RECORDING March 2023 - 52

REVIEW
Drawmer 1972
A flexible two-channel preamplifier with variable impedance controls
REVIEW BY ALEX HAWLEY
B
ased in Yorkshire, England, Drawmer is widely recognized for its
work horse dynamic processors, including the original DS201 noise
gate-a major innovation when it was released in 1982, being the
first frequency-conscious noise gate ever designed. Today, Drawmer has
expanded into an extensive line of compressors, de-essers, preamps,
monitor controllers, plugins and more-all aimed at various pro audio
and live sound applications. On review today is the Drawmer 1972
dual-channel mic preamp, which offers a few unique features not found
anywhere else.
Overview
The Drawmer 1972 preamp is made
by hand in the U.K. It offers two XLR mic
inputs, two combo line inputs around
back, and two 1
/4
" instrument inputs
conveniently located on the front panel.
The input section features four color-coded
LEDs for input level, paired with a
backlit analog VU meter per channel,
with a switchable +10dB rescale setting.
Each channel also offers +48V phantom
power and phase flip.
Gain for Days
Based around the latest THAT Corporation
preamps, the 1972 is designed for ultraclean
and transparent recordings. The
1972 has enormous amounts of gain on
tap, with up to +66dB of preamp gain on a
stepped knob in 6dB increments, as well as
an output trim with an additional +/- 12dB
of gain. This should be enough for even the
neediest dynamic or ribbon microphones,
such as the Shure SM7B.
Lift-Off!
Both channels on the 1972 offer a
unique 'Lift' function. Lift is a handy feature
52 RECORDING March 2023
when recording extremely dynamic performances
or low-level sources. It's more than
a simple gain booster, as Lift won't reduce
headroom or increase chances of louder
signals clipping. Instead, it functions as
a low-level expander, only boosting signals
below 0dB while signals above that
threshold are unaffected. Any signal between
-30dB and 0dB can be boosted by
a maximum of 10dB, while signals below
-30dB continue to receive the full 10dB
of gain. The implementation is designed
for a smooth transition surrounding the
0dB threshold, resulting in a musical and
transparent recording. This makes it easier
to capture delicate sources at an optimal
recording level without worrying about
compromising headroom.
Tone Shaping
The 1972 also hosts an array of
tone-shaping options. There are fully
variable low- and high-pass filters, two
shape filters, and three microphone impedance
settings. The low cut filter ranges
from 15 Hz-350 Hz and the high cut
filter ranges from 1.5 kHz-20 kHz, both
with a 12dB per octave slope.
The shape filters are fixed tilt filters,
which can be used individually or
stacked. The midpoint on both filters is
centered at 500 Hz, which means the
filter reaches 0dB at that point while
continuing its gradual slope to either
side. The bass-boosting shape filter
adds roughly 2.5dB at 40 Hz, gradually
tilting towards -2.5dB at 10 kHz
and beyond. The other shape filter is the
inverse, with a 2.5dB boost at 10 kHz
and -2.5dB at 40 Hz. When both filters
are stacked, a scooped or 'smiley face'
curve is created, boosting the highs and
lows while attenuating the midrange
centered at 500 Hz.
Impedance
I debated whether or not to keep the
input impedance as part of the tone
shaping section, as it isn't the primary
function of changing impedance, but it
does often have that very effect on a mic
signal.
The input knob includes impedance
settings of 2.4kΩ, 600Ω and 200Ω.
This is handy when matching dynamic
or ribbon microphones with their designated
impedance levels. However, intentionally
mismatching input impedance
can lead to interesting tonal responses.
Sometimes subtle, others more obvious,
but it usually results in a darker or brighter
tone depending on the microphone
and impedance.
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