Drawmer MC2.1 User Manual

DRAWMER

CONTENTS

Warranty
Safety Consideration
Radio Frequencies Statement

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Chapter 1 - Introduction

Introduction
Ins talla tion
Power Con nection
Portable Applinace Testing
Audio Connection
Typical Con nection Guide

Chapter 2 - Control Description

Contol Description Intro
MC2.1 Controls
Monitor Calibra tion
Mix Checking Tips

Chapter 3 - General Information

If a fault develops
Contacting Drawmer
Specification
Block Diagram

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DRAWMER

2

Thi s m a nual is c op yri gh ted © 20 13 by Drawmer El ec t r on ic s Ltd. W ith all r i g hts rese rved. Un der copyright
laws, no part of t hi s public ation may b e reproduce d, transmitted, stored in a retrieval syste m or translated
into any language in any form by any means, mechanical, optical, electronic, recording, or otherwise,
witho ut th e w ri tte n p ermiss io n of Dr awm e r E le c tr oni c s Lt d.

ONE YEAR LIMITED WARRA NTY

COPYRIGHT

Drawmer Electr on ics Ltd. , warr ants the D ra wmer MC2 .1 Mon itor
Controller to conform substantially to the specifications of this

manual for a period of one y ear fr om the or iginal dat e of purcha se
when used in accordance with the specifications detailed in t his
manual. In the case of a valid warranty claim, your sole and exclusive
remedy and Drawmer’s entire liability under any theor y of liability will
be to, at Drawmer’s discretion, repair or replace the product without
charge, or, if not possible, to refund the purchase price to you. This
warranty is not transferable. It applies only to the original purchaser
of the product.

For warranty service please call your local Drawm er dealer.
Alternatively call Drawmer Electronics Ltd. at [phone].
Then ship the defective product, with transportation and insurance
charges pre -paid, to Dr awmer Electr onics Ltd., Cole man Street,
Parkgate, Rotherham, S62 6EL UK. Write the RA number in large
letters in a pr ominent position on the shipping bo x . Enclose y our
name, address, telephone number, copy of the original sales invoice
and a detailed description of the problem. Drawmer will not accept
responsib ility fo r loss or damage durin g tra nsit.

This warranty is void if the product has been damaged by misuse,
modification, unauthorised repair or installed with other equipment
that proved to be faulty.

THIS WARRANTY I S IN LI EU OF ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER
ORAL O R WRIT TE N, EXPRES SED, I MPL I ED OR STA T U TO R Y .
DRAWMER MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTY EITHER
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION,
ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANT ABILIT Y, FI TN ESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.
PURCHASER’S SOLE AND EXCLUSI VE REMEDY UNDER TH IS
WARRANTY SHALL BE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT AS
SPECIFIED HEREI N.
IN NO EVENT W ILL DRAW MER ELECTRONICS LTD. BE LIABLE
FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIA L, INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RES ULTING FROM ANY
DEFECT IN THE PRODUCT, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS,
DAMAGE TO PRO PERT Y, AN D, T O T HE EXT ENT PERMIT T ED
BY LAW, DAMAGE FOR PERSONAL INJURY, EVEN IF
DRAWMER HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
SUCH DAM AGE S.

Some states and specific coun tries do no t allow the exclusion of
implied warranties or limitations on how long an implied warranty may
last, so the above limitations may not apply to y ou. T his warranty giv es
you specific legal rights. You may hav e additional rights that var y from
state to state, and country to country .

FEDERAL COMMUNICA TI ONS COMMISSION RADIO

FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE ST A TE MENT

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits
for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interfere nce in a residenti al installation. T his equipment
generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.
If this equipment does cause interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off an
on, then the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by
one or more of the following measures:

Re-orient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver .
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that

to which the receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an exper ienced radio/TV technician for help.

Unauthorised changes or modification to this system can void the
users’ authority to operate this equipment.
This equipment requires shielded interface cables in order to meet
FCC class B limit .

CLASS B NOTICE

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio
noise emissions set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the
Canadian Department of Communications.

CLASSE B AVIS

Cet appareil numérique ne dépasse pas les limites de la classe B au
niveau des émissions de bruits radioélectriques fixés dans le
Règlement de s signaux pa rasite s par l e ministère Cana dien d es
Communications.

For the USA

For Canada

SAFETY CONSID ERA T

DO NO T O PEN. RE FER A LL SE RVICING TO QUALI FIED SER VICE PERSO NNE L.

TO REDU CE RISK OF FIRE/ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT EXPOS E THIS EQUIPMENT TO MOIST URE.

DO NOT A TTEMPT TO CHANGE OR TAMPER WITH THE SUPPLIED MAINS CABLES.

TO R EDU CE T H E R ISK O F FIRE REPL AC E T HE MAINS FUSE S ONLY WIT H A FUSE T H AT

CONFORMS TO IEC127-2 . 2 50 VO LT W OR KIN G, TIME DE LAY TYPE AND BO DY SIZE OF 2 0m m x

5mm . THE MAINS INPUT FUSE MUST BE RAT ED AT T31 5mA at 115V and T16 0mA at 315V.

CAUTION - SERVICING

WARNING

WARNING

WAR NING

IONS

In the interests of product development, Drawmer reserve the right to modify

or improve specifications of this product at any time, without prior notice.

MC2.1 - Monitor Controll er

3

DRAWMER

CHAPT ER 1

MC2.1 Monitor Controller

With the Drawmer MC2.1 Monitor Controller incorporated into your system you
combine the clarity, fidelity and transparency of th e highest quality monitoring circuit
with the complexity of a host of mix checking features. It is versatile and intuitive, but
above everything else, where the Drawm er MC2.1 excels is in it’s accuracy and
ability to faithfully reproduce what has been recorded.

The MC2.1 incorp orates fo ur inputs with three stereo balanced speaker outputs,
plus a dedicated mono speaker/sub-woofer output each with individual left/right
trims under the u nit to provide complete control over level matching. T he active
circuit has been designed to faithfully produce the audio signal whilst removing
many of the problems that a passive circuit will bring. In addition, it has a host of
mix checking features not often found on other controllers, such as individual left/
right c ut, as well as two separat e headphone amplifiers and a talkback fac ility,
making the MC2.1 a true engineers tool.
Drawmer MC2.1 Monitor Controller Features at a Glance:

Ultra low noise and transparent circuit design. Linear power supply with low
hum toro id al transformer and internal voltage selector switch.

3 stereo balanced speaker outputs, plus a dedicated mono speaker/sub-woofer
output. All have individual left & right trims under the unit to provide complete
control over level matching.

Timed relay protection on all speaker outputs to prevent p ower u p/down bangs.
Comprehensive mix checking facilities including Left/Rig ht Cut, Phase Reverse,

Mono, Dim, Mute.
Paralleled custom quad pots on main and headph one level controls for exc ellent

chann el matching and smooth feel.
Four inputs including balanced Neutrik XLR, balanced Neutrik XLR/JACK COMBI,

and shared aux p hono or 3.5mm jack.
Two headpho ne amplifiers with individ ual level co ntrols.

Built in talk back microphone with level control, mono output jack and internal
headphone routing.

Rugged steel chassis and stylish black brushed aluminium cover. Can be stacked
and is rack mountable (using a 2U mounting kit).

Dimension s: L 272mm x W 215mm x H 81mm. W eight: 2.5kg.

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Wh ether you’re m astering a cd/dvd, recording, checking a mix for balance and e.q,
doing A/B comparisons, plus a mu ltitude of other tasks, you’ll have spent weeks
designi ng the perfect studio envir onment and a fortune on acti ve speakers , dynamics
processors, various microphone and preamplifier combinations as well as a whole
room full oth er gear, one thing is for sure - a monitor controller is central to every
recording setup and probably the most important element of the entire signal
chain - providing the ‘reference’ listening signal that enables the user to achieve
the optimal mic placements, the perfect balance and EQ etc. There is one thing
that should always be abso lutely guaranteed - that you can rely on the accuracy of
your monitor controller.

It is imperative that what you’ve recorded is exactly what you hear - this is the
philosophy that is at the heart of the design of the MC2.1. A monitor controller
should certainly not degrade the quality of a recording in any way, but it should not
artificially improve it either, otherwise how are you supposed to trust anyth ing that
you’re recording. You may have come across the term WYSIWYG as used in web
design - ‘what you see is what you get’ - we would like to thin k that the MC2.1 is the
audio equivalent to this term - ‘What You R ecord Is W hat You Get’.

Active vs. Passive Circuits

Th ere is a great deb ate as to whic h is b est - a pass ive or act ive mon itor co ntr ol
circuit. The theory is that passive monitor controllers must be best, sinc e th ey
do not add transformers or other components to the signal p ath, along with the
noise a nd dis t ort i on tha t t hey ca n br ing, howe ver they hav e severe dis advantages
over active circuits. The most significant is that the output impedance of the
connected source equipment and the input impedance of the power amp or
active speaker will affect th e working s of the passive c ontroller - each needs
buffering to remain r eliable and consistent, otherwise level matching problems
will be inevitable. Since even the best cables have capacitance, it is extremely
important to keep cable lengths to an ab solute min imum (i.e. less than a couple
of meters) to avoid signal degradation especially in high frequency signals.
Lo ng c able s will a ct lik e a sim ple lo w fr equ ency f ilter.
Furthermore, it is incredibly difficult to get a m ono sig nal from a passive circuit
without affecting the sound so any kind of reliable mix checking becomes near
imp os sib le.

Active designs make it easier and more reliable to guarantee a high performance
level as the signal attenuation and switching is actively buffered, as well as
providing complete control over distortions, crosstalk, frequency response, and
transient fidelity. Moreover, cable lengths of tens of meters should not be an
issue. Fu rthermore, it makes it possible to introduce mix checking features th at
would otherwise be missing. The disadvantage with active monitor con trollers
is that the electronics have the potential to introduce noise and distortion.
Designing a clean monitor control system is far from simple, however, using
only the very best components and clever circuit design, with the Drawmer
MC2.1 we have overcome all of these problems and managed to combine the
best of both - whilst retaining the transparency and responsiveness that a
passive circuit would bring with the advantages of an active one.

MC2.1 - Monitor Controll er

5

DRAWMER

INSTALLATION

The MC2.1 is a free standing, desktop unit, with c ontrols and headphone jacks on
the front panel and all other inputs and outputs on the rear. Multiple units can be
stacked whilst sitting on the desk, however, the MC2.1 c an be screwed to the desk
or into a stand ard 19” rack (using a 2U mounting kit).

Note that whether fixing to a desk or to a rack the speaker trims on the base of the
unit will not be accessible and so the calibration procedure should be carried out
before fastenin g the MC2.1 in plac e (see ‘Monitor Calibration’).

Screwing the MC2.1 to
a desk.

Rather than having the
MC2.1 free standing it
can be fastened down to
a desk by utilising the
holes that hold the
rubber feet to the
underside.

Drill four holes into the
desk, at 4mm in
diameter and to the
dimensions as sh own in
the diagram. (Note th at
the diagram is viewed
fro m above).

Pushing four screws
through the under-side
of the desk screw the
MC2.1, including the
rubber feet, to the panel
to secure. The screws
should be M3 and have
a length of 14mm plus
the thickness of the panel.

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The MC2.1 unit will be sup plied with a power c ab le suitable for domestic power

POWER CONNECTION

outlets in your country. For your own safety, it is important that you use this cable to
connect to the mains supply earth. The cable must not be tampered with or modified.

The power supply socket has an integral fuse drawer containing the power fuse of
the same value, to suit the mains voltage for which the unit has been supplied.
Removal of the drawer is only possible with the power cord removed. The fuse
should never blow under normal operation. If the fuse is suspected of having blown,
then a fault will have occurred and this fault condition should be inspected by a
qualified service engineer. When replacing the fuse, always comply with the Safety
Instructions.

If the unit is to be used with a mains input operating voltage different to that for which
the unit is supplied, the following procedure must be carried out b y a techn ically
competent p erson :

1: Disconnect the unit from the mains.
2: Using a number 1 size pozidrive screwdriver, remove the eig ht screws that

retain the top cover. Two screws are found along each side and four on the top.
3: W ith the cover removed slide the voltage change-over switch (S14) until the

correct (or nearest) mains input voltage is visible on the switch actuator. The
switch is located to the top right of the main circuit board between the mains
I.E.C. and toroidal transformer.

For conversion to 115V olt AC

(previously set to 230V olt AC).....

4a: Exchange the 160mA fuse below the mains
socket for a similar type rated at 315mA

For conversion to 230Volt AC

(previously set to 115V olt AC).....

4b: Exchange the 315mA fuse below the mains
socket for a similar type rated at 160mA

In all cases:

5: Repla ce the top cover usi ng the eight scr ews.
6: Re-connect to mains power source.

PORTABLE APPLIANCE TESTING

To undergo a Portable Appliance Testing proceedure (commonly known as "PAT",
"PAT Inspection" or "PAT Testing") use any one of the screws that hold the feet to the
bottom of the unit. These screws connect directly to the chassis and provide the
earthing point. If required, the foot can be removed and the cavity probed, or the
screw can be replaced for something more suited to the job, such as a spade
terminal with a M3 thread.

MC2.1 - Monitor Controll er

7

DRAWMER

AUDIO CONNECTIONS

• Interference:
If the unit is to be used where it maybe exposed to high levels of disturbance
such as found close to a TV or radio transmitter, we advise that the unit is
operated in a balanced c onfiguratio n. The screens of the signal cables should
be connected to the chassis connection on the XLR connector as opposed to
connecting to pin1. The MC2.1 conforms to the EMC standards.

• Ground Loops:
If ground loop problems are encountered, never disconnect the mains earth,
but instead, try disconnecting the signal screen on one end of each of the
cables connectin g the o utputs of the MC2.1 to the patchbay. If such measures
are necessary, balanced op eration is recommend ed.

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