The Mackie DL32R is a rack-mounted mixer that looks like a stage box. The compact (3 RU) unit is controlled wirelessly via an iPad running the Mackie Master Fader app.
Mixing can be accomplished using iPads, iPhones or iPod Touch, with up to 20 control devices able to access the mixer at one time. The DL32R comes with 36 input channels and 28 output buses, while the onboard USB 2.0 interface provides 32 x 32 recording and playback for PC and Mac, as well as directly to a 2.0 USB hard drive.
Additional onboard connections include 24 XLR mic/line ins, 8 XLR/TRS combo mic/line ins, 14 XLR outs and an AES out. An optional Dante card is available that allows the DL32R for networking with larger systems.
A recent entry from Midas is the M32R, a 16 (plus 1) fader rack mountable version of the M32 console. While compact, it supplies up to 40 simultaneous input channels and a 32 x 32 USB 2.0 audio interface for recording and playback. Onboard connections include 2 AES50 networking ports that allow up to 96 ins and 96 outs, 16 XLR mic/line ins, 8 XLR outs, quad 1/4-inch I/O and dual 1/4-inch or RCA I/O, and ULTRANET protocol port.
Stage boxes for the M32R include the DL16, which has 16 XLR mic/line ins and 8 XLR outs, and the DL32 with 32 XLR mic/line ins and 16 XLR outs. Both are also equipped with MIDI I/O for bidirectional communication between M32 consoles and on-stage MIDI devices, along with 2 ADAT outputs providing 16-channel digital output on two optical TOSLINK connectors and 2 AES50 SuperMAC ports for cascading additional DL stage boxes.
The latest development from PreSonus is the CS18AI, an AVB control surface for the RM Series of mixers that allows them also act as mix engines/stage boxes. The CS18AI control surface has a built-in 4 x 2 AVB network for sending and receiving audio sources with RM mixers, fostering the use of talkback microphones and playback devices at front of house. The two returns are shared with the monitor line outputs and headphone output, and can be sourced from any output of the mixers, including the solo bus, main mix, or any aux mixes. The CS18AI, which sports 18 moving faders, can also be used as a controller for the Studio One DAW.
The key to the system for live shows are the StudioLive RM32AI and RM16AI mixers, which are rack-mount units taking the form of a stage box that are controlled via the PreSonus UC Surface touch control software for Mac, Windows, and iPad (or used with the CS18AI). The RM16AI is equipped with16 XLR mic/line ins, a pair of RCA ins, and 8 XLR outs.
The larger RM32AI has 32 XLR mic/line ins, a pair of RCA ins, and 16 XLR outs. Both have XLR L/R and mono outs, as well as DB25 jacks that mirror the line-level mix outputs, MIDI I/O, and an integrated, continuously bidirectional 52-in/34-out, FireWire 800 recording interface. An optional Dante card is also available.
The more compact Roland Pro AV M-5000C joined the flagship OHRCA M-5000 console a few months ago, with the recent version 1.2 software update adding a host of features for both consoles, including remote control software, customizable and resizable window sets, offline console setup and management, real-time analyzer, de-esser and much more. The M-5000C is outfitted with the same features as its big brother, just in a smaller form factor with 16 + 4 faders instead of 24 + 4. The internal mix architecture is not fixed, and any of the 128 audio pathways can be assigned as an input, output or mix bus.
Onboard connections on the M-5000C include 16 XLR mic/line ins, 8 XLR outs, 2 AES I/O, MIDI I/O and 3 REAC network ports. These are joined by 2 expansion slots for optional Dante, Soundgrid, MADI or REAC cards. Stage boxes ranging from 8 to 40 channels can accompany either console, with the largest, the S-4000S, offering modular chassis that is typically configured with 32 ins and 8 outs. Additional stage boxes can be linked, and the S-4000M Merge device allows up to four digital snake heads to be merged into a REAC stream, where the master device recognizes it as single REAC slave unit.
The latest console from Soundcraft is the Si Impact, a 26-fader model providing 40 input channels and 31 output buses. Like other Si Series consoles, it offers one-knob function control and FaderGlow that illuminates the fader track in different colors to provide at-a-glance status information. The Impact adds a new option in the form of its 32-in/32-out USB interface for recording and playback. Onboard, the Impact has 24 XLR mic/line ins, 8 XLR/TRS combo mic/line ins, 16 XLR outs, AES out, and USB port. Expansion slots facilitate networking with MADI as well as Dante.
Two versions of Mini Stageboxes provide remote location of inputs and outputs. The smaller Stagebox 16 is equipped with16 XLR mix/line ins and 8 XLR outs, while the larger Stagebox 32 has 32 XLR mic/line ins and 16 XLR out. Both are rack mountable.
Solid State Logic recently released new V3 software for the new (and more compact) SSL L300 and larger SSL L500 consoles. It delivers more than 40 new features. including an expanded feature set for the original Query function. There’s also an optional Dante interface card, remote control software, console expander mode, user interface changes, new effects, and more. The L500 (now the L500 Plus) offers 256 mix paths, while L300 goes from 128 to 192 (144 fully processed, 48 dry) mix paths.
While smaller than the L500, the L300 still provides 26 faders and onboard connections that include 14 XLR mic/line ins, 12 XLR outs, 4 pairs of AES, MADI (in both coaxial and optical), and optional Dante and Blacklight II cards. The accompanying ML 32.32 stage box supplies 32 XLR mic/line ins, 32 XLR outs, and 16 pairs of AES I/O, with an option an additional rear-mounted 32 mic outs.
Recently making its debut, the Yamaha TF Series is available in 3 frame sizes, each with the TouchFlow interface optimized for touch panel control, and practical presets for newer and experienced operators. All models include 34 x 34 recording and playback capability via USB to computer, as well as 2-track recording and playback via USB to a drive.
The rack-mountable TF1 (17 faders) offers 40 input channels (32 mono plus 2 stereo plus 2 return) and 16 XLR/TRS combo mic/line ins. The mid-sized TF3 (25 faders) has 48 input mixing channels (40 mono plus 2 stereo plus 2 return) and 24 XLR/TRS combo mic/line ins. The larger console TF5 (33 faders) carries 48 input channels (40 mono plus 2 stereo plus 2 return) and 32 XLR/TRS combo mic/line ins.
All models also have 2 RCA ins, 16 XLR outs, as well as an expansion slot for an NY64-D Dante card for networking. A new stage box slated for release in 2016 is the Tio1608-D, offering 16 XLR mic/line ins and 8 XLR outs. Up to three Tio boxes can be daisy-chained together without the need for network switches.
The flagship RIVAGE PM10 from Yamaha, which is now seeing field applications, consists of the CS-R10 control surface, DSP-R10 DSP engine and RPio622 interface box. The system offers 144 input channels, 72 mix buses, 36 matrix buses, plus stereo A and B or mono buses. The control surface (36 faders) has 8 XLR mic/line ins, 8 XLR outs, 4 AES I/O, and a pair of MY expansion slots.
The engine provides 2 additional MY card slots and 4 HY card slots for Dante or Yamaha’s TwinLane audio network. Inputs and outputs are handled by the interface box, which can accept up to 6 RY cards that are available in 16 XLR mic/line ins, 16 XLR outs or 8 AES I/O versions. The interface box also offers pair of HY card slots.
Senior contributing editor Craig Leerman is the owner of Tech Works, a production company based in Las Vegas.