PreSonus Blog

It’s #PreSonusFAMFriday with Kyle Poehling!

“I legitimately LOVE these speakers,” said Kyle Poehling the Software Designer at PreSonus Audio!

It’s Kyle Poehling for #PreSonusFAMFriday!

 

How long have you worked for PreSonus? 
 Four years!
What’s your official job title? 
Software Designer

What’s your favorite thing about your job? Why did you choose to work here?

I love the balance of creativity and logic. Finding the best solution for any given task our software products offer and of course making it look good!
I came on when PreSonus acquired Notion. Having been a long time PreSonus user (bought my Digimax LT back in 2004), it was a no brainer when I was offered the opportunity to join the team. Not only do I get to continue to design for Notion but also have the chance to work on Studio One, UC Surface and all the other great software we make!
What was the first 8 track, cassette, CD or digital download you purchased? 
My first collection consisted of a few records I would rock out to on my Fisher-Price record player. K-Tel’s “Starburst” 78’, Chipmunk Punk (the Chipmunks doing “punk” songs), Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Jim Croce’s “You don’t mess around with Jim.” I couldn’t say which was “first” but I still have a few of them.
Who’s your go to band or artist when you can’t decide on something to listen to?
Lately it’s been Lucius, Rubblebucket or Vulfpeck
What’s your go to Karaoke song? 

 

Everyone has a side gig, what’s yours? 

I’ve been an active musician playing/touring/recording for 20+ years, so I guess you could say that’s my side gig…but as we say here at PreSonus “Music is our life. PreSonus is our day job.” That couldn’t be more true for me…and I LOVE my day job!
Currently I lead the group Think Less, Hear More in New Orleans. We perform improvised soundtracks to movies. This is the third group that I’ve explored this concept with over the past 14 years and New Orleans has proven to be a wonderful place for it! So many amazing musicians that are steeped in the language of improvisation and crowds that are willing to take the journey.
What instruments do you play? 
I got my BA in music as a percussionist and focused on drum set/mallets/multiple percussion repertoire. I also dabble in keyboards (specifically vintage keys and synths) as well as bass and guitar.
What do you love about the AIR Loudspeakers?
Sound, Price, Weight, Look, Input selection and DSP… The list goes on.

 

Why did you choose this as your favorite? 

I currently use a drum machine/sampler pad with my setup and needed a powered speaker for gigs. I absolutely love the sound of the Air 12. The DSP settings allow me to customize the sound per gig. If I’m just using the drum machine/sampler pad I use the “DJ” setting that to give the bass drum samples a bit more “bump.”
With two inputs and gain staging the speaker is essentially a mixer/speaker all in one. If I’m doing a small gig where I just need a keyboard and a mic it’s all I have to bring and the combo jack inputs make it super flexible and easy to use.

 

Tell us about a successful event you worked with PreSonus products. InfoComm, NAMM, Install somewhere….

I haven’t worked any events since moving down here, but I use Studio One almost daily. Previous to working for PreSonus I was a full-on Protools guy (even have a certificate in mixing and mastering from Berklee in ProTools), but I’ve been a Studio One convert for over 3 years now and love it! This sounds crazy but Studio One sounds better. When I was initially interviewing with PreSonus I asked the question “Why should I use Studio One?” John Bastianelli told me “It sounds better.” I initially thought no way! It’s a DAW…how can it really sound that much better than any of the other DAWs? I immediately exported some stems from a few different albums I had recorded/mixed and did a 1:1 pan and faders mix against ProTools and there was no question the summing in Studio One was richer, fuller, and had better separation.
Got any tips for working with the AIR Loudspeakers
I’d say play with the DSP settings based on your usage. You’ll find that placement and EQ settings are REALLY useful and can provide you with a custom setting that can be catered to nearly any scenario.
What are you currently working on? What’s next for you? 
  • Work – Currently I’m working on some VERY exciting things for the StudioLive mixers/UC Surface/Studio One family.
  •  Music –  I’m working on a solo album and should be wrapping that up this spring and continue to gig with Think Less, Hear More in New Orleans.
  • Personally – enjoying the new house my wife and I recently purchased in New Orleans! The commute can be tough, but I love this job too much to let it bother me.
What’s the strangest talent you have?
I don’t know if it’s strange, but I have the recipe for the best mac and cheese in the world. Hands down.

Learn more about the AIR Loudspeakers here! 

Keep up with Kyle on Instagram! 

 

New Studio One Add-ons from Loopmasters

Check out these new loop bundles over at shop.presonus.com—demo tracks are available to listen before you buy.

  • Compatible with Studio One 3.2 Prime, Artist, and Professional and higher
  • 24Bit 44.1kHz Files
  • Hundreds of loops, samples, and one-shots.
  • 100% Royalty FREE

Click here to visit shop.presonus.com

Culprate returns to Loopmasters for his second sample pack of a series which feature fully produced loops and sounds taken from previously released productions. This time out Culprate has chopped and mutated samples from the incredible 5 Star EP and includes all the best basses, tones, drums, FX and more from Ono, Tentacle, Finger and My Rock which can all be used in your productions 100% royalty Free.

5 Star Glitch Hop packs some serious weight, with a fine selection of loops, one-hits and multi samples. The loop content includes filthy basslines, epic digital synths and hard-hitting drums broken down into tops, percussion and full drums. Every musical loop is key-labeled for instant studio sound swapping and easy integration into your tracks.

The one-shot samples feature tough bass hits, hard kicks and snares, cinematic FX, synthetic synths and edgy vocals. You’ll find every one in the pre-formatted sampler patches. The collection is delivered with tempos ranging between 100-140BPM offering content for genres including glitch hop, downtempo, electronica, breaks, techno, dubstep and EDM.

 

Deep Trap from Loopmasters is a soulful collection of trap samples, with heavy bass, haunting musical elements, rich vocals, and incisive drums. Provided 100% royalty-free for your music, let Deep Trap take you on a wonky walk along the deep and chilled boundaries of Trap!

Deep Trap has over 300 loops including drums as full loops, kick/snare and hat variations to build upon. An abundance of musical loops feature organs, synths, plucked instruments, leads, and keys to enrich the mix—while solid bass, warped vocals, and filtered FX loops will fill out the sonic spectrum alongside 135 one-hit samples.

Deep Trap comes from the producers who brought you Chilled Trap and is heavily influenced by old school deep house and RnB tracks. We then extracted the essence from these two classic styles and blended them together with modern trap drums for an original take on Trap music.

Expect to hear extended jazzy sounding chord loops, classic FM bass sounds mixed with 808 bass sounds plus catchy lead melodies inspired by classic RnB tracks from the past. Also included is a special collection of chopped vocal loops to add depth to your mix. The drum loops section features multiple rhythm and sound variations plus tasty organic percussion loops to nicely fill out the space between kicks and snares. Add you also get one-shot drum samples to embellish your beats and create long, moving arrangements. Just experiment and have fun!

The collection has was designed with Trap in mind, but with wide-ranging applications for house, ambient and minimal genres. Deep Trap ensures every musical element is key-labeled.

Loopmasters present Future Bass Generation: a full-throttle collection of sounds for a fresh Future Bass sound, featuring tough synth lines, sharp beats and booming bass. Provided for you 100% royalty-free by Dan Larson, this collection of storming sounds will deliver that sleek Future Bass sound direct to your DAW!

Future Bass Generation Is a heavy pack with tons of loops, hits, sampler patches, and MIDI files. Over 300 loops are included with drum loops sharper than a razor’s edge–provided in full drums, tops, percussion, builds, fills, kicks, snares, and tom variations to make the beat kick! A load of fat synth loops including pads, keys, plucks, arps and xylophones feature, played in chordal and monophonic combinations, which perfectly compliment the earth-shattering bass loops. Build and drop FX are included, as well as chopped vocal loops for added chaos and atmosphere!

Over 150 hits come complete with urban synths, big kicks, tight snares and sparkling percussion to sequence in Studio One. 55 patches are ready for deployment in your favorite software sampler. A bonus collection of 150 MIDI files allow you to use the existing content in your sequencer, then flip, reverse and transpose it to fit your music.

For fans of Slushii, Flume, San Holo, Marshmello, The Chainsmokers, Illenium and more, this is the definitive Future Bass sample pack. At tempos between 160-175 BPM, this pack is ideal for up-tempo Genres including future bass, hardcore, drum & bass, and jungle.

Immersion is an electronic landscape of sound from Loopmasters – featuring rich instrumentation, lush vocals, lo-fi drums and dreamy synths. This pack is 100% royalty-free, and comes with loops, hits, MIDI and sampler patches for your musical productions– so bring your scuba gear and dive deep into Immersion!

This pack features over 256 loops, including fat bass, sharp drums [kicks, snare, hat, percussion, clicks, snaps, and claps], atmospheric FX, pitched vocals and diverse musical elements: synths, arps, piano, pads, and strings. The 294 one-hit samples included feature bass hits, drums, FX, and synths—with an awesome selection of multi-sampled instruments to play over a number of octaves, as originally intended.

60 sampler patches are formatted for Studio One, as are over 40 MIDI Loops which give you the freedom to edit, transpose and reverse existing sequences for more melodic experiments. Immersion comes at 140BPM, making it ideal for trap, chillout, electronica and downtempo genres. All musical content is key-labeled.

 

How to Record Drums Underwater

A couple of weeks ago Dominik Scherer posted this amazing video of him drumming live underwater. He used a Studio 192 for the tracking, and an RML16AI and FaderPort 8 for the production.  I had never heard or seen anything quite like it, and while the video is plenty interesting on its own, I reached out to Dominik to answer a few more questions about some of the unique challenges when one chooses to record drums aquatically. As if tracking live drums on dry land wasn’t difficult enough…

What microphones were used?
1x DPA 8011 hydrophone, mounted over a rack right at center of the drumset.

What sort of waterproofing was required?
We used acrylic drums and made them water proof. I also got water proof in Ear systems from In Ear Germany.
And we designed light sticks that were waterproof with Rohema Percussion.

 Did the drums require any special care/tuning?
We tuned the drums very high and tuned the snares upside down to get a nice snare wire sound. I also used the wires for “scratching” sounds.

What sort of post-processing of the recording was required, if any?
We did some compressing and EQing as also some side chain processing with special delay sounds and room emulations to get a very special and unique sound.

What challenges came up that you didn’t expect?
Well – actually everything was a challenge. First of all I never used oxygen to dive. So I was very afraid of the effect it would have and if I could play with it. Playing underwater is completely different. You gotta plan every movement exactly and do a perfect stroke to hit the drum or the cymbal at the right time. And the pressure under water and the flowing body makes it even harder. As I always do no edits on my videos as far as the drum takes go, I had to play it all as a one take. That was really hard to stay focused, play perfectly and also try to perform in a visually good way… We also did a quite nice making-of video. Click here to watch it on Facebook.

Big thanks to Dominik for making this happen. Some drummers work hard and really go the extra mile… but this is the first time I’ve seen a drummer go an extra nautical mile. 

 

 

It’s #PreSonusFAMFriday with John Bastianelli!

The one and only John Bastianelli combines talent, charisma, drive, fun, smarts and know-how perfectly here at PreSonus! Thankfully so–he’s one of the masterminds behind the Quantum 2 and he’s here to tell us all about it! It’s #PreSonusFAMFriday with John Bastianelli.

 
How long have you worked for PreSonus? 
7.5 years.
What’s your official job title? 
Executive Vice President of Product Management.

What’s your favorite thing about your job? Why did you choose to work here?

The 3 “Ps” & C, Products, People, Passion & Culture, being part of the PreSonus team and working with awesome, talented people to create ground breaking products – it doesn’t get any better than this as far as I’m concerned. I love my job and consider the folks I work with my friends, not to mention there are so many talented musicians in our company. I get to record and play music with them too.
Choose a movie title for the story of your life.
What was the first 8 track, cassette, CD or digital download you purchased?
It was a vinyl record actually: John Coltrane’s Blue Train.
Who’s your go to band or artist when you can’t decide on something to listen to?
Bill Evans, the jazz piano player.
What’s your go to Karaoke song?
“Every Breath You Take,” Police.  I always like to belt out the bridge as I sing like crap and totally annoy everyone straining to hit those high notes, that’s the purpose of Karaoke as far as I’m concerned, right? 😉

 

Everyone has a side gig, what’s yours?
Playing, producing and writing music.

What instruments do you play?
Saxophone, flute, clarinet… I’m a horrible keyboard player.
What do you love about the Quantum 2?
I’ve been involved in product development for many years and the Quantum is by far the best audio interface I’ve ever worked on/with and slept with at any price point! 😉 The sound quality, ease of use, and lack of latency has finally made working “inside the box” as easy as the old days of analog recording. It doesn’t get any better this. This one product has inspired me to get back into making music again, even when I get home after a 12 hour day at the office, it calls my name from afar!

Why did you choose this as your favorite?
Simply put, this product inspires me to be creative, makes me want to make music and sounds amazing—recording an alto saxophone can be difficult as there are a lot of high frequencies that are difficult to reproduce/capture unless you have high quality mic pres and converters, the Quantum and Quantum 2 capture my sound perfectly and makes me sound great. I practically like the Quantum 2 because of the size and portability and I don’t need more than 4 mic pres.

Got any tips for working with the Quantum 2

Plug it into your Thunderbolt port, open Studio One or your favorite app and hit record, then watch what happens!

What are you currently working on? What’s next for you?
A Thunderbolt Flux Capacitor… Super exciting!
What’s the strangest talent you have?
What’s strange to you might not be strange to me and visa versa…
Anything else you want to share? 
Fun times are ahead at PreSonus, can’t wait for the market to see what we have in store for you in 2018 and beyond!

Connect with John on LinkedIn here!

Learn more about the Quantum 2 here! 

It’s #PreSonusFAMFriday with Chris Hare!

When you think of IT guys, you don’t always think of the coolest guy in the office. WELL NOT AT PRESONUS! Let us introduce you one of the most talented, coolest, laid backest dudes on the block, Chris Hare.

It’s #PreSonusFAMFriday with Chris Hare!

How long have you worked for PreSonus? 
6 1/2 years.
What’s your official job title? 
IT Systems Manager (but I answer to “IT Guy”).

via GIPHY

What’s your favorite thing about your job? Why did you choose to work here?
Getting to work with all different departments throughout the company.  I love working for a company that I can be legitimately excited about what we do.
Choose a movie title for the story of your life.
Joe vs. The Volcano.

What was the first 8 track, cassette, CD or digital download you purchased?
The Bee Gees Greatest Hits on cassette.  I have fond memories of riding in the back of my parents station wagon in the late 70’s listening to all sorts of disco music.  You could say it’s my “happy place”.

Who’s your go to band or artist when you can’t decide on something to listen to?
Pat Metheny.

What’s your go to Karaoke song?
I’m a sucker for a melody so anything by Burt Bacharach & Hal David.

Everyone has a side gig, what’s yours?
Playing guitar for whoever I can trick into listening to me.

What instruments do you play? 
Any kind of guitar, but primarily jazz and classical guitar (and classic 80’s metal when nobody’s watching).
What do you love about the StudioLive Series III 16R?
I’m blown away by the plugins that come right out of the box with the new Series III mixers. Once I saw we were doing a single rackspace 16 channel model, I realized that I can use it for my acoustic/nylon string guitars as well as my guitar synth.  I’m able to replace a solid state preamp/channel strip, stand alone noise gate, vintage hardware reverb, and a line mixer with just a 1u SL III 16r.

Why did you choose this as your favorite? 
If anybody knows anything about me, it’s that I’m a HUUUUGGGGE Pat Metheny fan and have been really drawn to his style of playing and his use of timbre and effects.  As such, the reverb sound is crucial to getting a great amplified nylon string tone and the plugins on the new Series III mixers really nail it perfectly.  Add in the other vintage modeling of plugins for the compressor and EQ and you’ve got a sound that you used to need a big studio desk and special hardware effects to achieve.

Tell us about a successful event you worked with PreSonus products. InfoComm, NAMM, Install somewhere….
My favorite events have been the PreSonusphere events, where we would have users come to Baton Rouge for a few days of intensive workshops and master classes.  It was great experience and always interesting to meet the end users and hear about how they used PreSonus products and get their feedback and suggestions first hand.

Got any tips for working with the StudioLive Series III 16R?
As I’m using in a more unconventional fashion as really a processor for my acoustic guitars, I would say try to find unique ways that you can incorporate it into your rig or setup.  It’s a very flexible product and I’m sure there are musicians who are going to find things to do with it that we never thought of.

What are you currently working on? What’s next for you?
Just trying to continue to grow as a musician and play with other musicians who inspire me whenever I can.  I keep saying I’m going to use our glorious studio here at the PreSonus Mothership to record a jazz trio record sometime and maybe this will be the year.
What’s the strangest talent you have?
As the company “computer guy” I can magically make PreSonus employee’s computer issues go away when I stand within 3 feet of their desk.  I don’t know how I do it but it’s truly amazing to behold.

It’s PreSonusFAMFriday with Stevie Meranta!

It’s Friday and it’s time to party… It’s PreSonusFAMFriday with Stevie Meranta!
 
How long have you worked for PreSonus? 

2 years.

What’s your official job title? 
Inside Sales Coordinator for the Commercial Division.
What’s your favorite thing about your job? Why did you choose to work here?
I work with amazing people in an exciting industry. Our team at PreSonus truly is a family.  I really enjoy traveling and meeting new people at trade shows and having endless conversations about gear and music.
Choose a movie title for the story of your life.
Superbad.

What was the first 8 track, cassette, CD or digital download you purchased? 

The Black Parade, My Chemical Romance.

Who’s your go to band or artist when you can’t decide on something to listen to?

August Burns Red

What’s your go to Karaoke song? 

Anything by Journey or Queen.

Everyone has a side gig, what’s yours? 

I’m the head audio engineer for my church, Abundant Life Church in Denham Springs.
What instruments do you play? 
Mainly guitar and bass but I can also play piano and drums.
 

What do you love about the WorxAudio XL1?

The clarity of the box is amazing. I also love the 160 degree coverage pattern of the horn so it covers such a large area. The DSP is very simple to use for tuning.

Why did you choose this as your favorite? 

They are wonderful to mix onand so feature and performance packed. Its hard not to love them!

What all PreSonus products do you use? 

Well my home studio is packed with a Series III 24 mixer, R80 and E5 monitors, a Studio 192, FaderPort 8 and a monitor station.  I mix every Sunday on a CS18 and RML32 at my church and all of the products are rock solid and makes creating and engineering a lot more fun.

Got any tips for working with the XL1 ? 

Don’t be afraid to turn it up!
What’s the strangest talent you have?
I can eat a lot of ketchup…
Anything else you want to share? 
Rock and Roll, that is all.

 

Follow Stevie on Instagram! 

Friend him on Facebook here!

It’s #PreSonusFAMFriday with Phil Knock!

Knock, knock!

Who’s there?

The one you’ve been waiting for…

The FaderPort 16!?!?!?!?!

Yes.

It’s #PreSonusFAMFriday with Phil Knock!

 

 

 

How long have you worked for PreSonus?
I’ve worked for PreSonus for nearly a year.

What’s your official job title?
Software Engineer.
What’s your favorite thing about your job? Why did you choose to work here?
My first introduction to audio engineering was using a FireStudio interface. We had a recording studio at my high school and I swear I practically lived there. So I’ve been a PreSonus fan since I was a tot basically!
I went to Belmont University in Nashville, TN and graduated with a double major in Audio Engineering and Computer Science in the Spring of 2016. I chose to work at PreSonus because it offers a perfect balance of these two pursuits. My favorite thing about this job is to be able to work on intellectually stimulating computer science problems, while at the same time being able to talk shop with the incredibly talented musicians and audio engineers around the office. Our company motto is “Music is our life. PreSonus is our day job,” but I believe these two are truly intertwined working here.
PreSonus gave me a chance when I was a recent grad and I didn’t know what my life was going to be like. For that I am immensely grateful.
 Choose a movie title for the story of your life.
“Debugging Code 7 Part 2: The Re-Debugging, Revisited”

What was the first 8 track, cassette, CD or digital download you purchased?
Do you guys remember Hit Clips? My first music purchase was an “All Star” by Smash Mouth Hit Clip.

Who’s your go to band or artist when you can’t decide on something to listen to?
Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Father John Misty, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Led Zeppelin.

What’s your go to Karaoke song?
“Don’t Let Me Down,” The Beatles.

 

Everyone has a side gig, what’s yours?
I find the field of Digital Signal Processing utterly fascinating. To that end, I’ve had a ton of fun tinkering with audio plugins using the JUCE framework, Kontakt, and MaxForLive.

What instruments do you play?
I played cello in the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony when I was younger, and since then I’ve dabbled in guitar, bass, and drums.
What do you love about the FaderPort 16?
Who wants to mix large sessions with a mouse?

Why did you choose this as your favorite?
Mixing is one thing, but writing fader automation with a mouse is a fate worse than death. Being able to navigate and interact with large sessions in Studio One or any other major DAW makes this product incredibly useful.

Got any tips for working with the FaderPort 16?
This might sound crazy, but it can sometimes be helpful to balance levels without looking at the computer screen. Even turn your screen off if you have to; at least temporarily. I find that it helps you focus more closely on what you’re actually hearing rather than what you’re expecting to hear looking at waveforms and user interfaces.

What are you currently working on? What’s next for you? 
I work on the Studio Live Series III console/rack mixers extensively, and I’m really excited about upcoming updates for these products!
What’s the strangest talent you have?
I have webbed toes, does that count?
Anything else you want to share? 
Working at PreSonus is really incredible. The products you get to work on and the people you get to work with offer inspiration on a daily basis.

What’s your social media handles and is it ok to tag you?
For any aspiring engineers out there, you can feel free to add me on LinkedIn!

PreSonus LIVE Airs Oct. 26: Six in Sixty

It’s been a while since we’ve had an episode of PreSonus Live—we’ve been real busy; and have launched a ton of new products in record time. So, we’re having Rick host a new episode of PreSonus LIVE featuring all six of these new products in sixty minutes. He’ll be visited by many familiar Product Managers—plus a couple more that will be making their first appearance on the show.

On October 26 at 2pm CST, we’ll be talking about:

  • StudioLive Series III Rack Mixers
  • Quantum 2
  • StudioLive AR 22 Hybrid Mixer
  • SW5E Ethernet Switch
  • Eris 3.5
  • FaderPort 16

Of course, it wouldn’t be PreSonus LIVE without a giveaway or two, so we’ll be giving away a Quantum 2, a copy of Studio One 3 Professional, and a pair of Eris E44 monitors. To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is post to Facebook or Twitter with the #PreSonusLive hashtag and the link to the show. Posts in chat rooms are not an eligible form of entry.

We stream the show live to Facebook and YouTube, so you can check it out on the platform of your choice:

The Loop Loft is back with a TON of new stuff for Studio One

Our friends over at The Loop Loft have been busy lately, and have cranked out some new loops (with Impact kits!) for Studio One. These include “Everything But Sticks,” “Indie Rock,” and “Celso Alberti.” There are several volumes to each title, which are available individually—but they are also available in collected bundles. And when you buy a bundle, you save a bundle. All of these are ready to audition and buy over at shop.presonus.com.

All of these loop packs are include both .WAV and AudioLoop formats, and are sampled in high-quality 24-Bit 48 kHz audio. They’re 100% royalty-free—use them in your songs and sell them without any hassle.

Everything But Sticks Bundle:

With the Everything But Sticks Bundle, you’ll get instant access to both Vol. 1, Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 of this groundbreaking collection of loops and samples, while also saving 50%. If you’re seeking organic and unique grooves that layer seamlessly in your productions, this is the bundle for you!

About Everything But Sticks

Let’s be honest. 99% of the drum loops in existence use sticks. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but isn’t it time to do something different? This is why we set out to produce Everything But Sticks, a collection of loops and samples that take a new and fresh approach to grooves on the drum set.

By using a wide variety of brushes, mallets, bundles, kitchen utensils and even our bare hands, we were able to pull out an entire range of timbres and dynamics from the drum kit that sticks simply can’t produce. For fans of our Cinematic and Art of Brushes collections, Everything But Sticks will be a welcome addition to your arsenal of loops and samples. And if you’re not familiar with some of our non-stick offerings, Everything But Sticks is the perfect place to start.

Technical Specs:

  • Number of Loops: 791
  • Number of Samples: 233
  • Number of Impact Kits: 17
  • Tempo Range: 65-180 BPM
  • File Size: 1.05 GB

Indie Rock Bundle: 

We’ve bundled all three of our popular Indie Rock Drums collections, giving you instant access to our massive library of authentic indie drums, while also saving you 30%! With drum sounds and grooves inspired by the likes of Built to Spill, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, The Strokes, Fugazi, The Flaming Lips and a host of other bands.

Technical Steps:

  • Number of Loops: 758
  • Number of Samples: 214
  • Number of Impact Kits: 18
  • Tempo Range: 80-200 BPM
  • File Size: 964 MB

Celso Alberti Bundle: 

Brazilian native and master drummer Celso Alberti has pursued a percussive vision that spans a multitude of genres and cultures – whether playing the traditional rhythms of his homeland, jazz fusion, rock or “world fusion” styles. This versatility has won Celso international acclaim, as attested by the elite company he keeps on performances and recording projects, including Steve Winwood, Herbie Mann, and more. With the Celso Alberti’s Brazilian Drums and Percussion bundle, you’ll have instant access to the largest and most expansive collection of Brazilian grooves and samples ever produced (and save 30% at the same time!)

The Bundle includes both Volume 1 and 2 of the hugely popular Brazilian Drum series.

Technical Specs:

Vol 1:

  • Number of Loops: 323
  • Number of Samples: 61
  • Number of Impact Kits: 8
  • Tempo Range: 75-130 BPM
  • File Size: 378 MB

Vol 2:

  • Number of Loops: 375
  • Number of Samples: 34
  • Number of Impact Kits: 8
  • Tempo Range: 75-240 BPM
  • File Size: 485 MB

 

 

It’s #PreSonusFAMFriday with THE Rick Naqvi and the StudioLive Series III Rack Mixer and StageBox!

It’s hard to write introductions for people who don’t really need them.

If you’ve visited us online or in person, you’ve probably seen VP of Sales Rick Naqvi; he’s been boosting the brand from its earliest years. Rick LIVES the PreSonus brand—he works hard, plays often, and is there for you when you need a hand.
How long have you worked for PreSonus? 
Next year will be my 23rd year! (Yikes!)
What’s your official job title? 
Vice President of Global Sales.
What’s your favorite thing about your job? Why did you choose to work here?
I’ve known Jim Odom since I was a teenager and was always impressed by his musicianship and vibe. When I heard he was starting a company back in 1995 and I was asked to be a part of it, I was totally in! PreSonus is a group of amazing people – literally like a family. Even though we have grown over the years and have offices all over the world, one thing that is constant is that the people that work here are passionate about music and audio products.
Choose a movie title for the story of your life.
This is Spinal Tap.

What was the first 8 track, cassette, CD or digital download you purchased?
My first record was the first self-titled Kiss album in 1976. A few years later I got the first Van Halen album. I was around 8 or 9 years old and my parents scheduled a family vacation where we drove from Baton Rouge to Niagara Falls. I had a Sony Walkman back then. The only tape I had with me was Van Halen 1, and I listened to it for 42 hours straight (2,628 miles.)

Who’s your go to band or artist when you can’t decide on something to listen to?
MUTEMATH!

What’s your go to Karaoke song?

Everyone has a side gig, what’s yours?
I play with a funk band called Phat Hat.

What instruments do you play? 
Electric Guitar
What do you love about the Rack Mixer/StageBox?
I love the fact that they are so compact and also how they integrate with the the Series III Console mixers. On small gigs I don’t even take the console out of the truck. My band plugs into the rack mixer and our soundguy mixes with the iPad. One a larger gig we run a 150′ ethernet cable and use it as a stagebox. It’s only 2U so it takes up a very small amount of space. Because it has 8 inputs and 16 outputs on the back, I can connect all of my wireless IEMs and Microphones to those and everything is patched nicely in the rack. Plus the sound of the new tube compressor and British EQ are killer.

Why did you choose this as your favorite? 
The Series III Consoles and Rack Mixers are the third generation of the StudioLive product that so many people have used on tons of gigs (including myself). Each generation of mixers gets better than the last and this one is a huge jump up from all of the others. I love the fact that our StudioOne Team in Hamburg has their fingerprints on these mixers. With State Space modeled plug ins running and really tight integration with StudioOne DAW, it really fulfills the word, “STUDIOLIVE.” And get ready –  DAW Mode will be out for the console mixers before the end of the year and that will truly be a ‘WHABAM” beyond belief.

Tell us about a successful event you worked with PreSonus products. InfoComm, NAMM, Install somewhere….
There’s a local church that I’m working with that recently upgraded their sound system to a total PreSonus solution: a StudioLive 32 Console with 32R Stagebox. All of the are musicians using QMix and HP2s to adjust IEMs, and their speakers are the PreSonus WorxAudio X5 with X118 Subwoofers. They already installed the speakers, and next Tuesday I’m going over to help them dial in the new mixer before their Wednesday rehearsal.

Got any tips for working with the Rack Mixer/StageBox?
Spend some money and get an awesome wireless router. They are not that much money for a great one and you will be happy. Here’s a link to the one I use with my band.

 

What are you currently working on? What’s next for you? 
My band Phat Hat is working on a new original song that was cowritten with John Bastianelli, our saxophonist and also PreSonus EVP of Product Management and another awesome local musician, Amos Singleton. We tracked the drums and bass tracks at the studio at PreSonus using the Series III StudioLive 32 console.