Presonus – StudioLive 16.4.2
More Than a Mixer—a Complete System
You’ll never go back to an old-skool analog mixer once you’ve used StudioLive™. 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, you’ll get spoiled 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 andstudiomusicproduction.
But StudioLive is not simply a mixer, it’s a rapidly growing family of state-of-the-art, integrated hardware-software mixing and recording systems that deliver the features you need for livesound, live recording, and studio recording.
The StudioLive 16.4.2 is a great choice for those who want to mix smaller shows and worship services, and it’s a great choice for small club systems, portable churches, small bands, corporate applications, educational institutions, and anywhere you want a rack-mount mixer. It’s the perfect hardware core for a project studio.
Or daisy-chain two StudioLive 16.4.2s to form a 32x4x2 performance and recording console for mid-sized shows and events.
Here, in one device, are high-headroom XMAX™ microphone preamplifiers, a built-in FireWire recording and playback interface, more than 90 signal processors, a big library of DSP effects, 6 aux buses, 4 subgroups, extensive LED metering, mixer save and recall, channel-strip save/recall/copy/paste, talkback, and more.
Yet despite its many controls and features, it’s compact, rack-mountable, and easy to transport.
Build live mixes that glisten with clarity and detail—then record and enhance the performance with the power of StudioLive 16.4.2. Get creative in the studio. Build 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 performance.
StudioLive 16.4.2 revolutionizes music production, opening endless creative possibilities.
Control Your Sound Your Way!
With a PreSonus StudioLive-series digital mixer, you not only get high-end sound and tremendous processing, mixing, and recording power, you can control all of this sonic might from virtually anywhere. Want to touch your mix with the physical feedback of real faders and rotary knobs and an intuitive, analog-like user interface? The StudioLive delivers big time; sound people who have only mixed with analog boards quickly become comfortable working with a StudioLive.
Read more about the StudioLive’s analog-like ease-of-use.
Virtual StudioLive: The magic of computer control.
Despite its analog-like mixing surface, this is very much a digital console, and it offers features no analog mixer—and very few digital boards—can match. For example, the ability to control the StudioLive mixer from a laptop adds tremendous flexibility and convenience—and with the bundled Virtual StudioLive bidirectional control/editor/librarian software, you get it all for free.
Written exclusively for StudioLive mixers, Virtual StudioLive (VSL) provides a complete visual representation of the mixer, allowing you to control the features with a mouse, trackpad, or trackball on a FireWire-equipped Mac® or PC. Add third-party VPN software, and you can even control StudioLive mixers over the Internet—ideal for contractors. To get a competing mixer with computer control even close to this complete, you’d have to pay several times as much.
Learn more about Virtual StudioLive.
Even better: wireless control!
You’re mixing a live show with an old-skool mixer—make that any mixer other than StudioLive—and you need to check the sound underneath the balcony—or in the balcony, for that matter. Or you’re sound-checking and want to hear the stage monitors for yourself. If you can’t leave the mixing station, you have to rely on someone else’s ears. If you don’t have a reliable crew, you don’t have a chance.
You can say goodbye to that problem if you use a 16.4.2 and an Apple iPad®! With StudioLive Remote for iPad—available free from the Apple App Store—you have complete, real-time, wireless remote control over Virtual StudioLive, which in turn offers real-time control over the StudioLive mixer. As long as you have a wireless connection between your iPad and computer (and are connected via FireWire to the 16.4.2), you are in control of the console. StudioLive Remote is easy to use, provides control of almost every feature of the StudioLive, and looks and feels like an iPad app should.
Learn more about StudioLive Remote.
Yet even better: control of monitor mixes from iPhones and iPod touches!
We’ve given you a lot of sonic control with the StudioLive, Virtual StudioLive, and StudioLive Remote. It’s only fair that we help you give the band control of their sound, too. With PreSonus’ free QMix™, each band member can control their own StudioLive aux (monitor) mix from an iPhone® or iPod® touch. QMix lets you adjust a single aux mix per iPhone. Select inputs and levels for your custom monitor mix, and then use the Wheel of Me to get, well… “more me”… quickly during performances.
You can even set permissions to ensure that the bass player, always the practical joker, can’t mess with the hot-tempered lead singer’s monitor mix. Otherwise, that bass player is going to get in trouble someday. We’re just sayin’….
Learn more about QMix.
The level of control you get with PreSonus StudioLive-series mixers is beyond cool—it’s absolutely ice! Now you can control your sound from anywhere you choose—no limits! Only with PreSonus StudioLive.
A gigantic console in a small package thanks to the Fat Channel.
If StudioLive 16.4.2 were an analog console, it would have 4-foot-long channel strips packed with knobs and buttons or it would require a massive outboard rack of expensive signal processors! That’s because each channel has its own compressor, limiter, gate, 4-band semi-parametric equalizer, and high-pass filter. In all, we’ve packed 31 compressors, 31 limiters, 31 gates, 16 high-pass filters, and more, into one remarkable Fat Channel.
Read more: Fat Channel signal processing and effects.
Not just effects. Effects you’d expect from a $600 stand-alone processor.
You get two programmable, 32-bit, stereo DSP effects engines, loaded with 50 reverbs, delays, and time-based effects that you can really use. The reverbs are so rich and detailed that you feel like you’re there. Delays are precise. Slap echo sounds like old-school tape effects.
All 50 effects have easy-to-use parameter adjustment, tap tempo, store, recall, and Scene selection for ultimate creative flexibility.
Read more: A complete listing of effects presets.
The reverbs are so rich and detailed that you feel like you’re there. Delays are precise. Slap echo sounds like old-skool tape effects. All 50 effects have easy-to-use parameter adjustment, tap tempo, and store and recall selection for the ultimate in creative flexibility.
The StudioLive 16.4.2′s 4 dual, 31-band graphic equalizers can be applied to the main, subgroup, and aux outputs so you can compensate for room acoustics, speaker response, and much more.
Furthermore, with Smaart Measurement Technology™, you’ll be able to really put StudioLive’s graphic EQ to work improving the sound of your P.A. Precisely identify nasty feedback frequencies. Get your loudspeakers to play nicer with the room they’re in — all without having a degree in acoustical engineering.
What was then is now: complete store and recall.
Two factors work against getting that Perfect Mix with an analog mixer. First, the Perfect Mix can be hard to reproduce a week, day, or hour after you perfect it. And second, a good mix should be dynamic: levels, effects, and EQ should be tailored to each song or segment of the show, service, or presentation. This adds up to a lot of settings to remember and reset at every performance.
That’s where the power of digital comes in: StudioLive lets you save all of your digital settings for quick setup and recall. Save Scenes that include every setting on the mixer or save just the Fat Channel settings. Copy-and-paste settings across multiple channels. Save individual DSP effects for ultimate ease, speed, and control.
This means that for fixed applications like clubs, churches, and auditoriums, you can always count on the same sound and can fine-tune Scenes for different songs and call them up instantly. And it lets rank amateur volunteers successfully operate the StudioLive 16.4.2.
Read more: Store and recall made easy.
Read more: Sample list of channel presets.
Recording made easy with Capture™
If you have a computer with 6-pin FireWire, you have a 32-track digital recorder instantly ready to capture your gig, church service, or presentation. That’s because StudioLive 16.4.2 features a tightly integrated FireWire interface that delivers up to 32 channels of recording and up to 18 channels of simultaneous playback. Each FireWire recording channel can be set to record either pre- or post-Fat Channel signal processing, delivering total flexibility and power.
Just two mouse clicks engages Capture™ recording software. When you install it on your laptop, it automatically “maps” to the outputs of the 16.4.2 to automatically record all 16 input channels—or 32 channels if you’ve chained two StudioLive 16.4.2s.
Read more: Recording with Capture
Learn more about Capture.
Studio One™ Artist — A serious digital audio workstation.
Once you’re recorded studio tracks or a live multi-track performance, it’s time to finish it with effects and a good mix (not to mention editing out that huge burst of feedback during the third song).
Studio One is a groundbreaking music-creation and -production application for Mac OS X and Windows® that makes audio recording and MIDI sequencing ridiculously simple right out of the box.
Studio One changes the rules of the game with fresh code, innovative drag-and-drop features, advanced MIDI mapping, auto-configuration with your StudioLive 16.4.2, insanely good audio quality, unlimited tracks and plug-ins per track, and a powerful, inventive Start page. And Studio One Artist comes with a Native Effects™ 32-bit effects library, complete with dynamics processors, reverbs, modulation effects, amp simulators, and more.
Learn more about Studio One.
Inside, it’s pure PreSonus.
Ease of use and powerful features only count if the sound quality is equally impressive. After all, it really comes down to how good those microphone preamps are, how clean the signal path is, and how well the algorithms perform.
That’s why you should choose a digital mixer made by PreSonus, a company already famous for its analog mic preamps, pristine digital interfaces, and well-regarded signal processors.
XMAX™ Class A preamplifiers deliver more headroom, deeper lows, smoother highs, and a richer overall sound than the preamps found in competing mixers. Ultra-high-headroom, 32-bit floating-point processing is used for all digital mixing. All analog inputs and outputs use the highest quality digital converters available.
Read more about XMAX preamps.
Synchronization to your computer is stable and robust, thanks to JetPLL™ synchronization technology, resulting in great stereo separation and clear, transparent audio.
Read more about A/D/A and Jet PLL.
StudioLive expands with your input needs.
Need more than 16 channels for mixing and recording? Daisy-chain two StudioLive 16.4.2s via their FireWire ports to get up to 32 input channels and 8 submix buses. You can still record and can simultaneously control the StudioLive with Virtual StudioLive for Mac and Windows and StudioLive Remote for iPad.
If you need more than 16 channels for recording, and you don’t need a full channel strip for the additional inputs, you can daisy-chain a StudioLive 16.4.2 with any PreSonus FireStudio-series interface. It could not be simpler.
Which StudioLive is best for you?
Your mixing and recording needs aren’t necessarily exactly the same as everyone else’s. That’s why we created a StudioLive family of digital mixers, starting with the StudioLive 16.0.2, 16.4.2, and 24.4.2.
Why choose StudioLive 16.4.2 rather than StudioLive 16.0.2? The StudioLive 16.4.2 has more mic preamps, more FireWire streams, more graphic EQs, longer-throw faders, more bands of semi-parametric EQ, and more meters than the StudioLive 16.0.2, and it can be rack-mounted without requiring an adapter. It has digital outs and analog direct outs, and you can daisy-chain two 16.4.2s to create a larger system; the 16.0.2 does not have these features.
On the other hand, the StudioLive 16.0.2 is more compact and lighter than the 16.4.2, it’s less expensive, and it has a very cool feature that the larger StudioLives don’t offer: MIDI control over main output level, effects levels and routing, and Scene change.
You’ve read the book. Now see the movies.
We’ve provided plenty of written material about StudioLive. In addition, you can go to the Video tab on the upper section of this page and watch a whole series of instructional videos showing StudioLive mixers in church, club, and project-studio applications. Video blogs go into detail about various powerful StudioLive features. And we regularly add new videos.
You’ll see what we mean about intuitive ease-of-use. You’ll hear what we mean about Class A preamps, rich DSP effects, and overall sound quality. And when you have seen and heard it for yourself, you’ll understand why your new mixer should be a StudioLive—the most exciting small-format digital mixer on the planet.
Specifications:
- 16 mic/line inputs with high-headroom Class A XMAX™ mic preamplifiers
- 4 subgroups
- Stereo/mono main out
- 6 auxiliary mixes
- 32-in/18-out FireWire digital recording interface (24-bit/44.1 kHz and 48 kHz)
- Studio One Artist Digital Audio Workstation software for Mac® and PC
- Capture™ 1.1 recording software for Mac® and PC
- StudioLive Remote mixer-control software for iPad® available free from Apple App Store
- QMix™ 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
- 16 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
- FireWire Input Select
- 100 mm precision faders
- Lighted Solo and Mute buttons
- 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)
- 6 aux sends, each with
- Solo
- Pre/post-fader send
- Output-level control
- Access to Fat Channel functions (except phase reverse)
- Mix and Mix/Pan Fat Channel metering
- Available sources: Channels 1-16, FXA Return, FXB Return
- 2 internal effects sends, 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 metering
- 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, 3-4, 5-6, Main)
- Talk button
- Rear-panel XLR mic input with level control and continuous 48V phantom power
- 2 Track In
- Level control
- Tape Input to Mains button
- FireWire source on/off
- Solo Bus
- Cue Mix volume control
- PFL/AFL and Solo In Place (SIP) buttons
- Monitor Bus
- Headphone-output level control
- Control-room monitor-level control
- Solo Bus to Monitor button
- Tape Input to Monitor button
- Main L/R FireWire 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)
- 4-band semi-parametric equalization
- 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, switchable 0.55/2.0 Q
- High Mid EQ: sweepable from 380 Hz to 5 kHz, ±15 dB, switchable 0.55/2.0 Q
- High EQ: sweepable from 1.4 kHz to 18 kHz, ±15 dB, switchable shelf or peaking
- Gate: Threshold 0 to –84 dB; Rate: 2 to 0.05 sec
- Compressor: Threshold -56 to 0 dB, Ratio 1:1 to 14:1, Attack 0.2 to 150 ms, Release 40 to 1000 ms, Makeup Gain 0 to 28 dB, Soft Knee switch, Auto Mode with 10 ms Attack and 150 ms Release
- Limiter: 0 dBFS Threshold, ?:1 Ratio
- Output Assign: 4 subgroups and main with post-EQ/post-dynamics option
- All settings can be copied among channels and saved as user presets.
- 50 channel-strip presets for drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, and vocals
- 2 internal digital effects-processors, each with 50 customizable reverb and delay presets
- 31-band graphic equalizers
- Available on Main Outputs only
- Scene Store and Recall
- Global Scene Storage: all current StudioLive settings
- Up to 80 at a time
- Automatic Global AutoStore
- Individual channel-strip Scene storage
- Up to 48 at a time, plus…
- 50 factory presets for instruments and vocal
- Copy and Paste between channels
- Customizable naming (for example, “Saturday Gig” or “Main Worship Service“)
- Lockout mode to keep inspired amateurs from changing your settings
- 31-band graphic equalizers
- Metering/Displays
- 16 x 16- LED Fat Channel matrix:
- Pre-dynamics/pre-fader input
- Post-dynamics/post-fader output
- Gain reduction
- Aux 1-6 and EFX A/B 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
- 2-digit Channel Selected display
- 16 x 16- LED Fat Channel matrix:
- Input/Output
- 16 main inputs, each with XLR mic, ¼” line, and ¼” inserts
- 2 ¼” stereo (L/R) aux inputs
- 1 XLR talkback-mic input with phantom power and level control
- Unbalanced RCA stereo (L/R) tape inputs and outputs
- XLR stereo (L/R) main outputs with level control
- ¼” stereo (L/R) main outputs
- XLR mono output with level control
- ¼” stereo (L/R) control-room outputs
- ¼” Headphone output
- 4 ¼” subgroup outputs
- 6 ¼” aux outputs
- 16 pre-insert, balanced direct outputs, Ch. 1-8, 9-16, 17-24 (DB25 sockets)
- S/PDIF digital out
- 2 FireWire 400 ports
- 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
- Software bundle for Mac® and Windows® includes:
- PreSonus Studio One Artist™ digital audio workstation
- PreSonus Capture™ live-recording software
- PreSonus Universal Control with Virtual StudioLive™ bidirectional mixer-control software
- Free downloadable software from the Apple App Store provides wireless remote control, including:
- PreSonus StudioLive Remote for iPad®
- PreSonus QMix™ for iPhone® and iPod touch®
Computer system requirements:
Below are the minimum computer-system requirements for Virtual StudioLive.
Windows
- Windows® XP SP3, Vista x64/x32 SP2, Windows 7 x64/x32 SP1
- 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
- Mac® OS X 10.6.8 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 and Mac Systems
- PreSonus Universal Control 1.5.3 or later
- IEEE 1394 FireWire 400 Port
- Internet connection recommended
- DVD-ROM drive
- Internal or external 7200 RPM storage drive highly recommended
- Monitor with 1024×768 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 Macintosh should be no lower than 1024×768 pixels.
| Microphone Preamp 1-16 (XLR Balanced) | |
| Type | XLR Female, Balanced |
| Frequency Response to Direct Output | 20 Hz to 40 kHz ±0.5 dBu |
| Frequency Response to Main Output | 20 Hz to 20 kHz ±0.5 dBu |
| Input Impedance (Balanced) | 1 k? |
| THD to Direct Output | < 0.005%, +4 dBu, 20-20 kHz, unity gain, unwtd |
| THD to Main Output | <0.005%, +4 dBu, 20-20 kHz, unity gain, unwtd |
| EIN to Direct Output | +125 dB unwtd, +130 dB A-wtd |
| S/N Ratio to Direct Output | -97 dB |
| S/N Ratio to Main Output | -94 dB |
| Common Mode Rejection Ratio | +65 dB |
| Gain Control Range | -16 dB to +67 dB (± 1 dB) |
| Maximum Input Level (unity gain) | +16 dBu |
| Phantom Power | +48 VDC |
| Line Inputs | |
| Type | ¼” TRS Female, balanced mono |
| Frequency Response to Direct Outputs | 10-40 kHz, 0 / -0.5 dBu |
| Frequency Response to Main Outputs | 20-20 kHz, ±0.5 dBu |
| Input Impedance | 10 k? |
| THD to Direct Output | <0.0007%, +4 dBu, 20-20 kHz, unity gain, unwtd |
| THD to Main Output | <0.005%, +4 dBu, 20-20 kHz, unity gain, unwtd |
| S/N Ratio to Direct Output | -105 dB |
| S/N Ratio to Main Output | -94 dB |
| Gain Control Range (±1 dB) | -20 dB to +20 dB |
| Maximum Input level (unity gain) | +22 dBu |
| Tape Inputs | |
| Type | ¼” TRS Female, balanced mono |
| Maximum Input Level | +10 dBu |
| Auxiliary Inputs | |
| Type | ¼” TRS Female, balanced (2 stereo pairs) |
| Maximum Input Level | +22 dBu |
| Main Outputs | |
| Type | Male, balanced (stereo pair); ¼” TRS Female, balanced (stereo pair); XLR Male, balanced (mono) |
| Rated Output Level | +24 dBu |
| Output Impedance | 100? |
| Aux Outputs | |
| Type | ¼” TRS Female, balanced (mono) |
| Rated Output Level | +18 dBu |
| Output Impedance | 100? |
| Subgroup Outputs | |
| Type | ¼” TRS Female, balanced (mono) |
| Rated Output Level | +18 dBu |
| Output Impedance | 100? |
| Tape Outputs | |
| Type | RCA Female, unbalanced (stereo pair) |
| Rated Output Level | +18 dBu |
| Output Impedance | 100? |
| Control Room Outputs | |
| Type | ¼” TRS Female, balanced (stereo pair) |
| Rated Output Level | +18 dBu |
| Output Impedance | 100? |
| System Crosstalk | |
| Input to Output | -90 dBu |
| Adjacent Channels | -87 dBu |
| Noise Gate / Expander | |
| Threshold Range | -84 dB to 0 dB |
| Attack Time | 0.5 ms |
| Release Time | 0.05s to 2s |
| Expander Attenuation Range | 2:1 |
| Noise Gate Attenuation Range | ? |
| Compressor | |
| Threshold Range | -56 dB to 0 dB |
| Ratio | 1:1 to 14:1 |
| Attack Time | 0.2 ms to 150 ms |
| Release Time | 40 ms to 1000 ms |
| Auto Attack and Release | Attack = 10 ms, Release = 150 ms |
| Curve Types | hard and soft knee |
| EQ | |
| Type | 2nd-order shelving filter (Q = 0.55) |
| Low (Lowpass or Bandpass) | 36 to 465 Hz, ±15 dB |
| Low Mid | 90 Hz to 1.2 kHz, ±15 dB |
| High Mid | 380 Hz to 5 kHz, ±15 dB |
| High (Highpass or Bandpass) | 1.4 kHz to 18 kHz, ±15 dB |
| Digital Audio | |
| ADC Dynamic Range (A-wtd, 48 kHz) | 118 dB |
| DAC Dynamic Range (A-wtd, 48 kHz) | 118 dB |
| FireWire | S400, 400 Mb/s |
| Internal Processing | 32-bit, floating point |
| Sampling Rate | 44.1, 48 kHz |
| A/D/A Bit Depth | 24 |
| Reference Level for 0 dBFS | -18 dBu |
| Clock | |
| Jitter | <20 ps rms (20 Hz – 20 kHz) |
| Jitter Attenuation | >60 dB (1 ns in ? 1 ps out) |
| Power/Environmental | |
| Connector | IEC |
| Input-Voltage Range | 100 to 240V, 50-60 Hz |
| Power Requirements (continuous) | 100W |
| Temperature Range | 0-40 degrees Celsius |
| Physical | |
| Length | 22.35 inches (568.06 mm) |
| Width (chassis only) | 17.22 inches (437.40 mm) |
| Width (with rack ears) | 19 inches (482.60 mm) |
| Maximum Height | 6.90 inches (175.26 mm) |
| Weight | 23 lbs. |
Please see complete mechanical drawings when building a custom rack, desk, or case.
As a commitment to constant improvement, PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc., reserves the right to change any specification stated herein, at any time, without notification.