Drawmer MC7.1 User Manual

DRAWMER

CONTENTS

Warranty
Safety Consideration
Radio Frequencies Statement

Chapter 1 - Introduction

Introduction
Installation
Power Connection
Security
Portable Appliance Testing
Audio Connection
Typical Connection Guide

Chapter 2 - Control Description

Contol Description Intro
Monitor Calibration
Mix Checking Tips

Chapter 3 - General Information

If a fault develops
Contacting Drawmer

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SURROUND MONITOR CONTROLLER

MC7.I

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MC7.1 - Surround Monitor Controller

COPYRIGHT

This manual is copyrighted © 2017 by Drawmer Electronics Ltd. W ith all rights reserved. Under copyright
laws, no part of this publ ication may be reproduced, transmitted, stored in a retrieval system or translated
into any language in any form by any means, mechanical, optical, electronic, recording, or otherwise,
without the written perm is sion of Drawmer Electr onics Ltd.

Drawmer Electronics Ltd., warrants the Drawmer MC7. 1 Surround
Monitor Controller to confo rm substa ntially to the speci fications of
this manual for a period of one year from the original date of purchase
when used in accordance with the specifications detailed in this
manual. In the case of a valid warranty claim, your sole and exclusive
remedy and Drawm er’s entire liabilit y under any theory of liabil ity will
be to, at Drawm er’s discretion, repair or replace the product with out
charge, o r, if not possibl e, to refund the purchase price to you. This
warranty is not transfer able. It applies only to the ori ginal purchas er
of the product.

For warranty service please call your local Drawmer dealer.
Alternat ively c all Drawm er Electronics L td. at [phone].
Then ship t he defecti ve product , with transportation and insuran ce
charges pre-paid, to Drawmer Electronics Ltd., Coleman Street,
Parkgate, Rotherham , S62 6EL UK . Write the RA number in l arge
letters in a prominent position on the shipping box. Enclose your
name, address, telephone number, copy of the original s ales invoice
and a detailed descri ption of the problem. Drawm er will not acce pt
responsi bili ty for loss or damage during transit.

This warranty is void if the product has been damaged by misuse,
modif ication, una uthorised re pair or install ed with othe r equi pment
that proved to be faulty.

THIS W ARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL W ARRANTIES, WHETHER
ORAL OR WRITTEN, EXPRESSED, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY.
DRAWMER MAKES NO OTHER W ARRANTY EITHER
EXPRE SS OR IMPLIED, INCL UDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION,
ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.
PURCHASER’S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY UNDER THIS
WARRANTY SHALL BE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT AS
SPECIFIED HEREIN.
IN NO E V EN T W IL L D RAW M E R EL E CTR ON ICS LTD . B E L IA BL E
FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM ANY
DEFECT IN THE PRODUCT, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS,
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY, AND, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED
BY LAW, DAMAGE FOR PERSONAL INJURY, EVEN IF
DRAWMER HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
SUCH DAMAGES.

Some states and specific countries do not allow the exclusion of
implied warranties or limitations on how long an implied warranty may
last, so the above limitations may not apply to you. This warranty gives
you specific legal rights. You may have additional rights that vary from
state to state, and co untry to country.

For the USA

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION RADIO

FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE STATEMENT

This equipment has been t ested and found to com ply w ith the limits
for a Cl ass B digit al device, pursuant to P art 15 of the FCC Rules.
These lim its are d esigned to provide reas onable protec tion agains t
harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment
generat es, uses a nd can radiat e radi o frequenc y energy and, if not
inst alled and us ed in acc ordan ce with the instructi ons, may cause
harmful i nterference to radio com munications . However, there is no
guarantee th at interference wil l not occur in a parti cular installation.
If this equipment does cause interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning the equi pment off an
on, then the us er is encouraged to t ry to correct the inte rference by
one or mo re of the following mea sures:

Re-orie nt or relo cate the receiving a ntenna.

Increase the separation bet ween the equipment and the receiver.

Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that
to wh ich the rec eiver is conne cted.

Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technicia n for help.

Unauthorised changes o r modifi cation to th is system can void the
users’ authority to operate this equipment.
This equip ment requires shielded i nterface cable s in order to meet
FCC class B limit.

For Canada

CLASS B NOTICE

This di gital a pparatus do es not exceed the Cl ass B limits fo r radi o
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 lim ites de la classe B au
niveau des émissions de bruits radioélectriques fixés dans le
Règlement des signaux parasites par le ministère Canadien des
Communications.

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

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

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

CAUTION - SERVICING

DO NOT OPEN. REFER ALL SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

WARNING

TO REDUCE RISK OF FIRE/ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO MOISTURE.

WARNING

DO NOT ATT EMPT TO CHANGE O R TAMPER WITH THE SUPPLIED POWER SUPPLY OR CABLES.

WARNING

THERE ARE NO USER REPLACEABLE FUSES WITHIN EITHER THE MC7.1 OR IT’S SUPPLIED

POW ER SUPPLY. IF FOR ANY REASO N THE MC7.1 CEASES TO W ORK DO NOT ATTEMPT TO

MEND IT - CONTACT DRAWMER TO ARRANGE FOR A REPAIR/REPLACEMENT.

WARNING

DO NOT PLUG IN THE EXTERNAL POW ER SUPPLY W HILST THE POW ER SWITCH ON THE REAR

OF THE MC7.1 IS IN THE ON POSITION.

ONE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY

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The Drawmer MC7.1 Surround Monitor Controller is a combined 7.1/5.1 and stereo
monitor controller. It has the same pristine & transparent design as others from the
Drawmer monitor controller pedigree, with a rugged desk top "wedge" form factor
as used in the popular MC3.1.

Whether it is producing audio for film or television, or transporting the listener
directly into the venue of an all encompassing orchestral piece, be it in 5.1, 7.1,
quadraphonic, DTS®, Dolby Digital EX,THX Surround EX™, DTS-HD™, Dolby
Atmos®, etc., one thing is sure, the number of users that wish to listen to audio
within a surround setting has been growing and will continue to do so. There has
been an ever increasing number of surround products coming to market, not only
blueray players and home cinema but also on mobile and media devices. For
example, Apple devices have been capable of reproducing 7.1 surround since iOS

9.3. Therefore, it is likely that at some point every artist and engineer will consider
trying surround sound, or fear being left behind.

Boasting two sets of balanced 7.1 Inputs, a 7.1 through, 1 Balanced Stereo Input
and a convenient front panel Aux Input, with Balanced 7.1 Speaker outs and an
independent Stereo main out with its own sub woofer option, there are no shortage
of connectivity options. The Drawmer MC7.1 is capable of supporting any speaker setu
, from mono, to stereo, various modes of surround, or 8 independent channels,
depending on input type and speaker positioning.

The MC7.1 is a powerful Surround Monitor Controller in its own right, but is also
perfect for controlling and checking your stereo mixes. This is one area where
other surround monitoring controllers fall short. All studios, whether dedicated to
film audio post production, or small home studio will at some time (if not most of
the time) work in stereo as well as surround. Aside from the surround capabilities,
the MC7.1 contains the same comprehensive set of stereo "mix check" functions
that are presented on the MC3.1 and which can of course be applied to the stereo
input channel or any of the surround channels when these are routed to stereo.

CHAPTER 1

MC7.1 Surround Monitor Controller

MULTIPLE SOURCE STUDIO MONITOR CONTROLLER FOR

7.1/5.1 SURROUND & STEREO APPLICATIONS

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MC7.1 - Surround Monitor Controller

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Pristine, ultra low noise & transparent circuit design gives you an accurate
representation of your mix whether it be surround or stereo.

There are a total of 20 input sources. These include two separate 7.1 inputs (one
via balanced jacks and one via 25 pin D-sub) with a through output to send to a
multitrack recorder, for example. A Stereo input via Neutrik combijacks, and a Top
panel 3.5mm AUX Input & Level Control for connecting MP3 players, smartphones
or tablets etc.

3x Sets of Speaker Outputs. One 7.1 (or 8 Speakers in any configuration), one
Stereo Left/Right pair, and one Mono/Sub. Each can be switched individually &
simultaneously or give A/B comparisons. All eleven outputs have level trims to
provide precise channel matching and ease of calibration.

Each of the eight 7.1 speakers can be cut or soloed individually.

7.1 channels can be mixed down to 5.1, Stereo and Mono, though any configuration
of up to 8 monitors should be possible depending on the source and the speaker
layout.

Stereo outputs (including those mixed down from surround) can be monitored via
the main stereo speaker outputs or the FL and FR from the surround speakers.

When in stereo operation comprehensive Mix Checking facilities Including Low,
Mid, High Solo; Dim; L/R Mute; Phase Reverse and more, help check every aspect
of your Mix & Provide Ultimate Control.

Volume can be set via the Variable Front Panel Knob or a Preset Control. Each
has excellent channel matching and smooth feel.

2x Headphone Amplifiers with Individual Level Control.

Built In Talkback with Level Control, Internal or External Microphone, Switching via
Desktop or Footswitch, & Internal Routing to Headphones and also a Mono Output
Jack.

The MC7.1 is all analogue so won’t need to be rebooted due to software crashes,
and doesn’t require firmware updates.

Desktop 'wedge' form factor with a rugged steel chassis and a Kensington security
slot for added protection.

The ability to "mix down" the surround mix to the FL and FR speakers OR the
independent Stereo main speakers combined with the comprehensive cut or solo
matrix means any combination of the surround channels can be listened to in the
front mains. Want to focus in on the rear channels? Simply mix down to the front
stereo speakers then solo them out of the mix! Whilst soloing out the centre or LFE
channels give a central mono representation across the fronts or stereo mains!

Speaker level matching with switchable Mono/Sub output, the popular Low/Mid/
High band solo feature, Internal Talkback Mic with footswitch control, and External
Talkback Mic input are all brought over from the MC3.1, completing the rich array of
features available on the MC7.1.

Features:

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INSTALLATION

The MC7.1 is a free standing, desktop unit, with controls and headphone jacks on
the front panel and all other inputs and outputs on the rear.

Screwing the MC7.1 to a desk.

Rather than having the MC7.1 free standing it can be fastened down to a desk by
utilising the holes that hold the rubber feet to the underside. Note that when fixing
to a desk the speaker trims on the base of the unit will not be accessible and so the
calibration procedure should be carried out before fastening the MC7.1 in place
(see ‘Monitor Calibration’).

Drill four holes into the desk, at
4mm in diameter and to the
dimensions as shown in the
diagram. (Note that in the
diagram the MC7.1 is viewed
from above).

Pushing four screws through the
underside of the desk screw the
MC7.1, 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.

Input Channels 20

Output Channels 15 (+8 through)

Analog Inputs 1 x DB-25 (Surround A),

8 x 1/4" Jack (Surround B),
2 x XLR/Jack Combi (Stereo),
1 x 1/8” Stereo Jack (Aux.)

Analog Outputs 8 x 1/4" Jack (Surround Monitors),

2 x 1/4" Jack (Stereo Monitors),
1 x 1/4" Jack (Sub/Mono Monitor),
1 x DB-25 (through output),
2 x 1/4" Stereo Jack (Headphones)

Talkback Yes (with internal & external mic, and footswitch)

Form Factor Desktop wedge

Dimensions 220mm (depth) x 275mm (width) x 100mm (height)

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MC7.1 - Surround Monitor Controller

The MC7.1 unit will be supplied with an external switching mode power supply that
is capable of 100-240Vac continuous (90-264Vac max) and so should work globally.
We strongly advise that the power supply that has been supplied with the MC7.1 is
used, rather than one with the equivalent ratings. In addition, should the power
supply fail for any reason we strongly advise that you contact Drawmer for a
replacement rather than repairing the unit yourselves. Failure to do either of these
could permanently damage the MC7.1 and will also invalidate the warranty.

The power supply will be supplied with cable suitable for domestic power 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.

Before connecting the MC7.1 to the power supply ensure that all knobs are
turned off (i.e. fully anticlockwise) and that the Level Switch just below the main
volume control is set to Knob.

A switch next to the D.C. power inlet on the rear of the unit switches the power on/
off. Ensure that this is in the OFF position.

WARNING

DO NOT PLUG IN THE EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLY WHILST THE POWER SWITCH
ON THE REAR OF THE MC7.1 IS IN THE ON POSITION.

POWER CONNECTION

PORTABLE APPLIANCE TESTING

To undergo a Portable Appliance Testing procedure (commonly known as "PAT",
"PAT Inspection" or "PAT Testing") use the screw that is located between the Talkback
and Speaker 3 jack connectors. This screw is connect directly to the chassis and
provides the earthing point.

SECURITY

To help protect the MC7.1 from theft the side has a Kensington Security Slot (also
called a K-Slot) which enables the fitting of hardware locking accessories that can
attach your MC7.1 to an immovable object, making the MC7.1 more of a challenge
for the potential thieves to steal.

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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 configuration. The screens of the
signal cables should be connected to the
chassis connection on the XLR connector
as opposed to connecting to pin1. The MC3.1
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
connecting the outputs of the MC3.1
to the patchbay. If s uch measures
are nec essary, balanc ed operation
is recommended.

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MC7.1 - Surround Monitor Controller

TYPICAL CONNECTION GUIDE

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CONTROL DESCRIPTION

CHAPTER 2

11

MC7.1 - Surround Monitor Controller

The MC7.1 Controls

SOURCE SELECT

Comprises of two sections: Surround and Stereo. It is within this section that the
input sources a selected and mix down of the surround signals occurs.

Surround:
Mode Switch: Selects the surround inputs from (9) or (10) to be in either 7.1 or 5.1

modes. In this way the 7.1 channels can be ‘mixed down’ to 5.1 at the press of a
button on the MC7.1 rather than having to reconfigure are re-wire the outputs of the
workstation.

To Mono Switch: With the switch active all 8 surround channels are combined/

mixed down into a mono signal and output to each of the 8 speakers. This mono
signal can then be monitored in various configurations using the cut and solo
switches of Surround Control (2) and Stereo Control (3) sections
It is necessary when testing the audio to not only listen to the signal in surround
and stereo but also in mono. It helps to outline problems in the mix, but also when
testing for use on non-standard applications such as for broadcast or mobile
phone.

Surround Source: Selects between the two surround inputs, Source A being the

25 pin d-sub (9) and source B the eight jacks (10).

Stereo:
From Surround Switch: Mixes down the surround inputs from the Source Select

Surround section to be Stereo.

C Switch: When active selects the stereo input from the combi-jacks on the rear

(11). By default this will be routed to the stereo speaker outputs.

D Switch: When active selects the stereo input from the 3.5mm stereo jack to the

right in the Levels Section (4). By default this will be routed to the stereo speaker
outputs.

SURROUND CONTROL

Surround Channels:

This section provides complete control over which of
the 8 surround inputs is active. In this way individual
speakers can be monitored, or multiples of and also in
any combination. For example, you may wish to monitor
only the centre channel C, or only LFE or both.

Cut/Solo Switch: The switch toggles between which of

the 8 speakers are heard and which are mute. When
the switch is out the C (Cut) mode is active, and when
in the Solo (S) mode.
For example, with the Cut/Solo set to Cut (C), and the
LFE switch active (i.e. as indicated by the lit LFE l.e.d.)
you will only hear the 7 surround channels and not the
LFE/Bass. Now pressing the Cut/Solo switch inverts
this so that the Solo (S) mode is active and you will only
hear the LFE and not the surround.

Note:

The Cut/Solo switch has an effect when the surround is mixed down to stereo.
In other words, cutting and soloing the surround mix determines the input for
the ‘From Surround’ switch (1) and will be heard in the speakers.

1

2

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STEREO CONTROL

This section allows the engineer to test various
aspects of the stereo mix without having to alter the
signal prior to the MC7.1 and potentially effect the
recording, and is a very thorough and versatile checking
tool. The switches are especially useful when used in
conjunction with each other.

Band Solo: The three switches allow the engineer to

easily solo the Low, Mid and High frequencies of the
stereo mix. This helps to pinpoint problems occurring
at particularly frequencies or to check for unwanted
signal artefacts that may bleed into each band, for
example.

Each switch can be used in conjunction with each other and in any order. However,
it is not recommended that all three Band Solo switches are active simultaneously
as this will effect the signal at the crossover frequencies. For this very reason the
MC7.1 has been designed so that with no Band Solo switches active the entire
Band Solo circuit is completely relay bypassed.

Phase Reverse: Inverts the polarity of the signal on the Left Channel and is used

primarily to outline any phase problems that may be occurring in the mix/recording
such as phase cancellation, or an unbalanced stereo signal. As the switch is
toggled any phase issues will become more apparent and easier to identify.

Mono: With the switch active both Left and Right stereo signals are combined into

a single mono signal.
It is necessary when testing the audio to not only listen to the signal in stereo but
also in mono. It helps to outline problems in the mix, but also when testing for use
on non-standard applications such as for broadcast or mobile phone.

Left/Right Swap: Swaps the Left and Right channels of the stereo signal. It is

particularly useful when checking for shifts in the stereo balance of the mix.

Under the Cut heading two switches have been incorporated - Left Cut and Right

Cut.
Left Cut: Mutes the Left channel signal allowing only the right signal to be heard,
Right Cut: Mutes the Right channel signal allowing only the left signal to be heard.

Note that when activating Left or Right Cut whilst using headphones the signal is
not 100% panned one way or the other - i.e. the signal centre moves to the side but
is not completely removed from the opposite ear of the headphone - this is so that
the Left/Right Cut sounds a little more natural, after all, if listening through speakers
with only the left speaker active some of the signal well reach the right ear a few
milliseconds later.

With Left Cut and Right Cut are both active it mutes both stereo channels in both
the headphones and speakers.

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MC7.1 - Surround Monitor Controller

Stereo to SPKR 1: W ith this switch active the stereo signal is routed through to L

and R of the surround speaker outputs (12), effectively converting your surround
speakers to a stereo pair. This allows for A/B comparisons for the stereo mix
without the need for rewiring or the expense of more monitors.
Note that the low frequencies are extracted from every active stereo channel are
sent to the Sub/Mono speaker output on the rear rather than the LFE.

LEVELS

Input D: A stereo 3.5mm AUX Input & Level Control is placed on the top panel to

provide convenient access for connecting MP3 players, smartphones or tablets
etc. The activation switch is located to the left in the Source Select (1) section.

Headphones Level: The Volume Level knobs for the two independent headphone

amplifiers is found in this location. The headphone output jacks themselves are
found on the front face. These comprise of two 1/4” TRS jacks that are capable
of driving a wide number of headphones from budget to professional - Note that
they have their own level control and are not affected by the main monitor volume
knob.

Note that almost all the controls effect the headphones in the same way as the
monitor outputs, however the Mute and Cut switches affect them differently. (See

Cut and Mute).

Warning:

It is advisable to unplug the headphones before switching the MC7.1 on or off.
It is also recommended that you turn the headphone level down before inserting
the jack, and turn it up to your desired listening level - these measures will not
only prevent your ears from being damaged but also the headphone’s drivers.
Also, note that these are high quality circuits and have been designed for
professional headphones, so care must be taken when using lower standard,
consumer quality headphones, such as earbuds or ipod phones etc, as damage
could occur at high volumes.

Talkback Level: The volume control adjusts the gain level of the talkback

microphone. It can be adjusted to compensate for the distance that the operator is
from the microphone, how loud his voice is, or the volume of the
underlying music played, as well as several other factors. For more
detail see the Talkback (7) section.

SPEAKERS

Three switches select which of the three speaker outputs Speaker1-

Surround, Speaker2-Stereo L/R or Speaker3-SUB are heard at the

outputs on the rear (see (12)).
Each switch can be operated individually or simultaneously and in
any combination and is perfect for performing A/B comparisons
between various monitor setups. As the switches do not toggle
between outputs when doing A/B comparisons both of those switches
should be pressed at the same time i.e. to compare speakers A and
C, with A active press both the A and C switches to swap the output to
C active, and then again to return to the previous setting - this method
can be used between all four outputs if required.

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4b

5

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DRAWMER

An additional benefit is derived when using a sub-bass. If the sub-bass is attached
to the SUB/MONO (Speaker 3) output on the rear of the MC7.1, speakers 1 and 2
could deliver the higher frequencies and allow for A/B (or in this case 1+Sub/
2+Sub) comparisons between the two monitor setups by pressing the Speaker 1
and Speaker 2 switches simultaneously and leaving SUB always active. In addition,
a full frequency range monitor could be attached to Speaker 2, so, with the Speaker
2 switch active SUB should be disengaged.

Note that all 11 speaker outputs have individual level trimming on the base of the
unit so that precise monitor level matching can be achieved - see (14) and also the

‘Monitor Calibration’ section.

MASTER OUTPUT

The Monitor Volume control adjusts the signal level of all the channels for all
speaker outputs with a range from Off (-infinity) to +6dB of gain. The Volume knob
affects the volume of the monitors only and does not have a bearing on any other
output such as the headphones or talkback jack.

A secondary preset
volume control on the
front edge provides a
repeatable calibrated
output level for the
monitors, so that at the
press of the switch just
below the main volume
knob the engineer can
hear the mix at the same
predetermined volume,
time after time, without
having to meticulously
adjust controls. Once the
system is calibrated
(see chapter entitled
Monitor Calibration) the
predetermined level could be set via a screwdriver to the maximum listening level,
85dB in the case of TV, film and music, for example, or to a standard listening level
for radio, or even a preferred level for quiet passage. The level chosen is at the
discretion of the operator. Both the volume knob and preset control circuit designs
incorporate identical potentiometers for excellent channel matching and a smooth
feel.

Because the circuitry is active it allows for the signal level to be increased, rather
than only attenuated, making subtle problems within the mix (such as noise at low
levels, or unwanted harmonics, for example) more obvious and easier to iron out,
especially during dialogue or musical passages that would normally be quiet.

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MC7.1 - Surround Monitor Controller

Before you can make full effective use of the Volume control it is necessary to
calibrate the entire monitoring system (see the ‘Monitor Calibration’ section) - this
allows for accurate level control. Note that the actual output levels, including the
maximum output level and the position of unity gain (0dB) around the knob, will
alter depending on the calibration of the monitors.

WARNING:

It is recommended that you turn the volume control down to a lower level before
turning the MC7.1 off - this is to ensure that a sudden volume increase when
turning on does not damage your speakers or your hearing.
In addition, do not use excessive force at either end of the volume knob - it’s
size would mean that damaging the potentiometer is possible.

DIM All: With the switch active the output level is attenuated by 20dB. It enables you

to lower the volume without adjusting any of the settings.

MUTE All: Cuts both channels (especially useful in an emergency). If Left Cut and

Right Cut are both active it is just the same as Mute being active.

Note that Cut/Mute does not affect the headphones in the same way as it does the
speakers. With the Mute switch active the headphones will still pass audio in just
the same way as if it was off, they are not affec ted. This allows for someone to edit
audio using headphones whilst a conversation is occurring in the control room, for

example.

TALKBACK

The MC7.1 has a dedicated talkback function including inbuilt microphone, external
microphone port, gain level control and external footswitch connector.

External Mic Switch: When active disengages the inbuilt front panel microphone

and routes the operator’s voice through an external microphone (not supplied),
which is plugged into the rear panel (see 13).

Talkback Active Switch: When active engages either the inbuilt or external

microphone and routes the operator’s voice through the headphones and also to
the dedicated talkback output jack on the rear of the unit. The switch is non-latching
and so must be held in to be active. If preferred a footswitch can be connected at
the rear that does the same job (see 13).

TalkBack Microphone. An electret condenser microphone as been incorporated

into the MC7.1 and is located below the Talkback Active switch on the front panel.
The talkback microphone level is found above in the Levels section (4)

Activating the Talkback automatically engages the Dim switch (i.e. attenuates the
volume by 20dB) for the headphones (4b) and also the speaker outputs (12) making
it possible for the artist to clearly hear the instruction.

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POWER

The MC7.1 will be supplied with an external switching mode power supply that is
capable of 100-240Vac continuous (90-264Vac max) and so should work globally,
but is supplied with a cable suitable for domestic power outlets in your country. We
strongly advise that the power supply that has been supplied with the MC7.1 is used,
rather than one with the equivalent ratings. The push button switch turns the MC7.1
on/off. (see Power Connection).
Note that a timed relay protection circuit has been incorporated into the MC7.1 to
prevent bangs and other potentially harmful artifacts from occurring during power up
and power down.

WARNING

DO NOT PLUG IN THE EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLY WHILST THE POWER SWITCH
ON THE REAR OF THE MC3.1 IS IN THE ON POSITION.

& INPUTS

The MC7.1 has a total of 20 input channels comprising a stereo Aux input for Mp3
players and smartphones etc, that can be found at Input D (4) on the top panel, whilst
two separate surround inputs, a through and a pro stereo input are located on the
rear panel.

INPUT A (7.1)

One set of eight balanced inputs for 7.1 surround monitoring is attached via a 25
pin D-Sub connector and wired to TASCAM’s DB-25 wiring standard. This diagram
can be found in the ‘Audio Connections’ section. Note that depending on the
surround configuration not all inputs need be used, and could provide inputs for
other surround configurations, such as 5.1, for example, anything from 1 to 8
speakers is possible. The unused inputs are ignored by the MC7.1.
The MC7.1 is ‘all analogue’ so all encoding and decoding should be carried out
externally.

Input A has a direct ‘through’ (slave) output, also via DB-25 d-sub. This is a

paralleled through, directly from the Input A 25 pin d-sub, and is not affected by the
MC7.1 in any way. This allows the surround signal to be output to external devices,
such as a multitrack recorder, for example.

8

9

9

10

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MC7.1 - Surround Monitor Controller

INPUT B (7.1)

Another set of eight balanced inputs for 7.1 surround monitoring is attached via
eight balanced 1/4” jacks. As with the d-sub input the configuration can be anything
from 1 to 8 inputs. Note that these inputs are also numbered 1 to 8 as well as L, C,
R, LFE etc., a feature that can also be seen on the speaker outputs above (11), and
also the Surround Control section (2).
Note also that these inputs do not have a through output.

INPUT C (Stereo)

A stereo connection is provided via balanced Neutrik XLR/jack combi (combining a
3 pole XLR receptacle and ¼" phone jack in one XLR housing).

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

The MC7.1 has a total of 11 speaker outputs divided into 3 sets: 7.1 Surround,

Stereo L/R and MONO. All are connected via balanced 1/4” jacks and controlled via

the Speakers Section (5) on the front panel. Each output set is activated by the

Speakers Section switches (see (5)) - and can be activated individually or

simultaneously and in any configuration.

Speaker Output 1 are the connectors for the 7.1 surround output and are labelled

L, C, R, LFE etc as well as 1 to 8.

Speaker Output 2 are the connectors for the Stereo speaker output and are labelled

L and R

Speaker Output 3 is the connector for the Mono output and is labelled mono/sub.

All of these outputs has an individual trim potentiometers on the underside of the
unit to enable easy and accurate monitor level/room matching throughout (see
‘Speaker Calibration Trim Controls (13) and also ‘Monitor Calibration’).

TALKBACK

A TALKBACK OUTPUT, EXTERNAL FOOTSWITCH and EXTERNAL MICROPHONE
connectors can be found on the rear panel, in the form of ¼" jacks. All are controlled
via the switches found in the Talkback Section (7) on the front panel

EXTERNAL MICROPHONE: An external microphone can be connected to provide a

more convenient location for the talkback. It is amplified by the inbuilt preamp
circuitry with the volume level controlled via the Talkback Volume knob (4), however,
phantom power is not supplied so a dynamic microphone should be used. When
active the inbuilt microphone will be bypassed.

EXTERNAL FOOTSWITCH: An external foot or hand switch can be connected to

allow easier talkback operation. This works in parallel to the front panel switch (7)
so when either are active the talkback will operate.

TALKBACK OUTPUT: A dedicated talkback output is provided so that, as well as

being routed through the headphones, a talkback signal can be routed to other
devices at the engineers discretion. This could usually be patched into the live­room active monitor speakers for convenience when recording acoustic ensembles
where the performers may not wish or need to wear headphones. The output also
allows for routing into a separate channel of a DAW, or other recording facility, to
allow for information overdubs to be added to a recording.

10

11

12

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8

SPEAKER CALIBRATION TRIM CONTROLS

On the underside of the MC7.1 there are eleven rotary controls that allow the
individual speaker level calibration of your system. Each speaker output has a
control, separated into three sections: the Surround (Spkr 1), Stereo (Spkr2) and
Mono/Sub (Spkr 3), and correspond to the outputs found on the rear panel. To alter
the speaker level use a small screwdriver to turn - counter-clockwise turns the
speaker level down, and clockwise up.

For the calibration process see the “Monitor Calibration” section of this manual.
Once the system has been calibrated these trims should not be touched.

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MC7.1 - Surround Monitor Controller

MONITOR CALIBRATION

Whether you are installing one, two or three sets of speakers it is imperative that
your system is calibrated, not only to centre the surround/stereo image and to
ensure that all sets of speaker levels are the same, but also to ensure that you are
mixing your music at industry standard listening levels. The MC7.1 can calibrate
the speakers of any system as it has individual rotary level trim controls for every
speaker attached (found on the underside of the product).

The following method is by no means the only way to calibrate your system, and a
quick look on the internet will soon find many others, but is a good starting point.

Before beginning the procedure there are a couple of things that you will require:

Sound Pressure Level (SPL) Meter:
Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to measure the level
of sound from each speaker by ears alone. A good
instrument that does a more accurate job is a Sound
Pressure Level meter.
SPL Meters come in two varieties: with an analog meter or
with a digital display, either works well, just choose your
preferred type. You can purchase an SPL meter from most
electronic stores, or search the internet in stores such as
Amazon, with prices ranging from £25 to £800. Radio Shack
is a good source for reasonably priced SPL meters in the
USA, though to get better results, you may consider a more
expensive SPL meter, such as Galaxy, Gold Line, Nady,
etc.
The ideal meter should have the industry standard “C­weighted” curve, slow setting. Refer to your meter’s manual
to learn how to select these settings.
If all else fails there are iphone/Android apps that claim to
be SPL meters - whilst these are nowhere near the quality
of a dedicated meter they are better than nothing.

Test files:
Test tones can either be generated through your DAW (such as the Signal
Generator plug-in in Pro Tools), but you can also download test/calibration
files from the internet if you search around: wav files are preferred to mp3’s
due to the compression/limited frequency range of mp3’s. You can also
purchase good quality reference Blue Ray setup up disks from various stores.

The tones required for this calibration process are:

1. 40Hz to 80Hz bandwidth limited pink-noise file recorded at -20dBFS.

2. 500Hz to 2500Hz bandwidth limited pink-noise file recorded at -20dBFS.

3. Full-bandwidth pink-noise file recorded at -20dBFS.

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DRAWMER

Holding the SPL - Set the meter to C weighted and on the slow scale. Start by sitting
in your normal mixing position, hold the SPL meter at arm’s length and at chest
level with the microphone of the meter facing toward the monitor to be calibrated.
Maintain this position throughout the calibration process - this could be easier if it
is fixed via a stand and bracket, and moved only to point at the relevant speaker.

The following method sets the sound pressure level to 85dB - the standard listening
level for film, tv and music, however, due to the sound being altered by the size of
the room, this can alter, essentially, the smaller your room is, the lower your listening
level should be, down to around 76dB. The following table should give an idea of
the sound pressure level to use for your environment.

Cubic Feet

>20,000

10,000 to 19,999

5,000 to 9,999

1,500 to 4,999

<1,499

Cubic Metres

>566

283 to 565

142 to 282

42 to 141

<41

SPL Reading

85dB

82dB

80dB

78dB

76dB

Room Size

Listening at appropriate levels for your specific environment will help maintain the
integrity of your mixes as they move from one system to another, in rooms of varying
sizes.

All Speaker Outputs have
trims to Calibrate the entire
system to suit the listening
environment

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MC7.1 - Surround Monitor Controller

The Procedure:

The following procedure is specifically designed for stereo calibration, however, a
surround setup is much the same but may involve different SPL levels per speaker
depending on the type of surround that is required, i.e. 7.1, 6.1, 5.1 etc. In which
case refer to the specific surround procedure, (i.e. Dolby Digital, DTS, THX etc.) for
further instructions.

1. Begin by turning off the monitoring system and ensuring that all inputs and
speakers are correctly connected.

2. Set all DAW/System controls to 0dB/unity gain - this should be left at this setting
from now on. Remove all e.q. and dynamics from the signal path.

3. If you have active speakers with their own level control, or speakers with an
amplifier, set all of these to maximum, so that they do not attenuate the signal.

4. On the underside of the MC7.1 you will find the speaker calibration trims - using
a screwdriver initially set all of them to their full attenuation position by rotating
each fully counter-clockwise.

5. W ith the Master Volume switch set to ‘Knob’ (6) set the large volume on the front
of the MC7.1 to 12 o’clock and leave it there throughout the calibration procedure ­this will be the position that provides the 85dB listening level from now on.

6. Turn the system on and play the 500 Hz – 2.5 kHz bandwidth-limited pink noise
at -20 dBFS. Select the
required Source on the
front of the MC7.1 -7.1,
C or D. You should not
hear it, yet.

7. Activate Speaker 2 by
having only the Speaker
2 switch active in the
speakers section on
the front panel.

8. In order to hear only
the Left speaker
remove the right
speaker by activating
the Right Cut switch.

9. On the underside of
the MC7.1 rotate the
Left Speaker 2 trim
clockwise. You will now start to hear the signal, but only for that speaker. Rotate
until the SPL meter reads 85dB.

10. In order to hear only the Right speaker switch in Left Cut and deactivate the
Right Cut.

11. On the underside of the MC7.1 rotate the Right Speaker 2 trim clockwise until
the SPL meter reads the desired level.

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12. To calibrate each speaker repeat steps 7 to 11 - replacing the speaker on step
7 for each set. For surround control use the switches in the Surround Control (2) to
Cut/Solo the various speakers.

13. To calibrate the sub - play the 40-80Hz signal, but this time have only the SUB
switch active - Left and Right Cut need not be active as the frequency of the signal
is limited to only the sub.

14. On the underside of the MC7.1 increase the Mono trim increasing the volume of
the sub until the desired SPL meter reading is reached.

15. Repeat steps 7 to 12 whilst playing
the full bandwidth pink noise and
adjusting to suit. The readings should be
pretty close and only require fine
adjustment.

16. Now the system is calibrated it is time
to set the PRESET volume control. Set the
Master Volume switch to ‘PRESET’ ( )
and with only one set of speakers active
in the Speaker Selec t switches ( ) adjust
the preset level on the front of the MC7.1
using a screwdriver until the SPL meter reads your desired listening level.

16. You are finished and the calibration process has been completed.

The volume control will have a few dB’s of headroom so care must be taken to both
your hearing and system when increasing the volume passed the 12 o’clock
position. As with all things that are calibrated it’s a good idea to regularly check the
calibration of your monitors to ensure that nothing has changed.

6

5

23

MC7.1 - Surround Monitor Controller

Mix Checking Tips

Due to the versatility of the MC7.1, and it’s thorough array of controls, some very
useful techniques for checking your mix can easily be achieved, especially for
stereo mixes, that can help improve the balance within a mix, pinpoint stereo width,
phase and mono problems, and also aid when monogising.

The following are a few handy tips to help eradicate problems and bring about a
balance within the mix:

Not too loud

Give your ears a break. Do not have the volume too loud - frequent monitoring at
anything above 90dB will only make your ears tired, meaning that you won’t really
hear the problems that may be occurring, and give you a false sense that the mix
sounds nice and loud. Also, constant listening at anything above 100dB will probably
have a long term detrimental effect on your hearing.

Shhhh...

Get into a habit of listening to your mix at very low levels quite often. Remember that
not everyone listening to your song has music blasting out. As well as giving your
ears a break, it will heighten problems in the mix - Do the key elements have a
good balance, or are some instruments more prominent than they should be? If
something is too quiet or loud adjust its volume or use E.Q. to fix it. If the mix
sounds good at low levels it’s likely that it will when loud.

Note that on the MC7.1 it is better to lower the volume level using the DIM switch
and then turn the volume up, rather than only turning the volume down, as you
maintain greater control over the volume.

Increase the Volume of Quiet Passages.

Because the MC7.1 circuitry is active it allows for the signal level to be increased,
rather than only attenuated, making subtle problems within the mix, such as noise
at low levels, or unwanted harmonics, more obvious and easier to iron out, especially
during passages that would normally be quiet.

Hear, There and Everywhere......

Listen to your all your mixes, whether surround or stereo, in as many environments
and on as many systems as possible. Remember not everyone will have a 7.1
system, many will have stereo, and some will be listening via smartphones in
mono. In such conditions you may find that an instrument drops out of the mix, or
another is too prominent, or that it doesn’t capture the ambience and adjustments to
the mix need to be made.

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Cut It Out...

Using the left and right cut switches will highlight the stereo balance of each
channel. In stereo the mix sounds ok, however, it may be that you want an instrument
to be panned so far left that it doesn’t occur at all in the right channel, by cutting the
left and only hearing the right channel you will hear whether the instrument bleeds
across, and panning adjustment can be made.

Phase Reverse

Make use of the phase reverse switch. If the sound doesn't become less focused
when the polarity is flipped then there is something wrong somewhere. Not only
will the switch help confirm that the monitor speakers are wired up in the correct
polarity, phase inversion on a particular instrument can at times improve the way
the instrument interacts with the rest of the mix by removing the phase cancellation.

Monogising

Check your mix in mono - often! Just because a mix sounds good in stereo doesn't
mean it will sound good when the channels are combined. Why should you care if
your mix sounds good in mono? Well, most live music venues and dance club
sound systems are mono - running the PA or sound system in mono is common
practice to ensure music sounds good everywhere in the room because it removes
the ‘sweet spot’ and the complex phase issues of stereo. Note that if you press
‘mono’ in the surround section of ‘Source Select’ (1) ALL 8 channels of the surround
speakers will output the mono signal - emulating a nightclub impressively.

In many cases the low frequencies will be put through a crossover and summed to
mono before being sent to the sub. Monogising is also necessary when testing the
audio for use on nonstandard applications such as for broadcast or mobile phone.

In addition, monogising will highlight phase problems. In some cases, when you
activate the Mono switch you may hear comb-filtering, which will colour the sound of
your mix and cause peaks and dips in its frequency response. When a stereo mix is
combined into mono any elements that are out of phase will drop in level or may
even disappear completely. This could be because left and right outputs are wired
out of phase but its more likely to be due to phase cancellation.

What causes phase cancellation?

Many stereo widening effects and techniques, such as chorus;

Simultaneous direct box and mic recording - If you've ever recorded a guitar
simultaneously through a direct box and a microphone, you may have noticed
the time alignment problems this causes. This type of situation can often be
fixed by careful mic placement, or realigning the waveform in a DAW;

25

MC7.1 - Surround Monitor Controller

Any situation where more that one microphone is used to record a source - on a
multi-miked drumkit two mics may pick up exactly the same signal and cancel
each other out. It may sound unlikely but one handy tip is to adjust the panning of
your drums whilst in mono - suddenly all the phase cancellation of the drums will
improve, and sound even better when reverted back to stereo.

Listening in mono also highlights problems with the stereo width and balance of
the mix and is more apparent when you use a lot of width-enhancing techniques
and tools. Switching mono in and out fairly quickly may make it apparent that the
centre of the mix is shifting to the left or right, something that may go unnoticed if
only working in stereo.

True Mono

As a mono signal would normally originate from a single source it would be wrong
to simply activate the mono switch - as both left and right speakers are still active.
When you listen to a mono signal on two speakers, you hear a false or 'phantom'
image which is derived midway between the speakers, but because both speakers
are contributing to the sound, the level of the bass seems to be over-inflated. To
truly hear a monogised signal via one speaker (the way everyone else will hear it)
the mono switch should be active but also either Left Cut or Right Cut should also
be activated (depending on preference/location) to derive the signal from a single
location.

Not so Sweet

Your mix may sound perfect when sat in the centre of the mix, but bare in mind that
many people in the theatre or in front of their home entertainment system will not
be sat in the ‘sweet spot’. Move around the room - does the audio still have the
same impact, do you notice audio dropping out, or that’s too prominent. Make
adjustments to the mix as you see fit.

Listen to the ‘Stereo difference’ or side signal

A very useful facility of the MC7.1 is the ability to listen to the ‘stereo difference’ or
side signal, very quickly and easily. The side signal is the difference between the
two channels, and describes those elements that contribute to the stereo width.

Hearing the stereo difference is so simple using the MC7.1: with the stereo signal
playing, activate the Phase Reverse switch, and then sum the left and right channels
using the Mono switch (in other words Left minus Right). It’s that simple.

Being able to audition the ‘side’ signal is particularly useful for judging the quality
and quantity of any ambience or reverberation in a stereo mix. It is also an invaluable
facility if the stereo recording has timing differences between channels (such as
caused by an azimuth error on a tape machine), or for aligning a pair of desk
channels for use with X-Y stereo mic pairs. In both cases, listening for a deep
cancellation null, as the two signals cancel each other out, is a very fast and
accurate way of matching levels in each channel, which is the basis of accurate
alignment.

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DRAWMER

Going Solo

Whilst working on a mix you can get so used to hearing the entire audio as a whole
that it’s difficult to pinppoint any problems in certain frequency ranges, using the
low, mid and high solo buttons can really help. A common problem within many
mixes is that there is too much going on in any given frequency range leading to an
unbalanced mix. Perhaps the bass is overpowering the vocals, or there is an
undesirable noise somewhere that you can’t quite put your finger on. Using the
solo buttons of the MC7.1 you can easily remove the bass to hear what’s going on
in the mids and highs, or to hear just how the mid range panning is working, for
example, and correct the mix to redress the balance.

A common problem when using high levels of compression across the mix is
pumping, this can be really desirable in the case of dance music, but not elsewhere.
If the majority of energy within the mix is in the bass, every time the kick drum beats
it will trigger the compressor, thus lowering the volume, but not only of the bass, but
across the whole mix, creating a pumping effect. Soloing the mid and high makes
it very easy to hear the extent of the pumping and to rectify it if desired.

Know your Left from your Right

It is useful to get into the habit of using the Left / Right Swap button every now and
then when working on a stereo mix. We get so used to hearing a mix as it’s
developing that its’s easy to get a stereo imbalance. If when pressing the Swap
button the stereo image is mirrored around the centre, and you notice that it’s more
prominent in a certain ear then the stereo image is likely to be out of balance. If it is
unclear that it has altered then the stereo mix should be balanced.

The Swap button also highlights problems with the monitoring system such as if
piece of audio that is panned centrally but actually sounds off centre. If by pressing
the button the stereo image remains the same then it shows one speaker is
louder than the other and the system should be recalibrated. If the same audio is
mirrored around the centre then it shows that the fault is within the mix itself.

27

MC7.1 - Surround Monitor Controller

CHAPTER 3

For warranty service please call Drawmer
Electronics Ltd. or their nearest authorised
service facility, giving full details of the difficulty.
A list of all main dealers can be found on the
Drawmer webpages. On receipt of this
information, service or shipping instructions
will be forwarded to you.

No equipment should be returned under the
warranty without prior consent from Drawmer
or their authorised repres entative.

For service claims under the warranty
agreement a service Returns Authoris ation
(RA) number will be issued.
W rite this RA number in large letters in a
prominent position on the shipping box.
Enclose your name, address, telephone
number, copy of the original sales invoice and
a detailed description of the problem.

Authorised returns should be prepaid and must
be insured.

All Drawmer products are packaged in
specially designed containers for protection.
If the unit is to be returned, the original
container must be used. If this container is not
available, then the equipment should be
packaged in substantial shock-proof material,
capable of withstanding the handling for the
transit.

CONTACTING DRAWMER

We will be pleased to answer all application
quest ions to enhance you r usage of Drawmer
equipment.

Please address correspondence to:

DRAWMER Electronics LTD

Coleman Street
Parkgate
Rotherham
South Yorkshire
S62 6EL
United Kingdom

Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Contact via E-mail: [e-mail]

Further information on all Drawmer products,
dealers, Authorised service departments
and other contact information c an be found
on our website: www.drawmer.com

MC7.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

IF A FAULT DEVELOPS SPECIFICATION

CROSSTALK >80dB

THD & NOISE 0.01% @ 0dBu

FREQUENCY RESPONSE

20Hz-20kHz +/- 0.2dB

PHASE RESPONSE

20Hz-20kHz +/- 2degrees max

POWER REQUIREMENTS

External Power Supply

Input: 100-240V ~ 50-60Hz, 1.4A MAX.

Output: 15V 4.34A
Voltage aut omatical ly selected by P SU

Use only the external PSU supplied by
Drawmer or an accredited partner. Failure to
do so could permanently damage the

MC7.1 and will also invalidate the
wa rra n t y.

CASE SIZE

Depth (with Controls
& Sockets) 220mm
Width 275mm
Height (with Feet) 100mm

WEIGHT 2.6kg

Ref:1v00 C 07-11-17

DRAWMER

Drawmer Electronics Ltd, Coleman St, Parkgate,

Rotherham, South Yorkshire, U.K.