Recording - March 2017 - 45

second tier of matching output choices
for the Cue section. This allows you to
send a musician-specific mix to input
two (I do this with Cubase 9's control
room mixer section), or you can play
back an iPod mix for the musicians for
practice and route it to just the headphones while you monitor the main mix
in the control room.
Even better, each headphone out is
independent and can switch between
the Main mix or Cue mix at the touch
of a button. When the headphones are
set to Cue, they have access to the talkback signal, and when in Main mode
the headphone mix gets access to the
mix check functions.
Lastly there are a pair of 1/4" TRS left
and right Cue outs on the back that can
send the dedicated cue mix and talkback to a set of speakers in the tracking
room, or even to a dedicated headphone amp.
The talkback section contains a builtin electret mic, level control and rear
1
/4" output for slating. The MC3.1
adds a 1/4" external mic input-I found
an SM58 with a 1/4" adaptor did just
the trick, and there is also a 1/4" input
for using a remote footswitch for activating the talkback. The external mic can
be switched on and off on the top of
the unit.

In use

Mix tools

Conclusion

Lastly are the mix checking tools,
which (like the MC2.1) include: Mute,
Mono, Phase Reverse, and Dim, as well
as the ability to mute the left or right
speaker individually. This has become
a critical part of my mixing workflow,
as it allows you to put the unit in mono
and then monitor said mono signal on
a single speaker. This eliminates the
chance of phase and filtering issues that
can happen when doing mono checks
with stereo speakers.
New on the MC3.1 is a speaker swap
button that flips the stereo signal, and
lastly is a 3-button Band Solo section
that allows you to solo the lows, mids,
or highs to zero in on frequency-specific
issues. These can be used in groups so
you can listen to the lows and highs without the mids, or the mids and lows minus
the highs, and so on.

For the last few years the MC2.1
has been the monitor controller in my
studio and I am quite familiar with its
reliability, its features, and its solid,
clear sound. I rely heavily on its mix
check features, especially the mono/
single-speaker function-so much so
that if a competing product lacks this
feature, I have been quick to dismiss it.
Sonically I notice zero difference
between the two units, and I find the
MC3.1 to be a welcome improvement
in every way. I love the new slanted/
wedge design! If there was one thing I
did not like about the MC2.1 but chose
to live with, it was the flat-front design. I
would have racked it with the optional
mounting kit, but I am out of rack space...
yes, I know, first-world studio problems!
A few of the things that the MC3.1
adds were possible with the MC2.1
with some fiddling, such as using a
mono subwoofer or sending a cue mix
to the unit via inputs 3/4 (and living
with said mix in the control room during
tracking). In all honestly, though, it's as
if Drawmer read my mind and added
not only the features I wanted, but also
several that I did not know I wanted,
like the independent headphone out
choices, external talkback, and even
the band-cut/solo buttons.

I am pretty stoked over the new
MC3.1, and I am pretty sure my studio
will see an upgrade in my future. The
MC2.1 is still a stellar unit and Drawmer
offers an nice itemized list of similarities
and differences between the two online
and in the PDF manual.
At $900 street, the new model is a
tad more expensive, but to get anywhere
close to this feature set in a competing
unit, you will probably be close to double
that cost or more. In terms of sound
quality, this is not a "budget" unit in any
way shape or form. Killer job, Drawmer!

PRICE: $900
MORE FROM: Drawmer,
drawmer.com; dist. by
TransAudio Group,
www.transaudiogroup.com
RECORDING MARCH 2017

45
http://www.recordingmag.com http://www.drawmer.com http://www.transaudiogroup.com
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