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Hello everybody,

I'm thinking of buying a SL Console for a while now for our rehearsal space where we have 3 bands. One thing I don't have a grip on yet without any hands on experience is the audio routing capabilities of the SL series - the manual and guides don't give me an exact picture there (may be my intellectual challenge tho ;) ).

However my dream scenario would be having a little SL with 16 inputs at the PA/Recording rack and either a 32R connected in stagebox mode or stageboxes connected via AVB for a total of at least 48 input channels for the several band scenarios.

My question would be: when creating scenes for Band A/B/C, can I freely choose between any Input on the AVB network channels or do I always have to choose blocks of 8 channels from any stagebox for AVB inputs as long as I do not get over the 32 recording channels.

Thanks in advance for your input and best regards!
Sebastian
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by SwitchBack on Tue Apr 16, 2019 6:32 am
Answering the title of your post: both.

The AVB network stream allocation is in banks of 8. It’s the initial network wide housekeeping to allocate AVB channels to the network units you want to receive input from.

The patching of those network channels to mixer channels is a mixer’s local business and is channel by channel.

With the mixer outputs it’s similar. Stage boxes ‘listen’ in banks of 8 AVB streams. But what’s in those streams is up to the mixer sending them, channel by channel.

With mixers on both ends you can go completely overboard by mapping one mixer’s analog inputs and mix outputs to random AVB sends and then untangling the whole thing in the mixer on the other end of the AVB cable and vice versa. Not sure if you want to go there though ;)
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by wahlerstudios on Tue Apr 16, 2019 3:19 pm
Interesting questions... ;) After the firmware upgrade USB is 64 x 64 now, but when I connect my SL 16 or my 32R with a computer, Capture shows 32 + 1 stereo track and there is no chance to activate more than 34 tracks. There is a routing matrice missing, like the one Studio One has. I can't "tell" Capture that there are 64 USB channels available.

Basically, using two mixers does NOT ADD more channels. It only brings more flexibility to the routing of inputs and outputs. It doesn't matter WHERE the input of channel 32 is. The signal can come from console 1 or rack mixer 2 or stagebox 3. It is more important to consider the channel "frame" you are dealing with. Series III is now three types of mixers: a 64 channel mixer(SL 64S), the 32 channel mixers (SL 16, SL 24, SL 32, SL 32S, SL 32SX, SL 32SC) and a 16 channel mixer (16R). You can see it in Capture, which mixer "frame" you are dealing with. Only the SL 64S allows Capture to record up to 64 tracks.

32 tracks should be enough for a band, or even three bands. You would not want to divide 48 tracks in to 16 tracks for band 1, another 16 tracks for band 2 and 16 more tracks for band 3. This makes no sense. Using the same tracks/channels for the same purpose is a better workflow.

AVB has to do with network, USB with recording. The routing/patching is completely separated.

SL 16 and 32R is a perfect combination. You only need one CAT5E cable to connect console and rack mixer (stagebox). Add a router if you want to use remote control.
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by buddybudsen on Wed Apr 17, 2019 3:35 am
Hi everyone,

first of all: thanks for the helpful answers! :thumbup:
So this is more or less my "wish coming true" - perfect.

Yea we got a bit of a crazy situation at our space. 3 Bands with overlapping constellations, and I hate to start rehearsals by having to replug- and rewire stuff all over the place - because I got the role of "tech and sound guy".

We have 2 more classical rock bands (2-3 vox, 2x gtr, bas, dr, bits of keys or e-drums once in a while) and a crazy experimental electro-rock-whatever ensemble with insane amounts of stuff using equipment of all of the above.

My idea was plugging everything in and for the "normal rehearsals" or recording sessions creating a scene with a fully mic'ed drumset (8 mics), vox and other instruments and for the electro-stuff just the basic drum setup for both sets (oh, bd, sn) and the rest of the available channels for all the insanity without ever needing to re-wire anything...

So next step: asking the government (read: wife) for budget. :mrgreen:

Best regards
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by SwitchBack on Wed Apr 17, 2019 9:34 am
As Wahler mentioned: the 48 channel requirement needs some thinking. On the AVB network there’s room for 64 channels but the SL16/SL32SC can handle only 32 channels (or 38 when you count the aux and tape inputs too) for mixing. With a second mixer on the network you may be able to do some submixing for the main mixer but it won’t be the same as a full 48 channel mixer. The only PreSonus Series III mixer capable of being that is the SL64S with its 64 channels.
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by buddybudsen on Thu Apr 18, 2019 7:45 am
Thanks Switchback!

yea I think we wouldn't be needing to mix or record more than 32 channels in any configuration. :)

But then again if I understand correctly theoretically via USB you could record up to 64 channels...

With 128 (64x64) channels of recording over USB, you can record every input channel and bus on your StudioLive 32SC for the ultimate recording rig.
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by SwitchBack on Thu Apr 18, 2019 8:04 am
Not sure if even that is easily achievable with a SL16/SL32SC.

USB recording is recording from the mixer the computer is connected to. So AFAIK the mixer’s limitations apply to the usb recording too. So on top of the 32 mixer channels and the 6 aux/tape input channels you could record main out, flexmixes, FX outputs, but no additional AVB channels. I could be wrong though... :)
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by wahlerstudios on Thu Apr 18, 2019 8:22 am
In a combination SL16 and 32R, Capture 3 shows 32 mono inputs and a stereo track labeled "Channel 39 +40". I don't see anywhere a possibility to assign more buses to Capture. I can only route/patch USB sends 39+40 to another stereo bus.
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by SwitchBack on Thu Apr 18, 2019 8:53 am
In StudioOne you get access to more channels than in Capture. It’s not the channel count but the channel content which is limited by the mixer.

It might be possible to get 64 network inputs for recording by hooking the (if AVB capable) computer up to the AVB network. Never tried though.
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by wahlerstudios on Thu Apr 18, 2019 7:22 pm
Correct, Studio One can record 64 channels/tracks and more, but the "channel content" has to come from somewhere. Studio One receives USB sends 1 to 40 (1-32, Aux In 1+2, Digital Return, Mains) from the mixer it is connected to. You can create more inputs/tracks in Studio One and route all 40 USB channels to tracks 41 to 80, but i It is not possible to send additional content via USB to tracks 41 to 80.

I tried a setup with 32R in Stand Alone mode with its own UC Surface and routed input channels in the range 1-32 additionally to USB sends 33-64, but Studio One (connected to the SL16) is not able to receive these sources. There is nothing happening beyond StudioLive's physical 40 USB sends. This is no restriction of my "old" Studio One 3.5.6. The matrix in song settings shows all 64 inputs and 64 outputs.

"With 128 (64x64) channels of recording over USB, you can record every input channel and bus on your StudioLive 32SC for the ultimate recording rig".

This sentence is true, if you read it right. You can record 32 input channels, 16 flex mixes, 4 subgroups, 2 stereo aux ins, 1 stereo tape in, 1 stereo digital return, 1 stereo mains, 1 stereo solo. This is a total of 64 USB sends. It used to be 40 before...

:mrgreen:
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by SwitchBack on Fri Apr 19, 2019 3:04 am
I think “128 channels for recording” is wrong anyway. 64x64 means the usb interface can send 64 channels from the mixer to the computer (e.g. for recording) and the computer can return 64 channels to the mixer. But I’ll have a look at the content of the channels over 40 too.

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