Question

Hi There,
I am looking at upgrading my very basic home studio. I currently run Reaper, NI Komplete interface on Wind 7 which has been fine but now I want to be able to have multiple instruments and vocals recording at once and have some physical control over faders, knobs etc.

I have a brand new Core i7 with 24GB RAM, SSD and 10RPM HDD ont he way which will run W10 PRo

My dilemma is do I upgrade to a better USB 3 audio interface or goto something like a 16.0.2 desk.

While I like Reaper I do also have an earlier version of Studio One and am not adverse to switching if that is required long term.

We had a 16.4.2 at church that recently died and it was also woeful with Win 7 and firewire so I guess I need to know if any has a 16.0.2 running firwire on Win 10 and how it is going.

I am also unable to get clear on whether the desk works as a control surface for the Studio One. So am I able to use the faders on the desk and see the faders in the DAW respond accordingly?

I get that that the desk can retain settings yada, yada. I will not move from the home studio so I don't  care about settings scenes and using them live, I just want to be able to track and mix a small group in the studio so they can get that "playing live together" vibe then be able to add additional VST, tracks effects after that.

An interface seems simpler in some ways but I like the hands on control you get with a desk. That said as the desk takes up a lot more space, the benefits would need to be good.

I am also unclear as to whether audio captured through the desk can go straight into Studio one or if I have to use Capture between the 2. We  had to use capture at church when transferring audio to Reaper but surely not between products from the same company.

At the moment there isn't a lot of price diff between a 192 interfaceand 16.0.2 but the desk seems to give a lot more control and features.

Would appreciate any prevailing wisdom and experience.

TIA,

Billy

Answer 1

"Should I get a digital mixer or an interface?" is something that I've been asked many times and at the end of the day, I find that it usually comes down to personal preference and comfort. As you mentioned, interfaces have a lot less of a footprint on your desk than a mixer, but mixers do have physical tactile controls. I'll do my best to answer your questions and elaborate on both the StudioLive 16.0.2 and Studio 192 to hopefully help you reach a decision.​

• I need to know if any has a 16.0.2 running firwire on Win 10 and how it is going.
  • We've tested and support the use of the StudioLive 16.0.2 on Windows 10.
• So am I able to use the faders on the desk and see the faders in the DAW respond accordingly?
  • No, the StudioLive 16.0.2 isn't a control surface. However, you can route your audio streams back through the board through the digital returns and use the faders to control playback.
• I am also unclear as to whether audio captured through the desk can go straight into Studio one or if I have to use Capture between the 2.
  • You'll be able to record directly into Studio One. Capture is moreso intended for live tracking as it's less computer resource intensive than Studio One and designed for that environment.

With the Studio 192, you'll have access to higher quality recordings and a higher output count. But as you mentioned, the StudioLive 16.0.2 will give you a more "hands on" experience and a higher input count. In both situations, the input/output count can be expanded by adding a second unit (adding a Digimax DP88 to a Studio 192 or adding a FireStudio Family interface to a StudioLive 16.0.2), so you're not stuck with the I/O count you have.

I'll leave you with two videos:

Joe Gilder of Home Studio Corner - "PreSonus StudioLive 16.0.2 - 3 Things I Like" : 

Studio One Expert - "Studio 192 Hardware Integration In Studio One 3" : 

Answer 2

Thank you so much for your clear and concise response. Now that I know that the 192 is expandable, I think that I will go that way. There is a good bundle going with the 192, DP88, Upgrade to S1-V3 and a Fader port so will try and scrape the coin together for this.

All the best.

Billy