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StudioLive killer?


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Great idea and concept but there's some real boner execution issues that are obvious without going to the manual even:

 

1. There's no dedicated metering. I need to see the metering regardless of whatever I am doing in the operating menus. input signal and clip are essential and I like to have visual indication of output also. WITHOUT having to be in meter display mode.

 

2. It appears that there are no graphic eq's on the outputs, only 4 band semi-parametrics like input channels. If that's all they are going to provide, make them 5 band full parametric.

 

3. Wall wart power supply with cheepo DC connector... what the f were they thinking?

 

The concept is getting pretty close and more user friendly with each generation of these digital mixers. It's getting close... if only they would smarten up on the ovbious things. Haven't they ever mixed a show?

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Phonic almost released one very simular to this about a year ago. Vapor ware at the time. Price would be the main concern if it will make it or not.

 

There only is a clip light to watch when your not on the meter page. Its just below the gain knob. This does have motorized faders.

 

I will look and see if I can find my old thread on this last year.

 

Dookietwo

 

EDIT: Found the thread. It was May 2009

 

http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/439092/51/?srch=Douglas+R.+Allen+Phonic#msg_439092

 

None of the links work. It was a different mixer at that time.

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It won't touch the StudioLive...

 

Based on the controls layout, it would be nearly impossible to mix a live show. The arrow buttons and a parameter wheel are worthless for making fast changes. The control surface looks like a simplified LS9 (first impression). I've mixed several shows on an LS9-32 and I'm not a big fan. Just to turn phantom power on to a channel you need to hit the arrow keys about 6 times (depending on where the cursor is at on the screen) and then press enter. Initial setup on an LS9 takes me 3-4 times longer than a traditional analog board all because of user interface. The Phonic mixer looks even worse since there is no direct access to EQ, or dynamics when an individual channel is selected. At least the LS9 does have some quick access features.

 

When a channel is selected on the StudioLive, the the fat channel gives you access to all pertinent controls at once - no scrolling, no navigating. If the LS9's (or Phonic) had either touchscreen or the control surface duplicated in physical buttons next to the screen, it would be much more usable in a live environment.

 

Aged has said it before - interface isn't something, it's everything. Until you actually use one of these units, it's difficult to understand. My personal opinion is the StudioLive beats the LS9 (and Phonic) in the operator interface category.

 

Just my $.02

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I looked at it and agree it's not going to be a great live board for bands mixing from stage. Lack of full time meter bridge is one, but also the fact the faders are on 2 layers. One layer is channels 1-16 and the other is auxes and subgroups. No thanks. For entry level studio work it may be OK though. FWIW, motorized faders in an entry level brand would scare me. The manual link doesn't work so it's hard to "see it" in action.

 

Wonder what the street price will be......

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I missed the clip LEDs but my comment was more directed at having access at a glance of all metering (signal present, clip, output busses, aux busses etc.) because that's a visual reminder and backup of the big picture.

 

It's another good idea on the surface being not such a good idea in execution. User interface is indeed everything.

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1. There's no dedicated metering. I need to see the metering regardless of whatever I am doing in the operating menus. input signal and clip are essential and I like to have visual indication of output also. WITHOUT having to be in meter display mode.

That's one of the features exclusive to the discontinued Behringer DDX3216 in the

2. It appears that there are no graphic eq's on the outputs, only 4 band semi-parametrics like input channels. If that's all they are going to provide, make them 5 band full parametric.

Agreed - but the typical user of a cheap mixer would much rather have a 31 band (foolish mortals :lol:!) so I can understand why they did it this way. Presonus has been forced to include 31 banders (including on the auxes soon according to a reliable source ;)) - sure wish they had gone fully parametric instead :(.

3. Wall wart power supply with cheepo DC connector... what the f were they thinking?

Yah, we all hate them but they do lower the cost significantly - hey for $15 extra you can get a backup power supply :lol:.

The concept is getting pretty close and more user friendly with each generation of these digital mixers. It's getting close... if only they would smarten up on the ovbious things. Haven't they ever mixed a show?

Well, at least they redesigned it after being trashed at the trade shows. It used to have 12 mic channels and 4 line - 16 mic now :). I don't see any other obvious changes but they say the menu structure has been improved based upon feedback. I can't understand how they can design these things with no "real world" user input? Even the StudioLive was a POS live sound wise when it came out - no aux mutes etc.

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I was going to comment on the power supply too. Stinks that it's a wall wart, but you can carry a spare for next to nothing.

 

Other changes I read about from the initial press release was that it used to have 3 layers, now just 2.

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Not just the wall wart, but the vulnerable jack on the console itself. Cheesy in the most profound degree IMO. Why not a 4 pin XLR for example???

 

Probably for same reason people come and go asking the same question.....

 

Please

Help

Only have $742 to spend on a complete system, so

Need

It

Cheap

 

:D

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Based on the controls layout, it would be nearly impossible to mix a live show. The arrow buttons and a parameter wheel are worthless for making fast changes. The control surface looks like a simplified LS9 (first impression).

I agree, the first iteration of this board was probably going after the Yamaha 01V96. I much prefer the StudioLive/iLive paradigm over the Yamaha one. The Behringer DDX3216 I have is someplace in between but more towards the Yamaha end of that spectrum. Also the StudioLive looks to be the easiest to use from the stage?

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Great idea and concept but there's some real boner execution issues that are obvious without going to the manual even:


1. There's no dedicated metering. I need to see the metering regardless of whatever I am doing in the operating menus. input signal and clip are essential and I like to have visual indication of output also. WITHOUT having to be in meter display mode.


2. It appears that there are no graphic eq's on the outputs, only 4 band semi-parametrics like input channels. If that's all they are going to provide, make them 5 band full parametric.


3. Wall wart power supply with cheepo DC connector... what the f were they thinking?


The concept is getting pretty close and more user friendly with each generation of these digital mixers. It's getting close... if only they would smarten up on the ovbious things. Haven't they ever mixed a show?

 

 

1) agreed more metering is needed. - However, ther eis INPUT clip light at the gain control

2) it is jsut retard to release a digi console with out all the little "extras" liek 31 band eq on outputs, that is the best justification of these consoles, in my opinion.

3) yep!

 

 

-- the inclusion of inserts is cool.

 

-- one thing this vapour were claims is that it IS touchscreen. -- so although it lacks dedicated EQ/comp controls (like the LS9/studio live), maybe the touch screen makes up for it - depends a lot on the GUI, and qulity/size of the touch screen.

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Lets all club together and design a perfect digital mixer at a good price point!


I can colour in the designs...

 

 

May want to wait until next week. "The switch will be flipped" any minute now and all this thread, along with any others done since 12/20, will go bye bye.

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16ch max, no extra inputs (if I'm going to drop the cash on a digital board there had better be some expanding if needed!). No stereo inputs, where are the FX send/engines? Metering would be very nice, 31 band graphs would be a huge improvement over the 01V. I like where the wheel and cursor buttons are on the 01V, bottom right and easy to get to, not next to the screen. But hey, maybe i'd like it??

 

Limited I/O bugs me, inserts are nice. With digital it isn't as easy for a company to go back in and write code and upgrade hardware so it can handle all the stuff it needs to. Maybe next year phonic.

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Jeez, the 25MB brochure is only 2 pages. You do a "save as" in a freebie pdf reader and it goes to 1MB. I know one department has nothing to do with the other, but doesn't give warm and fuzzies that Phonic has that kind of quality control on their promotional material.

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Jeez, the 25MB brochure is only 2 pages. You do a "save as" in a freebie pdf reader and it goes to 1MB. I know one department has nothing to do with the other, but doesn't give warm and fuzzies that Phonic has that kind of quality control on their promotional material.

Actually that's because the photos are very high resolution - you can zoom way in to see the details :).

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Actually that's because the photos are very high resolution - you can zoom way in to see the details
:)
.

 

Nah, you can do that with a MUCH smaller file. The file I made has high resolution and I didn't try and optimize it in any way. They were just lazy and didn't optimize the document at all. 25MB for a 2 page document is ludicrous. There are only 2 pictures in the entire thing. Not to mention the thing downloaded at about 1/2 of dial up speed.

 

Anyway HERE's the file in a practical size that will download quickly.

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