Going into testing this product I had high expectations. This is a piece from a company who has brought us a plethora of first-rate studio gear. This however, is different in that the MX60 is priced for everyone. I will start by saying that I was not disappointed.
The Drawmer MX60 Front End One is just that, a front end. Included in this one-rackspace unit is a quality preamp, gate, compressor, de-esser, peak limiter and, best of all in my opinion, “Tube Saturation” controls. These are three independent controls (Low, Mid, High) that allow you to dial in the amount of tube saturation in your signal. A little goes a long way with these controls, which means that at a low level this unit will emulate the warmth of a tube microphone. When I started to really dial in these parameters I began to get an abundance of saturation that sounded beautiful on a guitar that was plugged directly into the front of the unit. All of the dynamic options on the MX60 will sound familiar to anyone who has used some of the Drawmer line before. That is because each section is taken from other pieces of Drawmer gear (which are considerably more expensive). So everything here has been proven time and again to be top-notch quality.
I used this piece in two different studio environments. First was in a Pro Tools HD studio setup in a treated room with an expensive microphone on an expensive guitar amp. The Front End One kept up and exceeded my expectations working in line with the gear that I had. Sure. it is easy to sound good, you say, with good equipment in a controlled environment. So, I put the Drawmer to the test in a bedroom, through a M-Powered setup and the guitar direct in. I have to say I was even more impressed. I instantly Knew that this was the sound I had been lacking with my dynamics processing.
The Drawmer MX60 Front End One stood up to my tests. It proved to me that you can get great dynamics processing without breaking the bank. The MX60 is a piece with many hats. Whether you are in a commercial studio looking to expand your outboard line, or a project studio that needs something that does everything, this is the channel strip for you.
