When radio imaging company Capital of Media moved into a new two-studio premises near Hilversum, there was only one choice of monitors for the new rooms, and that was PMC.
“I fell in love with PMC monitors about 10 years ago because they deliver such a great, honest sound,” says company owner Anthony Timmers. “Back then, out studio was a lot smaller and we had PMC DB1S speakers because these suited the size of the room. However, when we moved to our new premises, Pinna Acoustics designed and built a large main studio with a vocal booth and a smaller second studio. Our old DB1S system was fine for the smaller room but we needed bigger monitors for the main studio, so together with Jules Fransen and Raf Lenssens from PMC’s Benelux distributor Joystick, we conducted a few listening sessions with several different PMC models. The result was conclusive – PMC MB2S were the right monitors for us.”
As Capital of Media’s composers and engineers tend to work ‘In the Box’, its studios are equipped with Pro Tools HD and Logic Pro, plus an extensive selection of plug ins. Crane Song Avocet IIA is used for monitoring and volume control and there is also a Focusrite Liquid Channel as microphone preamp/compressor. Voice over artists and vocalists using the new vocal booth have access to a Powerplay16 P16-M mixer so they can create their own mix on their headphones.
“We use PMCs during the entire production process,” Timmers says. “The sound they give you is the real deal. You’ll hear everything, so mixing is very quick and easy, which is a must in our business where speed of turnaround is important. Our PMC speakers allow us to make correct decisions for our clients – they really are awesome. I’d say to anyone thinking about new speakers, try PMC because you and your clients will be impressed.”
Timmers adds that he is also delighted with the service he received from Joystick, a company he describes as ‘maximum helpful’.
“If there’s one company you want to have on your team to create or update your new studio, it’s Joystick,” he says. “They don’t wear slick suits or have expensive cars parked outside. Instead they are just like us – audio nerds who know exactly what they are talking about and are very good at helping their customers come to the right decisions about equipment.”
Now based in Nijkerk, Capital of Media was founded by Timmers in 2001 when he noticed a gap in the market for radio imaging services.
“I was working as Imaging Director at Radio 538, Holland’s No. 1 hit radio station,” he explains. “Because of the work I did, people began asking me to create audio for their companies, too. What began as a side project that provided a little extra money eventually became Capital of Media. Today we work for major radio and television companies all over the world and employ a team of six people, which is something I am very proud of.”
Radio Imaging involves creating audio that links a programme together. Radio and TV clients rely on Capital of Media to compose custom music for jingles and leaders across a range of styles and genres. Recent projects include creating a ‘classic’ pack featuring the sound of The Carpenters and Michael McDonald for Dutch public station NPO Radio 5. Another project, for Paradise FM on Curacao, utilised modern contemporary sounds in line with today’s pop music.
“We also tackle seasonal projects that involve using sunny music tracks for special summer jingles or Christmas sound in the television idents for one of Holland’s leading TV-stations, SBS6,” Timmers adds.
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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.
