The Presonus StudioLive AR16c packs a clever combination of analogue and digital features into what seems at first glance to be a standard analogue mixing desk with 18 channels: However, under the bonnet there's also a digital effects processor with 16 reverb, delay, and chorus effects, as well as an SD card recorder/player and a fully functional USB audio interface. And as an added bonus, the AR16c also has a built-in Bluetooth 5 receiver, as well as featuring 12 XMAX microphone preamps of the same kind that Presonus uses in its high-end studio equipment.
The Presonus StudioLive AR16c is like the Swiss Army knife of audio interfaces: It's just incredibly versatile. Presonus has cleverly integrated the digital features into the analogue console workflow, and even novice users will find their way around the StudioLive AR16c in no time at all. In addition to the main XLR outputs, the signal can be routed to the separately controllable FX and AUX outputs (there are two of the latter), which enables a variety of routing scenarios such as running signals through an external effects unit or creating a headphone mix for musicians. The highlight, however, is the "Super Channel": Four stereo sources can be routed to stereo input 17/18 – the stereo RCA and stereo mini jack inputs, the SD card player, and the Bluetooth receiver.
The Presonus StudioLive AR16c successfully balances ease of use with a comprehensive range of features and functions, which makes it the ideal tool for home studios, or for any producers who don't want to delve too deeply into the technical stuff but still need a versatile audio tool. The StudioLive AR16c is just as suitable for use at home as it is for mixing live events, where background music is often required in addition to vocal microphones. And users shouldn't be deceived by the AR16c's effortless operation: It looks like an analogue desk, it certainly handles like an analogue desk, but it's full of smart digital features.
Presonus is a US company founded in 1995 by Jim Odom and Brian Smith in Baton Rouge, Lousiana. The firm designs hardware and software at both professional and more affordable levels for musicians and producers. Presonus first made a splash in the mid-1990s with the DCP8, an eight-channel analogue compressor/limiter/gate with fader and mute automation that could be digitally controlled by MIDI. In the early 2000s followed a series of microphone amplifiers and the first audio interfaces for the then-emerging home studio scene. Today, the company's product range includes audio interfaces, microphone preamps, digital mixing consoles, and studio monitors as well as the established DAW software Studio One.
Many bits of gear found in professional studios can be accurately described as one-trick ponies, but there's no danger of anyone thinking that about the Presonus StudioLive AR16c. In addition to its obvious applications in home studios of all shapes and sizes, it's also an ideal tool for bands to mix and simultaneously record their live shows, as well as to capture ideas while on tour and continue to work on them later using the Studio One Artist software. The AR16c is also bound to feel at home as a permanent fixture in smaller theatres, clubs, and similar venues, where the Super Channel can alternate between providing media cues during the show and background music in the interval.