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Saturday, January 30, 2010

PreSonus Unveils StudioLive 24.4.2 Digital Mixer At 2010 Winter NAMM Show

While the 16.4.2 is a 32x18 FireWire interface, the 24.4.2 can send 32 channels to the computer and can return 26 channels via FireWire

At the 2010 Winter NAMM show, PreSonus announced a new member of the StudioLive family, the new StudioLive 24.4.2, and like its 16-channel sibling, the 24-channel version of StudioLive is designed for both studio recording and live sound.

StudioLive 24.4.2 sports the same friendly user interface, robust feature set, and extensive I/O configuration as the StudioLive 16.4.2 but with several significant additions and enhancements.

The most obvious difference is that the new mixer provides 24 input channels, rather than 16. As with the 16.4.2, each input features a trim pot, XLR mic input with XMAX mic preamp, 1/4-inch TRS balanced line inputs and unbalanced insert points.

Also like the 16.4.2, the StudioLive 24.4.2 offers 4 subgroup outputs, but where the 16-channel model offers 6 aux buses, the 24.4.2 provides 10 aux buses.

Both StudioLive models serve as dual-port FireWire audio interfaces that can route all channels and buses to and from a Mac or Windows PC. But where the 16.4.2 is a 32x18 FireWire interface, the 24.4.2 can send 32 channels to the computer and can return 26 channels via FireWire.

The Fat Channel provides extensive metering and the programming interface for the EQ, dynamics processing, high-pass filter, and signal routing.

In addition, the StudioLive 24.4.2’s Fat Channel provides a 4-band fully parametric EQ, an upgrade over the StudioLive 16.4.2’s semi-parametric equalizer. The gate/expander has also been upgraded from the gate/expander in the 16.4.2, adding Key Filter and Key Listen features.

The StudioLive 24.4.2 provides 31-band graphic EQ. But whereas the 16-channel mixer has 1 stereo graphic EQ for the main bus only, the 24-channel StudioLive has 4 stereo 31-band graphic EQs, and they’re available to the main, subgroup, and aux outputs. The graphic EQ’s settings can be stored and recalled individually or as part of a mix scene, as with every other setting on the StudioLive.

Otherwise, for the most part, the StudioLive 24.4.2 has essentially the same feature set and interface as the StudioLive 16.4.2, with two stereo 32-bit effects processors, stereo tape sends and returns, a talkback section, stereo S/PDIF digital output, and all of the other StudioLive features.

You can daisy-chain the StudioLive 24.4.2 with another StudioLive (either model) and with FireStudio-series interfaces, to create a mega-system with up to 52 inputs and outputs for mixing with recording.

Up to three StudioLive 24.4.2s can be daisy-chained in Standalone mode for live mixing without recording.

The two StudioLive models offer the same audio quality, with high-headroom, 32-bit floating-point processing; Class A XMAX mic preamps; and 24-bit, 48 kHz digital converters with 118 dB dynamic range.

Both mixers’ FireWire interfaces work with any ASIO- or Core Audio-compliant audio application and are compatible with Windows and Mac OS X, including Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard). Latency is so low that you can use your host program and plug-ins with either StudioLive in real time for live performances.

StudioLive comes bundled with PreSonus’s new Capture 1.1 recording software for Mac OS X (including OS X 10.6) and Windows (including Windows 7).

Designed primarily for live recording, Capture is preconfigured to record with the StudioLive, so all mixer channels are correctly routed to Capture tracks.

It also comes with a free copy of PreSonus Studio One Artist digital audio workstation software for Mac and Windows, which features unlimited track count, a full complement of PreSonus Native Effects plug-ins, and more than 4 GB of third-party resources.

Expected street price of the StudioLive 24.4.2 is $3,299.

PreSonus Website

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