New Gear Review: StudioLive AR8c by PreSonus

PreSonus has outfitted their popular StudioLive series mixers with USB-C functionality—how does the smallest of the bunch, the AR8c, stack up?

For myself and other hardware enthusiasts, the addition of a mixer that can function as an audio interface is a game changer.

Nearly a decade ago, my entire studio practice centered around a 12-channel Mackie Onyx 1220i, a Firewire-equipped mixer that allowed each channel to be sent, pre- or post-EQ, to a connected computer and recorded in my DAW of choice. It was an incredibly efficient workflow, and one that I only had to give up when Firewire became obsolete and I changed studio machines.

The mixer/interface combo is one that I thought would surely take off as time has gone on, but the truth is that there have only been a few new entries into this particular category of audio gear. Getting the details right has proven elusive.

Baton Rouge-based audio brand PreSonus jumped into this field back in 2009 with the StudioLive 16.4.2 digital mixer, a fully featured mixer that had a built-in 32-in/18-out FireWire interface. The range has expanded quite a bit since then with the addition of the StudioLive AR series, their first analog/hybrid mixer.

The StudioLive AR8, AR12, and AR16 are the newest of the bunch, each recently updated with a USB-C connection. For this test, we reviewed the smallest of the trio, the StudioLive AR8c.

Features

As you would guess from the name, the StudioLive AR8c is an 8-channel analog mixer coupled with a full USB interface. The interface supports up to 24-bit/96 kHz recording, with the option of recording every channel and the main mix simultaneously. The AR8c also allows for sending back two sets of stereo channels from your computer; these enter at the master bus and on channel 5/6 respectively, and can be selected via dedicated buttons.

There are four of PreSonus’s XMAX microphone preamps on board, which are Class A and feature up to 43dB of gain. While this isn’t quite as much gain on tap as some other audio interfaces you’ll find, in practice it proved sufficient for most recording purposes. Phantom power can be applied via a button on the front panel of the mixer; it sends power to all four preamps, so be aware of this when any ribbon mics are plugged into your preamps.

Two instrument/line inputs are included as well on channels 1 and 2. Channels 3-4 and 5-6 both have stereo inputs, though each can work in mono mode as well. Finally, the last channel pair is something PreSonus have dubbed a “Stereo Super Channel”. It is given this name for its plethora of input choices—Bluetooth input, RCA jacks, 1/8” stereo, and playback from the USB input—or even the built-in SD card (more on that later). All inputs on the Super Channel can be active at once.

Each channel features level and pan controls, dedicated mute and PFL solo buttons, one aux and one effects send, and a three-band EQ. The EQ allows for boosts or cuts of up to 15dB, and remains very musical throughout its range. Channels 1 and 2 also feature a high-pass filter with a cutoff around 100 Hz, which helped reduce low-end rumble when recording.

As mentioned, there is an aux bus that can be used to hook up external signal processing, as well as a second aux jack that, when used, disconnects the built-in effects processor. Unfortunately neither one of these feature return inputs, so if you want to hear what you’re sending signal to, you need to sacrifice one of the input channels. There is a global aux send control, which comes with a dedicated mute and AFL button.

The built-in effects are stereo and have fourteen of the usual options that you’ll find on modern mixers. They offer no tweakable parameters at all, so what you see is what you get. There are also separate outputs for control room and headphones, each with their own dedicated level control.

Rounding out the feature set is the aforementioned built-in SD recorder, which only records the master output, as opposed to each individual channel. The card reader supports either SD or SDHD format and can take cards up to 32GB. Fortunately it records audio as 24-bit/44.1 wav files, allowing for very easy high-quality capturing.

In Use

There are three main ways you’ll likely use the AR8c: as an analog mixer; as an interface when connected to a computer via USB; or as a stand-alone recorder using the SD card. What’s interesting is that all three of these can actually be done at the same time.

A view of the StudioLive AR8c’s very streamlined back panel.

If you’ve ever used a mixer before, you’ll know how to use the StudioLive AR8c; the built-in audio interface won’t interfere, even if you’ve yet to dip your toes into digital recording. In this sense, the StudioLive AR8c is a great first choice for the musician who is more knowledgeable on the analog side of recording than the digital. If you’ve been playing music for a long time but have always been curious about recording yourself, the AR8c makes the transition easy.

To this end, PreSonus have also done their customers a nice favor by including Capture 2.0 with the AR8c. Capture 2.0 is a stripped-down version of the brand’s Studio One DAW, and it makes it very easy to start recording right away with the AR8c. After installation, recording is literally a one-button press away—no need to set up audio inputs or select anything. Very cool.

Similarly, recording to the built-in SD card makes the AR8c a great tool to record practices or rehearsals. The fact that you can immediately listen back to what you just recorded is incredibly useful, though the lack of visualization lessens the effect. There are Track Skip buttons on the AR8c, but without a screen to tell you where you are on the card, it can be a bit of a guessing game.

To Be Critical

My main gripe with the AR8c is the inability to put the EQ after the digital send. I would have liked to use the built-in EQ to shape my recorded tracks, but instead what is recorded is simply the pre-EQ feed. My previously mentioned Mackie Onyx had this ability, and the fact that a mixer which was made a decade later doesn’t, is puzzling.

Additionally, the ergonomics and layout of the AR8c’s faceplate are not the most efficient. For example, the phantom power button uses an incredible amount of real estate. Similarly, listing all of the digital effects uses up a lot of space. I would have liked to see that space used instead for a long master fader rather than another knob. Similarly, the mute switches on the input channels are in an awkward spot, and it’s quite difficult to hit them with any accuracy.

Finally, there are no aux return jacks on the AR8c, so you must sacrifice an input channel to get any effects returns back into the main bus. On an 8-channel mixer, that is a bit of a letdown. And the fact that there are no adjustable parameters for the built-in effects limits their usefulness, though some might see this limitation as a positive.

Summing it Up

PreSonus have marketed the StudioLive AR8c to musicians and podcasters alike, which makes sense given its wide range of uses. The AR8c could function as the centerpiece of a small venue or performance space, a useful rehearsal recording tool, or the centerpiece of your home studio.

Despite the reservations listed above, it really does feel like PreSonus is onto something with the AR8c. I could see this mixer/interface appealing to a very broad range of musicians, and with a few tweaks to the formula, that could increase tenfold. Being able to use a single piece of gear as both a mixer and an audio interface greatly increases the StudioLive AR8c’s value. At $499, the AR8c comes recommended and will surely be an invaluable studio tool for years to come.

Leo Maymind is a producer, DJ, and writer living in Los Angeles, CA. He is obsessed with sound, and you can reach him at lmaymind@gmail.com.

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