DS101

Compact, Accurate & Transparent
The industry-standard Drawmer noise gate is now available in the 500 Series format. The DS101 is the first noise gate designed specifically for the 500 Series rack and joins Drawmer’s renowned family of professional gates, including the DS201, DS501, and DS404. Anyone familiar with these classics will feel immediately at home.

Built for precision and reliability, the DS101 delivers the same trusted performance engineers expect from Drawmer, in a compact, modular format.

Accurate & Versatile Control
Based on a single channel of the legendary DS201, the DS101 is a frequency-conscious noise gate incorporating Drawmer’s key innovations, including variable high-pass and low-pass filters within the side-chain.

It offers full envelope control with attack, hold, decay, and range, along with advanced features that make it one of the most flexible and capable noise gates in its class.

When two or more DS101 modules are used together, they can be linked via an infrared triggering system. Each gate retains its own envelope settings while sharing a common trigger pulse, making it ideal for stereo operation and creative envelope-follower effects.

Gate with Ease
Noise gating can often be challenging, especially when unwanted spill from nearby sources causes false triggering. Raising the threshold may reduce this, but risks losing quieter details and compromising the performance.

The DS101 addresses this with dual variable side-chain filters. The high-pass and low-pass filters allow precise frequency targeting so the gate responds only to the desired signal. Engaging the key listen function lets you monitor the filter response in real time, ensuring accurate setup and reliable gating.

Comprehensive Envelope Control
With an exceptionally fast attack time, the DS101 opens in microseconds, preserving the natural transients of the source. Its envelope controls allow the gain response to be shaped precisely to suit different material.

On vocals, a fast attack keeps consonants crisp, while a controlled release avoids cutting words short and ensures smooth, natural fades. This prevents abrupt level changes that are often more distracting than low-level background noise.

Creative Sound Shaping
Beyond noise control, the DS101 is a powerful sound-shaping tool. It can modify the attack or decay of recorded material, hide noise tails in samples, and reshape sounds from drum machines or samplers, effectively acting as a triggered envelope shaper.

A dedicated key input allows external triggering, enabling effects such as opening an ambient microphone with a snare signal to create natural gated reverb. Multiple DS101 units can also be linked and independently switched between Gating and Ducking modes, making them ideal for broadcast, voiceover work, and the removal of clicks and pops.

Features

• Fully featured noise gate based on the industry-standard DS201, designed for the 500 Series format
• Proprietary hysteresis (trigger stabilisation) prevents chatter around the threshold
• Variable high-pass and low-pass filters for frequency-conscious side-chain gating
• Comprehensive envelope control with attack, hold, decay, and range parameters
• External triggering via key input or infrared pulse from another DS101 module
• Key Listen function enables precise side-chain monitoring and setup
• Ultra-fast attack preserves the natural transients of the source
• Link up to ten units within a single rack space, each retaining independent envelope shaping
• Drawmer traffic-light metering provides clear and intuitive visual feedback
• Switchable gating or ducking modes for versatile dynamic control
• Low-noise design throughout for transparent operation
• Built to classic Drawmer standards for reliability and longevity
• Designed and handmade by Drawmer in the United Kingdom