PRESONUS STUDIOLIVE 16.4.2 User manual

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StudioLive 16.4.2
A powerhouse multifunction console in a compact package
By Nick Peck
A
digital mixer/audio interface designed
for both project studio and live sound
applications, StudioLive is a 16-input,
4-bus console packed with a comprehensive list
of features. Each channel and bus include a sig-
nal chain of audio processors known as the Fat
Channel. ere are six aux sends for interfacing
with external processing and for creating cue
mixes, two onboard stereo eects, inserts and
direct outputs on every channel, 100 scenes for
recalling mix setting snapshots, talkback func-
tionality, 16 high-quality mic input preamps,
individual 48-volt phantom-power switches on
each channel, and separate control room and
main outputs—all within a compact, easy-to-
transport package.
StudioLive can operate as a stand-alone
mixer, but also includes FireWire 400 ports and
a Mac/PC-compatible program called Capture
that records all 16 channels as separate tracks.
StudioLive can also function as your computer’s
audio interface, using PreSonus’ drivers to work
with most major DAWs.
Check Out the Specs
Not a square inch of available real estate is
wasted, yet StudioLive is easy to navigate. e
layout is intuitive and carefully thought-out, and
the large numbers of buttons, knobs and faders
make for a compact—but not overly cramped—
work surface. e design is so good that I was
able to learn 80 percent of the desk without ever
cracking open the manual. e well-marked but-
tons and metering all feature bright and colorful
LEDs that are perfect for low-light live sound
situations. And two StudioLives can be linked
together to create a 32-input, 8-bus console. If
you’re not using the system with a computer, you
can link as many as four StudioLives.
StudioLive’s routing and conceptual layout
should be familiar to those accustomed to analog
mixers. Each channel has an input trim at the top
and 100mm faders at the bottom, with Solo and
Mute buttons. ere are no channel-specic EQ,
digital mixer
$1,999
PROS: Incredible value for the price.
Well-designed, intuitive, direct interface.
Comprehensive feature set. Clean sound with
lots of gain.
CONS: Faders and knobs feel flimsy. Capture
software needs polish. Faders are un-motorized.
features  1 2 3 4 5
ease of use  1 2 3 45
audio Quality 1 2 3 45
Value  1 2 3 4 5
presonus.com
StudioLive is covered
with controls, but they are so
well laid out that getting around is
a breeze.

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pan or send knobs—instead, the centrally locat-
ed Fat Channel serves all channels and sends.
Dedicated LED meters, knobs and buttons make
for quick adjustment of the parameters. Press a
channel’s Select button and the Fat Channel’s
controls are routed to that channel.
e master section includes the subgroup
and main channel sections, and areas for moni-
toring, talkback, digital FX, setup, scene storage
and metering. e dedicated meter block dis-
plays levels for the groups and main channels, as
well as the level and gain-reduction amount of
the currently selected channel. e Fat Channel’s
parameter meters double as level meters for all
16 channels.
All audio connections are laid out across
the console’s rear panel. Each of the 16 chan-
nels has an XLR mic in, ¼-inch TRS line ins and
¼-inch insert send/return jack. e six aux outs,
four subgroup outs, two stereo aux inputs, con-
trol room outs and one pair of main outs are all
¼-inch TRS jacks. ere’s an additional pair of
XLR main outs, a mono output, a talkback mic
in and stereo tape in/out on RCA jacks. All con-
nections except for the line inserts and tape in/
out jacks are balanced (see Fig. 1).
My Big Fat Channel
e Fat Channel is truly the heart and soul of
StudioLive. e eects chain is simultaneously
available on all 16 channels, the subgroups,
main outs, aux sends, internal FX sends and
external FX returns. The chain for input
channels comprises polarity (phase) reverse,
highpass lter, noise gate, compressor, EQ and
limiter. e subgroups, main outs and sends
eliminate the phase reverse and highpass l-
ter. e compressor includes nice touches such
as a hard/so-knee switch, and automatic or
manual attack and release times. e EQ is a
classic 4-band semi-parametric (Q is high/
low-switchable), with shelving options on the
low and high bands, and broad/narrow band-
width selection for the midrange. All bands
have ±15dB boost/cut, and there’s a generous
overlap of the frequency ranges between bands.
e limiter is a one-button aair, designed to
brickwall signals at 0 dBFS. Every element in
the Fat Channel signal chain does its job admi-
rably, with transparent compression, surgical
(if not particularly musical) EQ and eective
noise gating with a smooth release.
While not in the Fat Channel itself, a recent
rmware update adds a stereo 31-band graphic
equalizer within one of the menus.
Capture the Spirit
Capture (Mac/Win) is a multitrack audio
recording application developed specically for
StudioLive. It’s laid out similarly to many other
music recording programs, yet it is not intend-
ed to replace a full-edged DAW, although it
does oer some rudimentary editing capabili-
ties (see Fig. 2). Music recorded into Capture
can be mixed back through StudioLive and re-
recorded back into Capture, but audio les can
also be exported for further work in the DAW
of your choice.
Capture is a great idea, but it’s very much
“rev 1” soware, with some rough edges in the
user interface that hopefully will be addressed
in future releases. For example, I couldn’t get
any of the key equivalents to work, forcing me
to mouse through every command. ere are
no fades available to smooth out edit points,
and I couldn’t get the loop-playback function to
work. [Note: According to PreSonus, these were
addressed in soware V. 1.1—Eds.]Tracks that
are stereo-linked in StudioLive still must be
addressed individually in Capture.
Is It Live, Or Is It Studio?
My organ trio recorded a song together in our
rehearsal space by plugging into StudioLive. We
recorded as a group simultaneously into Capture,
with no effects or processing. We then mixed
down the tune through StudioLive and back into
Capture, exercising the Fat Channel and onboard
eects processing. Other than Capture’s rough
edges, the process was as smooth as silk.
StudioLive excels in the sound-quality
department. e Class-A XMAX mic preamps,
fiG. 1: StudioLive has a comprehensive set of audio connections, including direct outs on all channels.
fiG. 2: Capture is a simple but effective recording program with a few rough edges.

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borrowed from the company’s FireStudio and
DigiMax products, are clean, fast and detailed,
with plenty of headroom. e line inputs have
enough gain to generate a clean, healthy lev-
el—even from instrument DI outputs. The
onboard reverb and delay eects are perfectly
adequate for the job, especially in a live sound
context. If you are looking for a vintage vibe
or a bigger-than-life sound, you won’t nd it
here. What you will nd is clean, accurate and
transparent sound reproduction. at latency
is so low you can use your computer DAW
eects in real time for live sound gigs, so you
can do all processing on a computer and y in
pre-produced tracks.
Jacob Rosenberg, a live sound mixer, took
the StudioLive out as the front-of-house mixer
for a weekly jazz gig. He was very impressed
with the sound quality and ease of use, particu-
larly appreciating how the Fat Channel saved
him from carting his racks of analog gear.
All that glitters is not gold, and StudioLive
is not without its drawbacks. While I love the
buttons, I’m not a fan of the knobs and fad-
ers. e faders feel cheap, lacking the smooth
movement of higher-end consoles. e knobs
are a bit small and sti for my taste. Because
the faders and knobs are not motorized, scene
recall is not a completely automatic process.
e faders need to be manually reset by match-
ing their position to the LED meter display
above them, and mic preamp gain levels are
not stored at all.
But overall, PreSonus has created a ex-
ible, feature-rich, well-designed, good-sound-
ing mixing desk in a manageable size and at an
aordable price. While I have a few quibbles,
they are relatively small potatoes in the context
of the overall package. ere is no doubt that
PreSonus has a big winner on its hands with
StudioLive. If you’re involved in smaller-scale
live sound or have a project studio in search of
a friendly, out-of-the-box front end, StudioLive
is denitely worth your attention.
Nick Peck is a composer/Hammond organist/
audio engineer living in the San Francisco Bay
Area. He is the audio director of a videogame
company, and a proud papa of two little ones.
Visit him at www.underthebigtree.com. Peck
would like to thank Jacob Rosenberg for his help
in researching this article.
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Audio Connections:
16 XLR Microphone inputs
1 XLR Talkback microphone input
16 1/4” TRS balanced line inputs
2 DB25 Pre-insert balanced direct outputs (channels 1-16)
16 1/4” TRS unbalanced insert jacks
6 1/4” TRS balanced aux outputs
4 1/4” TRS balanced aux inputs (2 stereo pairs)
4 1/4” TRS balanced subgroup outputs
2 1/4” TRS balanced CR outputs (1 stereo pair)
2 1/4” TRS balanced main outputs (1 stereo pair)
2 XLR balanced main outputs (1 stereo pair)
1 XLR balanced mono output
2 RCA unbalanced tape inputs (1 stereo pair)
2 RCA unbalanced tape outputs (1 stereo pair)
1 1/4” TRS stereo headphone output
Data Connections:
2 IEEE FireWire 400 ports
1 S/PDIF stereo digital out, RCA format
Power: IEC connection, 90-240 VAC depending upon country
of destination
Dimensions: 22x17x7 inches (DxWxH)
Weight: 23 pounds
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