Absolute Radio, one of three independent national radio stations located in the United Kingdom, recently purchased a PreSonus StudioLive 16.0.2 digital console.
Operating under its original name, Virgin Radio, from its founding in the mid-1990’s until 2008, when it was rebranded, Absolute Radio is a mainstay in the UK rock community.
Dean Woodcock, Head of Broadcast Technology and IT at Absolute Radio, explained that the station’s forays into off-site concert recording necessitated the purchase of a portable digital console.
"We’re recording more sessions outside our main Soho studios, often in venues where a PA isn't part of the setup," says Woodcock. "We needed a solution that was compact, portable, fully featured, and that could multitask as a FOH unit, as well as take care of our recording for broadcast. The StudioLive appealed straight away.
"From a live perspective, it can handle both FOH and monitors and offers up a range of I/O options and onboard processing, while handling the multitrack recording, as well, with a single click, via Capture, all from the same unit.
"The XMAX preamps and the channel strip sound great, and the clarity of sound is impressive, especially for a mixer in this price range," he observes. "One feature I find particularly useful is the ability to route the multitrack back to the inputs so easily and accessibly. One hit of the FireWire button at the top of the channel routes the multitrack instantly back to the channel.
"Before the show, it gives me access to a virtual soundcheck, allowing me to carry on tweaking the mix even after the band's done. And post show, I can get straight on to mixing the tracks for broadcast within seconds of the band leaving the stage-literally at the press of a button."
To learn more about the StudioLive 16.0.2, or any of the company’s products, visit the PreSonus website.
