GEAR REVIEW
PRESONUS SERIES III ECOSYSTEM | Mitch Bohannon
KEY FEATURES
• Integrated Multi-Track Recording
and Virtual Soundcheck
• User-defined Workflow, Layout,
and Views
• Built-in AVB Networking
• 33 Touch-Sensitive,
Motorized Faders
• Up to 20 Mix Busses with
the included FlexMix’s
The PreSonus Series III system has grown over
the past year to be a user-friendly, cohesive
sound system. The folks at PreSonus refer to
it as an ecosystem because of it’s high level of
interconnectivity. From the Series III desk mixer
and rack mixer that I reviewed in late 2017, to
now including an array of digital stage boxes
and personal monitor mixers, it’s evident that
the PreSonus team has diligently thought about
the user of this customizable setup.
It was only a few years ago that I moved to
a church that had recently purchased a very
widely used, popular mixer that was too new
to submit a request for an upgrade. We would
be moving to a new building soon and I needed
to add a digital stage box because we would
not be running a traditional snake. I bought the
only stage box that worked with that particular
mixer; I bought the only card that could connect
that mixer to its stage box… and voila! A week
later, stressed out and many earmarked pages
in the manual, we got it working. That was
ridiculous!
PreSonus sent me the StudioLive 24R Series III
rack mixer, the new PreSonus Networked Stage
Box NSB8.8, the PreSonus 5-port SW5E AVB
(Audio Video Bridge) Switch, and a few of the
new PreSonus EarMix 16M’s. Literally within 30
172
minutes of unboxing, the system sync’d up and a PreSonus16-channel Networked Stage Box,
I was EQ-ing the room on my iPad. Of course, and 3 PreSonus EarMix EM16M’s will cost you
I made a few mistakes and I’m thankful to have right under $5000. Honestly, you could easily
the opportunity to warn you before you make spend that on a digital mixer alone!
the same ones! Keep in mind, if you go with the
rack mixer, you’ll need a computer and if you I set this system up for our youth band. With
want to control the system with an iPad, you’ll the rack-mount mixer at the booth, all I had
also need a Wi-Fi router. to do is run a single CAT5e cable to the stage
into the AVB switch and then some CAT5e to
I guess I’ll start out with a bottom line since connect the switch directly to the stage box and
I’m looking at many parts. Is the system worth EarMix mixers. The switch has PoE (power over
the price? By far, Yes! For reference, I just put Ethernet), so I did not need external power for
together a shopping cart on www.Sweetwater. the EM16M mixers, which meant fewer cables
com and the desktop StudioLive Series III and less mess. I also connected the Series III
24-channel mixer, the PreSonus AVB Switch, 24R via CAT5e to a Mac Mini computer where
November 2018
WorshipMusician.com