DRAWMER / DS201

The world's first to achieve ""frequency detection operation,"" this model is truly synonymous with DRAWMER and noise gates. It's a classic noise gate loved by engineers worldwide.

Features

* Dual-channel stereo linking is possible.

* Proprietary variable low-pass/high-pass filters prevent gate triggering issues caused by unwanted frequency range signals or microphone bleed from nearby cymbals or snares.

* Allows for detailed envelope parameter settings (ATTACK, HOLD, DECAY), expanding the possibilities of this unit as a new effect unit such as gate reverb.

* Fast attack time preserves the natural attack of the program source.

* Each channel can be switched from GATING to DUCKING, which can be used for attenuating background music in conjunction with narration, or for removing clicks and pop noises.

* Equipped with a key input terminal that allows external triggering of the gate (with KEY LISTEN for monitoring key input).

Specifications

* Input: BAL XLR/20KΩ/ 21dBu(max)

* Output: BAL XLR/50Ω/ 21dBu(max)

* Frequency Response: 23Hz-31kHz/-1dB

* Dynamic Range: 116dB

* Noise: -95dB (22Hz-22kHz)

* Distortion: Less than 0.025% (100Hz-10kHz)

* Power Supply: AC100V/5W

* Dimensions: W482 x H44 x D178 (mm)

* Weight: 2.7kg

The DS201 has become an industry standard worldwide due to its ease of use.

Setting up a noise gate can be cumbersome and unrewarding. For example, when trying to isolate a signal from relatively high levels of unwanted noise or crosstalk, spurious triggering of the gate by unwanted components in the sound can be a serious problem. This is a common experience when recording a drum kit in a studio. If you use a gate to clean up the snare drum sound, a nearby hi-hat often gets into the snare drum's microphone, causing the gate to open. Raising the threshold level might solve this problem, but in that case, the gate might not open at all for smaller snare drum beats, easily ruining the performance.

DRAWMER's solution to this problem is to incorporate two variable filters, a high-pass and a low-pass, that act on the sidechain keying circuit. By setting the output switch to key-listen, the user can hear the filter in action and adjust it to remove high frequencies spilling out from the hi-hat. This ensures the gate only opens at the low frequencies present in the snare drum.

Drawmer is a pioneer in frequency-conscious gating, and the Drawmer DS201 was the first noise gate to feature this functionality.

The DS201's extremely fast attack allows it to open in microseconds, preserving the natural attack of the gated sound, and comprehensive envelope control allows you to change the gain at the optimal speed for the material being processed. For example, with vocals, a fairly fast attack is needed to avoid clipping the initial consonant, but by slowing the release time, you can prevent the end of the word from being clipped and allow the noise to fade out gradually rather than abruptly cut off. This latter point is crucial because the human ear is far more sensitive to rapidly changing noise levels than to a constant low level of noise.

Another important role of a gate is reshaping existing sounds. For example, you can save a sound using a simple sampling delay line and later re-trigger it to add to your mix. Also, by carefully setting the decay envelope, you can effectively hide noise present at the end of a sample. When using a sampler or drum machine, the gate can be thought of as a triggered envelope shaper, and the DS201 is well-suited for this purpose due to its wide envelope control tolerance.

The unit can be switched to a key input, allowing the gate to be triggered externally. For example, you can use the snare drum signal to open the gate of another ambient microphone, creating a natural alternative to gated reverb.

Each channel can be individually switched from gating to ducking, and can be used for ""voiceover"" applications or to remove ""clicks"" and ""pops.""