Thanks to very good sound, an intuitive user interface and excellent value, PreSonus StudioLive digital mixers have garnered many accolades in the low-cost digital mixer arena. PreSonus software has made similar inroads in live and studio audio production. Put those together and you get the PreSonus StudioLive RM, a digital mixing system that ditches knobs and faders for a software-only user interface.
The StudioLive RM “core” isn't a traditional hardware mixer at all—it's a rack-mount device with analog and digital I/O and networking capabilities. The mixer uses a WiFi or Ethernet connection to take commands from software running on a Mac or Windows laptop, iPad or Windows tablet. Every parameter of the mixer (besides headphone volume) is under remote control, and is fully recallable. Even the gain and phantom power settings of the mic preamps are controlled by software and available for automation or program recall.
PreSonus offers two hardware configurations of the StudioLive RM: 32x16 in four rackspaces, or 16x8 in three rackspaces. XLR analog inputs and outputs sit on the front of the StudioLive RM along with a USB port (for included wi-fi adapter), basic metering, tape in jacks and headphone output and controls. The mixer's back panel has MIDI I/O, analog outputs on DB-25 connectors and an option card. The included option card has two Firewire 800 jacks, Ethernet jack and S/PDIF digital output. Option cards will eventually be available for Dante, AVB and Thunderbolt interfaces.
With generous DSP power under the hood, the StudioLive RM offers compression, limiting, noise gate and four-band fully parametric EQ on every input and bus. These “Fat Channel” processors are actually doubled up everywhere they appear, allowing instant A/B comparison of settings (or two different setups). Graphic EQs offer similar A/B control on 12 aux busses and the left, center and right output channels.
Four effects processors sit on dedicated stereo busses, offering a typical complement of rooms, halls, plates and delays (no modulation effects). PreSonus claims their rather limited selection of algorithms focuses on usable effects and does away with the “weird”. Users wanting a doubler or flange or chorus effect are out of luck. Will the time-based effects satisfy? We'll find out when we take it for a test drive in early 2015.
Specs on the StudioLive RM look excellent, thanks in part to Burr-Brown analog-to-digital converters, 32-bit internal processing and sample rates up to 96 kHz. Analog inputs flow through PreSonus' XMax discrete class-A mic preamps. All of this should add up to excellent sound quality, something we're eager to test and confirm.
If a digital mixer is going to offer software control only, that software had better be exceptional. PreSonus claims their “battle ready” UC surface software is intuitive and very fast to use, and is identical across all tablets and laptops. UC Surface is designed to minimize the clicks or taps needed to get to any given parameter, and a high value was placed on clear labeling. Channel types and Filter DCAs claim to greatly improve workflow, allowing quick access and control of multiple channels. Scene and preset recall appear to be flexible, and a nice touch is instant audition of Fat Channel presets.
Setting up a WiFi or Ethernet network can be a real hassle, but it appears PreSonus has put much effort into making the process simple and secure. Once your network is set up, an intriguing capability of wireless mixing becomes available: having multiple devices controlling the mixer. StudioLive RM allows this, with full administrative access control over devices. You can recruit a second engineer to control monitors, or give each performer control over their own cue mix (or just part of it) with an iPhone or iPod Touch running Presonus' QMix-AI app. The possibilities are vast.
The PreSonus “Active Integration” or AI concept brings the power of their software suite to bear on live mixing and recording with the StudioLive RM. You can record up to 54 outputs via FireWire to the Capture recording app, then route 34 inputs back to the mixer for a virtual sound check. Fader values, mutes, pans and Fat Channel settings will migrate from the StudioLive RM to the PreSonus Studio One DAW (digital audio workstation) software, giving you a head start on your studio mix. The PreSonus team seems to be very forward-thinking about how to best leave the limits of a traditional mixing environment behind.
StudioLive RM takes the wireless mixing concept to its logical conclusion, making a remote tablet or laptop the only means for controlling the mixer. If your tablet or laptop, WiFi link or Ethernet goes down, sprinting to the faders is not even an option. Is mixing exclusively from a tablet or laptop a robust enough solution for a high-stakes show or service? Will old-school engineers embrace (or even trust) the exclusive remote mixing approach? Only time will tell.
