Anyone got any experience with this desk?
got the 16.0.2, and a friend got the ar16. both really great, handy and easy to use, top sound quality 
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you can go for it, but check a second hand 16.0.2 it can go to 500ā¬ and you wont regret it !
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Thanks! And does it record in external effects as well whilst multi-tracking? I know some other options donātā¦
careful - youĀ“re talking about slightly different mixer lines hereā¦ the āARā range has that SD card feature while the other, bigger StudioLive mixers like the 16.0.4 have all that fancy serious digital mixer business going on.
@nununu as far as IĀ“m aware sadly the SD card recording does NOT multitrack same as the USB out!
for USB multitracking, external FX would have to be brought back on one of the normal channels instead of the fx returns to be recorded.
that is what I was told when I was looking at those mixersā¦ sorry for the hypotheticals, I donĀ“t own oneā¦ but that was ultimately why I did NOT buy them.
Actually, I went for a new USB audio interface instead of a mixer.
BUT that is mainly because I already had a decent mixer with Direct Outs in my rehearsal space, a Soundcraft Spirit M12.
So now if I want to multitrack something I just take my MOTU Ultralite and hook up some of the Direct Outs to that.
I guess my needs were less for a new mixer after allā¦ so not sure how helpful that is to you
If I had not remembered that I had that mixer, I would have gone for a Soundcraft Signature MTK one, though - because of the ability to route ALL (!) incoming channels out through USB AND (!) return all of those back from the DAW to the same (!) mixer channels.
That is one function the Presonus didnĀ“t have.
Did not care for stereo-bus recording to SD card at all, I must say.
But I would have gotten the Presonus over the Soudncraft if SD recording was multitrackā¦
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Cool, so with the Soundcraft Signature MTK you can mix each track on the DAW channel by channel on the desk? And if this is correct, I am right in thinking it can be done without a soundcard as well?
well I have never really used the Soundcraft "MTK"s myself / very much, since I didnĀ“t buy it and only tested it in the store, but yes:
every channel has a āUSB returnā button, if you press that in, the corresponding channel will carry a signal from your DAW.
You will not need a separate soundcard/usb interface, because the āMTKā models do have a multitrack-USB-Interface built right into the mixer.
I do not know how good the interface actually is (compared to MOTU/RME etc.), but I have not heard anything negative about it either.
for the money and space youĀ“ll be saving, I guess itĀ“s a good deal!
ATTENTION: only the āSignature MTKā models have that feature!! the ones without the āMTKā can only record/play back the stereo sum/main mix!!
from what IĀ“ve read, the recording/playback would be done without the Gain or EQs, so the process would be to just use your DAW as a ātape machineā, then re-route the recordings via the "USB RTN"s to the channels of the MTK, then mix / EQ there to taste, and then record the final master mix from there?
thatĀ“s the theory at least, I guess. of course nobody is going to stop you from using FX/EQ etc. in VSTs and so on.
hope this helps/does not confuse too much.
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Thanks, thatās really useful. Much appreciated!
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No problem my friend, but remember that 50% of what I said is hear-say or 2nd hand info.
If you have any opportunity at all (local music shop etc.), go try and test these things for yourself.
Some bigger online stores (like Thomann) offer 30-day-money-back options where you can test equipment and send it back without giving any reason.
Make use of that, it is by far preferrable to deal with return-shipping-labels than to be āstuckā with a piece of gear that doesnĀ“t do what you thought it would.
I also feel like reading reviews -especially good, thorough ones like those on SoundOnSound!- helps to get a feel for what really is behind all the marketing mumbo-jumbo you get from the manufacturers.
Happy hunting!
Iām a bit confused about the information here. Can someone help me answer the following questions about Presonus StudioLive AR12c?
- Will I be able to record twelve individual tracks into Ableton via USB?
- If so, do i have to expect issues with drivers, latency etc.? Iām using a Mac Book Pro from 2014. It works fine with my Focusrite Scarlett 18i8, never have to mess with anything and can just start recording.
- Are the effects included good when compared to premium pedals like Specular Tempus or plugins like Valhalla?
- If I want to use Microcosm/Specular Tempus effects on channels, do I have to sacrifice inputs? Which inputs would I use to connect them, 1/2 input titled āinsertā? Would I have to use a dedicated āinsertā cable? As the effects pedals are stereo and there is only one input on channel 1/2 titled āinsertā, would I need both of them for L/R of a pedal or are these inputs and insert cables in stereo?
- Are external or internal effects recorded to the individual tracks in Ableton? And/or to a dedicated master track? I donāt like Overbridge because it only records effects on the master track.
Thanks a lot!