PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2 and Logic

Question

PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2 and Logic

I am a beginner with Logic (9.1.8) and am studying to understand it. I have a few different uses I'm working up to. One is making audio recordings of our community theater productions through its PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2 board.

I will use my MacBook Pro Retina running 10.8.2 as the recording device. For any given show, the board has as many as 15 body mikes (actors), direct lines from some musical instruments and mikes for others and a handful of stage mikes. In all, it probably maxes out the 24 discrete inputs on the board.

I'd like some advice at the outset to make sure I'm on the right track:

1. Do I need any software other than Logic to do the sound recording? There appears to be (and I have just installed) a program that runs in the background called Universal Control (current Mac version is 1.7), but I'm not sure what it does. It comes with the board and is freely downnloadable. Do I need it?

2. The PreSonus manual shows Firewire 400 connections. My MBPR is thunderbolt. I have a thunderbolt to Firewire 800 adapter (and it works great in Final Cut Pro), so I assume an 800 to 400 cable will complete the necessary connection, correct?

3. Logic does not yet allow me to select the board in the preferences as the input device presumably because it's not presently physically connected. Will that show up once I physically connect the two?

4. We frequently videotape performances. In theory, the digital video recording runs as long as the digital audio recording. Are there any tips to simplify laying the audio mix into Final Cut Pro so that they match up, or is that why Hollywood makes the big bucks?

Sorry these are probably dumb questions, but I'd like a birds eye view of what I'm getting into before chasing it too far.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Jan 25, 2013 12:58 PM

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Answer 1

cammar

Level 1

45 points

Jan 26, 2013 3:25 AM in response to Richard Setterberg

Hej :-)

I do this in english.

I have tested a 24.4.2 on my MBP with SL 10.6.8 and it worked good.

1.

Presonus have a software called Capture that will record all channels. all layed out for you when open it.

I tried Logic and it was fine too, all depends if you want to do it easy for you. Capture is a down stripped

program that only record stuff, nothing else. It's downloadable when you register your 24.4.2 on their website.

It came on a cd when I got mine, but if you want to download an update you have to register first.

2.

The thunderbolt stuff I have no experience of, but let's hope it works.

3.

Yes, the 24.4.2 will show up.

4.

One tip for synchronizing audio to video is to stand in front of the camera and do a clap. It will then be the

marking where you can sync the video sound with the Presonus reording when looking at the waveform.

5.

One thing that is cool with Capture is that it even record a stereo track (channel 25 & 26) taken from the master bus, so it will contain all eq, comp and fx's you have on the mix. That can be in handy if you want a quick reference after the show.

Hope that's help.

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Answer 2

Jan 26, 2013 4:19 PM in response to cammar

That's helpful, thanks. I'll have to dig around at the theater for the software that came with the board and maybe give Capture a try first. I'm not even sure if anyone registered the board when we got it (a year or so ago, as I recall), so I'll get the serial number in case the software went missing.

Once I have it in Capture, can I do a mixdown in that program too, or do I have to get it over to Logic? Are there bells and whistles in Logic that I might miss if I try to do this with Capture?

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Answer 3

cammar

Level 1

45 points

Jan 27, 2013 3:45 AM in response to Richard Setterberg

There is no need for a serial to my knowledge, once you've registred you can download Capture for free.

The difference btw. Capture and Logic is that C. is just a recorder and player. No plugins and such. You can edit the tracks with cuts, fades, reorganize and so on but the mix is done through the 24.4.2 with the onboard fx and fatchannel. Then you mixdown in C. to channel 25 & 26 in realtime.

So your desision will be if you want to mix the "analog" way or do it in Logic the "digital" way. By that I mean that it's almost like mixing on an analog consol going with 24.4.2. It's kind of limited fx wise though, you can only have 2 fx's going at the same time. Reverb and a delay.

To get the sound from C. back to 24.4.2 you just have to press the firewire symbol for every channel on top

of the mixer. When I will start using it regularly I will record in Capture and then import it in Logic for mix.

Good Luck!

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Answer 4

Jan 27, 2013 8:09 AM in response to cammar

Thanks, that all makes sense. I've looked at a few online blogs, video tutorials, etc., and most of them use the board to tweak to a final mix. That may not be practical for me, since the board is about 20 miles from my home. I'd either have to bring the board home or tweak at the theater, and neither will be practical during the run of the show. I would have to wait until after the show closes. I think I'd like to have a finished CD ready for closing night (I'd do a few alternate takes during the run), so Logic may be my best logistical choice. The downside is I have to learn it, and it looks harder than Capture-to-board-to-Capture. Choices, choices . . . .

As to the serial number, I don't know if they registered the board or not and, if so, in whose name. Theoretically, it would be in the name of the theater group, but with this group who knows. I'll get the serial number, try to register and if they say that board's already registered, contact them directly to get what I need.

Thanks a lot for your help.

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Answer 5

cammar

Level 1

45 points

Jan 27, 2013 8:30 AM in response to Richard Setterberg

You could have a 24 + 25&26 channel template in Logic that you always open when recording. With all the eq, comp or whatever inserted from the beginning, but bypassed when recording. I guess the naming of the tracks will be close to same everytime? Then you have it already laid out when mixing time comes at home. The eventual advantage with Capture is that maybe, I say maybe, it's easier on the cpu. But my experince is that Logic 9 is very cpu efficient.

Well, either way, you will have to learn 24.4.2 for running the show and it's the same workflow when mixing afterwards. So that's no extra learning of course, but yes, transport it is a pain.

I have to say that learning Logic is a bit of fun too, at least for me and maybe you will have an advantage knowing both ways of working in the future when opportunities for job's are coming up.

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Answer 6

Jan 28, 2013 3:04 PM in response to cammar

I did find the software bundle and other materials, including Capture. I've installed it, and it launches the demo session. Apparently it doesn't actually play back into anything other than the board, however. I tried listening to the demo on just my computer, and I get nothing.

It's also not apparent how to get--or even check for--updates. My Capture version is 1.1.112145 (April 23, 2010). There is no pull down menu to check for updates, and PreSonus' website shows nothing. I did note that v. 2 was announced at NAMM over the weekend, although they have no specifics on release date or even how you get it when it's available.

I did figure out that it is relatively simple to import the demo into Logic by importing the audio files. Best I can tell, I have to import each channel separately--I don't see a ready way to import the whole song. That's not a big problem with a few channels, but not fun with 24.

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