Hi,
I just score one really cheap, I know few hate it but still when it came out i remember seeing it in many studios and many producer racks.
So users, what do you use it on? any tips? are the pres really bad or just special (I have 9 channels of real high end outboard pres+ D&R orion console, are the 1960 pres rated better than the orion?).
other compressors I have: ssl buscompressor, 1176,compex,ADL,RNC,dbx 163x

thanks,

nobody ever like it for anything?

I think the DI is great for bass!!!
That's my main reason for keeping the 1960. I never use my API DIs for that purpose.

The pres are rather slow and cloudy sounding, quite a lot of loend but not very tight. can be cool on harsh voices, overheads...

The compressor is one of the most useless ones I know. It can be okay on vox sometimes, but otherwise it just pumps and pumps. IMO not in a good way like a 1176, but in a rather unpleasent one.

The DI works... I've found the pre's and compressor are like trying to pull your audio through a sponge... but some people seem to like that sort of thing.

I'd put in the expensive mid-fi category - overpriced

there's far better options out there now;

watch out for the pots: the QC on the Drawmer and TLA gear is not the best
I've seen 2 instances of catastrophic failure on a 1960 due to bad components in new, and nearly new units.

If you've ever owned a British made car or motorcyle, you know what I mean.


D.I. is useable for bass, but not as much as the 737, IMHO

as a second line comp on non-featured tracks, it's ok.
not great, but ok

if you want a real fright, open one up and look at the cct design. & layout

Di for bass and I used it for guitars clean sound... I like the pre and comp for vocals. I ran male vox with a U-87 to the 1960. I would love to have this piece again, I regret getting rid of it, and for the price you can get it for (under $1200) great deal. I just wish I could find an all in one pre and comp to use all around and for stero mix buss.

I've had it work brilliantly a couple times - once with a sax -> voxbox and then -> drawmer 1960 in mixing. I only have pretty bad rough mix of the session here (that I have to find) but maybe I'll upload it. The other timeI has success was on when I used it in a chain with another compressor (distressor I think) where the drawmer was med-fast attack and med-slow release.

I got one myself for very good price in great condition.
I Worked with it a bit and must say also my pres and compressor arsenal is pretty cool ,I really like this beast!
The pres, I feel, are really the weak side ,although they can be useful ,for example I recorded today an upright bass with gefell um92.1s my favorite pre for the application (DACS mic pre, amazing pre nothing can do what it does!) was occupied for the drums overhead task (it was a jazz session, drums, Rhodes, bass in the same room). I tried other preamps (telefunken v676 and other) and the 1960 with a bit compression (ca. 3db) gave very nice round full sound.
I also liked the compressor on mixbuss application as long it doesn't take more than 2-3db's.
didn't check the instrument input yet...

doorstop :D

I had a 1960 for about 6 months before I sold it. I liked the compressor for light duty on a male vocal but as far as lending a sound signature from the pre. I thought the pres on my Ghost sounded better.
RL

it's not that bad ... it works on those super sibilant bright mics like the rode classic
it's good on bass ... it's also good on guitars and sometimes keys / synths

since I started using a low pass in the sidechain I've been happier with the sounds I get from it, it really opens up ... that to me is the golden 1960 tip

Yes,the S/c is heaven sent, so is the insert point between the pre an compressor. not only it allow you to insert something like ok between them,it is also possible to use it the pre while using the compressor only diffrent signal, very handy in big sessions.

I own a 1960 that I got from ebay about 8 months ago. Got it for $1100 so it was a good deal as the unit was very clean and everything seems to work... at least, so far. As fo what I think of it.. It has served me well as for accoustic guitar miking. I use a iFet7 or KM-184. I tried it on vocals but I didn't think much of the vocals. I still like my Avalon Vt-737SP for vocals and DI for bass. If you paid for a new one at $2600 or so that just seems too much for what the mic pre does. I think there is going to come a point where I am going sell it and buy a Great River. I think I would get better use out of that and seems like I would get my $1100 back from ebay as the unit is very nice.

-Gary

"it is also possible to use it the pre while using the compressor only diffrent signal"
interesting, I haven't tried that but I will sure keep that in mind thumbsup

I did get one back... can someone explain the S/C and how it "opens it up"?

just use an EQ in the sidechain (using the same signal) to control how the compressor will react to it, use a lowpass filter set at around 2.5 to 5 khz ... suddenly your highs are back

I use this box for my bass tracking aloong with the 1961 tube EQ. The DI is ok, but I'm partial to my JDV for the a direct ,then to the drawmer pre directly to the EQ. It works well on electric as well as upright. along with the EQ it's usually a chain that holds up well.

Its a bit random, but I found it sounded great on trumpet in a session once.

Go listen to the new Hubert Sumlin [legendary guitarist for Howlin Wolf and Muddy Waters] "About Them Shoes" record, which is nominated for a Grammy. A Rob Fraboni all 1960 recording for pres, comps, DI's. I think he bought like 6 of them!

I think if it was discontinued it would be a collector vintage piece. Not many units have been in production for 20 years. There were many many changes to its design and cosntruction over the years. The earliest ones where rather unstable. But units from the last 10 years are fine.

Brad

How can you tell the age of the 1960? Is there a chart with serial numbers to tell how old it is? I got mine from ebay and have no clue to how old it is.

-Gary

Kevin Shirley (black crowes, etc.) used one as a drum buss smasher when I assisted him long ago... Sounded pretty cool when mixed back in with the dry drums.

Ryan

Worked at a small studio in London where it was the only decent mic pre with an AKG solid Tube - have to play with it a lot to get the right results but a not bad work horse. . . .expensive though

I got one of the first ones to review in REP/Recording/Engineering/producing magazine way back when. First thing I noticed was to get unity gain through it the output control needed to be at +10 db.

Second thing I noticed was it is very noisy. Too noisy for digital, maybe OK for analog tape/no noise reduction. With so many problems and very poor Audio Precision test results, the editor decided to send it back to Drawmer for "revisions" rather than beat it up in an honest review. Never did get a fixed one back.

Let's all hope they fixed these problems and that you don't have one of these models.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

Like someone else said, everything I run through it seems to get "slowed down". That can work for some things, obviously.

Check this thread , its a Camparison between different Mic pres. You can compare the Drawmer 1960 with Neve, Amek, etc

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-mu...-tl-audio.html

I started this thread 3 years ago...
in the meanwhile I used in million times and i love it, it is not my go to pre or comp (I guess I also have too many of those heh ) but it is very cool on many application:
the pres are just perfect with some mics that otherwise dont work for me for example u87->1960 give me the sound i want on crunch e-gtr (though for this application u87->daking pre/eq happening more often because of the great EQ)
b&o stereo mic for overhead->1960+the compressor doing 5-6db GR is really a magic effect.
the DI box is really cool effect, I use it as a distortion box in mixdown.
the compressor is extream slow but it is my go to compressor when I want to get wurlitzer or rhodes sound punchy.

I use it for recording Toms and haven't found much use for it on anything else, simply because I only like the sound of it when the pres are in the red. With a touch of compression - it sounds kinda like a 1/4 inch. heh

(If you can be bothered) Check out 'Shannon's Cannon' by Touriste on iTunes if you wanna hear it on vocals.

The 1960 is very distinctive sounding.

2 more things...

The EQ is nastyyyyyyyyy.

Has anyone changed the valves and noticed a difference?

I've got an consistent though intermittent sound of a tube failing on one of the channels on this unit, but it's for sure not any of the tubes...my tech has replaced all the caps and a bunch of components & can't find the source...anybody have any ideas...? It's present with or without audio passing through the unit and is not affected by which input source is selected.

thanks.


I know there are a lot of haters out there with this baby, but for me, I likey on parallel compression, bass & toms...

There is almost no way to guess. Intermittents are the hardest to find on any piece of gear. My best suggestion is to send it to Thermal Relief here in Las Vegas. They do all our warranty work for us, fix more Drawmer than anyone. I am certain they can find it and fix it. They've pretty much seen it all.

Brad