Drawmer MX30

[Markd102]

I have an oportunity to get one of these for a good price.

I know it's their lower end, but is it still a worthwhile piece of gear?

Thanks
Mark

[Wiggy Neve Slut]

Nah.. forget its.. its like most drawmer things IMHO and sucks ass. Its not really that good sounding IMHO.

Whilst i still think drawmer gates are THE BOMB and allways will be, none of thier other priducts really give me wood. Save your $$ and wait a while and get something more worthwhile. What si your budget and what do you want to achieve? There are lots of better alternatives imho.

Cheers
Wiggy

[Brad Lunde]

Originally posted by Wiggy Neve Slut
Nah.. forget its.. its like most drawmer things IMHO and sucks ass. Its not really that good sounding IMHO.

<SNIP>Cheers
Wiggy

Yo Wiggy! Sucks ass? That hurts! Ouch! Maybe this is the wrong statement, since the guy is looking for a very low cost solution. Maybe YOU don't like like it would be the right thing to say. What say you on the high profit Chinese stuff from most of Drawmer's competitors? Or is it that you hate most everything below 1k? If so, maybe I can understand.

Compare a Mx30 to a 266, a 1066 a Composer, a 3630 and its clearly better. Lots better. That is what it was intended to compete with. Reasonable front end, controls and markings that actually mean somethng on the front, etc, for very low $.

Now if you aren't using anything that inexpensive, then yes, you could do better. But no need to slam the brand! You've have folks believing a 1969 sucks! And that would definitely not be true.

Brad

[Markd102]

Thanks guys.

I'm after something the compliment my Buzz Audio SSA1.1
Our vocalist is VERY dynamic. I need to keep her under control while tracking.
I'd love to get Buzz's SOC1.1 but it's a bit on the pricey side. (about $3k here in OZ)
Wiggy, what do the Distressors go for here?

Mark

[Wiggy Neve Slut]

Brad.... sorry if i hurt your feelings and i realise that it may be seen as a slur on Drawmer as a brand, but there is no drawmer piece of gear that does it for me... EXCEPT the gates which are the start and end of any gating conversation with me, i have an allways will love them!........ Yes i have tried the 1969 merc edition and didnt like it.

Why dont i meat you half way and say a Drawmer DS501 'powergate' and if the gent still needs a comp for 'level' control, rather than 'punch' ill say a RNC!

Distressors are cool and VERY handy and will cope with a multitude of roles with aplomb. I have used them on vocals with great success for loud screaming males.

Cheers
Wiggy

[StuartMac]

I have to agree and disagree with Wiggy here. The MX30 may well beat the list of compressors Brad mentioned (actually, no compression at all would probably be my choice given that list) but the RNC is cheaper and far, far better. Oh, in my opinion of course.

HOWEVER.....the Drawmer 1969 is a fantastic piece for rock! I got one a few weeks ago and it's been a bit of a revelation. The original 1960 did less for me than my TL Audio C1 (which wasn't much) but this really is a different beast, and I haven't even got round to using the pres yet!

I'm surprised, Wiggy - I'd have thought it would be just up your street!

Anyway, I've thought about this a lot recently, and I've come to the conclusion that of all the compressors in my studio (not a huge amount, but I have a Distressor, an Avalon, an original Meek, the 1969 amongst others...including three RNCs) if I was only allowed to keep one of them it would be the Buzz SOC1.1. I was a wee bit surprised to realise this, but it's the one I feel can cover most ground, for the way I work etc etc. Great compressor.

[Brad Lunde]

Originally posted by Wiggy Neve Slut
Brad....<SNIP>

Why dont i meat you half way and say a Drawmer DS501 'powergate' and if the gent still needs a comp for 'level' control, rather than 'punch' ill say a RNC!

Distressors are cool and VERY handy and will cope with a multitude of roles with aplomb. I have used them on vocals with great success for loud screaming males.

Cheers
Wiggy

Wiggy, glad you aren't taking my counter personally. Look, the fellow may have been asking about a Mx30 type unit cause he needs an intenal power supply, he needs a 1U box that can be rack mounted, he needs XLR +1/4 ins and outs, he needs a simple compressor with additional simple limiter and a downward expander. Maybe its for live sound? Maybe its for??? Hard to say, there's tons of applications out there where sucha unit would be more appropriate for THAT user. The RNC is a nice unit, but it doesn't have all that stuff. The RNC is targeted as a recording unit, and it does wonderful things there. But that doesn't mean that its the right thing for all......just because its compressor sound is quite nice. The power supply is a hassle for live guys, the little box is a hassle too for rack only guys, it needs a rack shelf, etc etc. No expander, no limiter. A lot of folks still buy these kind of units because they need that stuff. That's my point. There are an amazing amount of different needs out there.

Now you don't like Drawmer, OK, no problem! That's why there is lots of gear out there. DL241's are probably the best under 1000 pro set up combo exp/comp/limiter out there right now and we supply a ton of them for live sound where it kicks major ass (not sucks ass)! Bruce Springsteen/Audio Analysts eval'd a lot of these units for his tour , bought 24 Drawmer's. I think the 241 hits that old "utility" comp for studio use, but it does not fill the distressor function. It wasn't designed for that! I have no illusions about it, nor need to bullshit people about it. 69's make a lot folks happy, especially 1176 fans. I got serious major players calling it a key piece of gear for them (like Mark Needham). Is it the end all be all? No friggin way.

So the point is, while we as individuals may not understand why someone would buy X, its often because their need is different than ours and it makes sense in their context. Mx30's may have no place in a commercial high end studio, but there are a lot of places where it "fits perfect".

Rant over.
Brad

[Markd102]

Brad

My second post above tells you what I want a compressor for.
Very dynamic vocalist means clipping on her tracks here and there. Just need some very light compression going into PTLE to keep those peeks under control.

I have a nice preamp so I don't want a comp that will harm the sound in any way. Just to sound clean on the way through and take care of those peeks when she gets a bit over zealous.

I have considered the RNC, but it is unbalanced. Is this a big drama? My cables are only about 3 feet long.

I only asked about the MX30 because I found one locally for about 1/3 of retail price.

Thanks

Mark

[Brad Lunde]

Originally posted by Markd102
Brad

<SNIP>I have considered the RNC, but it is unbalanced. Is this a big drama? My cables are only about 3 feet long.

I only asked about the MX30 because I found one locally for about 1/3 of retail price.

Thanks

Mark

It well may be zero drama if you have no RF interference. IF you do have RF sneaking in, then its an issue that leads one to balancing.
Brad