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Category Archives: Live Sound Reinforcement


Band Together NOLA with StudioLive and Studio One!

PreSonus is honored to support all efforts by first responders and health care workers across the globe during this odd, hard time.

Last month, we had the opportunity to sponsor an event called “Band Together NOLA” for a virtual, live-streamed festival with more than 20 acts!

PJ Morton, Tank and the Bangas, Jon Cleary and more New Orleans’ musical heavy hitters played an online benefit festival to raise relief funds for the city’s musicians who have been out of work during the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, over $40,000 has been raised!

The Band Together virtual festival also featured Ivan Neville, Kermit Ruffins, Galactic’s Stanton Moore, Nigel Hall, Cupid, Dawn Richard, Water Seed, Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, Sean Ardoin, Flow Tribe, Glen David Andrews, Hasizzle, Shane Theriot, Elizabeth Lyons, Fermin Ceballo, Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, Kelly Love Jones, LeTrainiump, and Caren Green.

Our friend, Steve Himelfarb, was the engineer for six of the acts using a StudioLive 32 and Studio One Professional. We took some time to talk about his experience with the live stream and his career.

Before we get started here are four fun facts about Steve:

  • He owns New Orleans Cake Cafe and Bakery off Chartres Street. He got his start in pastry selling them door to door–he literally baked the cakes and sold them by the slice to his neighbors. This grew into a cake shop in the French Quarter that ran for several years, and now a storefront cake shop, bakery, and restaurant.
  • One of Steve’s first jobs was at Capitol Records in LA. His job was to digitize old tapes from the 40s and 50s. Nat King Cole, Sinatra, etc. This is where he recognized the magic of making music and fell in love with it.
  • One of the first artists he worked with was none other than Shelia E! While they were working on her sound and style in the studio, Prince would call to check in on how she was doing.
  • During the COVID-19 crisis, not only has Steve shared his audio engineering talent for this benefit, but he also donated over 250 meals a day for six weeks to multiple local hospital first responders. He along with his wife, Becky, and small staff prepared the meals and delivered the meals daily! What a guy!

Our interview with Steve follows.

Tell us about Band Together NOLA. How did it come to be? What was your role? 

New Orleans is known for its tourism, food, and of course live music. The pandemic has put much of that to a halt which has left musicians our of work. The Band Together Online Benefit Concert took place on April 25 and helped New Orleans musicians whose livelihoods have been decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. I am a part of multiple non-profits, and serving the community has always been something that I strive to do no matter where I live or what job I have. I was approached with the opportunity to participate with Lou Hill and Kermit Ruffins, it was a no-brainer. I was in!

Sounds like a huge undertaking. Did you know what you were getting into before you got started? 

Yes and no. I had taken a break from the audio industry to focus on several other projects. Three years ago, my childhood friend, Tori Amos, had a show in New Orleans. From the stage, she says, “I’d like to thank the person responsible for me being here… Thank you Steve!” From that moment on, I knew I wanted to get back into recording and producing music and saying “Yes” to whatever opportunities came my way. Getting back into audio after a 20-year hiatus was like learning a whole new language that sounded familiar. Everything was the same but what changed was the technology. So, yes, it did seem like a huge undertaking but I was up and willing for the challenge.

What PreSonus gear was used? 

We used a PreSonus StudioLive 32, multiple PX-1 mics and Studio One Professional, of course.

After watching the live stream, it looks like you recorded in multiple locations. How challenging was it recording in multiple locations? 

We recorded six bands, all on the fly. Each band did a few songs, then we had a soundcheck for the next band all while doing our best to keep social distance guidelines. It was super hectic and everything was happening so fast. The onboard EQ and limiters on the 32 were AMAZING! We had no problem at all. This was very important and there was no room for a hiccup because everything was moving so fast. Once one band left, we had to wash down the stage and all the cables and mics to get ready for the next band to arrive. With the StudioLive 32, it was really a best-case scenario. Set up was easy, no distortion at all, the mixes sounded great.

What’s something you learned about live streaming?

With these harsh conditions and because everything is happening so fast, you have to be able to trust the gear you’re using. Be prepared, make sure the equipment is working, and use PreSonus.

 

Follow the New Orleans Cake Cafe and Bakery on Facebook! 

Add Studio One to your workflow NOW for 30% off!

 

 

 

PreSonus CDLs Headline at Spasskaya Tower in Moscow!

Spasskaya Tower is an annual music festival held in Moscow, Russia. It’s a spectacular, week-long event, staged on the background of the monumental walls of the Kremlin. More than 90,000 people enjoy the festival’s night shows and, all in all, more than half a million Muscovites and guests attend events surrounding Spasskaya. There’s something for every music lover: military, classical, folk, pop, military band parades… but it doesn’t end with music as there’s also dance shows, lasers, and pyrotechnical effects that make the festival one of the brightest and most memorable events of the year.
The Festival is held annually on the historic Red Square. Fortunately, the kind folks at Starline, our Russian Distributor, was there to provide the PreSonus CDL12 and CDL18S. This rig was used indoors and outdoors for the entire event!
Check out these photos from the festival—and book your tickets to Moscow for Spasskaya 2020!

 

 

Interested in learning more about our Award-winning CDL Loudspeakers? Click here!

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.

The beach, an Airstream and the PreSonus AR12 Mixer

Don’t get us wrong–working at the PreSonus headquarters in Baton Rouge is awesome.

But if we had the option, doing what we love at the beach is high on our wish list. Somehow that’s just what Cory Davis, with 30A company based in Santa Rosa Beach, FL, has figured out how to do in his work at 30A Radio.

30A is a highway along Florida’s gulf coast offering visitors more than just a beach vacation. Fine dining, prefect sandy beaches, weekend farmers markets, bike trails… you’re not going to want to leave. It’s also where the Truman Show was filmed.  You may have seen a bright blue bumper sticker when driving around town–it looks like this:

30a4

Davis is the Director of Sales for The 30A Company advertising department, and programs and manages 30A Radio. Davis recently got his hands on one of our AR12 Mixers and we wanted to hear how it was treating him and improving his workflow.

  • Tell us about yourself…
    • Graduated from LSU in broadcasting, been in radio for 25 years. We launched 30A Radio digitally over 2 years ago, broadcasting 100% online via our website, and our free 30A app for iPhone and Android. After leaving FM radio, I really wanted to find a fit digitally to take everything I had learned to the next level. Our main project is expanding the 30A lifestyle into perimeter markets and getting our 30A Radio Airstream to regional music festivals in the Southeast for interviews and sessions with our core artists.
  • What PreSonus products have you used and which do you currently use?30a1
    • We use the StudioLive AR12 USB for our Airstream performances, interviews, and podcasts.
  • What led you to choose the AR mixer?

    • The new AR 12 seemed to fit every capability we needed in such a tight space. We have performances and record in an Airstream. The ability to record directly on the mixer and PreSonus’ reputation was key… and being from Baton Rouge helped. GEAUX TIGERS!
  • Having used the AR Mixer, what do you like most about it? What are you using it for?
    • We use it for bands that stop in and they play songs which we produce and insert into rotation on 30A Radio. The easy to use functions, and recording on the board were key.
  • What mixer feature have proven particularly useful and why?
    • Recording easily was key. But the FX and low cut options help. We tend to record in areas that may have a lot of exterior noise, and we can limit some of that pretty easily with dynamic mics.
  • How does the AR Mixer compare to other mixers you have used? What’s better, what’s not as good, what does it give you that other mixers don’t?
    • It lets me work quickly, on the fly. Tuning up different mics is pretty easy for a guy that is learning to use a board for recording sessions. We have limited time to set up sometimes, and don’t want the band to have to wait too long. So making them sound great quickly is key.
  • Any features on your wish list for us to add in future updates?
    • Not sure if you can boost the headphone jacks a bit…but that would be one.
  • Any user tips or tricks or interesting stories based on your experience with the AR Mixer?
    • Recently had John Driskell Hopkins of the Zac Brown Band in the Airstream for a session. He has a home studio and helped fine tune his session. It was bike week at 30A so it was pretty noisy. John suggested using the low cut to get the “Harley” sound out… and it did! Bikes were passing right by us and we didn’t hear them at all on the recordings.

    30a3

  • What’s next for 30A Radio?
    • We are really not pushy with 30A Radio, it’s there for our fan base. We try to tell the story of our area, and give the vibe of what we see and do every day here. I guess what’s next is finding out what our limits are in the Airstream with bands and performances. Definitely have a bucket list of artists we’d love to host at some point. Either here or on the road.
  • Any final comments about PreSonus?
    • It really appears that you guys are user-friendly, and take suggestions and integrate them into upgrades and newer versions of your equipment. And that’s awesome!
  • What’s it like working at the beach?
    • It’s unreal to think what I have done in the past, got me to this great position. Working in a corporate environment and typical “sales” management for clusters of stations makes you age quickly. I took the best of what that environment was like, and came up with a new template for 30A Radio and our advertising department. Being able to have your feet in the sand, and do radio is quite amazing. We really do that…I swear. Now we can bring the beach to feeder markets for us with our Airstream studios.

30aphtot1

Learn more about our StudioLive AR Hybrid Mixers here!

US Dealers carrying AR Mixers and AIR Loudspeakers

avail-now-find-dealer

 

Select dealers in the USA have received shipments of StudioLive AR Mixers and AIR Loudspeakers. Find the dealer closest to you via the table below and reach out to them for an in-person demo!

 

State City Dealer Address Zip Phone
Alabama Birmingham EatMyBeats 4755 Jug Factory Road 35404 205.758.9119
Alabama Montgomery Bailey Brothers Music Company 231 East Jefferson 36104 334.262.7827
Alabama Birmingham Bailey Brothers Music Company 1006 20th Street South 35205 205.714.7827
Arizona Sedona MIDI Store 40 W. Cortez Dr #3 86351 928.284.1619
California Sacramento Skip’s Music 2740 Auburn Blvd. 95821 916.484.7575
California Elk Grove Skip’s Music 9660 Elk Grove.Florin Rd 95624 916.686.5666
California San Diego Pitbull Audio 300 W. 28th Street Suite: 101 91950 619.434.3121
California Santa Rosa Bananas At Large 531 College Ave 95404 888.900.1959
California San Rafael Bananas At Large 1504 4th Street 94901 888.900.1959
Colorado Colorado Springs Pro Sound Music Center 2235 Academy Place 80909 866.539.2680
Florida Panama City Leitz Music 508 Harrison Ave 32401 850.769.0111
Florida Fort Walton Beach Leitz Music 650 North Beal Parkway 32547 850.863.1099
Florida Jacksonville George’s Music 8151 Blanding Blvd. 32244 904.270.2220
Florida Jacksonville Beach George’s Music 912 S. 3rd Street 32250 904.270.2220
Georgia Augusta Portman’s Music 4020 Washington Rd 30907 706.738.1651
Georgia Savannah Portman’s Music 7650 Abercorn St. 31406 912.354.1500
Hawaii Honolulu Easy Music Center 1314 S King St 96814 808.591.0999
Hawaii Kapolei Easy Music Center 563 Farrington Hwy 96814 808.356.3840
Illinois Moline West Music 4305 44th Ave 61265 309.764.9300
Indiana Fort Wayne Sweetwater 5501 US Highway 30 W 46818 800.222.4700
Iowa Coralville West Music 1212 5th St. 52241 319.351.2000
Iowa Marion West Music 1398 Twixt Town Rd. 52302 319.377.9100
Iowa Cedar Falls West Music 6322 University Ave 50613 319.277.1000
Iowa Des Moines Rieman Music Unlimited 4420 E Broadway 50317 515.262.0365
Iowa Des Moines UpTempo Music 2114 Beaver Ave 50310 515.277.0145
Iowa Clinton Tegeler Music 101 S. 2nd St 52732 563.242.1234
Maryland Wheaton Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center 11151 Viers Mill Road 20902 301.946.2300
Missouri Lebanon Morgan Music 689 N Washington Ave 65536 417.588.1970
Montana Bozeman Music Villa 539 E. Main 59715 406.587.4761
Nebraska Omaha Dietze Music House 13015 W Center Rd Ste A.1B 68144 402.333.1535
Nebraska Lincoln Dietze Music House 5555 S. 48th St. 68516 402.333.1535
New Hampshire Manchester Manchester Music Mill 329 Elm Street 03101 603.623.8022
New Jersey Pleasantville Pleasantville Music Shoppe 15 E Black Horse Pike 08232 609.641.4600
New York Middletown Alto Music 180 Carpenter Ave. 10940 845.692.6922
New York Wappingers Falls Alto Music 1176 US RT 9 12590 845.297.0011
New York Airmont Alto Music 329 Route 59 10952 845.352.6717
North Carolina Washington PC Sound 1826 West 5th Street 27889 252.946.6100
North Carolina Greenville PC Sound 420 E. Arlington Blvd., Ste E 27858 252.353.6101
Pennsylvania North Wales George’s Music 1218 Welsh Rd. Suite H 19454 215.412.4400
Pennsylvania Williamsport Robert M. Sides Family Music Center 201 Mullberry Street 17701 570.326.2094
Texas Dallas ChurchPlant.com 607.542.9156
Tennesse Memphis Yarbrough’s Music 6122 Macon Rd 38134 901.761.0414
Texas Longview Mundt Music 2312 Judson Road 75605 903.758.8872
Texas Tyler Mundt Music 3532 South Broadway Ave 75701 903.561.8828
Utah Salt Lake City Performance Audio 2456 S. West Temple 84115 800.771.8330
Virginia Gloucester Winter Sound 1714 George Washington Memorial Hwy. 23062 804.642.6434
Washington Richland Ted Brown Music 2600 N. Columbia Center Blvd Ste 102 99352 509.783.3481
Washington Silverdale Ted Brown Music 3276 NW Plaza Rd #103 98383 360.692.4199
Washington Yakima Ted Brown Music 2612.B W Nob Hill Blvd 98902 509.248.6015
Washington Tacoma Ted Brown Music 6228 Tacoma Mall Blvd 98409 253.272.3211
Wisconsin Madison Full Compass Systems 9770 Silicon Prairie Pkwy 53593 800.356.5844
Wisconsin Franklin Kraft Music 4659A W. Basswood Drive Docks 3-4 53132 414.858.4002
Wisconsin Appleton Pixel Pro Audio 601 W COLLEGE AVE 54911 855.269.0474

 

Introducing the new AIR Loudspeakers from PreSonus

Versatile, customizable, and easy to transport. Oh, and the sound? It will blow you away.

Learn more about AIR by clicking here.

Introducing the PreSonus AIR Loudspeakers

Compact and lightweight, PreSonus AIR active loudspeakers provide a rich, extended low-end and natural high-frequency extension in an enclosure that will easily fit in the back seat of a small car. Backed by 1,200W of Class D/Class AB power and enhanced with easy-to-use digital tuning functions, AIR full-range systems give you all the power and tools you need for both mobile and installed sound. The series includes AIR10, AIR12, and AIR15 full-range systems and AIR15s and AIR18s subwoofers.

Here’s a look at the new AIR speakers from InfoComm!

Join PreSonus at Messe in Frankfurt, Even from the Comfort of Your Own Home

For those of you in the USA wondering what Musikmesse is, think NAMM—but in Germany.

Messe4 Messe12

“Musikmesse in Frankfurt is the international trade fair for instruments, sheet music, production, and marketing.” It all starts this Thursday, April 7 and runs to Sunday, April 10.

The PreSonus team will be there. Visit our booth and be one of the first in Europe to see the new Studio 192 Mobile and ULT Speakers in person! Find the PreSonus booth located at Hall 9.1 Booth F41.

At our booth, participants are invited to check out the gear, connect with us on social media, and enter to win one of five copies of Studio One Pro we’ll be giving away every day of Messe! To enter, participants must:

  1. Take a picture in our social corner–the orange corner in the photo above
  2. Post the photo to their social profiles and include the hashtag #StudioOneMesse.
  3. We will randomly select winners and will contact them directly. Follow #StudioOneMesse to see what PreSonus users are up to at the show and to congratulate the winners!

ULT Loudspeakers Available in Select Stores in the USA Now!

 

ult_launch_600x600_2-26-15_nee01The brand-new ULT Loudspeakers are currently on the shelves of select dealers in the USA! American Musical Supply, Full Compass, ZZounds, and Sweetwater have received portions of the initial shipment. If you want to be among the first to own a set of ULTs, click the links below to get a hold of them!

ULT means Ultra-Long Throw—these loudspeakers boast a tremendously focused vertical dispertion that projects your sound to the back of the hall for maximum intelligibility throughout. Designed with our partners from WorxAudio, the ULTs feature the Pivot X110 horn, a rotatable driver that allows you to get the best out of the ULTs in both horizontal and vertical configurations. The ULTs strike a balance that champions versatility; they’re sturdy but not unreasonably heavy, so they’re ideal for either permenent installations or mobile rigs. Generous I/O and convenient DSP presets round out the offering.

Interested? Contact a dealer by clicking below!
AMS FullCompass Sweetwater Zzounds

Introducing the ULT Loudspeakers

PreSonus ULT-series active loudspeakers combine the widest horizontal dispersion of any loudspeaker in their class with a focused vertical dispersion for an ultra-long throw. The result is even coverage throughout the space, enabling the audience to hear clearly wherever they are. Featuring PreSonus’ proprietary Pivot X110 horn and plenty of Class D power in a lightweight design, ULT full-range loudspeakers deliver first-rate speech intelligibility and natural music reproduction. A companion ULT18 active subwoofer delivers a powerful, clear, and accurate low-end punch in a compact design, making ULT-series systems ideal for both mobile use and permanent installations.

Click here for more info on the ULT speakers.