Motown EQ/Compressor for Your 500 Series Rack
For devotees of the “Motown Sound,” the British company Drawmer offers a couple of unique products inspired by the 1960s design built in-house at Motown Studios in Detroit. The MQ-1 is a single-channel, all-analog, 500 Series 7-band proportional-Q parametric equalizer, while the MQ-2 is a stereo module with the same EQ specifications plus a program-dependent, one-knob compressor. The seven bands of EQ are set at the highly musical frequencies of the Motown original and offer up to 10dB of boost or cut. Thusly spec’d, the MQ-2 can deliver an essential ingredient of the sound that launched hundreds of hit records. But never content to leave well enough alone, Drawmer added a secret weapon that, when deployed, turns the MQ-2 into a sonic firecracker.
Related Videos: MQ-2 Stereo 7-band 500 Series EQ/Compressor
Feel the Crush
Appropriately, the “Crush” button is big and red to alert you that something transformative will happen when you push it. The MQ-2’s Crush circuit infuses signals with euphonic even-order harmonic saturation and classic analog warmth that beefs up any source material with vintage-flavored character. Specifically, it fattens the bass, thickens the midbass, adds presence to the mids, and imparts shimmer and sheen to the top end. And the harder you drive the MQ-2, the more Crush you get, so Drawmer thoughtfully added a convenient Gain control you can use in tandem with the onboard compression amount dial to modulate the overall sound. Add to that an Order button that lets you swap EQ and compression in the signal path plus gain-reduction and stereo level LED meters, and you have a uniquely powerful signal processing unit packed into a tidy double-wide 500 Series module. Designed and manufactured in England, the Drawmer MQ-2 delivers the warm, punchy, classic analog sound every studio needs.
Drawmer: a legacy of pro audio innovation
Designed and crafted in the UK, Drawmer gear is sought after for its no-compromise design, build quality, and performance. Listen to your favorite music, and you’re likely hearing signal processing by Drawmer. In 1982, Drawmer introduced its first product, the Model DS201 — the world’s first frequency-dependent noise gate — which transformed the humble gate into a powerful creative tool that would go on to play an important role in today’s music production. Two years later, Drawmer launched the 1960, a 2-channel tube preamp/DI/compressor that delivered the sonic character of coveted vintage units along with the speed and comprehensive controls modern engineers require. Since then, Drawmer has innovated with advanced technologies that address the challenges of maintaining analog warmth and musicality in the age of DAW-based production. Today, Drawmer products are used by top artists, engineers, and producers the world over. Sweetwater is proud to present to you this distinguished lineup of high-performance signal processing equipment.
Drawmer MQ-2 Features:
- Stereo 500 Series 7-band parametric EQ/compressor
- Double-wide module with all-analog circuitry
- Proportional-Q equalizer design
- Warm, punchy, vintage-flavored sound
- Inspired by the “Motown EQ” of the 1960s
- Highly musical frequency bands of the original
- 10dB boost or cut per band
- Crush mode adds harmonic saturation
- Program-dependent 1-knob compressor
- Order button swaps EQ and compressor in the signal path
- Gain control and hard-wired bypass
- GR and Stereo Level LED meters
- Designed and manufactured in the UK
