PRESONUS NSB Series User manual

NSB-Series Stagebox
AVBRemote I/O
Owner’s Manual

Table of Contents
Table of Contents 2
1. Overview 3
1.1 Introduction 3
1.2 About This Manual 3
1.3 What’s in the Box 3
1.3.1 What Else You Need 4
1.4 Companion PreSonus Products 6
2. Getting Started 7
2.1 Direct connect with a StudioLive Series III mixer 7
2.2 Direct connect with a StudioLive Series III rack mixer 13
2.3 Using an NSB-series Stage Box with Two or More Mixers 16
3. Gain Compensation 28
3.1 Remote Preamp Control (Console Mixers) 28
3.2 Remote Preamp Control (UC Surface) 29
4. Hookup 32
4.1 Front-Panel Connections 32
4.2 Left-panel Connections 33
4.3 Right-panel Connections 34
4.4 Rear-Panel Connections 34
4.5 Configurable Rack Ears (NSB 32.16 only) 34
5. Technical Information 37
5.1 Specifications 37
6. Legal 40
7. Dinner is Served! 41

1. Overview
1.1 Introduction
Thank you for purchasing an NSB-series AVB-networked stage box. Designed to work seamlessly with
the PreSonus StudioLive® Series III digital mixers, the NSB-series networked stage boxes provide a
high-quality, expandable, networked, remote I/O solution for stage, installed sound systems, or studio
recording.
PreSonus Audio Electronics is committed to constant product improvement, and we highly value our cus-
tomers and their creative endeavors. We appreciate the support you have shown us by purchasing your
NSB-series stage box and are confident that you will enjoy for years to come!
1.2 About This Manual
We suggest you spend some time with this manual before beginning to work with your NSB-series stage
boxes, and familiarize yourself with their features, functions, and proper connection procedures. This will
facilitate configuring your AVB network and make the process go as smoothly as possible.
This manual describes the functions of the NSB-series stage boxes with StudioLive Series III digital mix-
ers. More information about AVB Networking best practices and configurations can be found in the
PreSonus AVB Networking Guide, and we highly recommend that you review this document as well, to
avoid any difficulty in creating your AVB network. This manual covers basic connection and use case con-
figurations only. For more complex routing examples, please review the PreSonus AVB Networking
Guide.
Throughout this manual, you will find Power User Tips. These suggestions provide useful information
on getting the most out of your NSB stage box as well as explanations of various useful audio ter-
minology.
Thank you, once again, for purchasing our product. We are confident that you will enjoy your new NSB
stage box.
Note: When using your NSB stage box with a StudioLive Series III mixer, your mixer will require the
latest firmware and Universal Control version for proper functionality. Please log into your My PreSonus
user account and update all associated software for your PreSonus AVB products before proceeding.
1.3 What’s in the Box
In addition to a Quick Start Guide, your NSB-series stage box package contains the following:
NSB 32.16, NSB 16.8 or NSB 8.8 AVB-networked stage box
1. Overview 3

IEC Power Cord
Reversible Rack Ears (NSB 32.16 only)The rack ears included with the NSB
32.16 are reversible, allowing the mixer to be racked in either recessed or reversed
configurations, allowing space for all attached cabling when installing NSB 32.16 in
a stage rack.
1.3.1 What Else You Need
AVB Switch. The PreSonus SW5E AVB PoE
Switch is fully compatible with all PreSonus AVB
products and third-party AVB devices that adhere
to the 1722.1 AVB standard. For a complete list
of compatible third-party AVB switches, please
visit www.presonus.com.
Gigabit-capable Ethernet Cable. PreSonus
recommends a CAT6 or CAT6A Ethernet cable for
all AVB devices. These can be acquired at most
electronics dealers. We recommend cables that
have been ETL or UL verified to meet ANSI/TIA
568-C.2 specification.
1.3.1 What Else You Need 4

1722.1 AVB-compatible mixer. All PreSonus
StudioLive Series III mixer models are fully com-
patible with the 1722.1 AVB standard and NSB-
series stage boxes. If you are using a third-party
AVB mixer, please contact the manufacturer to
verify compatibility with this standard.
NSB 16.8 or NSB 8.8 Rack adapter. PreSonus has designed the NSB
16.8 and NSB 8.8 adapters to mount the NSB-series stage boxes in stand-
ard 19” equipment rack. This accessory is sold separately at your favorite
PreSonus dealer or at www.presonus.com.
1.3.1 What Else You Need 5

1.4 Companion PreSonus Products
Welcome to the PreSonus Ecosystem! As a solutions company, we believe the best way to take care of
our customers (that’s you) is to ensure that you have the best possible experience from the beginning of
your signal chain to the end. In order to achieve this goal, we’ve prioritized seamless integration through-
out every design phase of these products from day one. The result is systems that communicate with
each other as intended— straight out of the box—without excessive configuration hassle.
For more information on how our PreSonus AVB networking devices play so well with one another,
please review the PreSonus AVB Networking Guide.
1.4 Companion PreSonus Products 6

2. Getting Started
The PreSonus NSB-series stage boxes make it easy to get audio to and from the stage using an AVB net-
work. With AVB networking, input and output signals flow through one lightweight CAT5e or CAT6 Eth-
ernet cable. In addition, NSB-series’ inputs, preamps, and phantom power can be remotely controlled
from your networked StudioLive Series III console or from any device running PreSonus UC Surface
touch-control software.
Before you begin, here are a few rules to get you started:
lIf your mixer or your NSB-series stage box is not properly gain staged, none of your mixes will sound
their best.
lDo not allow your inputs to clip. Watch the level meters; when the signal nears clipping, the top LED
will illuminate, indicating that the digital-to-analog converters are in danger of being overdriven.
The following tutorials have been created for two common applications, but can be altered accordingly
for your personal needs. More complex use case examples can be found in the PreSonus AVB Net-
working Guide.
2.1 Direct connect with a StudioLive Series III mixer
With the exception of the StudioLive 64S and StudioLive 16R, every StudioLive Series III mixer is a 32-
channel mixer with 16 FlexMixes regardless of its complement of onboard I/O. In this example, we will
be looking at using on NSB 16.8 to expand the I/O capability of the StudioLive 32SC console mixer, so
that it has 32 inputs and 16 outputs. This process is identical if using the NSB 32.16 or NSB16.8.
Connect your NSB 16.8 to your StudioLive 32SC as shown below and power on your equipment:
Step 1: Connect Your Stage Box to Your Mixer
2. Getting Started 7

Press the Home button on your StudioLive Ser-
ies III mixer.
Press the Audio Routing icon on the Touch-
screen.
Press the Remote I/O Setup button on the Touch-
screen.
Select the NSB 16.8 from the list on the left.
2.1 Direct connect with a StudioLive Series III mixer 8

In applications where you are using multiple
NSB-series stage boxes of the same model, you
can press the Identify button. This will flash the
Power Network LED on the front of the selected
NSB stage box from green to red, allowing you to
quickly locate your selection.
Select the mixer you’d like to use to control the
preamps on your NSB stage box. By default, this
is set to “All”, enabling any StudioLive Series III
mixer on the AVB network to control the preamps
on your stage box.
Power User Tip: Because your NSB stage box inputs are most likely routed to multiple sources on your net-
work, PreSonus highly recommends designating one mixer to control the NSB preamps.
Select the AVB Output Sends you’d like returned
to the physical outputs on your NSB stage box.
Because the AVB streams must be routed in
banks of 8, you can only source these outputs
from one mixer on the network.
Note:You must assign an output stream from your mixer to your NSB-series stage box so that it is
clocked properly over the network. If you do not assign an output stream from your mixer, your networked
stage box will not be properly synced and you will hear audio artifacts. For more information on clocking
over AVB, please review the AVB Networking Guide.
2.1 Direct connect with a StudioLive Series III mixer 9

Press the Apply button when finished.
Once send streams from your mixer have been
successfully patched, you will see a green status
indicator next to your NSB stage box in the setup
screen.
The Power Network LED on your NSB stage box will turn from green to blue when
proper clock sync has been established with the AVB network.
Step 2: Routing Stage Box Inputs to Mixer
In our example, we are using the NSB 16.8 to
add 16 additional analog inputs and 8 additional
analog outputs to a StudioLive 32SC. Press the
AVB Inputs button.
Select Inputs 17-24 from the Input Streams list.
2.1 Direct connect with a StudioLive Series III mixer 10

Select NSB 16.8: Send 1-8 from the Available
Stream list to patch the first eight NSB inputs to
channels 17-24 on your mixer.
Select Inputs 25-32 from the Input Streams list.
Select NSB 16.8: Send 9-16 from the Available
Stream list to patch the second eight NSB inputs
to channels 25-32 on your mixer.
Note: NSB stage boxes have two sets of
streams: one with Gain Compensation and one
without. In our example, the StudioLive 16 has
total preamp control over the NSB stage box and
is the only mixer connect to its streams. Because
of this, Gain Compensation is not required in this
example. Please review the Gain Compensation
topic for more information on Gain Com-
pensation and when it is advantageous or even
required.
Step 3: Engaged Network Sources
Press the back arrow twice to return to the Audio Routing screen.
Press Digital Patching.
2.1 Direct connect with a StudioLive Series III mixer 11

Select Input Source and scroll to Inputs 17-32.
Assign each to the Network source by pressing
the Network button next to each Input.
Or....
Select each channel and press the Network but-
ton from the Input source section in the Fat Chan-
nel.
Your NSB 16.8 is now ready to use!
2.1 Direct connect with a StudioLive Series III mixer 12

2.2 Direct connect with a StudioLive Series III rack mixer
In this example, we will be looking at using one NSB 8.8 to expand the I/O capability of the Stu-
dioLive 24R rack mixer, so that it has 32 inputs and 16 outputs.Note that the workflow below is identical
for NSB 32.16 and NSB 16.8.
Connect your NSB 8.8 to your StudioLive 24R as shown below and power on your equipment:
Step 1: Connect Your Stage Box to Your Mixer
1. Launch UC Surface and connect to your StudioLive 24R.
2. Click or Tap on the Settings Gear.
3. Click or Tap on the Network tab.
4. In the Remote I/O area, select the NSB 8.8 from the list.
Power User Tip: In applications where you are using multiple NSB-series stage boxes of the same model, you
2.2 Direct connect with a StudioLive Series III rack mixer 13

can press the Identify button. This will flash the Power Network LED on the front of the selected NSB stage box
from green to red, allowing you to quickly locate your selection.
5. Select the mixer you’d like to use to control the preamps on your NSB stage box. By
default, this is set to “All”, enabling any StudioLive Series III mixer on the AVB net-
work to control the preamps on your stage box.
Power User Tip: Because your NSB stage box inputs are most likely routed to multiple sources on your net-
work, PreSonus highly recommends designating one mixer to control the NSB preamps.
6. Select the AVB Output Sends from the StudioLive 24R you’d like returned to the physical outputs on
your NSB stage box. Because the AVB streams are routed must be routed in banks of 8, you can only
source these outputs from one mixer on the network.
Note: You must assign an output stream from your mixer to your NSB-series stage box so that it is
clocked properly over the network. If you do not assign an output stream from your mixer, your networked
2.2 Direct connect with a StudioLive Series III rack mixer 14

stage box will not be properly synced and you will hear audio artifacts. For more information on clocking
over AVB, please review the StudioLive Series III AVB Networking Guide.
7. Press the Apply button when finished.
The Power Network LED on your NSB stage box will turn from green to blue when
proper clock sync has been established with the AVB network.
Step 2: Routing Stage Box Inputs to Mixer
In our example, we are using the NSB 8.8 to add 8 additional analog inputs and 8 additional analog out-
put to a StudioLive 24R. The workflow for the NSB16.8 or NSB 32.16 will be identical.
1. Click on the AVB Inputs tab.
2. Next to Inputs 25-32, select NSB 8.8: Send 1-8 from the Available Stream drop-down menu. This will
patch the eight inputs on your NSB 8.8 to channels 25-32 on your StudioLive 24R.
Power User Tip: NSB stage boxes have two sets of streams: one with Gain Compensation and one without. In
our example, the StudioLive 24R has total preamp control over the NSB stage box and is the only mixer connect
to its streams, because of this, Gain Compensation is not required in this example. Please review the Gain
2.2 Direct connect with a StudioLive Series III rack mixer 15

Compensation topic for more information on Gain Compensation and when it is advantageous or even required.
Step 3: Engaged Network Sources
1. Click or tap on the Digital Patching tab.
2. By default, the Input Source tab will be active. Select AVB from the Source Type selection.
3. Click or tap on the source icon for Channels 25-32 to change each channel’s source input to AVB.
This will enable the corresponding NSB stage box input to each channel (e.g. NSB Input 1 will be
enabled on StudioLive 24R channel 25, NSB Input 2 will be enabled on StudioLive 24R channel 26,
etc.)
Your NSB 8.8 is now ready to use!
2.3 Using an NSB-series Stage Box with Two or More Mixers
The same stage box can be used as a source for multiple mixers on the network. This situation is com-
mon when there is a mixer at Front-of-House and another mixer at Monitor Position. In this example, we
will be using an NSB 8.8 to add eight remote analog inputs to a StudioLive 32SX at front-of-house as well
as to add eight additional analog inputs to a StudioLive 24R configured as a monitor mixer to provide a
full 32-channel monitor mix solution.
Connect your network as shown below and power on your equipment. Because the NSB-series stage
boxes have an AVB switch onboard, you can connect two different devices simultaneously to a single
NSB stage box. You also have the option of using a stand-alone AVB switch, like the PreSonus SW5e.
Either of the configurations below are supported.
2.3 Using an NSB-series Stage Box with Two or More Mixers 16

2.3 Using an NSB-series Stage Box with Two or More Mixers 17

Step 1: Connect Your Rack Mixer (Monitors) to Your Console Mixer
(FOH)
Press the Home button on your StudioLive Ser-
ies III mixer.
Press the Audio Routing icon on the Touch-
screen.
Press the Remote I/O button on the Touch-
screen.
Select the StudioLive 24R.
2.3 Using an NSB-series Stage Box with Two or More Mixers 18

In our example, all preamps will be controlled
from the Front-of-House mixer, so set the
Preamp permissions to StudioLive 32SX.
Change the Mode to Monitor Mixer.
Note: For complete information on using your
rackmount StudioLive Series III mixer as a stage
box or monitor mixer with your StudioLive Series
III console, please review the StudioLive Series
III Stagebox Mode Addendum.
Step 2: Connect Your Stage Box to Your Console Mixer (FOH)
Select the NSB 8.8 from the list on the left.
In applications where you are using multiple
NSB-series stage boxes of the same model, you
can press the Identify button. This will flash
Power / Network LED on the top panel red and
green on the currently selected NSB, allowing
you to quickly locate your selection.
2.3 Using an NSB-series Stage Box with Two or More Mixers 19

Step 3: Set Preamp Permissions
The preamps on NSB-series stage boxes can be
controlled from any StudioLive Series III mixer on
the network. When you have a stage box feeding
more than one mixer, it is recommended that you
give only one mixer permission to adjust the NSB
preamp levels. In our example, we will be giving
permission to the StudioLive 32SX at Front-of-
House.
Step 4: Patch Outputs
The NSB-series stage box is equipped with 8 outputs to feed floor monitors, mains, or personal mon-
itoring systems. In our example, we will be using these outputs exclusively for floor monitors and since
we have a StudioLive 24R dedicated as a monitor mixer, we will be using its AVB Sends to feed the NSB
8.8 outputs.
Note: Because the AVB streams are routed must be routed in banks of 8, you can only source these out-
puts from one mixer on the network.
Send and Return connections over the network to and from the NSB-series stage box must be made
from each mixer individually. For console mixers, this routing can be made locally, using the LCD, or
remotely from UC Surface. All audio routing for rack mixers must be done remotely using UC Surface.
Note: You must assign an output stream from your mixer to your NSB-series stage box so that it is
clocked properly over the network. If you do not assign an output stream from your mixer, your networked
stage box will not be properly synced and you will hear audio artifacts. For more information on clocking
over AVB, please review the AVB Networking Guide.
In our example, we will be routing the last 8 FlexMixes from the StudioLive 24R to the physical outputs on
the NSB 8.8.
2.3 Using an NSB-series Stage Box with Two or More Mixers 20