A powerful, flexible environment for both live performance and studio music production.

StudioLive is one of the most powerful and flexible 16-channel digital mixers the world has seen. Loaded with sixteen high-headroom XMAX microphone preamplifiers, built-in 32x18 FireWire recording and playback engine, "Fat-Channel" processing with 4-band EQs, compressors, limiters and gates, DSP effects, 6 aux buses, 4 sub-groups, extensive LED metering, mixer save and recall, channel-strip save/recall/copy/paste, talkback, and more, it breaks new boundaries for music performance and production.

Note:As of 5/26/09, you can make your StudioLive 16.4.2 64-bit compatible via a PreSonus web update. There is also a firmware update that includes a new graphic EQ and makes it possible to daisy-chain multiple StudioLive 16.4.2 units or other FireStudio-series interfaces.

Loaded with Racks of Effects
StudioLive is loaded with everything needed for professional live sound production totaling 28 compressors, 28 limiters, 28 gates, 28 high-pass filters, 2 stereo reverb/delay's, 2 master stereo limiters and more, saving you loads of money and trips from the trailer during load in/out. All StudioLive digital effects are created and processed with 32-bit floating point precision for maximum sonic performance and enhanced musicality.

Best In Both Worlds
StudioLive seamlessly integrates a professional digital mixer with a complete multi-channel recording system delivering the most creative environment available for both live performance and studio music production. Take your recording studio to the gig, and have your soundman record and even enhance your shows with the power of StudioLive.

With StudioLive 16.4.2 gives you ultimate creative control in the studio. Record with or without Fat Channel or DSP effects processing. Create mixes, loops, sound effects and more, then bring them out to your show and mix them with the live performance. Process channels using your favorite plug-ins, and completely automate your entire show using your favorite music recording and production software. StudioLive completely revolutionizes music production, opening endless creative possibilities.

Powerful and Easy Digital Mixing
The StudioLive mixer features an innovative and intuitive "QuickTouch" design allowing fast access to every parameter, mix, effect, and aux, allowing quick and creative control during music production. Load and save functions are also included to create snapshots of channel settings, save effect settings, totally recalling a mix, and more. All digital mixing and effects processing is done with 32-bit floating point precision for unmatched musicality.

Fat Channel
(EQ, Compressor, Limiter, Gate, on every channel) The heart of StudioLive is the "Fat Channel" engaged by pressing any "select" button, and features extensive equalization and dynamics available to every input channel, every aux output, every subgroup output, and main output. High pass filter, and four-band semi-parametric equalization algorithms are based on PreSonus' custom-designed digital EyeQ equalizer, delivering extremely musical results. Also included in the Fat Channel are compressors, limiters and gates modeled after PreSonus' award-winning ACP88 for complete dynamics control.

DSP Effects
Two programmable 32-bit stereo DSP effects engines are loaded in StudioLive with a wide range of reverbs, delays, and time-based effects with easy to use parameter adjustment, tap tempo, store, recall, and scene selection for ultimate creative flexibility.

Load and Save Your Settings
The PreSonus StudioLive allows you to save all of your digital settings for quick setup and recall. Save "scenes" (all settings) including fader levels with LED position matching, channel strips (Fat Channel), and individual DSP effects for ultimate ease, quickness and control.

Professional Sound Quality
StudioLive spares no expense when it comes to sound quality. All digital mixing is done with ultra high headroom 32-bit floating point processing for optimal sonic performance. Analog input and output is converted to digital audio with the highest-quality digital converters available delivering dynamic range of +118dB for spectacular sonic results and unmatched musicality.

Built-in 32x18 FireWire Recording
StudioLive includes PreSonus' award-winning FireWire technology with JetPLL synchronization delivering 22 channels of recording and 18 channels of simultaneous playback. Each FireWire recording channel can be set to record either pre or post Fat-Channel signal processing giving total flexibility and power. StudioLive can also return 18 FireWire playback channels from your recording and production software for remixing and live performance with pre-recorded tracks, as well as studio mixing using the mixer's internal signal processing and summing algorithms. The StudioLive Mixer is compatible with Mac and Windows audio recording and music production software including Logic, Nuendo, Cubase, Sonar, Digital Performer, Audition and more.

Integrated Multi-Track Recording Software—CAPTURE
StudioLive 16.4.2 also ships complete with CAPTURE multi-track recording software so you can effortlessly record your shows right out of the box. CAPTURE software was designed to interface with StudioLive 16.4.2 perfectly to allow instant setup and recording of performances. With the look and feel of industry standard digital multi-track hard disk recorders, CAPTURE software is instantly familiar to every musician and engineer. StudioLive HDR software gives you full editing capability as well as export to wav file formats for compatibility with ProTools, Cubase, Nuendo, Logic, Sonar and all other recording and music production software. Or you can play back your recorded tracks into StudioLive 16.4.2 via FireWire and mix your tracks with the mixing power and capabilities of the PreSonus StudioLive 16.4.2, then record the final mix back to CAPTURE! Now that's power!

XMAX Class A Preamplifiers
StudioLive includes sixteen custom-designed high-voltage, discrete, XMAX Class A microphone preamplifiers for all types of microphones.The job of a microphone preamplifier is to boost microphone level signals to line level so that the signal can be converted from analog to digital. This mic to line boost is generally a preamplification of over 400 times the voltage of the original mic level signal. This preamplification stage is one of the most important stages that the signal will go through before converted to digital, and is why a high performance preamplifier is important to achieving great results.

All XMAX preamplifiers are built with the same three elements: • High Voltage—The XMAX preamplifier runs on power rails of 30V. Most off the shelf op amp based designs run on power rails of 10V to 18V. Higher voltage power rails deliver more headroom, deeper lows, smoother highs and an overall fuller sound. .
• Discrete—No op amps. Only transistors, resistors and capacitors. Op amps add noise, coloration and harshness to a signal. Discrete designs deliver ultra low noise and transparency.
• Class A—When a circuit is running in Class A mode the circuit is always in an "on" state operating at its optimal voltage requirements. Class A mode has zero crossover distortion and delivers purer, clearer and more musical sonics than class A/B designs which are found in most op-amp circuits.


The net result of the XMAX preamp design is high headroom, low noise, wide dynamic range and wide frequency range, and most importantly, musicality and transparency—smooth highs, solid deep lows, and everything in between.

PreSonus StudioLive 16.4.2 Digital Mixer Features:

• 16 inputs, 6 auxiliary mixes, 4 subgroups
• 16 class A XMAX microphone preamplifiers
• Hi-Definition analog to digital converters (118dB dynamic range)
• Unlimited headroom 32-bit floating point digital mixing and effects processing
• Internal sample frequency 44.1kHz and 48kHz
• 22x18 FireWire digital recording interface
• Compact 19" rack-mountable rugged steel chassis
  
  Fat Channel Select:
• High Pass Filter
• Compressor
• Limiter
• Gate
• 4-band semi parametric EQ
• Pan
• Load/Save/Copy/Paste
  
  2 Master DSP Effects (reverbs, delays, time-based effect, with load/save)
• Load/Save Mixer "Scenes" all settings including fader levels with LED position matching
• 100mm long throw faders
• Military grade quick touch push buttons
• Fast-acting LED meters
• Talkback communication system
• CAPTURE integrated live recording software included
• Mac and Windows compatible
• Direct recording interface compatible with Logic, Nuendo, Cubase, Sonar, Digital Performer and more

Get a mixer that does it all today!

PreSonus StudioLive 16.4.2 Digital Mixer

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Average of 14 User Ratings

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WOW! I am a big fan of this mixer now.

Posted by Anonymous Musician on Oct 4, 2009

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Independent Sound Contractor

Reviewer's Play Style: Rock (classic, southern, Chrisitian), Blues

Picked one of these up after listening to it at a local music store in their live room. Had a chance to put it through its paces over a two-day HD bike fest in Nashville - multiple bands, house music, general PA...the works. I stopped using my other digital mixer for live shows a few years ago due to the mouse-maze-cheese hunt through menus to fix problems on the fly. I was a little apprehensive, but the StudioLive's Fat Channel solved that with an incredibly intuitive and easy to use interface. Parameter settings are mostly displayed on the meter bars, which keeps me from doing all the extra mental math when I'm really just trying to focus on making things sound good. I find the unit is laid out very well, has clean mic pre's, the signal processing components are solid, the built-in 32-band master eq gives you plenty of sonic control, and most importantly - it SOUNDS GREAT!!! Lots of headroom and 6 aux channels for monitoring in addition to the internal dual fx channels. If you need more exotic fx, you can always loop out to an external unit. I generally only need reverb and stereo delay, so it meets my needs right out of the box.

I have not had a chance to use the firewire DAW interface yet but am confident it will be smokin' as well. I plan to pick up a second StudioLive unit to daisy-chain them together for larger venues and to begin offering live 32-track recording services.

See ya 'round Music City

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awesome mixer

Posted by Russ from Chicago on Aug 19, 2009

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: engineer and musician

Reviewer's Play Style: lots of things

this thing is not only a professional mixer, it is a firewire interface as well which makes recording live shows incredibly easy. I have mine sitting in the studio right now hooked up to my macbook and I use that for recording. It works like a charm in the studio and the stage!

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Awesome

Posted by Fendstra#1 from Monroe, LA on Aug 9, 2009

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Hobbyist

Reviewer's Play Style: Rock

Awesome piece of equipment. Great sound and easy to use. I own it and love it. If I can learn to use this thing in a couple of days anybody can. (thanks to the presonus website) Whether your looking for a live mixer, studio recorder or both like me, you won't go wrong with this thing.

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Excellent Mixer for Live Sound

Posted by Nivek from Huntsville, AL on Jul 28, 2009

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Live Sound Engineer

Reviewer's Play Style: Varied

I recently bought a StudioLive to replace an analog Soundcraft Spirit and a "refrigerator" sized rack case full of compressors/limiters, equalizers, and FX. The StudioLive is well-crafted, intuitive to use, and with the latest firmware revision it offers a 31-band equalizer. The band I primarily work with has has nothing but positive things to say about the sound quality of their monitors, and front-of-house sound is excellent. The ONLY problem I've had has been with the firewire interface and the Capture software. Presonus software apparently doesn't support a lot of common firewire controller chipsets, so if you're planning to do some recording with the board, be certain to do your research and have compatible computer hardware. I highly recommend this board to any live sound engineer - they're linkable, so you can have plenty of channels.

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KILLER ALL ENCOMPASSING RIG!

Posted by RockStarzUSA from Colorado on Jul 12, 2009

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: 20 years pro

Reviewer's Play Style: Freelance -every modern style

I would concur with all the other reviews. This is the be all, end all mixer. Packaging, features, operation, are all top notch. Probably the most appealing feature for me was the intuitiveness of the whole setup. For the analog diehards out there, this would be the perfect bridge to going to an all digital format. Presonus do what few other companies do, they approach their products like Apple do, they think of the end user, and make the unit easy to use and very appealing to the eyes. Top marks here!

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PreSonus StudioLive 16.4.2 Digital Mixer

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