The PreSonus FireStudio Project is a complete 24-bit/96K professional recording system combining eight Class A XMAX microphone preamplifiers, 24-bit/96k sample rate conversion, zero-latency matrix router mixer, and the PreSonus ProPak Software Suite featuring Steinberg's Cubase LE 4 48-track recording and production software, over 25 real-time plug-in effects (EQ’s, compressors, reverbs), and more than 2 GB of drum loops and samples.
Firestudio Project Features
- High-Speed FireWire (IEEE 1394) Audio Interface
- Up to 96K Sampling Rate
- 8 XMAX Class A Microphone Preamplifiers (+60dB gain) w/ Trim Control
- 8 Analog Mic/Line Inputs, 2 Instrument Inputs
- 8 Analog Line Outputs
- S/PDIF Digital Input and Output, MIDI Input and Output
- Balanced Send / Return for Channels 1 and 2
- Zero Latency Monitoring with FireControl Mixer/Router
- Separate Balanced Main Outputs and 8 Balanced Analog Outputs
- FREE ProPak Software Suite including Cubase LE 4 Audio Production Software
Great for professional studio recording, live sound recording, performance, podcasting and more, the FireStudio Project is designed for flexibility and ultra-high sonic performance. Whether you need to record a live drum set, mic a guitar amp, or a complete band, the FireStudio Project is ready and more than able. With the new FireControl Mixer/Router you can send up to five individual mixes to different musicians during recording so that every band member can have a custom headphone mix.
Based on the award-winning FP10(FirePod) the FireStudio Project starts with eight PreSonus Class A XMAX microphone preamplifiers found in the FP10(FirePod) and adds the folllowing improvements:
- Improved analog to digital converters (114dB dynamic range)
- Improved syncronization with JetPLL (jitter elimination technology)
- FireControl Mixer/Router to send up to five separate zero-latency stereo mixes to musicians during recording
- Three-segment LED input metering on all analog channels
- Internal IEC-based power supply
- ProPak v3 software suite with Cubase LE 4, BFD Lite, Wave Arts Plug-ins, Cubase LE 4 Demysitified Tutorial DVD video and more.
XMAX Class A Preamplifiers
The FireStudio Project starts with eight custom-designed high-voltage, discrete, XMAX Class A microphone preamplifiers.
Many other companies offering recording interfaces add the cheapest possible microphone preamplifier as an afterthought to the interface.
PreSonus knows that the preamplifier is a key component in the sonic quality of a recording. The job of a microphone preamplifier is to boost microphone level signals to line level so that the signal can be converted from analog to digital. This mic to line boost is generally a preamplification of over 400 times the voltage of the original mic level signal. This preamplification stage is one of the most important stages that the signal will go through before converted to digital, and is why a high performance preamplifier is important to achieving great results. A cheap "off the shelf op-amp" type mic preamp that is found in most interfaces translates into thin, noisy and harsh results.
New Advanced Platform Technology - DICE II and JetPLL
The FireStudio Project is loaded with the new ultra powerful DICE II FireWire chipset delivering 26 channels of simultaneous inputs and outputs at professional-quality 24-bit. The strength of the DICE II chip lies with its ability to easilly handle high channel count at high bit-rate while minimizing latency and load on your computer.
The synchronization of the FireStudio Project is handled by patented JetPLLTM jitter reduction technology. JetPLLTM incorporates noise shaping to virtually remove all audio band jitter. JetPLLTM ensures the highest converter performance possible, resulting in better stereo separation and clearer more transparent audio. JetPLLTM delivers ultra-fast locking to any digital format, through a wide range of frequencies and is extremely robust, and tolerant of wide variations in clock frequencies. JetPLLTM ensures near perfect clock performance when networking audio devices thus creating the most stable and robust synchronization to the computer and all devices synchronization with the FireStudio Project.
FireControl - Zero Latency DSP Mixing/Routing
The FireStudio Project also includes the FireControl mixer/router a 18x10 DSP mixer/router for flexible mixing and direct routing any input to any output including the headphone output, with zero latency. The FireControl software application lives between your FireStudio Project interface and your DAW software enabling the mixing and routing of input streams coming into your FireStudio Studio Project interface and playback stream coming from your DAW software. The FireControl is capable of creating up to five stereo mixes and then routing to the outputs of your FireStudio Project for headphone mixes and various aux sends. This way everyone in the band and the recording engineer can have a custom mix. Also, the FireStudio Project is loaded with internal flash memory so that all FireControl settings are saved and recalled in the FireStudio Project during power off/on. This allows you to configure your FireStudio as a stand-alone device, without being connected to a computer for uses such as a submixer, A/D and D/A-converter, headphone mixer, format converter, instrument or microphone pre-amplifier!
ProPak Software Suite (v3)
The FireStudio Project also comes with the new ProPak Software Suite (v3), which includes more than 20 real time plug-ins, a number of virtual instruments and over 2 GB of drum loops and samples including: Steinberg - Cubase LE 4, BFD Lite; Wave Arts – TrackPlug LE, MasterVerb LE, Discrete Drums and more!