All-analog 3-band Saturation for Your Tracks and Masters
The Drawmer 1976 is a 3-band stereo saturation and width processor that injects character, color, and life into your recordings and front-of-house mixes in a sonic style inspired by the classic gear of the 1970s. Saturation can enrich the sound of your music by adding a subtle form of distortion that adds pleasant-sounding harmonics. The all-analog saturation of the 1976 will provide the immediacy and realism that plug-ins can only dream of, while replacing the harshness and sterility of digital with warmth, punch, and fullness. As Drawmer says: "Why emulate saturation when you can have the real thing?" At Sweetwater, we couldn't agree more!
Related Videos: 1976 Stereo Saturation and Width Processor
Add depth and excitement
Inspired by the highly acclaimed saturation and width features of Drawmer's DC2476 Digital Mastering Processor, the three bands of independent saturation on the 1976 are designed to add the pleasing sonic imperfections that keep classic pro audio equipment in demand — especially in this modern era of digital workflows. Saturation is great for adding fullness to your bass lines, percussion, synths, vocals, and overall mixes; taking your music from cold and clinical to warm and vibrant. In addition, the 1976 also features three bands of stereo width control that really bring out the depth and add exciting presence to your mix — all with a single, yet comprehensive set of controls that provide genuine stereo operation.
Impart warmth, presence, and punch
In the analog era, audio ran through various pieces of hardware and each one added its own character, giving the music a pleasing sonic quality that was — and remains — much sought after. Today, in the digital age, these characteristics no longer occur naturally, lending a squeaky clean, dare we say, sterile quality to the audio. Although a step in the right direction, saturation plug-ins only emulate the harmonic distortion of vintage gear. The 1976 is the real analog deal; letting you add this character in a natural all-analog way. But the 1976 not only works magic on digital recordings; it imparts warmth, presence, and verve to any audio — analog or digital — be it drums, bass, vocals, synths, or what have you.
Saturation times three
Why 3-band saturation? Because the 1976 has three independent bands of saturation, it can isolate mix components far more effectively than single-band saturation. For example, in a finished mix, it can bring out the bass line, adding presence and growl without destroying the overall balance by adding distortion to the top end. Or it can enhance a lead vocal without making the bottom end sound muddy. You get the idea. Most world-class studios today use a hybrid workflow, leveraging the inherent advantages of a digital DAW environment, then flying out stems to an analog summing mixer. Merely passing the audio through an analog device will warm up audio; passing it through the 1976 will take the sound of your music to the next level!
Width control makes your mixes jump out of the speakers
Without stereo widening your mixes won't grab your listeners. This is where the 1976's three bands can be used to enhance the stereo field with added dimension, taking your mix from a flat wall of sound to an immersive, 3-dimensional listening experience. The 1976 makes it easy to control your mix's existing stereo elements, widening and narrowing where necessary to achieve your desired effect — and all from simply using the single stereo controls of the 1976's low, mid, and high bands. One big benefit of having independent width control for each of the bands is to permit the high frequencies to be spread across a broader soundstage without affecting the low end. The Drawmer 1976 is truly a magic box. You really owe it to yourself to hear what it can do.
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 courtesy of Drawmer. In 1982, the company 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 1976 Features:
- Powerful 3-band all-analog Saturation for adding warmth to both your digital and analog sounds
- Designed to inject character into your audio reminiscent of 1970s-era gear and remove the sanitized digital harshness
- Fully adjustable 3-band Stereo Width adds controllable depth and presence to you mix
- Fully variable crossover controls between the bands allow you to tune in to signals for different amounts of independent saturation across the full frequency range
- Genuine stereo operation with one set of controls for both channels
- Can operate in Stereo and Mono
- The Mono switch helps highlight problems within the stereo mix
- Internal low-hum Toroidal linear power supply with voltage selector switch
- Classic Drawmer build quality with rugged steel chassis and aluminum front panel
- Designed and manufactured by Drawmer in the UK
