DRAWMER DS501 – Power Gate

The DS501 is a sophisticated dual channel noise gate with fully tuneable \'Peak Punch\' incorporating a number of features pioneered by Drawmer, which are invaluable to the sound engineer, and not found on conventional noise gates.

• \'Tuneable\' Peak Punch.
• Variable high pass and low pass filters for \"frequency conscious\" gating.
• Comprehensive envelope control, attack, hold, decay, and range.
• Key input for external triggering.
• \"Key Listen\" facility.
• Extremely fast attack time, to preserve the natural attack of the sound.
• Balanced inputs and outputs.
• Stereo linkable.
• Can be used for \"Gating\" or \"Ducking\".
• High audio specification.

Positioned in the Drawmer range over the industry standard DS201 Dual Gate, the DS501 Power Gate features a new dual mode ‘tuneable’ Peak Punch processing section on each channel. In tuneable mode a fully variable frequency selector with a range from 75Hz to 16kHz allows the user to shape the transients of the gated signal and ‘tune-in’ to the particular area of the audio spectrum where the Peak Punch is to be active. In addition a variable ‘more’ control allows the user to tailor the amount of processing. A secondary Full Band Peak Punch mode is also available.

Designed principally for drum and percussive gating applications, tuneable Peak Punch makes it possible to add transient punch to frequencies lacking in individual drum sounds, adding greater definition and presence to the gated signal. Using low frequency Peak Punch adds depth to thin drums, whilst higher frequency Peak Punch can dynamically emphasise rim shots or the ‘crack’ of a snare drum. Setting up noise gates can be tedious and unrewarding. For example, when attempting to separate a signal from unwanted noise or crosstalk that is relatively high in level, spurious triggering of the gate by unwanted components within the sound can be a serious problem. This can often be experienced in the studio when recording a drum kit. If a gate is used to clean up the snare drum sound it is quite likely that the nearby hi-hats will spill into the snare drum microphone and cause the gate to open. Increasing the threshold level may cure this problem, but then there is a very real danger that any quieter snare drum beats may not cause the gate to open at all and the performance can easily be ruined.

The DRAWMER solution to this problem is the inclusion of two variable filters, one high-pass and one low-pass, which act upon the side-chain keying circuitry. By setting the output switch to key listen the user can hear the action of the filters and adjust them to reject high frequency spillage from the hi-hats. This now enables the gate to only open on the lower frequencies present in the snare drum.

The very fast attack of the DS501 means that it can open in a matter of micro seconds, thus preserving the natural attack of whatever sound is being gated and the comprehensive envelope controls mean that the gain can be changed at whatever rate best suits the material being processed. With vocals for example, a fairly fast attack is needed so as not to clip the leading consonants but a slower release time will prevent the end of words being clipped off and will also fade out any noise gradually rather than cutting it off abruptly. This latter point is very important as the human ear is far more sensitive to rapidly changing noise levels than to a constant low level noise.

Another important role played by the gate is in the reshaping of existing sounds. An example of this might involve a simple sampling delay line used to store a sound to be re-triggered later and added to a mix. A gate can be used to impart a slower attack or faster decay to the sound and careful setting of the decay envelope can effectively hide any noise present at the end of the sample. When using a sampler or drum machine the gate can be considered a triggered envelope shaper, and the wide range allowed by the envelope controls make the DS501 ideal for this application.

The unit can be switched to accept a key input, which allows the gate to be triggered externally. An example of this would be to use a snare drum signal to open the gate on a separate ambient microphone to create a natural alternative to gated reverb.

Each channel can be individually switched from Gating to Ducking for \'voice over\' applications or the removal of \'clicks\' and \'pops\'.

Interactive Reference-Class 2-Channel Expander/Gate/Compressor/ Peak Limiter with
Integrated De-Esser, Dynamic Enhancer, Tube Simulation and Low Contour Filter 

Whether you?re recording, mixing or mastering, the COMPOSER PRO-XL MDX2600
gives you total dynamic control. It includes all of the features you would expect from
a reference class compressor?plus a voice-adaptive de-esser, a new dynamic
enhancer, authentic tube emulation and much more. These are some of the indispensable
tools for producing clean, consistent audio with virtually no loss in signal quality.

Features:
Switchable IKA (Interactive Knee Adaptation) program-adaptive compression circuitry
combines the advantages of hard-knee and soft-knee characteristics
Integrated de-esser with switchable male/female voice recognition removes excessive
sibilance from your vocal tracks
IGC (Interactive Gain Control) peak limiting circuitry combines clipper and program
limiter for reliable and inaudible protection against signal peaks
Switchable dynamic enhancer for brilliant, lively audio even with heavy compression
IRC (Interactive Ratio Control) expander/gate circuitry for virtually inaudible
noise suppression
Switchable tube simulation for the extra warmth and transparency of classic
tube circuitry
Automatically or manually adjustable attack and release times
Switchable low contour filter prevents "pumping" due to low-frequency
dominated compression
Stereo couple function with independent output level settings
Switchable side chain input with side chain monitor function
Ultra low-noise 4580 operational amplifiers and state-of-the-art THAT¬ VCA's
Separate 12-segment LED meters for input/output levels and gain reduction
Dedicated "traffic light" threshold and de-esser level displays
High-quality detented ALPS¬ potentiometers and illuminated switches
Servo-balanced inputs and outputs with ? in. TRS and gold-plated XLR
connectors
Relay-controlled hard bypass switch with auto bypass function in case
of power failure
Manufactured under ISO9000 certified management system
 

The Multicom Pro-XL MDX4600 gives you 4 channels of first-class dynamic
control in a single rack space. With a multitude of new features like the
advanced program-adaptive expander gate, extensive metering plus a variety
of configuration options, the Multicom Pro-XL puts a lot of dynamic processing
power in your rack.

Features
Switchable IKA (Interactive Knee Adaptation) program-adaptive compression
circuitry combines the advantages of hard-knee and soft-knee characteristics
IRC (Interactive Ratio Control) expander/gate circuitry for virtually inaudible noise
suppression
Switchable dynamic enhancer for brilliant, lively audio even with heavy compression
IGC (Interactive Gain Control) peak limiting circuitry combines clipper and program
limiter for reliable and inaudible protection against signal peaks
Switchable low contour filter prevents "pumping" due to low-frequency dominated
compression
Stereo couple function selectable for channels 1/2 and 3/4
Ultra low-noise 4580 operational amplifiers and state-of-the-art THAT¬ VCA's
Separate 8-segment LED meters for input/output levels and gain reduction
Selectable operating level (+4 dBu/-10 dBV)
High-quality detented ALPS¬ potentiometers and illuminated switches
Servo-balanced inputs and outputs with ? in. TRS and gold-plated XLR
connectors
Manufactured under ISO9000 certified management system

Shure DP11EQE Dynamics Processor Specification:

    GENERAL:
        Frequency Response: 20 to 20k Hz +/- 1.0 dB re 1 kHz
        Dynamic Range: 104 dB minimum, A-weighted, 20 Hz to 20 kHz
        Sampling Rate: 48 kHz
        Digital-to-Analog, Analog-to-Digital Conversion: 20 bit resolution
    Voltage Gain:
        1 dB +/- 1dB (power off)
        12 dB +/- 2 dB (input 10 dBV, output +4 dBu)
        12 dB +/- 2 dB (input +4 dBu, output 10 dBv)
        0 dB +/- 2 dB (equal input and output sensitivities)
    Impedance:
        Input: 47 kilohms +/- 20% actual
        Output: 120 ohms +/- 20% actual
    Input Clipping Level
        +18 dBu minimum (at +4 dBu setting)
        +6 dBV minimum (at 10 dBV setting)
    Output Clipping Level
        +18 dBu minimum (at +4 dBu setting)
        +6 dBV minimum (at 10 dBV setting)
    Total Harmonic Distortion
            LED Signal Indicators
        Signal: 40 dB
        Clip: 6 dB down from input clipping
    Propagation Delay from Input to Ouput
        0.8 ms (all filters flat, no dynamics processing, 0 ms delay), up to 2.1 ms (all processing enabled)
    Polarity
        Input to output: inverting optional (default: non-inverting)
        XLR: pin 2 positive with respect to pin 3
        1/4-inch TRS: tip positive with respect to ring
    Operating Voltage
        DP11EQ: 120 Vac, 50/60 Hz, 50 mA max
        DP11EQE: 230 Vac, 50/60 Hz, 25 mA max
        DP11EQJ: 100 Vac, 50/60 Hz, 50 mA max
    Temperature Range
        Operating: 0 degrees to 60 degrees C (32 degrees to 140 degrees F)
    Fuse
        DP11EQ: 120 Vac. Fuse: 100 mA, 250V time delay
        DP11EQE: 230 Vac. Fuse: 50 mA, 250 V time delay
        DP11EQJ: 100 Vac. Fuse: 100 mA, 250 V time delay
    Dimensions
        219 mm x 137 mm x 44 mm (8-5/8 in x 5-3/8 in x 1-3/4 in)
        Weight: 930 g (2.05 lbs)
    DYNAMICS PROCESSOR
        Gate and Expander:
        Threshold: 72 to 1 dB, 0.5 dB resolution
        Attack: 1.0 to 200 ms
        Decay: 0.05 to 1 second
        Gate Hold Time: 0 to 0.5 seconds
    AGC Leveler
        Threshold: 72 to 1 dB, 0.5 dB resolution
        Attack: 0.2 to 3 seconds
        Decay: 0.5 to 5 seconds
        Hinge: Threshold to 1 dB, 0.5 dB resolution
    Compressor and Limiter
        Threshold: 72 to 1 dB, 0.5 dB resolution
        Attack: 1.0 to 200 ms
        Decay: 0.05 to 1 second
        Knee: Hard or Soft selectable
    No Overshoot Peak Limiter
        Propagation delay: 1 ms
        Threshold: 72 to 1 dB, 0.5 dB resolution
        Attack: 0 msDecay: 100 ms
    PARAMETRIC EQUALIZER
        Parametric Filter Frequency Bands
        Up to 9 bands, variable frequency, variable Q
    Boost/Cut Range
        +6 dB to 18 dB per band
        Q Range
        1/40-octave to 2 octave
    High and Low Shelf/Cut Filters
        Shelf, +6 to 18 dB per filter
        Cut, 12 dB per octave nominal
    DELAY
        Up to 1.3 seconds, 21 microsecond resolution