PMC Monitors
Summary
Abstract
PMC (Professional Monitor Company) monitors are among the most recommended speakers in the community, alongside ATC and Neumann KH310. The twotwo.8 and Result 6/6-2 models are frequently cited. PMC monitors are praised for their clarity and translation, though some find the high end “glassy.” The Unfuck Your Room studio design team has strong ties to PMC, which influences some recommendations. Multiple members describe PMC as a speaker where “you hear the song” rather than the speakers.
Key Characteristics
- Transmission line bass loading design (a PMC signature)
- Models discussed: twotwo.6, twotwo.8, Result 6, 6-2 (active digital)
- Generally considered bright — David Fuller notes “goofily bright” treble in measurements
- Some describe the high end as “glassy”
- Excellent translation — mixes done on PMCs tend to translate well
- The 6-2 accepts digital input via AES
Use Cases
- Primary mixing monitors
- Tracking control room speakers
- Production and songwriting
- Pair well with subwoofers for extended low end
Settings & Sweet Spots
- Treatment + speakers together yields the biggest improvement — “the double punch of treatment + speakers has really brought things up a notch”
- The twotwo.8 can be acquired as demo pairs from Sweetwater with financing
Comparable Alternatives
| Gear | Notes |
|---|---|
| ATC Monitors | More midrange-focused; some prefer for detailed mixing |
| Barefoot Monitors | ”Flat and hyped at the same time” |
| Neumann KH310 | Highly regarded 3-way alternative |
| Focal Monitors | Bright but with a midrange scoop |
| Dynaudio Monitors | ”Spitty and brittle” high end per one user |
Common Mistakes
- Not treating the room — monitors alone do not solve mix translation issues
- Buying on reputation alone without auditioning — monitor choice is deeply personal
- Not recognizing that the Unfuck team has PMC ties, which may influence recommendations
See Also
Source Discussions
Community Insights
“If you haven’t ever had a solid mixing environment where you rely on midrange don’t go ATC, they seem to be for people who have spent a decade on similar speakers. If you are stepping into your first real pair go PMC, I can HEAR atc mixes, pmc mixes I hear the SONG.” — kidcutler
“The double punch of treatment + speakers has really brought things up a notch — confidence in making decisions based on more accurate information, enjoyment of listening, speed of working.” — Ross Fortune (on switching to PMC 6)
“I always just find the high end too glassy.” — cian riordan (on PMC twotwo.6)
“Monitors are so personal that it’s just impossible to get a gauge of how they’re going to sound by reading about them on the internet.” — cian riordan
sethearnest — PMC vs ATC voicing comparison (#monitoring-talk, April 2021)
“For me, in my room with my ears and brain, the PMC vs. ATC voicing: PMCs feel a bit more clinical, a little taller and deeper, while the ATCs feel a bit beefier in the bottom and low mids, a little softer-feeling overall and generally more pleasant to just listen to music on. Cian described the glassiness of the PMC top end, and I agree w/that 100%, but that’s something that really works for me. The softer ATC top end is really nice, but for how my ears/brain work, I’d over-mix the top end because it doesn’t feel as exciting on the ATCs, and/or I’d have to do some mental algebra for a few weeks to get used to it. As described by everyone and their grandma: the midrange on the ATCs is fantastic, and it creates quite a striking phantom center and quite a clear, nice midrange. On the other side, the soundstage of the PMCs and the front-to-back depth is amazing, and I was hearing compression just listening to music more easily on them. SO MUCH detail on the PMCs.”
sethearnest — PMC vs ATC mixing comparison (#monitoring-talk, April 2021, 11 reactions)
“When I actually started mixing on them, I could hear and feel EQ moves sooner on the PMCs, compression was more noticeable on them. I noticed I’d stop a little shorter of getting things to hit a certain way on the ATCs, while on the PMCs, I’d work a little more to get things sounding ‘good’ (to me) and punchy and moving air in certain ways on them, both w/just balancing and/or w/processing, then those mixes would really be popping in the real world. […] So, what I would describe as the more clinical nature of the PMCs really works for my brain/ear combo. I almost exclusively mix these days, so I don’t have a lot of people in. If I were producing a lot (i.e. had people in), I might lean more ATC b/c they feel a little more friendly for all-purpose listening.”
Rollmottle — PMC 6-2 first impressions (#monitoring-talk, September 2021)
“Spider from PMC and Unfuck came by my studio today and brought the new PMC 6-2’s. […] These speakers put out a LOT of low end…deep, visceral, tall, extended low end. Astonishing low end. Subs not needed in my room if these are the speakers. […] The resolution is next level. One of the things that struck me is how much height I could hear in a mix. I could hear vocals and snares sitting on top of bass, sitting on top of subs. […] Compression artifacts were immediate and obvious. Imaging is so precise and big because there’s more resolution. It’s like going from a 1024 x 768 monitor to one that is 3840 x 2160. […] At 3500 for the Neumann subs, I’m at $8500 — the price of the 6-2’s. This is a no-brainer upgrade from me and I will be ordering them as soon as I can. Highly recommended.”
David Fuller — PMC transmission line critique (#monitoring-talk, April 2021)
“I’m half-convinced PMC doesn’t know how to design a standmount speaker properly. Anybody with any actual experience doing speaker design will tell you that an acoustic transmission line like the ones that PMC uses really only work in big boxes — like no smaller than a floorstanding tower speaker. Trying to cram one in a standmount size box is going to, just by the way that these things work, have far too high of a tuning, often overlapping where the woofer itself peaks. You end up with a weirdly lumpy and uneven bass response.”
sethearnest — on Fuller's critique (13 reactions)
“Fuller’s gonna show up w/a protest sign outside about how the ATL thing doesn’t make sense for small boxes”
Discord Source
Channel: 🔈monitoring-talk Messages: 139 Date range: April 2021 – March 2022 Key contributors: David Fuller, Rollmottle, sethearnest, cian riordan, kylem, peterlabberton, Josh Bowman, kidcutler See also: monitoring-talk Channel Summary