Drawmer is based in Yorkshire, England, and was founded by Ivor Drawmer, whose passion was designing audio circuits. In 1982 he designed and launched the DS201 Noise Gate, the first 'frequency conscious' noise gate, which still today remains a standard product in countless studios and broadcasters. In January 2020, Drawmer renewed its original commitment to great analog audio product for the studio with the 1970 - Dual FET Compressor and Pre-Amplifier, with a heritage based around its illustrious Drawmer 1960.
Now, the Drawmer 70s series expands with a compact 1U dual-channel preamplifier, that will please not only studios but a wider market of content creators. The 1972 Dual Mic, Line and Instrument Pre-Amplifier has been developed to make it ultra easy for anyone to capture and record pristine audio from any type of XLR microphone, from budget to high-end dynamic and also ribbon microphones. Uniquely it has added features that help out in difficult to record situations that are not found on other preamplifiers.
The 1972 uses the latest THAT Corporation technology in the two independent mic preamps to provide ultra clean, transparent recordings, that can be processed at a later stage using compression, EQ, or saturation from tubes, transformer or tape. Each channel is capable of 66dB of stepped gain, with an additional +/-12dB’s trim at the output, and incorporates switchable impedance for accurate microphone matching. This allows users to bring out the best from any microphone used, and also provides a way to “sculpt” the sound of passive dynamic, and especially low-impedance ribbon microphones.
As well as standard features that we will find on most preamplifiers, such as phase reverse, the 1972 also has a wealth of tools that help when recording difficult sources, making it possible to get the best quality recording with ease. Those include fully variable LoCut and HiCut controls to allow removing superfluous signals in the low and high frequencies, or removing rumble and hiss with ease. In addition the Shape feature brings out the bass or treble using a subtle tilt EQ.
A unique feature that has been developed by Ivor Drawmer and currently only available on the 1972 is the Lift control. Lift is essentially a low level dynamic gain module which has no effect on signals above 0dB. This makes it possible to record very quiet signals in a transparent and natural way without distortion and clipping taking place on the louder passages, and is especially effective for very dynamic signals, finding great use in recording piano, and on all vocals, including speech, and for capturing ambiance.
There is an accepted general rule that the impedance of the preamp input should be 10X that of the mic to get an input impedance that is appropriate for the mic and to avoid loading the source. However, mismatching can create some interesting tonal differences that can be used more creatively. The 1972 has 3 settings per mic input: 200, 600 and 2400 Ohms, making it easy for users to explore the various tones. The result will depend on the microphone used and the sound signal, as the tonal changes will be obvious with some mic’s hardly noticeable with others. This is also enabled by the two THAT Corporation ultra clean mic pre's with 66dB of gain in 6dB steps, plus +/-12dB’s trim at the output.
The 1972 includes separate Line and Mic input XLR's on the rear, plus a pro quality instrument DI input on the front panel. There are also time delay relays on the outputs for clean power up/down. And the unique Lift feature for boosting very low signals without the loud signals clipping, will make this preamp highly appreciated for dealing with interviews and unexperienced presenters. And the results can be monitored with the two backlit VU meters with switchable +10dB Rescale Mode.
Also important for the studios that will place the 1972 very close to the microphone and typical home studio desks, the design uses an internal low hum toroidal linear power supply with voltage selector switch. The rugged steel chassis and aluminum front panel are also the classic Drawmer build quality, built by Drawmer in the United Kingdom. Available now and retailing at US $1,149.
www.drawmer.com
