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Toolshed<br />
PreSonus Studio 192 Mobile<br />
Sonic Fidelity, Flexible Connectivity<br />
The PreSonus Studio 192 Mobile USB 3.0 audio interface is designed<br />
to be the centerpiece of your home studio setup. It was modeled<br />
after the PreSonus’ Studio 192 audio interface and put into a smaller<br />
package that is more suitable for desktop or portable use.<br />
For a unit that is marketed as a portable solution, it has a lot of I/O<br />
options. On the back panel, there are the left and right main outputs, four<br />
balanced TRS line outputs to facilitate multiple sets of reference speakers,<br />
two balanced 1/4-inch TRS line inputs, word clock, S/PDIF and my personal<br />
favorite: ADAT Lightpipe. A USB3/2 I/O makes the unit both Macand<br />
Windows-compatible, and with all the included inputs you can simultaneously<br />
stream up to 26 inputs and 32 outputs at 48kHz, or eight inputs<br />
and 14 outputs at 192kHz.<br />
The Studio 192 Mobile contains the same great Class-A XMAX microphone<br />
preamps that PreSonus is known for, only there are two on this unit<br />
compared to eight on the original Studio 192.<br />
Other notable features include near-zero-latency monitoring, speaker<br />
switching, talkback control and a number of other parameters that can<br />
be controlled from Studio One or UC Surface, PreSonus’ touch-screen<br />
solution.<br />
The front panel of the Studio 192 Mobile has two XLR–1/4-inch multi<br />
inputs, along with three knobs for gain, monitoring and headphones.<br />
While all the knobs are plastic, they have a very sturdy feel with no play<br />
when dialing in a setting. The action is smooth and there is nothing in the<br />
moving parts that suggests they are not a long-term solution.<br />
The unit is slightly narrower but the same height as a single rack space,<br />
which makes it a touch larger than other units that have two XLR inputs on<br />
the front; even so, it was small enough that I was able to make space easily<br />
on my cluttered work desk.<br />
Also included is PreSonus Studio One 3 Artist version, a $99 value (one<br />
step above the free version). While not my regular DAW, I have been following<br />
the development of Studio One since PreSonus released the original<br />
free version a few years back. I have always been impressed by the amount<br />
of features in the free version, and also the completeness of the paid versions.<br />
The DAW market is starting to get pretty crowded, but Studio One<br />
was able to enter the market with a really strong product and has kept up<br />
with the ever-increasing demands of DAW users.<br />
While there are benefits to using the Studio 192 Mobile with third-party<br />
DAWs, the greatest amount of integration will happen when you use the<br />
Studio One software with the unit. Just as Pro Tools does with its hardware,<br />
using Studio One with the Studio 192 Mobile (or its big brother) will give<br />
you the maximum amount of control and automation options that the unit<br />
was designed for, such as remote-controllable preamps.<br />
And while there are many third-party expansion options, if you need<br />
more analog I/O, the DigiMax DP88 preamp/converter was designed to<br />
seamlessly extend the I/O on the Studio 192 Mobile with eight additional<br />
digitally controlled XMAX preamps.<br />
The Studio 192 Mobile is a great value considering the quality of the<br />
unit, the preamps and the inclusion of the full featured Studio One 3 Artist<br />
version.<br />
—Matt Kern<br />
presonus.com<br />
Christopher Speakers CSP1 Reference Monitors<br />
‘Feel’ the Sound, Hear the Nuance<br />
I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the Christopher Speakers CSP1<br />
reference monitors, designed by musician/inventor Chris Eagan, for the<br />
first time at Steakhouse Studio in North Hollywood. I had anticipated a<br />
medium-sized, two-way nearfield speaker, similar to what most professional<br />
engineers use on a daily basis. However, the CSP1s presented a satisfying<br />
first impression due to their slightly more than 4-foot height and 90<br />
pounds of sturdy architecture featuring a three-way speaker.<br />
I have found that one set of speakers does not adequately suit both professional<br />
and leisure listening needs. There are types of speakers that I consider<br />
a reliable working tool but are not my preferred choice for enjoying<br />
music casually—much like driving a pickup truck for work but preferring<br />
to drive a convertible on a day off.<br />
This minor conundrum is one of the reasons you’ll often see multiple<br />
sets of speakers in a recording studio. Part of the process is to be able to<br />
hype up the music to enjoy it loudly sometimes, while other times, when<br />
critical listening and quality control are paramount, one requires another<br />
set of speakers known for their honesty and transparency. The CSP1s happen<br />
to do both remarkably well.<br />
After critical inspection and listening to different types of music on the<br />
CSP1s, I was truly intrigued by the sound. I found that they provide the<br />
appropriate balance of sonic information to make efficient yet creative<br />
engineering decisions. Furthermore, I discovered the speakers to be satisfyingly<br />
warm in the lower frequencies, yet transparent and subtle in the<br />
higher frequencies. I was able to “feel” the sound, as well as audibly understand<br />
and take in all of the critical nuances of the transient information.<br />
The CSP1s favor a purist approach, simple and uncompromising. It’s a<br />
passive design, so it isn’t self-powered. It doesn’t introduce any unnecessary<br />
processing into the audio.<br />
98 DOWNBEAT FEBRUARY 2017
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