Aux Bus Mixing; Monitor Mixing - PRESONUS STUDIOLIVE 16.4.2 - V1.12 User Manual

5 Tutorials

Aux Bus Mixing

5.6
The Aux Bus provides outputs to create auxiliary mixes that are separate from the main and
subgroup mixes. The StudioLive is equipped with 8 aux buses: Aux 1-6, which have physical output
jacks, and EFX A and B, which are the internal effects buses. Aux buses can be used for many
applications, the two most common of which are creating monitor mixes and inserting external
effects processors into the mix. As with the subgroup buses, the StudioLive allows you to add global
dynamics processing and EQ to these aux buses in addition to the individual channel processing.

Monitor Mixing

5.6. 1
In both the live and studio environments, creating custom monitor mixes for your musicians is
critical. If a musician can't hear themselves or their band mates, their performance will suffer. A
monitor mix can be either mono or stereo. Most often, an individual live monitor mix is mono and is
sent to a floor-wedge monitor. (The obvious exception is in-ear monitor systems.) A studio monitor
mix is usually stereo and is sent to a headphone amplifier, so it requires both a left and a right
channel input. In either case, the function of the aux bus does not change.
As an example, let's create a mono monitor mix on Aux 1. To begin, press the Mix button in the Aux
1 section. The meter section of the StudioLive will now display the amount of send to this aux bus
from each of the 16 channels. Keep in mind that the aux mix is completely independent of every
other output (main bus, subgroups, direct out, etc.). The encoders below each meter control the
channel send level to Aux 1. Use them the same way you use the faders to set the output level to
your main mix. Ask your musicians what they would like in their monitor mix and use their requests
as a starting point to create the best mix for them.
By pressing the Select button for Aux 1, you can add in some dynamic processing and EQ to the
overall monitor mix. These are especially useful in eliminating feedback in a monitor. Keep in mind,
an EQ can also be used to increase the presence of an instrument by boosting that particular
frequency range without necessarily boosting the volume in the mix. This is great for getting the lead
guitar to cut through in the guitarist's monitor mix and to provide that extra rumble in the bassist's
mix. You can listen to the mix you are creating in any of the auxes in either your headphones or your
control-room monitor by simply soloing the aux and selecting Solo as the source in the Monitor
section.
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