Questions & Answers

Can studiolive 32 series III do overdub tracks onto the SD card after recording initial tracks, like drums, bass?

+7 votes
3,180 views
asked Apr 9, 2017 in StudioLive Series III by markludes (330 points) 1 flag
Without running your computer with the Studio One 3 software, using only the studio live 32 series III mixer with it's internal 'Capture software - are we able to record using the SD card for a few tracks then playback and add over-dub tracks...or is the SD card recording strictly a one shot run? Bummer if that's the case. Then I guess we would have to use the laptop/studio one 3 software and bounce back and forth - without the use of the mixer's SD card...- correct?

10 Answers

+1 vote
answered Jun 29, 2017 by Michael Martin (89,010 points)
 
Best answer
Not designed for over-dubbing. SD Card recording is simply a way to record multitracks from your live sessions in one shot. You're confusing this feature with dedicated multitrack recorders, which are NOT Digital Live Sound mixers.
asked Dec 26, 2021 in StudioLive Series III by erikhggernes (140 points) Overdubbing on SD card
+2 votes
answered Apr 27, 2019 by jfletcher (650 points)
I'm disappointed that the studiolive desks can't overdub using the SD card. Seems an upgrade to the capture software should be considered by presonus to enable this. Zooms livetrak L12 and L20 desks can overdub on SD card so the technology is there. Would be even cooler to be able to run studio one from within the desk on the built in screen. Would beat the hell out of a Tascam DP-32SD.
+2 votes
answered Jun 7, 2019 by ebowebow (370 points)
Yes, Akai figured this out with the new MPC series. No one minds gear to have the ability of interfacing to a computer.  But to have your gear to rely  on a computer for a basic function? To have the computer a requirement when you can have such a feature built in makes no sense.  As expensive as computers are and as unreliable as they are, as much as Microsoft and Apple love to change and break things, why is your hardware in bed with them like that? Good thing about having studio one baked into the mixer is you don't have to worry about candy crush notifications or all the other stupid consumer **** you have to put up with on a Mac or PC. These days these computers do too much side bar ****. So having your mixer that can replace a DAW without the need of a computer or the **** Apple and Microsoft build in is everything.  You are almost there, why stop?  Windows 10 and macOS are systems made for the average consumer in mind and that is why I prefer hardware for production.
0 votes
answered Jun 8, 2019 by wahlerstudios (105,310 points)
Capture is no DAW and never will be one, because it is INTENTIONALLY reduced to recording and some very basic editing functions, which are even more reduced for the SD recorder. It's supposed to be a simple "tape recorder". Studio One is a software running on a computer. Basically it has nothing to do with the Series III mixers. Most of S1 users do not need or want any hardware, as you can easily see in the Forum. What PreSonus is trying to do is to COMBINE software (computer) and hardware (mixer) to a certain extent and at the same time letting the hardware be fully functional as live mixer WITHOUT external software

The Akai MPC series is something totally different. PreSonus does not offer multitrack recorders.
+4 votes
answered Jun 9, 2019 by ebowebow (370 points)
edited Jun 9, 2019 by ebowebow
My comment is about Studiolive users getting more out of their board in standalone. Not about what S1 users want and need.  How about taking into consideration what non S1 users want and need? There is an entire market of musician's fed up with being reliant or dependent on computers, the unreliability of the PC and the expense of a Mac, on top of the early planed obselensce of these perosnal computers. The higher spec computers that many software DAWs require are not convincing investments compared to real gear. I still have a Korg Triton from the late 90s and have had to replace or upgrade many many computers both mac and pc in the same timeframe.You can make your studio all about your computer if you want too, you can make the computer the center piece if you want.  I choose to persue a different paradigm and there is a growing group of folk on the same path. Also the Akai MPC is a sequencer, sampler and multitrack recorder.  It has many of the same functions as S1 or any other software daw application with memory limitations of course but also with better performance, less hassle, more reliable and lower latency when compared to a computer based DAW.  While the MPC has many of the same functions as a DAW including virtual instruments, it has none of the distractions like imessage, candy crush, notifications, auto updates, garbage ware and all the other hassles that take you out of your creative space. When you power up music gear it is ready to go.  Glitches, driver issues, buffer underruns, "this vst is no longer supported", cracks pops, audio artifacts, viruses, auto updates that break things, you can have all that.
+3 votes
answered Oct 22, 2020 by karimnasser (270 points)
I second this request/feature. It is baffling to me that such an advanced mixer and others on the market to be fair cannot playback select tracks while recording, mix down, master, copy paste track sections, etc.. This is what is preventing me from buying this product.

These are very basic features and very easy to implement from a software development perspective (I am a developer by trade). These features should be included in every modern mixer. I do not want to rely on an external computer to do my recording and mastering. I do not want to deal with OS issues, upgrades, drivers, viruses/anti-viruses, just so I can do my job as a musician or sound engineer, otherwise what is the point of this hardware, just sell a control surface and let the computer do the sound processing.

I currently own another mixer/multritrack recorder from a different manufacturer, and the only important feature that my mixer lacks are the motorized faders, also the effects seem to be great on the Presonus Series III so that would be a welcome upgrade. I will wait until Presonus updates their firmware before I make a purchase. Hopefully if we make enough noise they will listen.
+4 votes
answered May 27, 2021 by felixkulessa (370 points)
Its a good Answer... Shure it is not a Multitrack recorder but it is also not only a live Mixer... It calls Sudio-live... So its also for the Studio ???
In the Studio overdubbing is important !!!
0 votes
answered Dec 23, 2021 by aldocorcillo (150 points)
Esatto, anche per me e importante la sovraincisione.....no all uso dei computer....
+1 vote
answered Jul 26, 2022 by jfletcher (650 points)
I just have to revisit this question as it still frustrates me that the ability to overdub onto the SD card hasn't been addressed by Presonus. You only need to look at the popularity of the Tascam Model 12,16 and 24 multitrack recorder/interfaces to see this actually is a feature people want. Sure the Studiolive desks have lots of features than the Tascam models don't but the Studiolive mixers are also twice to three times the price.  It seems like Presonus is missing a golden opportunity as there are loads of people sick of being tied to a computer to record. The SL  mixers are actually dedicated multitrack recorders. All the tracks are recorded individually on the SD card and can be mixed back through the desk using the onboard effects, you just can't overdub!  - Even without the ability to overdub It's super fun to use the board this way without ever firing up the computer. Imagine being able to then drop in a guitar solo or a harmony and then mix down to a master. Please PreSonus look into this.

PS: Tascam has upgraded the software on their Models 12-16 and they now work as DAW controllers as well as multitrack recorders - just saying.
0 votes
answered Nov 24, 2022 by Spiderland (350 points)
I agree with the last poster, I would buy Studio Live 32S mixer tomorrow if it had multi track over dub functionality as theModel 24 does
...