PMC has invested in advanced laser measuring equipment for its research and development department, to help facilitate a more holistic approach to future drive unit and cabinet designs for improved low frequency performance.
Known worldwide for its ATL (Advanced Transmission Line) bass loading, which creates unrivalled levels of ultra-clean and accurate low frequency information, the R&D team, headed by Oliver Thomas, is now equipped with a state-of-the-art tool that will enable them to refine this to provide an even greater level of performance.
Using the recently installed advanced laser measurement system, manufactured by Klippel in Germany, the development engineers can measure the mechanical parameters of the loudspeaker drive units with far greater accuracy than was previously possible. This permits the development of new drive units, the performance of which can be tailored to exactly suit the application in which they will be used. Where this provides a distinct advantage for PMC, over other loudspeaker manufacturers, is in the whole system approach the company takes to speaker design. In addition to more accurately determining the drive unit’s electromechanical performance, known as the Thiel/Small Parameters, the company can also measure the interaction with the ATL. By mounting a prototype drive unit in the prototype ATL and using the laser to measure the mechanical movement of the drive unit in situ, the R&D team can make adjustments to both elements in tandem to obtain the optimum performance.
As Oliver Thomas explains, “PMC is renowned for its low frequency performance through the application of the Advanced Transmission Line – and so it’s an area of system design we obviously spend a lot of time on. Using our new laser measurement package, we can accurately measure what is happening with the cone movement at very low frequencies when mounted in the ATL.” He continues, “From an engineering perspective this provides knowledge that we can use to fine tune the drive unit and ATL design in parallel and in real time. The advantages for us of this holistic approach are tremendous in the development of ATL loudspeakers and will enable even more accurate and transparent loudspeakers to be developed for our professional and domestic customers.”
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About PMC
PMC is a UK-based, world-leading manufacturer of loudspeaker systems, the tools of choice in all ultra-critical professional monitoring applications, and also for the discerning audiophile at home, where they provide a transparent window into the recording artist's original intentions. PMC products use the best available materials and design principles, including the company's proprietary Advanced Transmission Line (ATL™) bass-loading technology, cutting-edge amplification and advanced DSP techniques to create loudspeakers that present sound and music exactly as it was when first created, with the highest possible resolution, and without coloration or distortion. For more information on our clients and products, see www.pmc-speakers.com.
