Company Profile
Formed in 1974 by Billy Woodman to manufacture custom drive units for
the professional sound industry, ATC quickly made its mark with the 12″
PA75-314 driver, a design capable of handling more power and producing
less distortion at a higher sound pressure level than any other unit on
the market.
1976 saw the first production of the ground-breaking SM 75-150s soft
dome midrange driver, a technical tour-de-force, whose innovative
up-scaled design reproduced a more uniform dispersion, wider bandwidth
and much lower distortion than was thought possible at the time. It
revolutionised studio monitoring and has since become recognised as the
ultimate mid-range transducer for both domestic and professional
applications. Utilising exotic materials and precision tolerances, the
latest version of the SM 75-150s represents the apex of drive unit
technology. It is often copied but never equalled.
The next decade witnessed the introduction of complete speaker
systems and further versions of the high power PA drive units used in
OEM form by many leading manufacturers and performers – Pink Floyd and
Supertramp were early customers. During this period ATC researched and
developed the first active system elements, introducing the EC23 Active
Crossover with built in phase correction. A contract with Danish Radio
for an active portable monitor provided the opportunity to integrate the
new SCM50 and SCM100 speakers with a Tri-amp pack and electronic
crossover to create the industry standard SCM50A and SCM100A, the first
reliable and accurate active systems. With regular fine tuning they
remain as popular today in both professional and hi-fi applications.
Having established a market for reference quality precision-made
monitors, a succession of smaller ATC speakers then evolved, ranging
from SCM7s through 10s and 20s. Available in both active and passive
versions, they offered elite ATC performance and reliability to many new
customers.
1996 welcomed the launch of ATC’s first stand alone audiophile
electronics. Both SCA2 pre-amplifier, SPA2-150 power amplifier and later
the SIA2-150 were built according to ATC’s no compromise philosophy,
achieving performance figures that still rank as among the best
available. In their latest versions they continue to offer unrivalled
precision and performance.
In the same year Billy Woodman and his research team developed an
innovative new driver topology designed to eliminate the effects of
magnetic hysteresis as a significant source of distortion in loudspeaker
drive units. Utilising a new material from the communications industry,
ATC’s Super Linear (SL) driver reduced third harmonic distortion by
10-15dB between 100Hz and 3kHz. Arguably the most significant
development in transducer design in the last 15 years, SL technology
epitomises ATC’s commitment to sound quality. The SL drivers’ accuracy
in reproducing piano and male vocals remains unique.
Through ATC’s commitment to multi-channel mastering and its direct
involvement with leading players in the professional audio industry
including Sony Music and Telarc, ATC’s products are installed at some of
the world’s most prestigious multi-channel studios and auditoria. Where
ever the best is required you will find ATC.
