D8B and Presonus Studio One

[bassman]

Well an interesting read, I see what you mean about the Probox tapping into the commands that pass down the data cable only. Seems like a reasonable situation that explains using what's available even if it doesn't match the same buttons.

I had pretty much got used to hitting the track shift 3times to shift by 24, (just have to fill up my Studio One console with 48 tracks regardless of me using them all) when I discovered Studio One has a function that makes it follow the Probox so both D8B and Studio One always show the same channels no matter if I shift by 1 or 8 channels.

True, its not the Logic track lock but then I only have one Probox. My second D8B is becoming redundant as I also have a Persons RM32 Ai FireWire and networked into my DAW, which stays in the studio and saves analogue mic lines everywhere.
So I'm curious how you hook up two proposes. Does Logic allow you to create two groups of control devices?

[Y-my-R]

Yeah, Logic allows you to have different groups of controllers, that can be configured differently (e.g. one group with Track Lock on, the other with Track Lock off). I think Studio One allows you to have multiple groups, too, though, right? It just doesn't happen to have an equivalent to the Track Lock feature, I think.

But you're right - Track Lock is NOT something most people will need. But if you have a controller that should always keep controlling the same thing in your DAW, and not move along with the selection, then that's a convenient thing, IMO.

I did ask PreSonus about this feature at some point, and they told me something about "Focus" being set to "Global" or follow the selection... but that didn't really do what I needed. Or at least I couldn't figure it out... (...and somehow I got the impression I'd have to map every single controller manually, to even be able to try, and that seemed like a giant PITA).

The PreSonus Stageboxes are awesome, though! I'm about to drill a hole in the wall, to finally put an (analog) Stagebox/Mic-panel that I already had into my recording room, and not have to run cables under the door anymore... but a single network jack for a Network-Audio Stagebox on both sides of the wall, would be SO much cleaner.

I thought you need to have a PreSonus mixer to be able to use a AVB stagebox, though, no? Or how would it interface with the rest of your setup?

I had a prospect to get a PreSonus mixer some months ago, so I researched it a bit (AVB, etc.), but I didn't get the mixer in the end. So, I'm still rocking my D8Bs (besides, I like the "Inline" mixer logic on the D8B, with completely separate (and stored) settings for your Mic channels and your "Tape-Returns", including the plug-ins. The PreSonus mixers don't do that, and you'd have to recall different scenes and snapshots all the time to get close to what the D8B's "Mic/Line" and "Tape In" layers do... and I'd sorely miss that feature).

Nevertheless, I envy you for your AVB Stagebox, and flexible routing options, over a single network cable! AVB/Dante etc. are the future, IMO! I played around with a PreSonus Mixer & Stagebox system a little bit, and the flexible routing on those, was really amazing - and so clean with that single cable!!!

[Y-my-R]

Sorry... I just realized that the RM32Ai is a rack mixer, not a stagebox. Sorry for being a bit off-topic in my last post!

[bassman]

Yes the RM32 is a rack mixer. I can put in an AVB or a Dante card in it if I wanted. I use a firewire 800 cable to the rack that holds the RM32 and control is wireless on a tablet, so it's just one little cable and the rack with the RM32 stays in the studio acting like a stage box but I have all the dynamic controls, if needed, and 16 aux send monitoring right there. It's actually my live setup, complete with both wireless and wired in-ear monitoring, an Alesis synth if needed and a Digitech guitar processor if needed. There are two racked computers in the rack also, one set up for recording live at the touch of a button on the control tablet and another for video and lighting syncing. Everything is up on a patchbay to the front so there's no diving into the back for anything. It works equally as well in the studio or live, I just have to plug in the firewire in the patchbay and it's ready to go. I can actually record on my DAW and the rack computer at the same time if I want, giving me double security against computer mishaps.
Studio One is also able to take over the full RM32 mixer if I ever need to reduce processor strain in the DAW computer, it's never been needed but it's there.
Studio One can also detect if the mixer end of the Network is AVB and reconfigure the DAW computers Ethernet to match, which is pretty neat, though I have 38 digital channels over firewire 800 right now so that does for me.

[scottosterloh]

I have a question maybe a foolish one, but here goes my d8b via probox has stopped communicating with the Studio One daw. How can I re establish communication. I have already done what the Studio One said to do.

[Y-my-R]

Bassman - the setup you're describing sounds absolutely amazing! And a very creative way to put your gear to use. Very, very cool! Personally, I'm extremely cheap (or broke... however you want to look at it), so I gotta make due with what I got - which is working out for what I'm doing. But I always get tempted, to expand my setup again, when hearing about cool rigs like yours. Very nice!

Scottosterloh - I'm traveling right now (and for another 3 weeks... touring Europe with a band from next week), so I can't look around my configuration to figure out what I could suggest. Did you change anything before your D8B stopped communicating with Studio One via the ProBox? Like, maybe tried to configure something in the Setup menu for the ProBox on the D8B? Or did it stop working randomly?

If randomly, then I'd first check if MIDI is being sent from the D8B via the ProBox. You can do that by downloading and installing either "MIDI-OX" on Windows, or "MIDI Monitor" on Mac (both free), then launching them, moving a fader or knob etc. on the D8B, and looking if any kind of MIDI signal arrives. (Make sure first, that these apps see the MIDI ports for the ProBox, and don't filter out any SysEx or MIDI CC messages)

If these apps show MIDI messages arriving for them, then it's still just a Studio One configuration issue. If not, then I'd double check the connection of the ProBox to the D8B, and the USB connection to the computer. And maybe also if you can see the LED's inside the ProBox blinking on and off while it's connected (if it's dark enough, you should see that through the yellow plastic).

Maybe check these things and report back... depending on what you see, the next steps would be different.

Good luck!

[scottosterloh]

Solved. Now I hv a NOS mixer for all my audio signals and the D8B as a controller and I'm digging it.

[bassman]

y-m-r
My setup does sound rather grand, but the Presonus RM32AI was bought after selling my A&H board and all the outboard gear used with it. It was a big decision to go digital/wifi but I have to say it has been worth every penny. The fact that it has everything built in, sits in a rack, can use live or in studio has proved so much easier and frankly much better quality sonically.
The D8B were given to me free from a studio closing down otherwise I wouldn't have them. One was working ok and the other had issues but works perfectly with Probox, so I'm just lucky.

[scottosterloh]

I use a hybrid set up as well. I really dig the functionality of the D8B as a controller, but I can't seem to crossover to entirely ITB mixes. Just my personal preference though. Here's a video of my set up sorry it's a bit blurry.
https://youtu.be/T5SaYF1kH5U