Italian pro audio and synthesiser distributor Milk Audio Store has opened a PMC-equipped Dolby Atmos mixing facility at its premises in Rome to extend access to the creative possibilities of the emergent format.

The company, which is PMC’s official distribution partner in Italy, prides itself on working with customers to identify their needs and their objectives so that it can provide equipment that offers a real improvement to their workflow in terms of sound quality and reliability. It’s new Atmos demo room was designed by Cecilia Torracchi, of Florence-based acoustic design and consultancy Studio Sound Service.

Alberto Rossetto, the founder and CEO of Milk Audio Store, believes that the new facility will highlight the suitability of PMC products for Dolby Atmos applications. As a company, PMC has championed immersive audio for many years, and thanks to its close working relationship with Dolby, PMC monitoring systems are now widely regarded as the standard reference for Dolby Atmos for Music.

The headroom, power handling, accuracy and fidelity of PMC monitors ensure that they go well beyond Dolby’s minimum requirements, and it is these attributes that have made them the monitor of choice for companies such as Universal Music Group, Sony Music, Dean Street Studios and Apple.

‘We have equipped our new Dolby Atmos room with three PMC6-2 monitors, four PMC Ci65 monitors, four PMC Ci45 monitors and two PMC8-2 Subs, along with a PMC 750-8 8 channel power amplifier,’ Rossetto says. ‘In addition, there is an Avid Pro Tools and MTRX Studio interface connected to the amplifier with Dante. Our aim was to keep the set-up as simple as possible because the real protagonist is the sound that PMC monitors give to engineers. All the choices, from the acoustic treatment, up to the colours, have been made to highlight the excellence offered by PMC products.’

While the Italian Dolby Atmos market is still small, Rossetto says that allowing potential customers to experience the format will generate interest and allow them to choose the best equipment for their own facilities.

‘Most of the Atmos mixes undertaken in Italy are currently being carried out by a few engineers, but we do believe this will change as the format gains traction,’ he says. ‘Our mission is to show customers what equipment they should consider if they want to enhance their creativity and bring their sound to the highest level of excellence. Helping people to deeply understand Atmos technology is a huge part of this change, and Milk Audio Store wants to be part of this amazing transformation.’

In addition to operating as a demo facility, Milk Audio Store’s new studio is also available to customers who want to mix their own projects in Dolby Atmos. ‘Beautiful things have to be shared, so we will of course allow people to use the studio for their Atmos project,’ Rossetto says.