Presonus StudioLive 16.0.2

When working on my new studio I thought about going the route of buying 4 DBX 286S rack mounted processors and going with my Mackie ProFX12 mixer that I've had for a few years. The mixer is my road mixer as well, so after deciding that I wanted a permanent studio mixer, I decided to rethink it all and go with the Presonus StudioLive 16.0.2

Due to the release of the Presonus StudioLive 16.4.2 AI series mixers coming out, the 16.0.2 mixer has dropped in price. I was able to walk into Sam Ash today and purchase a new 16.0.2 for $850.00 (after doing some negotiating... it was selling for $999). The price is better than 4 286s + new Mackie Mixer and I get a lot of features jam packed into this little unit. More features than I will need, but for the price equivalent, I figured it was worth it.

I just unboxed it and can't wait to get it up and running tomorrow. That is going to be the fun part... working on the settings. I don't have my new mics yet, so I am still working with 4 Shure SM58 mics. So whatever settings I use today won't be what I use when I choose and purchase new mics (leaning towards the SM7b because I like the way my voice sounds on it, but still open to persuasion).

Enjoy the pics:

Attachment 272 Attachment 273 Attachment 274 Attachment 275 Attachment 276 Attachment 277

If you have any questions about it, let me know... although I have heard good things from friends who have had other versions of this mixer I haven't really put it to the test yet. I believe Chase has one also and would be a valuable resource on the experience with his.

I have the 16.4.2, which is very similar. If you need any insight, let me know. It's a good mixer.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mcphillips

I have the 16.4.2, which is very similar. If you need any insight, let me know. It's a good mixer.

---

Absolutely. I can't wait to play with it tomorrow. I couldn't remember if you had one or not. I know you have advocated for purchasing a mixer of this caliber if you were thinking long term and wanted to get a mixer that could replace having the rack mounted equipment. So I will definitely be asking some questions over the next few days/weeks.

I have the same model the 16.0.2 and Hands down my favorite mixer I have ever had or used. I will 100% be upgrading to the 24 channel next summer. $850 is a steal and you will be amazed at what you can do with it.

Welcome to the PreSonus Family my friend! :)

Thank you, glad to be a part of it. Also, $850 was a very good price, considering when I first looked at this particular board, and later its counterpart the 16.4.2 it was upwards of $1600 - $2500.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JaseRossi

I have the same model the 16.0.2 and Hands down my favorite mixer I have ever had or used. I will 100% be upgrading to the 24 channel next summer. $850 is a steal and you will be amazed at what you can do with it.

Welcome to the PreSonus Family my friend! :)

---

24 channels, cool. I wonder what your setup is like for each channel?
I wonder what PreSonus will announce at IBC 2014. Maybe a USB 2.0 or 3.0 output.

Here are a few IBC sneak peaks: http://cinescopophilia.com

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MovieBuff

24 channels, cool. I wonder what your setup is like for each channel?
I wonder what PreSonus will announce at IBC 2014. Maybe a USB 2.0 or 3.0 output.

Here are a few IBC sneak peaks: http://cinescopophilia.com

---

I am excited to see what they are going to announce as well.

I am also in the middle of doing a complete studio rebuild, so I will be sure and make a video of my whole setup once I get everything in place and the new hardware is here.

Heah Brad,
That is one sweet deal you made there! I was considering this same mixer for the longest time and it was due in part to Mike's endorsement. I knew the price had dropped but I had no idea as to just how much. Very nice indeed ~:cool:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dan Ortego

Heah Brad,
That is one sweet deal you made there! I was considering this same mixer for the longest time and it was due in part to Mike's endorsement. I knew the price had dropped but I had no idea as to just how much. Very nice indeed ~:cool:

---

The mixer is $999 universally, but always negotiate if you can. If you can't find one cheaper online (sometimes hard when the manufacturer tells everyone to sell at a universal price or higher). go to the store, Sam Ash, Guitar Center, etc and negotiate a lower price. Sometimes they will, sometimes they won't.

The 16.0.2 is brilliant, but I do have one question, Mike. Have you noticed some digital artifacts when using the onboard gate? I noticed it on my recordings and had to go back to my 528e. I have an RE-20 and a TLM-102. Perhaps the gain isn't right...have you experienced this?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bvjay

The 16.0.2 is brilliant, but I do have one question, Mike. Have you noticed some digital artifacts when using the onboard gate? I noticed it on my recordings and had to go back to my 528e. I have an RE-20 and a TLM-102. Perhaps the gain isn't right...have you experienced this?

---

No, I haven't experienced that. Can you post a sample? I'd contact Presonus to see if they've heard of the problem.

Because I like the dbx286 so much, I never used to Presonus gates until I started doing a terrestrial radio show. Because there was a little noise in the host's background, I added the gate, and it has worked well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bvjay

The 16.0.2 is brilliant, but I do have one question, Mike. Have you noticed some digital artifacts when using the onboard gate? I noticed it on my recordings and had to go back to my 528e. I have an RE-20 and a TLM-102. Perhaps the gain isn't right...have you experienced this?

---

I haven't had this issue either. Please post a sample as I would like to hear this as well. :)

No problem. I have uploaded a sample here:
https://soundcloud.com/bigvoicej/presonus-test
After recording I just normalized the file so you could hear everything.
Thanks for taking the time.
BVJ

Hi bvjay,
I'm not experienced enough to weigh in on the 16.0.2 although the recording studio I visit in the Phoenix area, still uses the Symetrix 528e over the newer options available. Not sure if it’s because they still feel its superior or because they’re more familiar with it and its easier to manage.

Dan

I bought my 528e off eBay years ago. The fact that it still works is a testament to their build quality. Just thought I'd try something different with the 16.0.2

I don't hear anything abnormal about your audio. Remember that a gate turns the audio off and on. You might hear some funny things during the transitions, but those things should not be digital artifacts. I'm not listening through my best headphones at the moment, but I'll give it a better listen tonight.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bvjay

I bought my 528e off eBay years ago. The fact that it still works is a testament to their build quality. Just thought I'd try something different with the 16.0.2

---

I hear you on that. I tried using the gate on my X32 Rack mixer but in my case I found it too tedious to manipulate the virtual dials to obtain a desired or consistent result. By contrast I achieve a better feel or feedback with the physical dials on my DS201. For now I plan to stick with the analog in this segment.

Here's another test with the gain backed down a bit, gate and makeup gain applied on the back end of the fat channel.
https://soundcloud.com/bigvoicej/presonus-test2

I see they just introduced a rack mount version of the 16 and 32 channel mixers...

http://presonus.com/products/StudioLive-RM-Series