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

Write A Review

Average of 18 User Ratings

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

Customer Reviews

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

Great Studio Mixer!!!!

Posted by Kevin from Abilene, TX on Jan 8, 2010

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Studio Engineer and drummer

Reviewer's Play Style: Rock/Worship

I have had the privilege of using some fairly nice converters and preamps in my studio over the past few years and this console rates right up there. I just used it for a tracking session with a Band from Austin Tx and I couldn't be more happy with the sound. This unit is a no brainer for any studio. Great for live tracking or professional studio recording. Studio One is a great bonus as well!!

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

Live/Recording gun for hire.

Posted by roundbellygroove from College Station TX on Dec 30, 2009

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Recording/Live engineer, Producer, & Musician

Reviewer's Play Style: Everything but Country and Norteno

This is truly an amazing piece of equipment!!! All the software that comes along with it is EASY to learn. Spent about a half day learning how to get around the studiolive and capture software. By that evening I was already running a recording session with no problems. Re-patching and making submixes for editing is quick. The effects are really clean sounding with no complex menus to make effective changes. Presonus has included the Studio One Artist and is just as easy to learn. You can export Capture tracks and take the recording project to another level or start producing music with some of the loops that come with the program. The manual is well written and has an excellent tutorial section.(are they allowed to give away that kind of information?) Anywho, Presonus has developed a recording product that ANYONE can learn and then takeoff with it! I highly recommend this board and all of the software that comes with it.

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

It should have an EASY button

Posted by Lead Guitarist from Colorado on Dec 7, 2009

Experience w/product: I have heard about it

Reviewer's Background: Pro Guitarist / Recording Enthusiast

Reviewer's Play Style: Rock and Country

This arrived on Monday. We swapped out our analog mixer, compressors, reverb unit and driverack on Tuesday. We rehearsed with it on Wednesday. Within 30 minutes we had a great mix saved for our rehearsal space. We gigged with it Friday and Saturday. The sound was great. Ringing out was easy. Individual monitor mixes were easy and intuitive and we were able to save the settings of a venue that we will play again. I don't think I'll ever buy another piece of analog PA equipment in my life. The StudioLive and some quality powered speakers are about as easy - and as tasty - as a PBJ sandwich.

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

Must have...Just read the reviews

Posted by Knightsiren from Washington STATE! on Dec 4, 2009

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Active guitarist

Reviewer's Play Style: Rock, Christian Worship, other

I love this thing!!!! W/O the manual a novice can be up and running this in no time....Quality mixer that doesn't take a phD to figure out. Our church has an anologue A&H 48 channel mixer run by numerous fill ins that have very little experience...what a mess:( Can't begin to explain how intuitive this is. Great features. Great price (for what it is) and couldn't be happier!!!

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

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

View more product reviews »

If you would like to write a review, please see our product review guidelines.

PreSonus StudioLive 16.4.2 Digital Mixer

Read 18 Reviews