Am I the only one using a StudioLive 24?

J

JohnWatkins

New member
It's completely ideal for my setup because I can go from rehearsal to recording to recording rehearsal without any cabling hassles, but since I've been lurking around here I don't think I've since a single other person that uses one? Does everybody know something I don't?

John
 
I think the biggest drawback for the StudioLive series is that, while they're set up to be knob-per-function (which is cool), they don't have any expansion options. It's basically just a digital desk (mimicking an analogue approach) with a built-in Firewire interface, which is great for a lot of folks, but limits its integration with other digital devices. There's no other digital I/O besides the Firewire port. Another thing is that there is no option for it to be used as a DAW controller. For me, that's a biggie. It also doesn't have motorized faders, which, to me, is a deal breaker for a digital console. Also, the display is tiny. I know they did it this way because of the knob-per-function approach, but it's still annoying. Same thing annoyed me on the Soundcraft Si Performer series.

I can see how it's very helpful for some people but personally, if I'm going to spend money on a digital console in that range I would hands down get the Yamaha 01V96. It kills the StudioLive in almost every department besides not being as colourful. It's got expansion options with the Mini-YGDAI expansion slots which can be fitted with any of 30 different cards. It can act as a DAW controller, and the Yamaha GUI interface is just intuitive. Plus it can handle a maximum of 32 channels, which is 16 above the largest StudioLive (if I remember correctly).

But like I said, the StudioLive is good if all you need is one mixer that doubles as an interface. If it's got all the features you need, more power to ya.

Cheers :)
 
I had a look at the Studiolive series a while back but the lack of motorised faders was a deal breaker for me. Scene recall is a biggie for me with digital mixers and the lack of motorised faders makes this feature useless on the Presonus.

I have a Yamaha DM1000 with various expansion cards but, if I was buying today, I'd have to look seriously at the Behringer x32.
 
Perhaps a slight change of subject, but I discovered this issue with the Novation USB controller I got for my DAW. I'm probably dealing with much less tracks than most of you but even so, I had no idea at first just how useless a controller can be without motorised faders. At first, this seems like it should be trivial but I can hardly believe how much time was wasted, messing about with it, instead of getting any work done. I spent £100 on this thing only to revert back to a mouse, which makes it a totally disappointing waste of money. The only part I find useful are the transport controls, which are nice to use.
 
Interesting thoughts. The tiny display was a big deal for me pre-sale too. I was sure they would come out with a proper sized color one a month after I bought mine. But, honestly I hardly ever even look at the thing. The functions that require it are (for my setup) one-time set and forget types of things.

For the record, it does have 32 inputs in the 24 channel version, the last 8 of which are assignable to anything; auxes, subs, talkback, tape in, whatever. As for the motorized faders, it does have fader recall, and frankly I'd rather just push each fader once per gig to it's recall position than pay 50% more for the mixer because it has flying faders.

What really sold me on it is that the "fat channel" (HPF, gate/exp, comp, limit, eq) is usable on every bus. I don't think I saw any other board in my research that had those functions on every aux, subs, iPod inputs, even the mains. Maybe the Yamaha has that and I just didn't look deep enough at it.

The only REALLY big drag for me is that the individual direct outs are right after the preamp, but before the A/D so you cannot take a track from the DAW and send it out on an individual channel. So, to get to my outboard gear I have to use either the submaster outs or an aux send.
 
Just a note on why the motorised faders are a big deal for me...

Actually, there are two reasons. The first is that I use the same mixer for live work and in the studio--for live (especially on musical theatre) it's an essential.

However, in the studio I'd also miss them. Basically I have two layers set up. Layer 1 is all the inputs (on post fade direct outs) and Layer 2 is the return from my DAW. A push of a button lets me toggle between a "record" configuration and a "playback" one--almost impossible if the faders don't instantly show me what I'm doing. Actually, there's a third major config--the same faders can be any one of the 8 aux feeds I use for headphone monitoring, allowing a quick and easy way to get the "perfect" mix to each person in the studio.

FYI, I can't speak for all Yamaha mixers but mine certainly has the equivalent to what you call a "Fat Channel". I have compression, gate, 4 frequency parametric EQ, etc. on every input and output.

Finally, my direct outs can be placed anywhere I want, from directly after the pre amps, through EQ to post fader (which is what I tend to use).

...but it's the motorised faders that were the big "no" for me. The lack would change my workflow hugely and negatively.
 
That makes sense, and I would probably use my mixer more the way you use yours if I had them. I too, go back and forth between inputs and DAW returns constantly. It's not one button, though. It's a per channel thing.
Using the faders for aux mixes would be a HUGE plus for me because I use the auxes at mixdown to send stems out for analog summing and doing it with little knobs is inconvenient and imprecise. Are you doing all of that with an 01v96? I would've thought (apparently naively so) that you needed to get up to the LS9 level to have all that.
 
I have a DM1000 but, from memory, the 01V96 can do most of the above (just more limited on inputs).

The LS9 is aimed squarely at the live sound market and wouldn't be as flexible in a studio For pure live, it's a great board though--a real workhorse.

Having said all that, the x32 has been a game changer...
 
Well, it won't be changing my game. I get enough dirty looks when people find out I don't use ProTools. A Behringer logo on the mixer would pretty much be a nail in the coffin. Shallow? Yep. Narrow-minded? Probly. But, I don't make the rules. :)
 
Luckily I don't have to take a decision--but the x32 has become VERY rider friendly, at least in the live sound world (cue Moresound!).

Even if you don't buy one, the x32 WILL be a game changer for you though--it's going to be very difficult for other makers of digital mixers to continue with their existing pricing structures. Dunno if the change will be a lowering in quality or a lowering of profit margin (or both) but there are too many thousand x32s being sold for the status quo to continue at Yamaha (or Midas or A&H or Soundcraft or Avid or etc.).

Interesting times!
 
I have a friend who runs a small live sound company and he owned a studiolive 24 for 18 months but last weekend he sold it and replaced it with the berhinger X32. He did really like the SL24 and he said the iPad controller stuff was easier to implement than on the X32 but he said he was sold on the X32 after one play with it. I've not used it yet but i used his LS24 a couple of times for live shows and really enjoyed it but the lack of motorised faders did bug me and not being able to control the gain pots via the iPad also wound me up.
 
Yeah, that is a pain about the gain knob. I get it, though. It's the only analog control on the board, so it's just not available to the OS.
 
JohnWatkins said:
For the record, it does have 32 inputs in the 24 channel version, the last 8 of which are assignable to anything; auxes, subs, talkback, tape in, whatever. As for the motorized faders, it does have fader recall, and frankly I'd rather just push each fader once per gig to it's recall position than pay 50% more for the mixer because it has flying faders.
Click to expand...

I stand corrected. Still, no expansion though.

JohnWatkins said:
What really sold me on it is that the "fat channel" (HPF, gate/exp, comp, limit, eq) is usable on every bus. I don't think I saw any other board in my research that had those functions on every aux, subs, iPod inputs, even the mains. Maybe the Yamaha has that and I just didn't look deep enough at it.
Click to expand...

Sorry to say, but you got sold on marketing hype. The "Fat Channel" is nothing but a channel strip you find on pretty much all other digital consoles. Every console that I can think of has got the functions you speak of on every i/o channel, including the O1V96.


JohnWatkins said:
The only REALLY big drag for me is that the individual direct outs are right after the preamp, but before the A/D so you cannot take a track from the DAW and send it out on an individual channel. So, to get to my outboard gear I have to use either the submaster outs or an aux send.
Click to expand...

Just so you know, those direct outs are supposed to interface with an external multi-track recording system. In that regard, it makes perfect sense to take them right after the preamp.

AFAIK, the Studiolive has got inserts on every input channel so why not use them for your outboard? Are you familiar with inserts? What kind of outboard are you using?

Cheers :)
 
Studiolive 24?

I'd be using one of those in a heartbeat if I could afford it. I'm using a Presonus 1818vsl at the moment but yes, I'd be using the 24 or 32 if they were within the budget. Eventhough the 16 is nice, I know that as soon as I got it home I'd be thinking "Man, I shoulda got the 24! :facepalm:".
 
Raymeous said:
Studiolive 24?

I'd be using one of those in a heartbeat if I could afford it. I'm using a Presonus 1818vsl at the moment but yes, I'd be using the 24 or 32 if they were within the budget. Eventhough the 16 is nice, I know that as soon as I got it home I'd be thinking "Man, I shoulda got the 24! :facepalm:".
Click to expand...

In engineering terms this is to do with the Neve Constant of Mixer Size Calculation.

The actual maths is very complicated and required at least a Master's Degree level of calculus but, at it's simplest, means that the answer to the question "How many mixer inputs do I need?" always works out to "Two more than I have".
 
Mo Facta said:
Every console that I can think of has got the functions you speak of on every i/o channel, including the O1V96.
Click to expand...

It was more about the knob per function layout than the capability. I did not want menu-driven mixing. And to be honest, I wasn't really comparing it to other digital consoles because none of them (in this price range) had 24 faders. I was comparing it to my 32 x 8 analog.
 
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