PreSonus StudioLive 32.4.2 AI 32-channel Digital Mixer with Active Integratio

 

OVERVIEW

Radical new mixer technology.

 

With its incredible signal-processing power on every channel, easy store and recall of every setting, and the ability to record it all with just two mouse clicks, a StudioLive mixer will spoil you fast! Easier to use, better sounding, and flawlessly integrated with state-of-the-art software, it delivers the most creative environment possible for both live performance and studio music production. The 32-channel, 14-aux PreSonus StudioLive 32.4.2AI starts with all the strengths of previous StudioLive models-and then pushes the technology to the next level.

 

StudioLive 32.4.2AI is built with next-generation Active Integration technology that adds unprecedented power for mixing consoles in this price class. So while the 32.4.2AI looks and feels much like its non-AI counterparts it has with far more computing power, which makes possible some very useful new features.

 

For starters, you get twice as many internal effects buses and 31-band graphic EQs. We've added six mute groups and user-assignable Quick Scene buttons. You'll love the ability to create two complete sets of EQ and dynamics settings for a channel or bus and then make quick A/B comparisons at the touch of a button.

 

A built-in 48x34 FireWire S800 interface is standard equipment but Thunderbolt and Ethernet (Dante) cards are expected by the end of 2013. A dedicated USB 2 port and included Wi-Fi LAN adapter lets you control the mixer wirelessly-even without a Mac or Windows PC.

 

Of course, you get the latest version of our tightly integrated software bundle, including updated Capture 2.0 recording software, Studio One Artist DAW, and Virtual StudioLive-AI editor/librarian/control software with Smaart Measurement Technology. StudioLive Remote-AI for iPad and QMix-AI for iPhone/iPod touch will both be available free from the Apple App Store.

The deeper you dig into the StudioLive 32.4.2AI's capabilities, the more you will realize that the future of digital mixing starts here and now.

 

Products that sense each other, interact and work together via wireless and wired communication, feature 32-bit floating-point DSP and seamlessly integrated software, and run on powerful CPUs is the coming wave of live audio. PreSonus has realized this dream with its new Active Integration technology. Thanks to Active Integration, the StudioLive 32.4.2AI mixer has 64 times the processing power and an incredible 10,000 times more RAM than the StudioLive 24.4.2.

 

A quick look at the StudioLive 32.4.2AI reveals a now-familiar, user-friendly mixing surface. It sports 100 mm faders for the 32 channels, 4 subgroups, and main bus. As with all StudioLive mixers, convenient knobs and buttons abound, and all core mixing features are immediately accessible from the mixing surface, without using the LCD, providing an intuitive, analog-like user experience.

 

The unique Fat Channel section delivers a compressor, limiter, gate/expander, and four-band fully parametric EQ on every channel, bus, and subgroup, plus a high-pass filter and polarity invert for each channel-not to mention routing, panning, and Scene and setting store and recall.

 

Select buttons assign the channels, buses, and subgroups to the Fat Channel for processing and routing. There's a Talkback section, Cue section, and extensive metering.

 

And of course you get aux buses-14 of them-and 32-bit floating-point stereo reverb and delay on dedicated buses-two of each.

View the rear, and you'll see a familiar StudioLive jackfield, with XLR mic and ¼" inputs and TRS insert points on every channel, along with a wealth of other inputs and outputs. A pair of FireWire ports-FireWire S800, rather than the FireWire 400 ports found on the StudioLive 24.4.2, 16.4.2, and 16.0.2-provides wired networking to a Mac or PC, with options for Thunderbolt and Ethernet (Dante). Stereo S/PDIF digital outputs-check! Analog direct channel outputs on DB25 connectors-check! Obviously, flexible connectivity is no problem.

 

The audio quality, as always with PreSonus, is first rate. Like all StudioLive models, StudioLive 32.4.2 offers PreSonus' widely lauded Class A XMAX mic preamps and top-notch converters with 118 dB of dynamic range. Reviewers have raved about the high quality of StudioLive mixers' dynamics processing, EQ, high-pass filters, and effects. The only difference with the StudioLive 32.4.2 is that PreSonus has given you even more of them.

 

The 32.4.2AI is a StudioLive, but it's a major step beyond previous StudioLive mixers.

 

 

FEATURES

Active integration technology

Impeccable audio quality

Vast EQ and effects palette

Instant A/B compare

Great for live or studio

Order today and surf the new wave of mixing tech.

SPECIFICATIONS

 

StudioLive 32.4.2 AI 32-channel Digital Mixer with Active Integration

Mac

Mac OS X 10.7.2 or later

Intel Core Duo processor (Intel Core 2 Duo or Core i3 or better recommended)

2 GB RAM (4 GB or more recommended)

Windows

Windows 7 x64/x86 SP1, Windows 8 x64/x86

Intel Core Duo or AMD Athlon X2 processor (Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon X4 or better recommended)

2 GB RAM (4 GB or more recommended)

Mac and Windows Systems

FireWire S800 (IEEE 1394b) port

Internet connection recommended

DVD-ROM drive

Internal or external 7200 RPM storage drive highly recommended

Monitor with 1024x768 resolution

The minimum system requirements may differ for DAWs other than Studio One. Please check the requirements for your DAW of choice with its manufacturer.

Note that the speed of your processor, amount of RAM and size and speed of your hard drive will greatly affect the overall performance of your recording system. Also, a more powerful system (faster processor with more RAM) will allow for lower latency (signal delay) than you might experience while monitoring audio or MIDI signals. Monitor resolution for both PC and Mac should be no lower than 1024x768 pixels.

33 mic high-headroom Class A XMAX mic preamplifiers (32 channels plus Talkback)

32 balanced TRS line inputs

4 subgroups

Stereo/mono main out

14 auxiliary mixes

48-in/34-out FireWire S800 digital recording interface (24-bit/44.1 kHz and 48 kHz)

Studio One Artist Digital Audio Workstation software for Mac and Windows

Capture 2.0 recording software for Mac and Windows

StudioLive Remote-AI mixer-control software for iPad available free from Apple App Store

QMix-AI aux-control software for iPhone and iPod touch available free from Apple App Store

Direct recording interface compatible with Logic, Nuendo, Cubase, Sonar, Digital Performer, Ableton Live, and more

60 channel strips

Trim control with -20 to +20 dBV line/-15 to +65 dBu mic gain range (80dB!)

+48V phantom power switch for condenser microphones

Digital Audio Input Select

100 mm precision faders

Lighted Solo and Mute buttons

6 mute groups with All On/All Off switches

Access to Fat Channel functions

15-LED ladder metering + clip LED

Analog ¼" insert (rear panel)

4 subgroup buses, each with:

Solo

Mute

Access to Fat Channel functions (except high-pass filter and phase reverse)

14 aux sends, each with

Solo

Mute

Pre/post-fader send

Output-level control

Access to Fat Channel functions (except phase reverse)

Mix and Mix/Pan Fat Channel value displays

Available sources: 32 input channels, Aux In A and B, Tape Input, Main digital-audio return, FXA, FXB, FXC, FXD, Talkback

4 internal effects sends (two reverbs, two delay effects), each with:

Mute

Pre/post-fader send

Output-level control

Access to Fat Channel (except phase reverse)

Effects-send Select for Fat Channel metering

Mix button for aux-bus mixing and Fat Channel value displays

Master Section

Aux Input A and B

Level Control and Select (Fat Channel metering) switch

Access to all Fat Channel functions (except phase reverse)

Talkback System

Mic Level control

Output Select (Aux 1-2, 3-8, 9-14, Main)

Talk button

Rear-panel XLR mic input with trim control and continuous 48V phantom power

2 Track In

Level control

Tape Input to Mains button

Main Digital Audio Return on/off

Solo Bus

Cue Mix volume control

PFL/AFL and Solo In Place (SIP) buttons

Latch, Radio, and CR Modes

Monitor Bus

Headphone-output level control

Control-room monitor-level control

Solo Bus to Monitor button

Tape Input to Monitor button

Main Digital Audio Return to Monitor button

Main Mix to Monitor button

Fat Channel with rotary encoders:

Pan with dedicated 15-LED display

Stereo link for input channels, aux buses, and subgroups

Phase reverse (main channels only)

High-pass filter: -6 dB/oct., sweepable from Off to 1 kHz (main channels and aux's only)

Gate: Threshold: 0 to -84 dB; Attack: 0.02 to 500 ms; Release: 0.05 to 2 sec; Bandpass Key Filter: 40 Hz to 16 kHz; second-order resonant bandpass filter Q (0.7) with Key Listen function

Compressor: Threshold -56 to 0 dB; Ratio 1:1 to 14:1, LIM=∞:1; Attack 0.2 to 150 ms; Release 2.5 to 900 ms; Makeup Gain 0 to 28 dB; Soft Knee switch; Auto Mode with 10 ms Attack and 150 ms Release

4-band fully parametric equalizer

Low EQ: sweepable from 36 Hz to 465 Hz, ±15 dB, switchable shelf or peaking

Low Mid EQ: sweepable from 90 Hz to 1.2 kHz, ±15 dB, variable Q 0.1 to 4.0

High Mid EQ: sweepable from 380 Hz to 5 kHz, ±15 dB, variable Q 0.1 to 4.0

High EQ: sweepable from 1.4 kHz to 18 kHz, ±15 dB, switchable shelf or peaking

Master EQ On/Off button

Limiter: variable Threshold -28 dBfs to 0, ∞:1 Ratio

Alt EQ & Dyn button for quick A/B comparisons of two complete sets of Fat Channel settings for each channel and busOutput Assign: 4 subgroups and main

All settings can be copied among channels and buses and can be saved as user presets.

50 channel-strip presets for drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, and vocals

4 internal digital effects-processors (2 reverbs, 2 delays), each with 50 customizable presets

16 31-band graphic equalizers

Assignable to each aux bus and the Main bus

Scene Store and Recall

Global Scene Storage: all current StudioLive settings

Up to 80 at a time

6 Quick Scene buttons for instant Scene save/recall—like "speed dial" for Scenes

Automatic Global AutoStore

Customizable naming (for example, "Saturday Gig" or "Main Worship Service")

Individual channel-strip setting storage

Up to 48 at a time, plus…

50 factory presets for instruments and vocal

Copy and Paste between channels

Can be browsed by category (DRM, VOX, HRN, GTR, BAS, MISC, SYS)

Lockout mode to keep inspired amateurs from changing your settings

Metering/Displays

24 x 16- LED Fat Channel matrix:

Pre-dynamics/pre-fader input

Post-dynamics/post-fader output

Gain reduction

Aux 1-14 and EFX A-D output

Fader-position recall

8 x 15-LED main meter bank

Selected channel level

Selected channel gain reduction

Sub buses 1 to 4

Main stereo outputs

15-LED horizontal Pan/Balance display

64 x 194 LCD matrix

Effects parameters

Scene creation, storage, and recall

System menus

Channel Info page with custom naming

GEQ Select

2-digit Channel Selected display

Input/Output

32 main inputs, each with XLR mic, ¼" line, and ¼" inserts

2 ¼" balanced stereo (L/R) aux inputs

1 XLR talkback-mic input with XMAX preamp, phantom power (always on), and level control

Unbalanced RCA stereo (L/R) tape inputs and outputs

XLR stereo (L/R) main outputs with level control

¼" balanced stereo (L/R) main outputs

XLR mono output with level control

¼" balanced stereo (L/R) control-room outputs

¼" headphone output

4 ¼" balanced subgroup outputs

14 ¼" balanced aux outputs

32 pre-insert, balanced direct outputs, Ch. 1-8, 9-16, 17-24, 25-32 (DB25 sockets)

Dedicated USB 2.0 port and included Wi-Fi LAN adapter for wireless communications

Installed Option Card with:

S/PDIF digital out

2 FireWire S800 ports

Optional I/O cards

Thunderbolt-FireWire S800-S/PDIF Out

Ethernet/Dante-FireWire S800-S/PDIF Out

Digitalia

High-definition analog-to-digital converters (118 dB dynamic range)

Unlimited-headroom, 32-bit floating point, digital mixing and effects processing

Internal sample frequency 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz

Physical

Rugged, non-flex steel chassis

100 mm long-throw faders

Military-grade, quick-touch buttons

BNC 12V lamp socket

Optional dust covers available