Drawmer DL221

[Flummox]

I have a Drawmer DL221 (working on one channel only) which I have been using for a while.

I wanted to try side-chaining. I have only one extra stereo out on my MOTU soundcard, so i have sent the audio i want sidechained hard panned left (pad), and the audio to trigger the sidechain hard panned right (kick drum).

I wire the pad audio into the input of the Drawmer, and the kick drum audio into the sidechain input. On playing the track if i have the Output switched to S/C Listen, i can hear and see on the VU, the audio of the kick. When i switch the output to Norm there is silence (here i am expecting to hear the pad as it is effected by kick) - i've swept across the Threshold pot, and had Release at a minimum but still no audio. When i switch it to Bypass i can now hear the pad (not sidechained)

With the Output switched to Norm, as soon as i disconnect the wire from the S/C input, then i can hear the pad - as to be expected as it is in non side chained mode, which is what i am used to using, no problem.

I notice the S/C input is for send and return, which confused me as why would you want the triggering audio to be returned? I think this is where I am misunderstanding things. I tried messing about using inserts of my mixer (never used inserts before in am my years) but did not get any further. Didn't really get anywhere with the manual.

 

[Steenamaroo]

Hi,
Welcome to HR!

Do both channels work for normal operation?

The side chain socket is send + return so that you can interrupt or hijack the normal control signal which,
in normal operation, is the same as the audio input for that channel.
With no plug connected tip and ring (send and return) are shorted, allowing internal control signal to flow.


Making it send and return means you can insert an equaliser, for example, in the path.
The output from send/ring goes to your eq and the output of your eq goes to tip/ring.
Now your compressor will work as before but the control signal has been eqd.
You could now, for example, make the compressor ignore very low frequencies.


In your case you're only concerned with return as you want to bring in a new control signal,
so, as far as I can make out, you'd want to insert a TRS plug where you have the tip connected to your external trigger source - Your kick drum.
I'm not sure if using a TS cable would be OK as that will ground the ring - I can't say for sure if doing that will have undesirable effects but since you're hearing nothing, that might explain it.

 

[Steenamaroo]

Update: I have a Drawmer 1960 schematic here.
No guarantee it's the same, or even similar, but grounding the send on it would result in zero output in 'normal' mode.

Fairly certain using a TRS cable and leaving the ring disconnected will solve your problem.