PreSonus Blog

Category Archives: Monitoring


PreSonus Sound: Chiara Luzzana

“I don’t need a musical instrument when life plays the best notes”

Chiara Luzzana (2022)

We at PreSonus are extremely thrilled to hear and see Chiara Luzzana put her unique spin of sampling and *PLAYING* our hardware and software products musically in the creation of her performance video above. This performance was captured and edited using recordind software / DAW Studio One. Learn more about Studio One here.

Be sure to also watch her accompanying behind-the-scenes video (below) to learn how she hears and creates sound compositions from objects found in her world!

Chiara talks about her love of the Analog Delay and the Ampire Pedalboard plug-ins in the behind the scenes video around 4:58 and 7:01 respectively.

Chiara is a highly innovative and visionary sound designer.  She designs the sound of the most important brands in the world.

She has defined a real compositional method, unique in the field of sound brandingAs a kid, she studied guitar, clarinet and piano, but something in that method of teaching blocked her creativity. As she developed into an eclectic artist, she wanted to break the rules imposed by musical notation, to create music starting from noise to create visionary soundtracks.

As a former student at Berkelee College of Music, Chiara investigated how the brain reacts to sounds and vice versa, in order to structure every project with a specific mission.

Her sound works are a journey into the soul and psycho-acoustics, not just music. 

She studied to become an audio engineer in 2005, and has collected certifications and specializations in every field, from the neurobiology of musical cognition to the construction of microphones, to nourish her obsessive passion regarding every single detail related to sound.

Chiara made use of the ATOM SQ in this production (seen at :50 and 2:04 in the performance video) both as an instrument and as a performance tool to trigger sounds created in Studio One. Learn more about the power of the ATOM SQ


“It is in the noise and in its harmonious imperfection that my creativity finds inspiration”

Chiara Luzzana (2022)

Chiara is also a public speaker from the Italian and foreign stages; through talks and sound performances, she tells the importance of sound in communication and in everyday life.

Chiara has made more than 100 talks from 2015 to today, including an invitation as a speaker to the  Senate of the Italian Republic, several TED talks, and was even shared the same stage with Elon Musk, at Tech Week 2021. 

Her workshops are held in Milan and Shanghai. 

Winner of the “Muse Creative Award” 2017 for the “Best Soundtrack”. Winner of the “Muse Creative  Award” 2019 for the “Best Sound Project”. Finalist of “Music + Sound Award” in 2016.  Winner of “Best Soundtrack” for the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation.

PreSonus Studio Monitors now include Studio Magic and Studio One Prime

What some folks may call “something a little extra,” or “a bonus,” we like to call lagniappe. It’s that thirteenth beignet in a baker’s dozen, or the recipe in the back of your PreSonus manual.

And it’s in that spirit that after the success of a limited time promo, we decided that all PreSonus customers who henceforth purchase our qualifying studio monitors (including the subwoofers!) will get a big ol’ Studio Magic software bundle worth over $1000 US bucks, that includes tons of plug-in effects, virtual instruments, and even music lessons—as well as a special version of Studio One Prime that grants access to all of those aforementioned plug-ins!

Click here to learn more about what you get in Studio Magic. It’s a lot!

Qualifying monitors include:

  • Eris-series
  • R-series
  • Sceptre-series
  • Temblor-series subwoofers

PreSonus Solution: How to have a Worship Service in the Midst of Covid-19

When making ministry decisions, it’s important to ask yourself questions beyond just budgetary concerns.

Ask yourself and your team things like: 

  • “How will this help?” 
  • “What am I/we doing to be a good steward of the equipment, money, resources, and manpower given to me/us?” 
  • “What is the best use of those resources?”

As countries and cities around the globe slowly ease shelter-in-place orders, it’s vital to understand that even as we can begin to open the doors to our houses of worship, members of our congregation and newcomers as well may not feel comfortable coming together in confined spaces. With that said, many houses of worship are turning to outdoor services as a viable, serious, stand-alone option during this pleasant summer season as an easy, safe, and affordable alternative to reduced indoor occupancy.  

 

Thankfully, you can easily put the pieces into place to accommodate an outdoor service… you might even have most of what you need already. PreSonus offers systems that are affordable, expandable, easy to use, and best of all, great-sounding. Find out what thousands of outdoor venues already know – PreSonus has a solution to fit your needs, regardless of budget, size, or skill level. With a three-year warranty on our mixers and an amazing six-year warranty on our speaker systems, you’ll have the peace of mind about your equipment that your people will have about your concerns for their well-being.

Learn more about the PreSonus Air Loudspeakers here: https://www.presonus.com/products/AIR-Loudspeakers

Find a StudioLive Series III Rack Mixer that’s right for you here: https://www.presonus.com/products/StudioLive-Series-III-Rack-Mixers

WATCH more here:

Everything you ever wanted to know about AVB but were too social to ask…

More than one wise grandmother has said, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” In this new time of social distancing and sheltering in place, why not squeeze in (see what we did there) a little professional development into your busy schedule of Netflix, walk the dog, make a snack, Hulu, think about exercising, make another snack.

Learning about AVB doesn’t have to involve stacks of IT manuals. PreSonus has put together all the resources you need to discover what this exciting audio networking technology can do for you. 

Here are Ray “The Beard” Tantzen and Mike “The Brainiac” Cole to tell you a little more about a little thing called AVB: 

 

Audio Networking 101

Ready to learn more? Awesome!

Before taking a deep dive down the AVB rabbit hole, take a quick refresher on what audio networking is and some of the fundamentals. As its name implies, audio networking allows you to transport large amounts of data over a single cable. This means that audio can be moved quickly over long distances without signal degradation or the expense of conventional analog cabling.

From distributed audio to network foundations and addressing, this article will get you started:

https://www.presonus.com/learn/technical-articles/An-Introduction-To-Audio-Networking

 

AVB Fundamentals

AVB (Audio Video Bridging) is an extension to the Ethernet standard designed to guarantee that audio samples will reach their destinations on time. AVB allows you to create a single network for audio, video, and other data like control information, using an AVB-compatible switch. It’s also the networking technology that all PreSonus StudioLive Ecosystem products use.

AVB networking offers several features that make it ideal for audio applications, find out more here:

https://www.presonus.com/learn/technical-articles/An-Introduction-To-Avb-Networking

 

AVB Network Topologies

P2P? Star? Daisy-chain? Whether you’re connecting a mixer straight to a stagebox using AVB or configuring a large system for broadcast, figuring out the best way to create your network is critical to ease of use and system performance. Check out this article to learn which configuration or combination of configurations will work best for you:

https://www.presonus.com/learn/technical-articles/Avb-Network-Topologies

 

Hip Hop and You Don’t Stop

Okay, not that kind of hop, but it’s still pretty hip (Dad joke Level 16: unlocked). A hop on an AVB network is counted by the connections between AVB switches in a series. Luckily, you can make up to six hops before your network stability is effected, but it is something to consider when configuring your network. Find out why here:

https://www.presonus.com/learn/technical-articles/Understanding-Hops-On-An-Avb-Network

 

Clocking an AVB Network

Like all digital audio systems, all the audio traffic on an AVB network is synchronized using a global clock so that audio can be played and recorded while remaining in time from multiple sources. Obviously, the more audio traffic on a network, the more critical this becomes. For users familiar with traditional digital audio devices (ADAT, S/PDIF, etc.) the idea of a global clocking device will not seem unfamiliar. PreSonus AVB devices have two clocks: one wordclock and one PTP clock. Get out your pocket protector, we’re about to get geeky:

https://www.presonus.com/learn/technical-articles/Clocking-An-Avb-Network

 

Not All Ethernet Cables Are Created Equally

OMG. Stop. Go for a walk or something, you’re about to read a technical article on Ethernet cables!

You asked for it…

AVB networks rely on a set of standards for cabling to ensure that network performance is both reliable and consistent. These standards include specifications for the cable construction itself, as well as specifications for the termination of cabling and physical connections to devices. Deviations from these specifications can result in reduced performance and even data loss, so it’s important to use the right cable for the job, and to use good quality cable that meets the necessary specifications. Find out why here: 

https://www.presonus.com/learn/technical-articles/Select-the-Right-Ethernet-Cable

 

The Various Sound-Worlds Of Anna Clark

Nineteen year-old Anna Clark works as a Grammy-nominated vinyl mastering engineer at Welcome to 1979 Industries. Nine years ago, she founded 501(c)(3) organization Guitars 4 Gifts, which has given over 1,000 youths access to their first musical instrument.

As a lifelong singer/songwriter/musician, Anna has performed live on Lightning 100 (Nashville’s premier independent radio station), she holds a Certificate in Music Business from the Berklee College of Music and is currently on track to graduate from Belmont University in 2022.

When not working on one of her passion projects, Anna loves to spend time with her dogs or attend concerts with her friends and family.

Let’s find out more about how she’s been navigating through and actualizing all of these different creative sonic environments!

 

What hardware and software tools help you with your audio work at home these days?

I currently use a StudioLive 16 mixer, a Central Station Plus, HP4 headphone amp, a pair of Sceptre S6 monitors, and Studio One DAW software.

Originally, a friend introduced me to your monitors and I basically fell in love with using them. Because I work in many different areas of audio engineering, I needed products that I could use for any area that I was working in, so that I wouldn’t have to have different setups.

I use my StudioLive mixer pretty much every day. It is great because I save different scenes so that if I am recording a guitar/vocal demo, I have some EQ and compression settings saved, and I can bring them up super easily. I love that I can A/B EQ settings using the A/B button, and I also love the vintage EQ and tube compressor. I also have scenes saved for full band sessions, piano/vocal sessions, and more. The StudioLive mixer makes it super convenient for me to walk up and start working. I will also say that I carry it with me everywhere to run sound for live shows and recordings, and have even used it for a live broadcast of a show. It has never let me down and has always been very easy to set up! Because I am able to save settings from my recording sessions, it makes it even easier to set up for a live show.

Basically, I have various synths, mics, instruments, etc. that I leave set up so that I can record an idea at any time and they go directly into the mixer. From there, I use the Central Station which outputs to my Sceptre monitors along with other monitors and a PreSonus HP4.

We’re curious about your work as a vinyl mastering engineer… can you tell us about that sound-world?

The first thing I do when I’m mastering a project for vinyl is look at all of the files and create a session for them. I then check the length of both of the sides. For each speed and size of disk, there are certain limits for how long the side can be. Next, I typically adjust the overall level of the project. Usually, the project is too loud, even if it hasn’t been mastered before. The louder the project is, the wider the grooves are. If the grooves are too wide and take up too much space, the project won’t be able to fit on the lacquer (the type of disk I cut on to make a vinyl master). I then mono the low end and use an EQ to filter out any frequencies that may give me problems. Sometimes if the vocal has too much sibilance it can cause issues, especially if there are also a lot of hi-hats/cymbals. I then run the project down to make sure it will fit and also to make sure there won’t be any trouble areas. If everything looks good, I’ll cut the project after that! Before I cut a lacquer, though, I have to use a microscope to look at a couple test cuts and make sure the stylus is working properly and that there is enough space in between the grooves.

Moving back to your home studio working environment; tell us more about how you’ve been using Studio One and what led you to our DAW?

For producing, tracking, mixing, and mastering. I will also occasionally use it for live recordings with my StudioLive 16 mixer. It has been a very helpful tool!

One of the main factors that lead me to it was when I was producing, being able to bounce between ideas easily and combine ideas from different files. I tend to either work with an “engineer” mindset or a “creative” mindset. Because of how easy Studio One is to use, I am able to start tracking a song while I am writing it, and I am able to keep my “creative” mindset. It helped me when I would be writing and producing at the same time, because it allowed me to be able to keep my creative hat on while still being able to engineer a track.

What Studio One features have proven particularly useful and why?

It is very quick and easy to use, which is helpful when recording live shows. It makes the show go a lot smoother when you’re not having to worry about having to spend a lot of time setting up a session, etc. I also love how well all of the PreSonus gear works together; it is extremely nice to have products that all communicate together so that I’m not wasting time trying to fix something. If I have an idea, I can walk right into my studio and know that I’ll be able to get everything down fast.

This was especially helpful when I was just getting started as an engineer, because everything was very straightforward when I was setting it up.

All of the PreSonus products work in many different settings. For example, I originally purchased my StudioLive board for live events, but I use it in a studio setting as well and love it there, too!

Finally, let’s talk about you as a creative musical artist!

My main influences for my own music are artists like Maggie Rogers, Florence and the Machine, and St. Vincent. I have a love for analog synths and was lucky enough to get my hands on a couple for this project. I used a Roland Juno 6 and a MOOG Sub Phatty for most of the songs, and then had a drummer/guitarist/bassist add parts to each of the songs as well. I love using basic tools like EQ and reverb to make new sounds that I haven’t heard before. Typically, I will use the Pro EQ plugin that comes with Studio One to take out certain frequencies. The majority of EQ’ing I do is subtractive, because I like to make sure that every instrument has its own space in my songs. A lot of my time is spent experimenting with lots of different effects to try to get the sounds that I can hear in my head. I love the depth that an analog synth and live instruments can bring to a session, but I also love being able to edit a project easily. Even though I’ll record a lot of different instruments, I like to be able to edit each of the parts so that you can feel the song “build up” from each of the verses to the chorus. Studio One makes it really easy for me to audition different parts and figure out what I like. I am also known for creating a bunch of different versions of the same song, and Studio One is able to make my workflow seamlessly. I use the Scratchpad function because I typically write a song while I am also recording it, so I am able to try out different ideas without having to commit. That is one of the things that Studio One does best, is it works for Engineers, but also Songwriters, Artists and Producers of creative content these days online.

I feel very lucky that I found your products because it has really helped me grow my studio and career. Thank you, PreSonus!

Website | Instagram | Facebook

New Low Price on Eris MTM Monitors!


Great news! We’ve got an instant rebate going on the Eris E44 and E66 Monitors! That means no rebate form, no PDFs, no filling out paperwork—just lower prices on checkout!

The Eris E44 and E66 deliver an expanded and highly accurate frequency response and the widest stereo field available in their class. The nested Midwoofer-Tweeter-Midwoofer (MTM, also known as “D’Appolito”) configuration offers improved off-axis response and spatial resolution. The result is a more consistent listening experience, smoother frequency response, and an ultra-wide, detailed stereo soundstage.

 

 

“There is plenty of sonic depth while maintaining clarity, regardless of the audio source.”
—Chris Devine, Performer Magazine

Pricing will vary a little bit regionally, but in the USA, the E44 is now $199, and the E66 is now $299.

Advanced EarMix 16M Routing for Whole-Band Scenarios

To learn more about the EarMix 16M, click here!

Richard Gaspard takes you on a deep dive on configuring and using the EarMix 16M for a whole band scenario in this five-part series. Check it out!

 

The Studio 192, Eris E44 MTM monitors, Studio One and Thou

Baton Rouge-based Thou—winners of Pitchfork’s Metal Record of the Year in 2014—recently took a Studio 192 on the road to record rehearsal sessions and demos for a forthcoming full-length.

Opportunities for collaborative songwriting had become more difficult for the band, as their members have scattered across the country. They typically only get together for tours and shows, making songwriting and recording opportunities somewhat scarce.

Not anymore. Recording straight into Studio One via the Studio 192 allowed the band to write and record in whatever impromptu spaces their tour found them in. Josh Nee (Drums) took recordings home to edit and mix demos for the record after returning from their most recent tour. The full-length, Magus, is on its way.

Learn more:

Get Ceres Bluetooth Speakers in May 2016, get Studio One Artist Free!

For a limited time, we’ll give you a copy of Studio One Artist—a $99 value—with purchase of the PreSonus Ceres 3.5BT or 4.5BT speakers! ceres_studio_one3_600x600_4-13-16_RR02This is an ideal combo if you or someone you know is interested in getting started in music production. Good speakers are a must for audio work, and Studio One 3 Artist offers one of the most intuitive music production experiences available.

The Ceres are versatile, powerful speakers for their size, and are ideal for working at the computer or as desktop speakers in the living room, bedroom or den. They offer a wide variety of physical audio inputs in addition to a wireless Bluetooth connection, allowing you to amplify nearly any audio signal you can imagine in true PreSonus quality.

Interested but not sure if Studio One is right for you? Click here to learn more about why Studio One is the fastest-growing Digital Audio Workstation on the planet. All you need to do is register your Ceres at my.presonus.com and Studio One Artist will appear in your account.

 

 

 

 

Get Free ISPD-4 Monitor Isolation Pads With Purchase of Select PreSonus Monitors

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Betcha didn’t know we made monitor pads. SURPRISE! And what better way to introduce these squishy li’l buddies than to give them away? From now until June 30, 2016, you’ll get a free pair of the ISPD-4 Monitor Isolation Pads when you buy a pair of R65, R80, Eris E44, or Eris E66 monitors.

I know what you’re thinking. “OK, great, PreSonus makes monitor pads. But why the heck would I need a pair of those? It’s not like my monitors complain about being uncomfortable.”

In a word: decoupling. Speakers transmit their vibrations to any surface they are resting on. That includes your desk, and once it gets moving, it’s likely to have a resonant frequency or two—turning your desk into something of a speaker in its own right. This will most certainly lead to louder bass in your studio—which may sound cool to you, at first. But fact is that this resonance results in an inaccurate portrayal of your mixing work in the worst of all possible places—your studio. A recording that might sound great in your studio sans isolation pads will render thin and without much bottom-end when played on other audio systems.

All you need to do is provide this rebate form signed with proof of purchase. Get a set of ISPD-4s with our newest monitors, and start making mixes that you can trust. The monitors may not thank you, but your clients will.