end, and you can control that… they manage to throw the sweet spot quite a long way into the room, so everyone can share it… but they have all that accuracy, so when you do sit yourself down in the sweet spot they’re absolutely invaluable.” - Will Gregory (composer/keyboardist/producer), 2017
But before finding critical acclaim and international chart success with vocalist Alison Goldfrapp — Supernature sold over one million copies as Goldfrapp’s third album (featuring striking smash hit ‘Ooh La La’), the Bristol-born multi-talented composer, keyboardist, and producer predominantly recorded and toured throughout the Eighties with Bath-based rock/pop phenomenon Tears For Fears and later performed with other big name ‘local’ acts, including singer-songwriter/humanitarian activist Peter Gabriel and trip-hop pioneers Portishead. It was around this time that Will Gregory began a lifelong love affair with those trusty two-way passives, playing their part in putting him on the road to Goldfrapp glory. “I managed to source a second-hand pair of SCM20s, because I didn’t have a lot of money at the time,” he begins. “But I’ve always used them as my main reference monitors, and I’ve taken them to all the mixing sessions we’ve done with Goldfrapp. I know where I am with them, so they’ve stood me in good stead, because they have this quality of not bringing anything to the party.”
Problems have, however, occurred — albeit as far as Will Gregory’s well-honed listening skills are concerned — when stepping outside his ATC comfort zone: “I’ve had to mix on other speakers when working elsewhere, but then when I play those mixes back on the SCM20s I end up making more changes — put it that way. Whatever else I play them on after I’ve made those changes, I don’t want to make any more changes, so — in that sense — you can trust them to be accurate.”
Tricky as it may sound, residential room size played a part in influencing Will Gregory’s studious SCM25A Pro purchasing decision. “I’m in quite a big room now,” notes its owner, adding: “I’m here a lot of the time, so it functions like a home. I think they used to have more room in the Sixties, so it’s got this large sitting room with a lovely picture window, which means you can see some nature while working. So I love it from that point of view, having spent so many years underground, which is where musicians seem to put themselves a lot the time in studios for some strange reason. But because we’re detached here, we’re not going to disturb our neighbours unduly, so it’s ideal. But when I’m working with other people in there we clearly can’t all fit in the sweet spot between the speakers, yet they manage to throw the sweet spot quite a long way into the room, so everyone can share it. They’re also fantastic for just ramping up the vibe a little bit, but they have all that accuracy, so when you do sit yourself down in the sweet spot they’re absolutely invaluable.”
Invaluable for referencing that all-important bass end on Goldfrapp’s eagerly-awaited seventh studio album, about which the dynamic duo themselves collectively commented: “Silver Eye belongs more to the electronic world of Supernature and Black Cherry. We’ve worked with some fantastic people on this album and we’re really excited to share it with you.”
The British-built SCM25A Pro active three-way studio monitors carry a UK RRP of £5,963.00 GBP (plus VAT) per pair.
For availability and pricing internationally, please visit the ATC website to find a distributor for your region here: http://www.atcloudspeakers.co.uk/where-to-buy/
For availability and pricing in the United States, please contact Brad Lunde at Transaudio Group here: http://www.transaudiogroup.com
For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated SCM25A Pro webpage here: http://atcloudspeakers.co.uk/professional/loudspeakers/scm25a-pro/
ATC (Acoustic Transducer Company) is a specialist British manufacturer of loudspeaker drive units and complete sound reproduction systems, including all associated electronic equipment. All such systems and components are designed and built in-house to achieve levels of performance far in excess of the industry norm by adopting a thoroughly professional engineering approach to the issues of basic design, materials science, and production technology. Formed in 1974 to manufacture custom drive units for the professional sound industry, ATC’s groundbreaking ‘Soft Dome’ mid driver technology was originally developed in 1976 and is still featured in the company’s current SCM25A Pro, SCM45A Pro, SCM50ASL Pro, SCM100ASL Pro, SCM110ASL Pro, SCM150ASL Pro, SCM200ASL Pro, and top-of-the-range SCM300ASL Pro three-way active professional series loudspeakers. Constantly improved, it is still unique in innovation, and remains the only midrange device capable of delivering ultimate performance; flatteringly, it has been widely copied — without success. Similarly, the ‘Super Linear’ technology found in ATC’s professional series bass drive units is equally unique — not only in its ability to accurately reproduce piano, but also the precise manner in which male voices are articulated. All drive units in ATC active professional monitors are powered by their own ATC-designed amplifier, optimised for the relevant bandwidth, and all amplifiers — working substantially in Class A — feature even-order-filtered active crossovers that are individually aligned and phase-corrected to ensure unmatched stereo imaging.
© 2017 ATC Loudspeaker Technology Ltd
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