB1, two-way large stand mount speaker for studio and home

The word had spread fast regarding the quality of the PMC as the Athens Concert Hall took delivery of their BB5 XBD Active system for the monitoring of all vast array of classical recordings

Secured UK distribution of Bryston premium electronics for professional studio and home audio markets

Installation of first BB5 XBD-A system at the world-renowned Metropolis Mastering, London. Soon to be followed by four more studios in Metropolis, all of which have been used to produce a phenomenal number of global hits

TB1, the first compact passive nearfield monitors for studio and home use launched - still used at BBC Radio 1

The MB1 active main monitors launched

First sale into the USA Film Scoring market - Shawn Murphy (Apollo 13, Schindler’s List, Star Wars I & III, Men in Black) becomes the first Hollywood film sound engineer to use BB5s

Dennis Sands, music scoring mixer (The Lion King, Forrest Gump, Independence Day, The Horse Whisperer) starts his love affair with the MB1 three way monitor

First production of the legendary PMC 75mm mid-range dome and 37mm tweeter

James Newton-Howard (Waterworld, The Dark Knight, Sixth Sense, King Kong) installs BB5 XBD-A

Bobby Fernandez, film score recording and mixing engineer, (X-Men, About Schmidt, Gran Torino, Escape from L.A.) takes delivery of MB1-Active LCR

Expanded production with a new facility in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire

Emmy awarded for PMC’s contribution to recording excellence on the Disney TV series Timon & Pumbaa

Tommy Vicari, multi-Grammy and Emmy award winning recording, mixing engineer and record producer (Barbra Streisand, Quincy Jones, Prince, George Duke), buys BB5s

Brian May takes delivery of MB1s for his personal studio where much of Queen's work was recorded

Adrian Loader (Peter’s founding partner) passes away

Launch of the soon to be legendary AML1 Active Monitor, named after co-founder Adrian Michael Loader

Nashville based MasterMix mastering, designed by Russ Berger Design Group, installs BB5 XBD-A

Robbie Williams takes delivery of his first PMC’s at home and is happy to tell the world about them in a PMC advert

Launch of the FB1, PMC's first dedicated home audio floorstanding loudspeaker. This model introduced the company to a worldwide audiophile audience and received many accolades from the most respected audio magazines

PMC collaborates with Tomlinson Holman, founder of Lucasfilm’s THX, Herbie Hancock and Ice-T, for the world’s first demonstration of 10.2 surround at CES, Las Vegas.

Sony Mastering NY installation of BB5 XBD-A

Further expansion with new manufacturing facility in Luton, doubling capacity

Stevie Wonder, 25 times Grammy Award winning superstar installs BB5 and AML1 in his Wonderland Studios for production of his numerous global hits

Launched the DB1, the world’s smallest transmission line design, still in production in 2021

PMC develops IB2-P for JVC Surround Studio control room, Japan

Launch of the company’s first three-way home audio loudspeaker, the OB1. This was as ground-breaking and significant to audiophiles as the FB1

Sting launches the SACD recording of the “Sacred Love” album using MB2 XBD-A

Founding of PMC USA LLC and the opening of an office in Orange County, California

The compact floorstanding GB1 home audio speakers launched, taking the home audio world by storm with its performance to size ratio

Installation of BB5 Active at Teldex, Berlin for recording major classical works on Deutsche Gramophon and Harmonia Mundi

Installation of MB2 XBD Active at the prestigious Emile Berliner Studios, Germany - home of Deutsche Gramophon classical recordings

Installation of IB2 surround system at electronic music pioneers, Kraftwerk’s Kling Klang studio in Düsseldorf. They went on to produce Minimum-Maximum live CD & DVD in that year followed by an array of special collectors editions of their seminal works

Launch of the wafer on/in-wall custom installation speakers that are used in both home and studio in stereo and surround formats. They went on to become the foundation of the Capitol Studios, LA Dolby Atmos mix suite

Status Quo’s Francis Rossi installs IB2s & TB2S in his personal studio and proclaims they are "f**king brilliant"

Legendary singer, Tony Bennett installs LB1 in his private studio in New York and was delighted to meet the PMC team at his Royal Albert Hall concert of that year

Launch of EB1, integrating the 10” pro-line carbon fibre piston driver into a floorstander for the home. Bringing a whole new level of bass and dynamic to audiophiles

San Francisco Symphony Orchestra specifies PMC for its recordings

Digidesign, creators of the industry standard Pro Tools that is responsible for most of the world's recorded music, launched the RM1 and RM2 active monitors designed and built by PMC

PMC fits out the BBC Sound 1 Outside Broadcast truck with MB2 active monitors for use at music festivals including Glastonbury, T in the Park, Reading and many more

Global superstar Prince specifies BB5 XBD-A for his Paisley Park studio complex, Minneapolis. He went on to produce eight studio albums using his PMCs

Situated in the heart of Central London, the BBC's Radio Theatre is an intimate performance venue with a recording facility fitted with PMC MB2. The BBC has recorded a number of comedy programmes in the theatre, including What's My Line?, Just a Minute, and I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. Musical artists to have performed in the venue include David Bowie, Stereophonics, Jeff Lynne's ELO, James Morrison, Emeli Sande, Ed Sheeran, and Paul Weller

Launch of the MB2 XBDi, twin cabinet home audio system that brought the studio into the home, with unheard of performance at the time

BBC Wales dubbing suite installs wafers in surround for the production of one of their top grossing titles, Dr Who, that aired in over 50 countries worldwide

The BBC invest in PMC active designs for their pioneering research into the effects of immersive audio, long before these concepts became commercially available to the public

Launch of the three-way PB1i with dual bass units and soft dome midrange followed the huge success of the OB1

Launch of the first of the fact series, with the slimline fact.8 floorstander. The purity of form and sound raised the bar for musically engaging loudspeakers

Film composer Henry Jackman (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Simpsons, The Dark Knight, Captain Phillips) installs IB2 in Hans Zimmer’s ‘Remote Control’ studio

The IB2i wins the prestigious HiFi Choice Product of the year 2009

Launch of the AML2 with major upgrades in performance to this remarkable and sought after active two-way design

IB2S-A and IB2 XBD-A three-way active monitors and twin cabinet version launched at AES Expo, London

State of the art Star Delta Mastering, run by Grammy Award winners install MB2 as their reference monitors

Elton John/Leon Russell album produced by T Bone Burnett and Mike Piersante using AML2s

Craig Armstrong, film composer (Moulin Rouge, Romeo and Juliet, Ray) and contributor to Massive Attack, U2, The Pet Shop Boys and Björk installs IB2

fact.8 becomes the second design to receive the “Loudspeaker of the Year” award from Hi-Fi Choice magazine

Bruno Senna, F1 driver and nephew of Ayrton Senna installs AML2s in his home in Monaco

Long-time PMC user, Robert “Bobby” Fernandez, film score mixer (The Mummy, Spiderman 3, Battlestar Galactica, Batman) installs IB1S LCR and TB2S-A for production of many globally successful movies

Another landmark installation as BB5 in surround is specified for the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, China as their reference monitoring for their entire classical recording output

To mark the 20th anniversary of the company PMC launch the aptly named twenty series. The success of this range was unprecedented in the history of the company

20th Anniversary celebrations with a global distributor and retailer event, conference and exclusive concert at the O2, London

London Olympics opening night music mixed on PMC to an audience of over 900 million people

After their huge Mercury Prize winning album The Seldom Seen Kid, mastered on PMC, Elbow choose the same for making music in their studio and for their homes

Thomas Newman (The Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty, The Green Mile, Finding Nemo) composes Skyfall soundtrack using PMC IB2 XBD-Active

Two systems of BB5 XBD-A installed into the technologically advanced Wisseloord Recording Studios, Netherlands, home of recordings by Elton John, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, The Police, Tina Turner, Snoop Dogg

UK band Embrace chose IB1S-A for their custom built recording studio near Halifax in West Yorkshire

twotwo series active nearfield monitors launch. A range of premium true reference tools designed for ultra-critical professional monitoring, in stereo or surround

SE series launched, consisting of the IB2, MB2, MB2 XBD and flagship BB5. All featured improved resolution, musicality and a true high end presentation. A true statement piece for any proud audiophile

fact12 launched – the first solo design project by Oliver Thomas (now head of design) – a three-way addition to the fact series which has won countless accolades around the world

PMC partners with the UK’s National Physical Laboratory, becoming the only company to implement laser scanning to enable the sound from a speaker to be ‘seen’, enabling radical new crossover and cabinet designs

PMC moves headquarters to former manor house, Holme Court, in rural Bedfordshire

The soon to be globally award winning twenty.26 launched as the flagship of the twenty series

The definitive high resolution main monitor, the QB1 active, is launched and subsequently installed at world famous Capitol Studios, Los Angeles where they become the reference for all their future recordings

Lost On The River: The New Basement Tapes recorded at Metropolis Studios. The first playback of the finished album to the international press and media took place at London's Metropolis Studios. Both album and studio playback were on BB5 XBD Actives

twotwo sub2 active subwoofer launched at NAMM to compliment the twotwo series for stereo and immersive monitoring formats

Queen 180gsm vinyl box set is half-speed mastered by Miles Showell using MB2 XBD and the identical loudspeakers used for the press and public launch event

PMC produce a one off pair of loudspeakers as a part of the world’s only musical work of art created by American Hip Hop group Wu-Tang Clan and sold to a private collector for $2 million. As the piece was both recorded and mixed on PMC they allow the new owner to experience the audio exactly as its producers intended

Grammy winning producer Greg Wells (Adele, Elton John, Katy Perry, Celine Dion) chooses MB2S-XBD for his studio

The awards came in from all four corners of the world for the twenty.23. The leading audio magazine in Hong Kong, Hifi Review gave our smallest floorstander their seal of approval with ‘Best Buy of 2015’

The ultimate main monitor arrives with the launch of the astounding QB1 XBD-A twin cabinet design, with its eight carbon fibre piston drivers and 17,000 watts of PMC’s power amplification. This was launched at AES New York to the world’s leading music makers

The University of Westminster installs QB1A monitors in its flagship studio

Laminair aerodynamic vent technology developed, producing a faster, cleaner, more dynamic bass, with a higher definition sound, which is the single greatest improvement made to our bass loading technology

The IB1S-AIII 'activated' reference monitor is launched at NAMM, USA making this already respected three-way design even better

Company celebrates its 25th anniversary with the launch of the twenty5 series. This five model line-up saw success in all four corners of the world

What Hi-Fi? chooses PMC as its home cinema reference system

Sphere Studios,(Alanis Morrissette, Rage Against the Machine, Christina Aguilera) Los Angeles, installs BB5 XBD-A as their reference

BRIT Award winner John Newman chose twotwo.6 monitors and a twotwo Sub2 to provide the main monitoring for his new studio in London

Metropolis Studios London installs QB1A monitors in their main Studio A

PMC Helped Cloud Imperium Games deliver exceptional sound with the installation of twotwo.6 monitors in Foundry 42, the home of Squadron 42 and the Star Citizen’s audio team suites

What HiFi awarded our most popular design the twenty5.23 the highly prestigious award for the best loudspeaker in our category – we invested in a new trophy cabinet in 2016

With feedback from industry professionals, leading producers and engineers PMC launches the MB3 and BB6 ultra-high-resolution active monitors at NAMM, USA

MB2 XBD Active was used by Miles Showell to master the 50th Anniversary Edition of The Beatles “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”. To ensure the 100 members of the global media present in studio 2 at Abbey Road received the best quality playback, PMC was used to debut this pivotal album

A duplicate of the UK launch of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” at the legendary Capitol Studios, LA was again conducted using PMC

The musically sublime cor integrated-Hifi amplifier is launched – incorporating the best technologies from professional and domestic audio to create the purest analogue reproduction for the home

The University of Salford installs IB2S XBD-A monitors in its new Adelphi arts facility

PMC Studio Nashville, in the heartland of American music making, providing a hands on practical facility for mixing and demonstration

Kraftwerk upgrades its existing PMC monitoring system to Dolby Atmos 9.1 for the production of their immersive Blu-ray “3-D The Catalogue”

The plug and play, instant reference, result6 monitors launched at AES New York, providing PMC quality to every music maker

Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton of Basement Jaxx, choose result6 monitors for their private studios in London

Exclusive “A-lister” recording studio and members club, Tape London (Lady Gaga, Drake, Rudimental, P Diddy, John Legend) installs QB1 XBD-A

The Tape London installation was completed with BB6 monitors so that guests can enjoy the ultimate in high resolution audio playback whether working or relaxing

PMC introduces fact fenestria. This flagship home audio design is the summation of over 25 years’ research into technologies and materials, and is the perfect example of PMC‘s holistic design approach producing the purest and most transparent sound possible

The hardest to please critics from one of the biggest titles in audio spent time with our first home audio amplifier. The result was the product of the year award for the cor

Australia’s Studios 301 (Coldplay, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, U2, David Bowie, INXS, Elton John, Bob Dylan and Lana Del Rey) re-opens with a multi-million rebuild with PMC speakers in its recording, mixing and mastering rooms. The checklist includes a QB1-A, MB3 XBD-A and twotwo nearfields

PMC launches UK Distribution arm to offer a portfolio of complementary brands to the UK audio market

PMC Studio Los Angeles opens with Dolby Atmos Music mix suite providing a hands on practical facility for mixing and demonstration

PMC remixes Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” and “Sketches of Spain” in Dolby Atmos at Capitol Studios

PMC Studio New York opens adding to the long list of PMC facilities providing exactly what a recording professional needs in way of practical demonstration

PMC Distribution UK secures exclusive agency for Martin Logan in the UK

Peter Thomas is awarded a fellowship by the Institute of Professional Sound

Ground-breaking ci series of in/on wall loudspeakers is launched for use in studio, the home and custom installation markets. Their professional credentials include installation in many of the cutting edge Dolby Atmos Music mixing facilities globally

The end of 2020 was marked by another glittering prize. The Ear.net decided that the fact.12 signature was the best they had heard in 2020. This svelte three-way floorstander has proven itself to be a true benchmark in the realm of high-end loudspeakers

PMC chosen for Kraftwerk exhibition at The Design Museum, London

AVTech, who own Hifi News, Hifi Choice and Home Cinema Choice here in the UK, could obviously hear why we such a hit in Hollywood when they awarded us Best Floorstanding Speaker System

PMC Dolby Atmos mix system installed in the legendary Dean Street Studios, London (Paul Weller, Florence and the Machine, Ed Sheeran, David Bowie and many more)

A second manufacturing facility in the UK is opened to double capacity and keep pace with the ever growing demand of Studio, Home Audio and Custom installation models

The much respected HiFi+ magazine just couldn’t get enough of the fact.12 signature. Every aspect of music came alive with this design and they had no option other to award it, ‘The Editor’s Choice’

The Rolling Stones choose the PMC Ci series for Dolby Atmos finale of the “Unzipped” exhibition. PMC was also used during the mixing of the audio soundtracks for the showcase event at Capitol Studios, LA and PMC’s own Dolby Atmos mix studio at Highland Park, LA, California

PMC celebrates its 30th anniversary

A Bespoke Demo Facility To Showcase Its Monitor Systems For Dolby Atmos® Music Mixing

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

London-based grime, dubstep & jazz artist Swindle, gets his album ‘The New World’ mixed by PMC in Dolby Atmos

30 years after it debuted at No. 1 in the UK charts, Seal’s eponymous first album was remixed in PMC’s Dolby Atmos-Equipped London demo facility, by internationally acclaimed producer Trevor Horn, who produced the original album. This remix allows fans to enjoy this timeless music in this exciting new immersive audio format.

The flagship fact fenestria won the highly prestigious What Hi-Fi?'s Temptation Award 2022. What HiFi said, "Overall, we feel these floorstanders are a landmark product as far as speaker performance goes" and "We have massive admiration for PMC's ambition and the clarity of its engineering vision"

The 9.1.4 configuration features PMC8-2 XBDs (L,R) and PMC8-2 (centre) with PMC8-2 active subs (LFE). The surround channels are handled by the slimline Ci65s with heights by Ci30s, all of which a mounted behind fabric so that the experience is more about mixing into the space around the listener, rather than to specific speaker channels.

Launch of the prodigy1 and 5, a duo of loudspeakers that take the very essence of everything that makes PMC the speakers of choice for the world’s leading music makers and most discerning audiophiles and presents it to a much wider audience.

NJP Studios in Switzerland has become the latest in a long line of audio facilities to install a Dolby Atmos music mixing facility equipped with PMC monitoring.

LP:ME recording complex in Dubai, equipped all its studios with PMC monitoring so that it can deliver the ultimate in sound quality to its discerning customer base.