* 24 mic/line inputs with high-headroom Class A XMAX™ mic preamplifiers
* 4 subgroups
* Stereo/mono main out
* 10 auxiliary mixes
* 32-in/26-out FireWire digital recording interface (24-bit/44.1 kHz and 48 kHz)
* Studio One Artist Digital Audio Workstation software for Mac™ and PC
* Capture™ 1.1 recording software for Mac™ and PC
* Direct recording interface compatible with Logic®, Nuendo, Cubase, Sonar™, Digital Performer™, Ableton™ Live, and more
* 24 channel strips
* Trim control with –20 to +20 dBV line/-15 to +65 dBu mic gain range (80dB!)
* +48V phantom power switch for condenser microphones
* FireWire Input Select
* 100 mm precision faders
* Lighted Solo and Mute buttons
* Access to Fat Channel functions
* 15-LED ladder metering + clip LED
* Analog ¼" insert (rear panel)
* 4 subgroup buses, each with:
o Solo
o Mute
o Access to Fat Channel functions (except high-pass filter and phase reverse)
* 10 aux sends, each with
o Solo
o Pre/post-fader send
o Output-level control
o Access to Fat Channel functions (except phase reverse)
o Mix and Mix/Pan Fat Channel metering
o Available sources: 24 input channels, Aux A and B, Tape Input, Talkback
* 2 internal effects sends, each with:
o Mute
o Pre/post-fader send
o Output-level control
o Access to Fat Channel (except phase reverse)
o Effects-send Select for Fat Channel metering
o Mix button for aux-bus mixing and Fat Channel metering
* Master Section
o Aux Input A and B
o Level Control and Select (Fat Channel metering) switch
o Access to all Fat Channel functions (except phase reverse)
o Talkback System
+ Mic Level control
+ Output Select ( Aux 1-2, 3-6, 7-10, Main)
+ Talk button
+ Rear-panel XLR mic input with level control and continuous 48V phantom power
o 2 Track In
+ Level control
+ Tape Input to Mains button
+ FireWire source on/off
o Solo Bus
+ Cue Mix volume control
+ PFL/AFL and Solo In Place (SIP) buttons
o Monitor Bus
+ Headphone-output level control
+ Control-room monitor-level control
+ Solo Bus to Monitor button
+ Tape Input to Monitor button
+ Main L/R FireWire Return to Monitor button
+ Main Mix to Monitor button
* Fat Channel with rotary encoders:
o Pan with dedicated 15-LED display
o Stereo link for input channels, aux buses, and subgroups
o Phase reverse (main channels only)
o High-pass filter: 6 dB/oct., sweepable from Off to 1 kHz (main channels and aux’s only)
o 4-band fully parametric equalizer
+ Low EQ: sweepable from 36 Hz to 465 Hz, ±15 dB, switchable shelf or peaking
+ Low Mid EQ: sweepable from 90 Hz to 1.2 kHz, ±15 dB, variable Q 0.1 to 4.0
+ High Mid EQ: sweepable from 380 Hz to 5 kHz, ±15 dB, variable Q 0.1 to 4.0
+ High EQ: sweepable from 1.4 kHz to 18 kHz, ±15 dB, switchable shelf or peaking
+ Master EQ On/Off button
o Gate: Threshold: 0 to –84 dB, Attack: 0.02 to 500 ms, Release: 0.05 to 2 sec, Bandpass Key Filter: 40 Hz to 16 kHz, second-order resonant bandpass filter Q (0.7) with Key Listen function
o Compressor: Threshold,-56 to 0 dB; Ratio 1:1 to 14:1, LIM=∞:1; Attack 0.2 to 150 ms; Release 2.5 to 900 ms; Makeup Gain 0 to 28 dB; Soft Knee switch; Auto Mode with 10 ms Attack and 150 ms Release
o Limiter: variable Threshold -28 dBfs to 0, ∞:1 Ratio
o Output Assign: 4 subgroups and main with post-EQ/post-dynamics option
o All settings can be copied among channels and saved as user presets.
o 50 channel-strip presets for drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, and vocals
* 2 internal digital effects-processors, each with 50 customizable reverb and delay presets
o 31-band graphic equalizers
+ Assignable in four stereo pairs
+ Mono or stereo operation
+ Main outputs, aux outputs, subgroup outputs
o Scene Store and Recall
o Global Scene Storage: all current StudioLive settings
+ Up to 80 at a time
o Automatic Global AutoStore
o Individual channel-strip Scene storage
+ Up to 48 at a time, plus…
+ 50 factory presets for instruments and vocal
o Copy and Paste between channels
o Customizable naming (for example, “Saturday Gig” or “Main Worship Service”)
o Lockout mode to keep inspired amateurs from changing your settings
* Metering/Displays
o 24 x 16- LED Fat Channel matrix:
+ Pre-dynamics/pre-fader input
+ Post-dynamics/post-fader output
+ Gain reduction
+ Aux 1-10 and EFX A/B output
+ Fader-position recall
o 8 x 15-LED main meter bank
+ Selected channel level
+ Selected channel gain reduction
+ Sub buses 1 to 4
+ Main stereo outputs
o 15-LED horizontal Pan/Balance display
o 64 x 194 LCD matrix
+ Effects parameters
+ Scene creation, storage, and recall
+ System menus
o 2-digit Channel Selected display
* Input/Output
o 24 main inputs, each with XLR mic, ¼" line, and ¼" inserts
o 2 ¼" stereo (L/R) aux inputs
o 1 XLR talkback-mic input with phantom power and level control
o Unbalanced RCA stereo (L/R) tape inputs and outputs
o XLR stereo (L/R) main outputs with level control
o ¼" stereo (L/R) main outputs
o XLR mono output with level control
o ¼" stereo (L/R) control-room outputs
o ¼" Headphone output
o 4 ¼" subgroup outputs
o 10 ¼" aux outputs
o 24 pre-insert, balanced direct outputs, Ch. 1-8, 9-16, 17-24 (DB25 sockets) S/PDIF digital out
o 2 FireWire 400 ports
* Digitalia
o High-definition analog-to-digital converters (118 dB dynamic range)
o Unlimited-headroom, 32-bit floating point, digital mixing and effects processing
o Internal sample frequency 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz
* Physical
o Rugged, non-flex steel chassis
o 100 mm long-throw faders
o Military-grade, quick-touch buttons
o BNC 12V lamp socket
o Optional dust covers available
I am in Las Vegas and two of the band-style gigs I did for this review were outside. One event on a cloudy day and one we did in the blazing sun. As you may have guessed, the lighted knobs and the smallish screen tended to disappear as the sun sank to horizon and invaded my little pop-up tent. I know I am reaching for stuff to bitch about, but remember, for most of you and especially me, the StudioLive offers a whole lot of features that will cover a big majority of your gigs. And do it well.
So I did a couple of talking-head gigs with this desk. It performed flawlessly. I did an all-day, poolside event with a lot of acoustic guitars, violins, an auto-harp, regular band gear, etc. and it performed flawlessly. And I did a festival for 20,000 kids where I mixed 1 of 4 stages with 7 local, screamo-style bands, and it performed flawlessly. You need to add a BNC light, get the dust cover and I would spring for the third-party flight case with doghouse and casters as I do a lot of corporate stuff and I need that buttoned-up look. Street price seems to be floating at $3300. Rumor is that a new frame size may be in the offing. Those who need a lot of channels, you can Cascade two 24 channel StudioLives together for a 48 channel mixer!
The StudioLive 24.4.2 is the most advanced and intuitive mixer of it's kind in this price range. From day one, I have been nothing but impressed and learn new features daily. The menus are very easy to navigate, and everything works just like you think it should. I have made my best recordings to date due to the installation of this mixer in my studio setup. I love the ability to save scenes, and the firewire routing gives you endless possibilities and uses. The preamps are the best I've owned yet, and the Fat Channel is the best idea for a mixer to date. Do not hesitate, this WILL make your live sound or recordings MUCH better.
I have just finished my first acoustic drum recording test and basically threw 13 unedited tracks through some reverb and made an mp3. Check out the recording, and hear for yourself! The Tama StarClassic Performer drums were recorded through Sennheiser and Shure mics, right through the mixers "fat channels" and into Sonar Producer through firewire, then added a little Lexicon reverb and mixed down to mp3.
This board, hands down, is one of the best and most intuitive boards on the planet. The PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2 is a multidimensional board with several layers of access and control. After only a couple of days working with the mixer, I was flying through the setup and menus. The pres on this board are phenomenal and sound great with virtually any microphone. But wait, there's more! Not only can you setup and save "Scenes" for the board, with the new VSL software, changing the board from rehearsal mode, to recording particular instruments, to a live setup is as simple as drag-and-drop. There are virtually endless ways to use the StudioLive. For my group, Foolsbane, it is imperative that we be able to quickly record rehearsal and analyze various aspects of a song. With the bundled Capture software, it's as easy as opening the software, arming the tracks, and hitting record. The PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2 has quickly become an indispensable tool for both the studio and on the road. Hurry and get yours today! I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Hi Everyone, I just bought a Presonus Studiolive 24.4.2 last week. I set it up in my pratice Room to get the feel for it. I'm not a digital guy at heart. So far I'm very happy with it. it's very user friendly and the lay out is great with the Fat channel. This board may not be for everyone but it looks like it will serve my needs well. I didn't buy it to use on every show. If it does not have any problems with the digital part I will use it a lot more than I planned, I really like it so far and the pre's sound great. The effects are fine and the comp's and gates all function well. I still have to figure out a lot of stuff but thats the fun of it. I have a regional sound company and do a lot of different types of work. I mix most of the shows myself and we don't get a lot of riders. So the name thing is not going to be a problem. My laptop took a dump, so I can't hook up the recording part yet. I still have a lot to learn and I take it slow but this looks pretty good for the money I spent. Well if someone has something to add jump on it.
We setup/breakdown every weekend, so mobility and speed are key. For me the biggest benefit is no longer having to drag a large, heavy rack with a bunch of modules. Now, all I carry is a Furman power conditioner, a DBX Driverack 260 and a Tascam CD recorder in a 4 unit rack. (Will get rid of that CD recorder eventually...) The Studiolive has a "FAT" channel, which has a high pass filter, gate, limiter, compressor, parametric EQ and effects available for all channels.
I've mixed on analog boards for 6 years, so I was unsure what it would be like to go digital. The transition to digital was smoother than expected. The board layout is pretty similar to analog boards but it has the added benefits of digital processing.
The StudioLive 24.4.2 is a great sounding mixer. We love that it doesn’t impart the kind of sonic stamp on your music that will cause some users to rejoice and others to complain — it’s very neutral overall. Clean and transparent are the words we’re most comfortable with in its description, and it preserves nice high-end detail without sounding harsh or abrasive. Of course if you track with some of the Fat Channel features enabled (compressor, EQ, etc.), the board will obviously color your tone when you push these settings into more artistic ranges than simply providing minor adjustments.
For those of you who fear a digital console will sound cold and sterile, fear not, as the StudioLive demonstrates no such behavior. We were immediately at home with the sound delivered by the mixer compared to the sound of our departing analog board (you can probably guess the brand for yourselves). Nobody listening to our recordings would hear anything that makes them say “Oh, that’s a digital console.”
We tested the StudioLive 24.4.2 both for live performance use as well as by tracking an actual EP with an internationally recognized progressive rock band. Featuring a massive drum kit, two electric guitars with wet/dry/wet configurations (mono and stereo), fretted and fretless bass, loads of keyboards, and multi-part vocal harmonies, we were able to put the sonics of the board to the test in both the live and studio settings.
I tried the 16 tracks is not enough and 24 is really a lot of advantages compared to the 16, the pilots of the bizarrely 24 have looked much better because I have absolutely no worries in live recording unlike qques comments (which are also the owners of version 16 and have nothing to do on the page views for the 24 ...)
otherwise I'm sound guys for 22 years so obviously I have tried many consoles (last Soundcraft VI 6 of a small bomb at around 76,000 euros without the options! but we are talking about value for money! So .. StudioLive ... 24 is really good for its price and above the Yamaha digital consoles in the same price range and even above (LS9 kind) at least sound but Swiss Army knife! good but I prefer the sound, the summation and dynamics so it's all good for this small console!
This board, hands down, is one of the best and most intuitive boards on the planet. The PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2 is a multidimensional board with several layers of access and control. After only a couple of days working with the mixer, I was flying through the setup and menus. The pres on this board are phenomenal and sound great with virtually any microphone. But wait, there's more! Not only can you setup and save "Scenes" for the board, with the new VSL software, changing the board from rehearsal mode, to recording particular instruments, to a live setup is as simple as drag-and-drop. There are virtually endless ways to use the StudioLive. For my group, Foolsbane, it is imperative that we be able to quickly record rehearsal and analyze various aspects of a song. With the bundled Capture software, it's as easy as opening the software, arming the tracks, and hitting record. The PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2 has quickly become an indispensable tool for both the studio and on the road. Hurry and get yours today! I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
This board, hands down, is one of the best and most intuitive boards on the planet. The PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2 is a multidimensional board with several layers of access and control. After only a couple of days working with the mixer, I was flying...
Overall... I'm very happy with my decision to go digital. I've lighted up my load by over 100lbs.. and my band sounds better then ever. You'll be very pleased if you buy this mixer. ...
