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Audio Review: PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2 Digital Mixer
At this price point, will replace a lot of analog mixers in applications where true automation is not required.
I remember meeting PreSonus Founder/Engineer Jim Odom at a tradeshow around 1995, when his company was a new player on the scene. I had already used one of PreSonus' eight-channel compressors, and was impressed with the sound quality, value and real-world practicality of the products Odom was designing. I went on to use and own several other PreSonus products, including mic preamps, digitally controlled graphic EQs and computer recording interfaces. In each case, PreSonus stayed true to its commitment to offer excellent sound quality and value.
PreSonus has set its sites on bigger and bigger game over the years, even applying its quality-meets-value approach to the "pure" digital market of late. Odom's little company is not so little anymore-the introduction of a pair of small-format digital mixers and a digital audio workstation (DAW) software package now has them competing with the likes of Yamaha, Tascam, Mackie, Roland, Apple, Avid and a whole host of other heavyweights.
So it was with eager anticipation that I first powered up PreSonus' flagship StudioLive 24.4.2 digital mixer ($3,995 list). As its name implies, the StudioLive 24.4.2 offers 24 mic/line analog inputs with XMAX mic preamps and insert points, four subgroups and stereo output. The mixer also offers 10 aux busses, two digital effects units, eight channels of 31-band graphic EQ, 100mm faders, talkback input, scene store/recall, S/PDIF digital output, and direct analog outputs on DB-25 connectors.
Every input and output on the StudioLive is given royal treatment with the mixer's Fat Channel processing section. Processing includes a phase switch, high-pass filter, noise gate, compressor, four-band EQ, and limiter. The Fat Channel doesn't just offer stripped-down controls; every processing section offers all the standard parameters you'd expect. Nice extras include switchable soft knee compression, fixed or manual attack/release times, fully parametric EQ with shelving high and low bands, and switchable noise gate/expander modes. The noise gate/expander section offers a sweepable key filter that you can listen to on the solo bus. You can also copy Fat Channel settings between mixer channels, which is a very handy feature.
One of the mixer's best features is its 32x26 Firewire interface, which makes the StudioLive the most powerful live recording system available at this price point. Attach a Mac or PC computer, install the included Capture application, and you're ready to record. StudioLive gives you control over whether individual channels go to the Firewire interface before or after Fat Channel processing, so you can record with or without EQ and dynamics. For mix down through the StudioLive, individual channels can be set to process the return from the Firewire interface instead of the analog input. Because the Firewire interface is always working bi-directionally, you can also use the Fat Channels as outboard processing for your DAW.
In Use
Some digital mixers scare new users, and rightfully so-they're scary. With mile-deep control menus and buttons everywhere, their learning curves can be steep. StudioLive's interface is refreshingly simple in comparison. Most parameter changes happen in the middle of the board, using the same set of knobs and buttons for any selected input or output. Selecting an input or output channel brings up the corresponding Fat Channel parameters. Press "Mix" on an aux send, and send levels are mapped one-to-one to the channel control knobs. In graphic EQ mode, the middle knobs control individual bands. The only LCD menu appears on the right-hand side of the mixer, where you can control the built-in effects, scene store/recall and a handful of other parameters.
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Loren Alldrin is a regular contributor to Church Production Magazine.
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