Drawmer FET Compressor

Reviews | Drawmer 1973 FET Compressor
90
D
rawmer are hardly beginners
when it comes to producing
hardware compressors.
They’ve had huge success
with their 1960 and 1968 models and
rightly so – these would both be fi ne
additions to anyone’s rack. But these
standout products are single-band
compressors so how will their new
multi-band model compare to these
more traditional products?
The 1973 actually borrows from a
discontinued multi-band that Drawmer
used to produce called the S3. This
differed in the sense that it was a
vacuum tube compressor but it had a
similar format. The real difference here
is price – the S3 was a lot more
expensive. Multi-band processors are
often more expensive, which makes the
price of the 1973 a surprise.
So down to the basics. As you might
expect from Drawmer, the build quality
is exemplary. It’s 100% metal
construction, the knobs feel as if they
would survive a nuclear blast and the
switches give a satisfying clunk when
operated. Seriously though, it is solid
and obviously built to last forever.
The 1973 is a three-band
compressor with each band clearly
separated by two sweepable crossovers.
Essentially, you set the high and low
band frequency and the mid band is
decided by these two points. Once set,
each band can be muted or bypassed,
which is great for hearing things in
isolation. It would have been awesome
to see a solo option on each band but
this is about my only criticism here and
it’s really splitting hairs.
Overall the front panel is laid out
clearly with bold graphics and a decent
amount of space between controls.
Threshold settings are controlled using
oversize knobs, which is great for quick
tweaks, and key switches are partnered
with bright LEDs for quick feedback on
your current settings. The VU meter is
also a bit of triumph; it’s bright, very
large and can be switched to show peak
and VU readings at two different levels.
Quality control
The 1973 was a joy to use. I was able
to put it to work treating everything from
individual instruments to drum busses.
And it performed fl awlessly during
mastering sessions as well. The fact
that the 73 features FET compressors,
as opposed to vacuum tube models,
means that it can work very quickly and
also retains a certain transparency, even
when working at full tilt.
What makes the 1973 really
standout is its pure musicality. The
crossovers curved are just right and
much more forgiving than some
multi-bands I have used. Isolating the
individual bands gives you a perfect
idea of what you are working on without
sounding too abrupt. There is also a
welcome mix control allowing you to
dial in some of your original untreated
mix. This is perfect for more creative
applications or when working with your
master buss.
All this control allows you to
grapple with even the most unruly bass
parts or over-zealous drum mixes. On
the other hand the 1973 is capable of
imparting a subtle level of control
across the mix that adds a tightness
that any single-band counterpart would
struggle to reproduce.
An attack, release and gain control
on each band means that your set-up
can be fi nely tuned. Couple this with
three independent gain reduction
meters and you should have no problem
in getting the perfect sound. As if all
this wasn’t enough, the 1973 has a few
extra tricks up its sleeve. On the low
band you’ll fi nd a ‘Big’ control and on
the high band an ‘Air’ switch. These
seem to act as enhancers and add a
larger than life effect to proceedings. I
was dubious at fi rst but at the end of
the day I found myself leaving them
engaged constantly!
This is not only a great multi-band
compressor but one of the nicest
hardware dynamics processors I have
used in some time. If you are in the
market for an analogue compressor, you
might want to check out the 1973 and
get three bands of awesomeness for the
price of one. Top job from Drawmer.
Drawmer 1973 FET
Compressor |
£943
Drawmer have stepped up to the plate with a fully featured multi-band
compressor. Mo Volans fi nds out how it stacks up
WHAT IS IT?
A hardware stereo FET
compressor with three
independent bands,
crossovers and
comprehensive metering
CONTACT
Who: Drawmer UK
Tel: [phone]
Web: www.drawmer.com
HIGHLIGHTS
1 Fast reacting, soft knee,
fully analogue FET design
2 Oversized backlit
VU Metering
3 Variable wet/dry mix
for perfect tuning of
overall process
SPECS
Fast reacting Soft Knee FET
design
Variable wet/dry mix control
‘Big’ and ‘Air’ modes
produce very deep lows and
sparkling highs
Two oversized analogue V.U.
meters
Dedicated gain reduction
meters on each band
Classic Drawmer build
quality with rugged steel
chassis and aluminium
front panel
VERDICT
BUILD
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
VALUE
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
EASE OF USE
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
VERSATILITY
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
RESULTS
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
A n awesome bit of hardware. With
bullet-proof build quality and
intuitive control, it’s a no-brainer.
FMU290.rev_drawmer.indd 90 25/02/2015 14:30