If you are anything like me, you are either old, or old in spirit. You have worked on analog mixing boards and have found that they suit you just fine. No need to venture into the unknown world of digital consoles. No sir. Those digital boards can be so intimidating and confusing anyway, right? Wrong!!!

Enter the PreSonus StudioLive. This is a digital board that maintains the feel and spirit of an analog board. In fact, at first glance, you would be hard pressed to tell that it wasn’t a piece of analog gear. All of the familiar features you would see on an analog board are present, plus some extra onboard digital features!

I have actually had the opportunity to use this board a handful of times recently, mostly for running sound at a bar for a buddy’s cover band. My first time using the StudioLive was actually my first time on a digital board, and it was way easier to navigate than I could have imagined. PreSonus truly has the end user in mind when they design their products. The specific unit I was using was the StudioLive 16.4.2. It has 16 channels, 4 subgroups, 6 aux sends, 2 FX channels, talkback channel, 2 aux inputs, and even a 2 track input so you can plug in an external music playing device without eating into the other 16 inputs.

One of the best parts of using that board for the gig was the fact that I didn’t have to bring in a rack of compressors and effects processors. Each of the 16 channels, aux sends,  and even the FX channels, has a built in and easy to use high pass filter, gate, compressor, limiter, and parametric equalizer. There was even the ability to utilize a 31 band EQ  or the main outputs and aux sends. Built in effects include a handful of preset delays and reverbs, which can be customized and saved. Settings can be saved and recalled for  an amazingly quick sound check as well.

Well, you’ve read about many of the features of this board that you can utilize for running live sound. Let’s not forget though, this is the StudioLive. Not only can you use it for live sound, but also for studio purposes. Let’s dig a little deeper, shall we?

The PreSonus StudioLive can be used as a recording interface. The 16 channel model can record up to 16 channels simultaneously. Guess how many channels can be recorded with the 24 channel version. That’s right! Twenty four! A great feature is that you can even use the StudioLive as a live console while recording everything you have plugged into the inputs. I actually put this to the test. I ran sound for a band one night, using the board as I would normally. I brought along my computer and  connected it to the StudioLive via a firewire cable and recorded the entire live performance. Later, back at home, I mixed the live show and was quite pleased with the result.

Besides the fact that the PreSonus StudioLive is a great board for live sound, it is also the most affordable way I have found to record this many tracks simultaneously. We sell the StudioLive 16.4.2 for $1,999.99 and the StudioLive 24.4.2 for $3,299.99. There are so many other features this board offers that I have not covered. It’s something you really just have to experience for yourself. Well, what are waiting for? Live it up!

Starting this Saturday the 7th, we will be closing at 3:00 rather than 5:00.