or the image to the right to read the full review

TECHNICAL FOCUS: PRODUCT IN DEPTH
Copyright Lighting&Sound
America January 2016 http://www.lightingandsoundamerica.com/LSA.html
PreSonus StudioLive
RM32AI Digital Mixing
System
By: Mark Johnson
Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based
PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. was
founded in 1995 by Jim Odom and
Brian Smith. Odom, the company’s
president, and Smith, VP of engineering, were both LSU engineering graduates. The company started in Odom’s
garage. The initial product was the
DCP-8 digitally controlled eight-channel compressor/limiter/gate. In a span
of 20 years, PreSonus has built a
diverse lineup of products. Originally
focused more toward recording applications, the company produced mic
preamps, interfaces, and channel
strips. It started addressing the software side of recording in 2006, with
the introduction of Studio One. In
2009, it debuted the StudioLive series
of digital mixers, incrementally updating it with new software and functionality. In 2013, it expanded its coverage
into the live market further by introducing StudioLive-AI PA loudspeakers,
and, in 2014, by acquiring loudspeaker
manufacturer WorxAudio.
One of the latest product developments in PreSonus’ StudioLive mixer
series is the StudioLive RM32AI digital mixing system. I was intrigued
when I first learned of it and was
looking forward to the opportunity to
check it out.
The mixer itself is a four-rack space
unit that has 32 XLR mic inputs and
16 male XLR mix outputs, left/right
main out, mono out, RCA tape in
(hearkening back to the olden days of
audio), and headphone out connections. There are 32 LEDs (signal input
indicators) and a USB port on the
front panel. Systems can even be cascaded for more inputs. The rear
82 • January 2016 • Lighting&Sound America
The RM32AI can be controlled any number of ways, simultaneously. Here with Sony
Vaio touch screen, iPad, and MacBook Pro.
includes the on/off switch and IEC
power inlet on the bottom left. A large
heat sink takes up much of the top
half of the panel. On the right-side
lower half of the RM are two MIDI
connectors (in/out, designated for
future application), two DB25 connectors for mix outputs (one for outputs
1— 8, and the other for outputs 9 —
16), and an option card port. The
option card for the review system
comprised two FireWire S800 ports,
an Ethernet port, and a S/PDIF output. The system normally ships with
the AVB card standard, and the Dante
card is just around the corner. If I didn’t know better, I would think this was
a stage rack for another system.
But this is the mixer, and the control device is a Windows or Mac laptop, an iPad, or—and this is the cool
part—a Windows multi-touch computer, which provides the potential for a
large control area. There are no physical faders; in fact, the only tactile controls are four buttons and three knobs
on the mixer unit itself. Otherwise, all
the control is via touch or mouse.
That can be pretty scary, I admit,
but think about it: no faders or knobs
to break off or get dirty (or no openings on the console surface for dust,
dirt, or moisture to get into).
Admittedly, you now have to worry
about the screen cracking, or damaging the touch screen in some way, but
with many of the available mixing
consoles utilizing auxiliary screens,
that concern should be well covered
at this point. Besides, that’s what
road cases are for.
I received a demo unit (shipped
with a 21" Sony Vaio touch-screen
computer) so I didn’t get the entire
customer/new product opening-thebox-for-the-first-time experience. The
review system also did not include
the USB Wi-Fi adapter (which allows
wireless control and fits in the USB
port on the front of the RM). And
some things were already set up, so
there was no creating an account and
product registration for me.
A TP-LINK router (the recommended model) was included, so I
downloaded UC Surface on my
PreSonus StudioLive RM32AI with the Sony Vaio touch screen.
MacBook Pro and iPad, connected
the iPad wirelessly and the MacBook
via Ethernet cable to the router, and I
was off and running. Easy as pie.
TECHNICAL FOCUS: PRODUCT IN DEPTH
On the surface
UC Surface software displays a bank
of virtual/graphic faders and the channel strip section, which takes up the
majority of the screen. (The number of
faders displayed depends on the type
of control device you use.) Three onscreen areas provide access to various system functions: On the far right
are the flex master channel strip, mix
selection area, and main output area.
Across the top of the display is the fat
channel section, which will be familiar
to users of PreSonus mixers. This is
the business end of the selected
channel, where the most frequently
used controls are displayed prominently, and, most importantly, are
readily accessible. Broken up into four
sections, it includes: 1) channel name
and number, preamp gain control,
switches for phantom power and
polarity, and switches to assign the
selected channel to the main and/or
mono output; and 2) the gate display
and control area; 3) the compressor
Rear panel I/O with option card.
display and control area; and 4) EQ
display and control.
At the bottom of the screen is the
meter bridge, as well as the method
ies
ilit
rt fac
e-a
-of-th
chno
te
shed.
• sta
unlea tering
e
g
m
n
o
i
t
m
s bec
e sha
strea
try ha ologies ar g up new
e
s
u
v
i
d
l
in
n
in
s •
ment edge tech ion, open
logie
ertain
ct
red to
con
d te
necte
g
t
u
live
nd en
cuttin and prod
es de
edia a ation and
ast
rienc
c
e
d
p
v
a
x
o
o
The m
e
r
n
ted
ime.
live b
hat
mic in
tegra
real t
nue t
Dyna ndaries of
ting in latforms,
ile ve l and
a
t
u
e
a
o
r
s
c
b
r
for
the
le p
a ve
loca
ilities
iness
y into
h the
multip
facilit onnect wit ct new bus
possib es across
r
u
o
y
c
nc
ra
nts.
olving
far to ing — att
audie
g clie
by ev near and
miss
xistin
ame
e
n
s
g
e
r
n
r
e
u
a
u
f
b
yo
nal
Up yo ble event
have
s for
ventio
y
t they e offering
na
m con technolog
o
c
can e ertainmen
r
f
n
a
e
h
e
r
n
r
e
t
ing
f
e
t
h
n
r
k
t
d
e
a
brea
live
only
, sm
ies an
ace to ew design it, and the
l
rtunit
p
o
p
y
l
p
n
o
on
to
e lim
® is the
mind
y’s th o?
Show open your s. The sk
Ig
l
il
NAB
ip
w
d
h
w far
ing an l partners
o
k
h
in
:
h
t
f is
fu
ursel
ower
NG.
and p e to ask yo
YTHI
v
a
EVER
you h
THIS
GES
CHAN
ay
d
o
t
r
te
77
regiibsits Pass Code PA
Exh
Free
Open or download your QR scanner app.
Scan the code — unleash the experience.
for selecting the group of faders you
wish to access.
The fat channel area includes channel number and input source (analog,
FireWire, or network), and channel
type (select from all, or a detailed listing of typical musical ensemble instrumentation, vocals, or, other). Each
selection offers specific instruments;
for example, the brass listing provides
a selection of brass section, French
horn, trombone, trumpet, and tuba.
Others include such standard items as
DI box or iPad and iPod. It also offers
up a head-scratcher…beard. In actuality, it’s an inside joke. The RM product
manager, Ray Tantzen, is known for his
impressive full beard. (For the full
specs on his beard, go check out this
link:
http://blog.presonus.com/index.php/2
014/12/09/faq-for-rays-beard/). You
can select pre or post for pre-fat channel; link, for linking an adjacent channel; and a key source (off or channel 1
– 32) for selecting a trigger for the
sidechain input to control a gate. Also
available on this screen is channel
input preamp gain control, switchable
phantom power (48V), a polarity
switch, and a set of assign switches
(main and mono).
Next up is the gate. At the upper
left of this screen is an icon of a
switch, for turning the gate on and off.
Just below it are sliders for setting
threshold, expander, and key filter.
There is also a key listen switch that
allows you to hear how the aforementioned key filter is set. There are also
attack and release controls.
The comp screen includes the
threshold, ratio, gain, attack, and
release setting controls, and there is
also a limiter and switches for auto or
soft. The parameters for the gate and
compressor can be adjusted by either
touching or clicking on the slider controls, or clicking on or touching the
diagonal line in the grid and setting the
threshold by dragging the “point” to
your desired setting.
Presets
Fifty fat channel presets are available
via the UC surface mix control software. Each preset has gate, compressor/limiter, and EQ settings that can be
loaded independently of each other.
You want the preset EQ but no compressor? No problem; just don’t select
it. Anything that you would expect
from a contemporary digital mixer, the
RM provides; parametric EQ and
dynamics for each channel, effects
(reverbs and delays), scene store, and
recall are all available.
The EQ tab and, consequently, the
EQ screen, provides the ability to
switch the parametric EQ in or out, an
adjustable high-pass filter, and
switchable EQ bands for low, lowmid, high-mid, and highs. The graphical user interface displays a grid with
frequencies along the bottom and
decibel range along the right side (0
to +12, and 0 to -12). As with dynamics, settings can be adjusted either
via the slide controls or by touching
A THEATRE
PROJECT
2ND EDITION – HOT OFF THE PRESSES
A BACKSTAGE ADVENTURE • EXPLORE THE WORLD OF THEATRE
By Richard Pilbrow
with David Collison
A THEATRE PROJECT is a spellbinding backstage adventure that will challenge,
provoke, entertain, and inspire all who love the magical world of theatre.
Reviews of the print edition:
"Huge and superbly illustrated... It's an
absolute joy to read"
—Michael Coveney,
WhatsOnStage.com
"Brilliant... The ultimate book on the
creative team side of theatre."
Personalized autographed copies of the
brand new Second Edition…
for only $29.99 plus shipping; a perfect gift!
To order, contact [email protected],
212-244-1505, ext. 712
visit www.atheatreproject.com or
www.lightingandsoundamerica.com
—Musical Theatre magazine, UK
www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • January 2016 • 85
TECHNICAL FOCUS: PRODUCT IN DEPTH
The RM32 I/O.
or clicking on the “points” and dragging them to your desired setting.
Along the top of the grid is the switch
to enable SMAART Spectra tools,
including RTA and spectral analysis,
to help reinforce (pun intended) the
intended application. Rational
Acoustics’ SMAART audio analysis
software is built into the UC Surface
editor software. The RM includes a
suite of software that makes the sys-
tem a powerful package: Capture 2,
which enables virtual soundcheck,
and Studio One Artist multitrack
recording software. Also available as
a free download is UC Surface editor/librarian/remote-control software.
Controlling remotely
One of the cooler aspects of the systems is that it offers myriad ways to
interface and control the RM. I’m talk-
ing wireless, via the included Wi-Fi
dongle; wired Ethernet; wired and
wireless Dante and AVB; iPad, Mac,
or PC computer; touch screen computer; even iPhone (for the QMix-AI
personal monitor mix control system)!
While live performance is the primary
focus of the system, the RM can also
facilitate multitrack recording and
playback (virtual soundcheck or live
recording). You can even use the
same laptop for both multitrack
recording and control of the RM.
QMix-AI aux mix control for iPhone
and iPod touch is available free from
the Apple App store. This allows the
use of an iPhone or iPod touch as a
control device/interface, so you can
use the RM as a personal mixing system. iPad control allows access to the
mixing parameters, so you can be
mobile and move around the facility. A
larger surface or a laptop would lend
itself to staying in one place, but you
could situate yourself in the middle of
the audience, if so desired.
That’s a Wrap!
Design Books Packaged for Giving
The books explore the work of America’s best theatrical designers, their
background, and their influences, and contain color images of sets,
renderings, sketches, and production photographs.
The Pro Video Marketplace
FREE Shipping & Handling!
Within Continental US
The Lighting & Sound Designs Of… 3-book set profiles the
innovative and technologically inventive work of Tharon
Musser, Abe Jacob, and Jules Fisher. $44.95
ORDER NOW
www.usitt.org/bundles || (800) 938-7488
86 • January 2016 • Lighting&Sound America
877.629.4122 ÕProductionHUB.com
TM
What makes the system so
appealing and useful in performance
applications is multi-touch control.
While most mixers available today
offer some level of iPad control (as
does the RM), you can basically only
perform one action at a time. In real
life, mixing often requires operating
multiple controls simultaneously.
With multi-touch control, you can
grab two faders at the same time or
bring up a fader and adjust the EQ at
the same time.
I did find control via MacBook or
iPad to be more responsive than the
touch-screen PC. It was particularly
noticeable when trying to make fine
adjustments; for example, trying to
match input gain settings on multiple
channels could be iffy with either
touch surface. However, making
adjustments with my MacBook Pro
and trackball was spot-on. The larger
screen did allow for more of an
overview (more channels without
scrolling, and both the dynamics and
EQ control sections are displayed).
On a smaller screen (laptop and
iPad), the dynamics and EQ control
sections are selectable via a tab to
the right of the displays. On the larger
display, 20 faders were accessible at
once. On the Mac laptop, 12, and on
iPad, eight.
While you sacrifice the tactile control of a typical mixing surface, the
RM GUI has an extremely simple and
basic look. And though it looks basic,
there is much more than meets the
eye. The functions needed to get
going quickly, as well as those
required to run the show, are front
and center on the display. For those
who insist on tactile control,
PreSonus also has its new StudioLive
CS18AI Ethernet/AVB control surface,
which includes 100mm touch-sensitive faders.
AI: working together
“AI” stands for “Active Integrations.” In
short, PreSonus products designed
and enabled with AI technology can
sense when other AI-enabled products
are on the network (wired or wireless)
and can work together as a more
comprehensive system.
The StudioLive RM32AI offers a
glimpse into the future of live mixing.
There is a lot going on with this mixer.
Although you can get going pretty
quickly, as you live with the RM you’ll
be able to invoke other capabilities
and functionalities of the system. The
RM was designed from the get-go to
play well with other AI products from
PreSonus, though practically any system where you would want a digital
mixer is fair game for the RM. You just
get the benefit of interoperability with
the other AI gear. A list price of
$2,499.95, allows you to be on the
leading edge of innovation with a relatively small investment. Medium-sized
houses of worship, nightclubs, local
production facilities, and regional
sound companies are all in the wheelhouse of this new product.
PROTECTING
THE REAL STARS
OF THE SHOW.
From lighting and sound, to staging and production,
ProSight Specialty Insurance understands the unique risks
entertainment technology professionals face. That’s why
we’ve partnered with ESTA to bring you specialized
insurance solutions that spotlight safety.
Learn more at esta.prosightspecialty.com
PROSIGHT BRINGS YOU ESTA TECHNICAL STANDARDS—FREE!
To download now, go to www.esta.org today.
www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • January 2016 • 87