2.1.2 Installation in Mac OS X
After inserting the installation CD into your disc drive, browse the disc and run the FireStudio Project installer, which will take you through each step of the installation process. Please read each message carefully, ensuring especially that you do not connect your FireStudio Project until the installer has finished and you have rebooted your computer. To begin installing the FireStudio Project driver on your Mac, double click on the FireStudio Project logo. The FireStudio Project installer requires that your user password be entered as a security measure. Once you have entered your password, click OK to proceed with the rest of the installation. When the Installer has finished, connect your FireStudio Project to your computer with a FireWire cable. Once the sync light is solid blue, your FireStudio Project is ready to use.

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2.2 STUDIO ONE ARTIST
Every PreSonus interface comes complete with Studio One Artist recording software. Whether you are about to record your first album or your 50th, Studio One Artist provides you with all the tools necessary to capture and mix a great performance. As a valued PreSonus customer, you are also eligible for an upgrade discount for Studio One Pro when you are ready to master your work, create a digital version for the Web, or incorporate third-party VST plug-ins into your recording process. For more details on the Studio One Pro upgrade program for PreSonus customers, please visit www.presonus.com.
2.2.1 Installation and Authorization
Once you have installed the FireStudio Project drivers and connected your FireStudio Project, you can use the PreSonus Studio One Artist music-production software included with your FireStudio Project to begin recording, mixing, and producing your music. To install Studio One Artist, insert your installation disc into your computers DVD drive. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation process.
Installing Studio One Artist To Install Studio One Artist, insert your Studio One Artist installation DVD into your computers DVD drive. PC Users: Launch the Studio One Artist installer and follow the onscreen instructions. Mac Users: Simply drag the Studio One Artist application into the Applications folder on your Macintosh HD. Create a User Account After installing Studio One Artist, launch the program, and the Activate Studio One menu will appear. If you are a new Studio One user, you will need to create a user account. Follow the Create Account link if your computer is connected to the Internet. Once you have created your account, continue to Activating Studio One Artist Online. If your computer is not connected to the Internet, visit the Studio One product page at www.presonus.com on an Internet-connected computer to create your account. After you have created your account, skip to Activating Studio One Artist Offline. Activating Studio One Artist Online Now that you have created a user account, you can activate your copy of Studio One Artist. Launch Studio One Artist, and the Activate Studio One menu will appear. Click on the Activate Online link and enter your previously created account Username, Password, and the Product Key you received with the Studio One Artist installation disc. Click on the Activate button to finish the activation process.

To begin a new Song, select Empty Song from the Templates list. At this point, you should give your Song a name and select your preferred sample rate and bit depth. You can also determine the length of your Song and the type of time format you would like to use (Notation Bars, Seconds, Samples, or Frames). Click the OK button when you are finished. If you plan on importing loops into your Song, you may want to select Stretch Audio Loops to Song Tempo so that any loop of a known BPM (like those in the included content library) will import at the correct tempo.
When the Song window launches, launch the Audio Setup window by going to File|Options (PC) or Studio One|Preferences (Mac), and click on the Audio Setup button.
Click on the Song Setup button to open the Song Setup window, then click on the on the Audio I/O Setup icon.

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6) Click on the Inputs tab in the Audio I/O Setup window, and you will see all of the available inputs on your FireStudio Project. At this time, you can add the number and type of inputs you plan to use. We recommend that you create a mono input for each of the ten inputs on your FireStudio Project. If you plan on recording in stereo, you should also create a stereo bus and assign it to the appropriate set of inputs. You can remove any bus by simply selecting it and clicking the remove button. To customize the name of your buses, double-click on the default name to open a text box. When you have finished typing, hit Enter. If you would like the same inputs to be available every time you launch Studio One Artist, click the Make Default button. 7) Click on the Outputs tab, and you will see all of the available outputs on your FireStudio Project. At this time, you can add the number of output buses to which you would like to have access and can give them custom names. In the lower right corner, you will see the Audition select menu. This allows you to choose the ouput from which you will audition audio files prior to importing them into Studio One Artist. In general, you will want this to be the Main Out bus. If you would like this output configuration available every time you launch Studio One Artist, click the Make Default button.

2.2.5 Creating a Song

Now that youve configured your MIDI and Audio I/O and created a new Song, lets go through some of the basics of Studio One Artist so you can start recording!

In the lower right corner of the Arrange window are three buttons. The Edit button opens or closes the Audio editor or the MIDI piano-roll editor, depending on what type of track is selected. The Mix button opens and closes the mixer window. The Browse button opens the Browser window, which displays all of the available virtual instruments, plug-in effects, audio files, and MIDI files, as well as the pool of audio files loaded into the current session. To add a virtual instrument to your session, click the Browse and Instrument buttons to open the Instrument Browser. Select the instrument or one of its patches from the Instrument Browser and drag it into the Arrange view. Studio One Artist will automatically create a new track and load the Instrument as the input.
To add a plug-in effect to a track, click the Effects button and select it or one of its presets in the Effects Browser, then drag it over the track to which you would like to add it.
Audio and MIDI files can also be quickly located, auditioned, and imported into your Song by dragging them from the File Browser into the Arrange view. If you drag the file to an empty space, a new track will be created with that file placed at the position to which you dragged it. If you drag the file to an existing track, the file will be placed as a new part on the track.

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2.2.6 Cue Mix and the FireStudio Project
In Studio One Artist, it is possible to quickly and easily create multiple cue mixes. A cue mix is separate from the main mix and is usually provided to musicians for monitoring purposes during recording. For instance, when recording vocals, the engineer and vocalist will probably want to hear different mixes. Most vocalists want to hear more of their vocals in the mix, possibly with some reverb to make it sound natural, while the engineer might focus on how the performance balances with the rest of the mix. Together, Studio One Artist and a FireStudio Project make this simple.
You can create a cue mix and send it to any output on your FireStudio Project (Mains, General Purpose, or S/PDIF). You simply need to create an output bus and enable Cue Mix. To begin, create a new Song, open the Song|Song Setup. Click on the Audio I/O Setup icon, switch to the Outputs tab, and add a new Stereo Output channel.

Lock to Channel Button

Zero-Latency Switch
Enables Zero-Latency Monitoring for FireStudio Project Inputs Cue mixes are normally used in a recording situation in which one or more live inputs need to be monitored. The FireStudio Project features an internal hardware mixer that provides zero-latency monitoring via the device window in the Universal Control. While this mixer is easy to use, Studio One makes it even easier by allowing you to control the mixer from within the software. Using this feature only involves clicking just this one button.
You will notice that when Studio One Artist launches, the Device button on their Universal Control Launch window reads Studio One has control. Any routing that you would normally do in your Device window, you can do in Studio One via the cue mix. For more information on Universal Control and the Device Window, please review Section 3.1. Because of FireWire streaming limitations, cue-mix zero-latency monitoring is not available when daisy-chaining multiple FireStudio-family interfaces. The Main Output as a Cue Mix It is possible to designate the main output in Audio I/O Setup as a cue mix. This is helpful if you often record yourself and require quick access to zero-latency monitoring for live inputs. When the main output is designated as a cue mix, a Zero Latency button will appear on any audio channel with an assigned audio input in the Console, below the Mute, Solo, Record, and Monitor buttons.

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With the Zero Latency button and Monitor Enable both engaged, you will hear the live zero-latency input straight from your FireStudio Project (as opposed to through software). As such, you will no longer hear the effects of any inserts on the channel. However, you will still hear the result of any sends on the channel, as Bus and FX Channels will still output normally.

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2.3 SAMPLE HOOKUP DIAGRAM
With the FireStudio Project, you can simultaneously record and play back up to ten channels. Since it is loaded with eight preamplifiers, you can plug in eight microphones to the FireStudio Project along with S/PDIF digital input to record a full band. This makes recording extremely easy. All you need are microphones, cables, and monitor speakers.

This is a typical rock-band setup. Your needs may vary depending upon the number and variety of sources you are recording. Feel free to adapt the sample setup below to your precise needs.
2.3.1 Recording a Band with a FireStudio Project

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2.3.2 Using Multiple FireStudio Projects with the HP60
This hookup diagram shows two FireStudio Projects daisy-chained together. One FireStudio Project is dedicated to the microphones on the drum set. All other instruments are connected to the second FireStudio Project. The Main outputs of each unit are then connected to the two Mix inputs on an HP60. The General Purpose outputs are shown as connected to the External input on each channel of the HP60. In this way, each musician can create a custom blend of the drum and instrument mixes, adding or subtracting the drum mix as needed, and can turn themselves up in the mix. Only the drummer and keyboardist would have a stereo signal on their External input in this example. The rest of the members of the band would need to enable the Mono switch on their HP60 channel.

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CONTROLS AND CONNECTIONS
3.1 UNIVERSAL CONTROL AND THE FIRESTUDIO PROJECT
Like all members of the FireStudio family of interfaces, the FireStudio Project is compatible with Universal Control. Universal Control is a powerful, flexible, and easy to use control-panel application for creating mulitple mixes from your input and output signals for each of your FireStudio Projects output pairs (mains, general purpose, and S/PDIF). This application also allows you to daisy-chain FireStudio-family interfaces. The FireStudio Project can be connected to up to three other FireStudio-family devices for a maximum of up to 52 inputs and outputs. Universal Control consists of the Launch window and the Device window. In the Launch window, you can set basic parameters such as sample rate, clock source, and buffer size. The Device window of the FireStudio Project is the FireStudio Project Mixer. The Mixer section of the Universal Control Panel was designed to look and feel like a hardware mixer, so most of the features may already be familiar to you. From this mixer, you can create a zero-latency mix for each output and can route playback streams from your host application.
3.1.1 Universal Control Application Icon
If you are using Microsoft Windows, once you have successfully installed your FireStudio Project, the Universal Control will be available from the Notification Area of your taskbar (typically at the bottom right corner of your screen, near the clock). The Universal Control icon is red when your FireStudio Project is disconnected or not installed and blue when the FireStudio Project is connected and properly installed. Open the Universal Control by double-clicking the blue Universal Control icon or by right-clicking the icon and selecting Open PreSonus Universal Control. Right-click the Universal Control icon and select Quit to exit the Universal Control application and remove it from your taskbar. The Universal Control application can also be accessed from the PreSonus folder in the Start Menu. Mac OS X users will find the Universal Control application in the Applications folder. We recommend that you copy it to your Dock for easy access.

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Device Window Button Opens the Device Window Click on this button to open the FireStudio Project Mixer. To give your FireStudio Project a custom name, double-click on the default label (FireStudio Project) to open a text field. When you have finished entering your custom name, hit the Enter key. File Menu Opens and Closes Launch and Device Windows From the File menu of the Launch Window, you can open and close both windows, as well as quit the Universal Control application. Settings: Check Firmware Close Window. Closes just the Launch window. Show All Devices. Opens the Device window for all of the connected FireStudio-family interfaces. Close All Devices. Closes the Device window for all of the connected FireStudio-family interfaces. Quit. Quits the Universal Control application.
Automatically Scans Your FireStudio Project and Updates the Firmware A firmware updater is built into the Universal Control application. Periodically, a driver update will require that the firmware on your FireStudio Project be updated. Whenever you install an update for the Universal Control or add a new FireStudio-family product to your system, you should use this feature to ensure that the firmware is up to date. If the firmware needs to be updated, the update application will launch automatically.

Settings: Run at Startup

Launches the Universal Control Application Automatically on Startup (Windows PCs Only) When this is enabled, the Universal Control application will automatically launch each time you boot your Windows PC.

Settings: Meter Style

Provides options for Metering in the Device Window. From the Launch Window, you can determine how your Inputs and DAW streams are metered in the Device Window. Post-Fader. Displays the metering for any signal after it has been boosted or attenuated by the channel fader. By default, all metering is Pre-Fader position. Peak Hold. When this is enabled, the clip indicator on any given channel will remain illuminated until manually cleared, even if the signal is no longer clipping. This is enabled by default.

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Settings: Meter Decay
Sets the Response Time for the Meters in the Device Window The Universal Control gives you the option to set the response time for the meters in the Device Window. By default, this is set to Normal. Enable Slow Meter Decay for more accurately meter the peaks and falls of the signal. Enable Fast Metering to monitor your signal in real time.

Settings: Always On Top

Allows the Launch Window to Stay in View When Other Applications Are in Use When this is enabled, the Launch window will remain in the foreground when other applications are active, rather than being in the background behind the current applications window.
3.1.3 WDM Settings (PC only)
Like the rest of the FireStudio family of interfaces, the FireStudio Project features advanced WDM features that enhance its use as an audio interface. In the Settings menu of the Launch window, you will find the WDM Setup option. From here you can configure your WDM input and output streams.
In the Lancher window, go to Settings|WDM Setup.
The WDM Channel Mapper window will open. By default, WDM Outputs 1 and 2 are routed to the FireStudio Project main outputs. To change the default routing, simply select WDM Output 1 and 2 and drag them to your preferred output pair.

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3.1.4 The Device Window: FireStudio Project Mixer
The FireStudio Projects Device window allows you to create five stereo monitor mixes. The mixes can be renamed and saved. You can also rename your inputs and playback streams. These mixes have no effect on what is being recorded in your host application. This has obvious advantages. However, it is vital to remember that lowering the fader in the Device window on a channel strip that is clipping will not lower the signal that may also be clipping in your host application. You must set the level for the recording using the gain knobs on the face of the FireStudio Project. If your signal is too hot in your DAW, lower them with these gain controls. A quick note on playback streams: Wherever you see "DAW" in the FireStudio Project Device window, this is a playback stream from your host application (or DAW). Traditionally, if you want to route a track in your DAW to a physical output on your interface, you assign this output in your host application. Because the FireStudio Project Device window provides much more flexible routing, you can now route this same track to one output or every output, by itself or as part of a mix. Output Select Section
Output Select Buttons Changes the Output Mixer Displayed The FireStudio Project mixer has five output mixes: one for each of the FireStudio Projects five stereo outputs: General Purpose and S/PDIF. The mix created for General Purpose outputs 1 and 2 will also be routed to the main analog outputs and the headphone outputs.

Mixer On/Off Button

Enables or Disables the Associated Outputs Mixer When the Mixer On button is illuminated blue, you will be able to create a zero-latency mix for that output. When the button is off, the DAW streams for that output will be patched directly to the output.

Post Fader Output Meters

Displays the Output Level of Each Stereo Pair These meter postfader levels, which means they represent the actual audio output levels of your FireStudio Project.

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Master Output Section Master Output Fader
Changes the Selected Outputs Audio Level Move the Master Fader up and down to increase and decrease the level of the selected outputs audio. The amount of boost or attenuation, measured in decibels, is displayed below the Channel Fader. The range is from to 0 dB. Two virtual LED meters to the right of the Master Fader display the prefader levels of the audio signal. The peak value in dBFS of the channels audio is displayed directly above the Master Outputs virtual LED meter. NOTE: If the peak values display CLIP, then your mixer channels and/or your DAW playback levels should be reduced. The clip indicators clear when the mouse pointer hovers over them. Master Mute and Solo Clear Clears All Active Channel Mutes or Solos The Master Mute and Solo Clear buttons are only active when a channels mute or solo button is active.

Mixer Section

Channel Pan Sliders Moves the Channels Audio Left/Right in the Stereo Field Double-clicking the slider returns the pan to center. Link Buttons Links the Adjacent Channels as a Stereo Pair When channels are linked, changing either channels level changes both channels levels, and the signals are panned hard left and right. Channel Faders Changes the Channels Audio Level Move the Channel fader up and down to increase and decrease the channels audio level. The amount of boost or attenuation, measured in decibels, is displayed below the Channel Fader. The range is from to +6 dB. A virtual LED meter to the right of each fader displays the postfader level of the channels audio. The peak value, in dBFS, of the channels audio level is displayed directly above each channels virtual LED meter.

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Channel Mutes and Solos Adds the Channel to the Mute or Solo Bus Muting a channel silences the channels audio. Soloing a channel mutes all other unsoloed channels. Input Selectors Changes the Source of the FireStudio Project Mixer Channels Choosing No Input will hide the channel. Inputs are your hardware inputs (Mic, Inst, Line, and S/PDIF). Playback are your software DAW outputs.

S/PDIF In and Out Jacks. These allow the FireStudio Project to receive and transmit audio from other digital audio devices. The S/PDIF standard allows two channels of audio to be transmitted at rates up to 24 bit, 96 kHz. The S/PDIF input also allows the FireStudio Project to receive word clock.
You should select S/PDIF as the Clock Source and set the sample rate to correspond with the external device in the Universal Control Launch window when using the S/PDIF input.
MIDI Input and Output Ports. MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. However, MIDI can be used for many things other than instruments and sequencing. The MIDI inputs and outputs on the breakout cable allow connection to a variety of MIDI-equipped hardware, such as keyboard controllers, and can be used to send and receive MIDI Machine Control and MIDI Time Code.
Note: MIDI does not carry audio signals but is frequently used to trigger or control an audio source, such as a virtual instrument or hardware synthesizer. You should ensure that MIDI data is correctly sent and received by the appropriate hardware or software. You may also need to route hardware sound sources audio to the FireStudio Project. Please consult the Users Manual of your MIDI devices for help with MIDI setup and usage.

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Main Output. The audio source for the Main outputs is identical to that of General Purpose outputs 1 and 2 (DAW Playback 1 and 2, by default). The difference is that the output level of the Main outputs is controlled by the FireStudio Project Main volume knob on the front of the unit. General Purpose Line Outputs (TRS Balanced). These are general-purpose line-level outputs. Line outputs 1 and 2 are typically your computers audio playback. All eight Line outputs can be accessed by your computer and can be used for separate mixes, additional speakers, external effects processors, etc. Return 1 and 2 (Line Inputs). These are the line-level inputs for channels 1 and 2. Their gain structure is identical to the inputs for channels 3-8 and are typically used for signals not requiring preamplification (CD/MP3 players, effects processors, etc.). These inputs are normalled to the channel 1 and 2 preamp outputs, so they take precedence over the corresponding Mic/Instrument input on the front of the FireStudio Project. (This means that if a cable is plugged into the channel 1 return input on the rear of the FireStudio Project, the channel 1 Mic/Instrument input will be inactive, and it will become active again when the cable is removed from return input 1.) Send 1 and 2 (Preamp 1 and 2 Outputs). These jacks are balanced outputs of the preamps on channels 1 and 2. They are half-normalled to the preamp inputs 1 and 2, so plugging a cable into either of the preamp outputs does not interrupt the signal flow from the preamps to the AD converter.
Note: The Send outputs are typically used for patching in external signal processors (such as compressors, limiters, EQs, and de-essers) to process the audio signals on channels 1 or 2. These outputs are not connected to the digital-to-analog converters and so are only capable of routing the input signals from channels 1 and 2. If you need to route recorded audio or input from channels 3 through 8, you will need to use the FireStudio Project Device window to route the input to one or more of the General Purpose Outputs.

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CASCADING UNITS
4.1 USING MULTIPLE FIRESTUDIO FAMILY INTERFACES
Universal Control allows you to connect up to four FireStudio Projects or to connect any member of the FireStudio family of interfaces with any other. Once you have installed the Universal Control and FireStudiofamily driver on your computer, no further installation is required for any FireStudio product to connect to your system. PreSonus supports the connection of up to four devices or a limit of 52 inputs and outputs (whichever comes first) to any one system at a time. However, the ability to use more than two units simultaneously depends on your computers specifications and optimization. If you plan to use 3 or more units at the same time, installation of a dedicated FireWire bus with a tested and approved FireWire chipset and at least 2 GB of RAM is highly recommended. A list of approved chipsets can be found in Section 5.1 of this manual. Updated lists are available at www.presonus.com. Below is a diagram showing the possible device combinations that you can use with your FireStudio Project and the resulting input and output count.

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How to Cascade Multiple FireStudio Interfaces: The first time you add any FireStudio-family interface to your system, please follow these guidelines: 1. Go to www.presonus.com and check for the latest build of the Universal Control application. 2. Connect and sync each of your FireStudio-family interfaces to your computer separately before cascading them. 3. Once a unit is individually connected, launch the Universal Control application. In the Launch window, go to Settings|Check Firmware and verify that each unit has the latest firmware. 4. When the last unit has been updated, connect a second unit to the auxiliary FireWire port on the back of the first unit. Allow the second unit to sync to your computer. 5. Connect additional units to your computer in this manner, one at a time, allowing each to sync before connecting another FireStudio-family interface. 6. Once all your units are connected and synced, launch the Universal Control application. The individual Device Window buttons will be shown in the Launch window in the order of their internal ID number. The unit with the lowest ID number will always be at the top of the list. This unit will also be the first set of inputs and outputs your DAW application sees. The unit with the next highest ID number will be the next set, and so on. Because of this, it is important to cascade your FireStudio interfaces in the proper order from your computer so that you know which input belongs to which unit.

your FireStudio Project.

Flashing Sync Light The FireStudio Projects Sync light flashes red and blue when it is not synced. Check the FireWire cable to ensure that it hasnt become disconnected. If you are using an external digital device, and your Clock Source is set to the correct digital input, set the sample rate in the Universal Control to the same sample rate as that of your master clock. If you are not using an external device to generate word clock, open the Universal Control and set the Clock Source to Internal. Audio Dropouts Audio dropouts can occur when the speed of your processor cannot buffer audio fast enough. Increase your buffer size in the Universal Control and try the different Operation Modes on the Hardware Settings tab. No Input Signal on Channels 1-8 1. Check your mic cable. In order to access the microphone preamp, you must use an XLR cable. The TRS connection in the combo jacks for inputs 3-8 bypass the microphone preamp entirely. 2. Make sure the microphone does not require phantom power. If it does, press the 48V button. Note:
Engaging phantom power will place +48V on channels 1-4. Ensure nothing will be damaged by phantom power being present on the adjacent channel.
3. If there is no signal on Channel 1 or 2, make sure nothing is plugged into the line input on the rear of the FireStudio. The return inputs on channels 1 and 2 take precedence over the combo input on the front of the unit for channels 1 and 2. If a cable is plugged into the return input on channel 1, then the mic/instrument input on channel one will be inactive until the cable is removed from return input 1

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Recommended FireWire Chipsets The FireStudio Project will work with a wide range of FireWire cards and configurations. However, due to the plethora of FireWire chipsets currently on the market, it is not possible to thoroughly test each one for compatibility. Most users will not need to alter their current PC configuration to use their FireStudio Project. The following FireWire chipsets, however, have been tested and approved for use with the FireStudio Project: Agere/LSI FW323-06 TI TSB43AB23 VIA VT6308 VIA VT6306 (On some older motherboards this chipset will only support a limited number of playback channels: 32 channels at 44.1 or 48 kHz; 16 channels at 88.2 or 96 kHz.)

As a commitment to constant improvement, PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc., reserves the right to change any specification stated herein at any time, without notification.

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Presonus FireStudio Projectl Reviews
tracks on your DAW, or for creating
PreSonus FireStudio Project 350

stereo monitor

mixes and routing them
to the outs on the back. It's this software that has allowed the unit to appear deceptively simple, with all
controls (bar the eight handy gains on the front) rendered on screen. There's even room on the front for eight threesegment LEDs for level monitoring this

time. Not essential,

but nice if you're and using the
The features you need at a keen price point. Daniel Griffiths checks whether the cut-down FireStudio still matches its full-featured brother
WHAT IS IT? 1Ox1 FireWire 0 audio interiace CONTACT Who:HHB Tel:+44 (0)5000 Web: Dresonus.com HIGHUGHTS 1 Easyto use 2 Greatmic pres 3 Toughand portable the praises of Presonus' FireStudio - a 19-incher power supply is built in, so no more bespoke power plug to remember bring. Out front, there's the same eight Class-A XMAX PreSonus mic pres that we've had the pleasure of using in the past while at the back there's a nononsense selection of stereo send and outs and a main to

away from a computer

Project as a simple set of pres.

Fired up

Sound quality was identical FireStudio to our - these mic pres really are
up to the job of getting the best out of your mics, sounding warm and full and
- once again - in our tests with Logic, it worked perfectly. interface Logic found the

equipped

in with 195, we sung packed issue enough ins and
and offered up its ins and outs That said, the
outs to satisfy the busiest of project studios. And with top-quality mic-pres in attendance, Presonus
at the first attempt. software
bundle is so extensive you

plus a talk-back

don't need to already own a DAW at all! The Project is up against plenty of stiff competition - the excellent Fast
MSR remote control option,
we could see it making the grade in many commercial facilities. In fact, our

return, eight individual

stereo pair. Plus the usual MIDI In and Out and a pair of FireWires. The main casualty of the cut down has been the digital S/PDIF ins and outs and sixteen So the choice is
Track Ultra 8R from M-Audio springs to mind, which features such luxuries as a pair of head phone outs and S/PDIF round the back - but if you're fussy about your mic pres then the Project is well worth checking out. FM
main bugbear was the slight overkill of
High-speedFireWire audio interface 24-bit resolutionupto 96k sample rate Eight Class-AXMAX mic preampswith gain controls Eight analogueline inputs, two instrument inputs MIDI 110 JetPLL jitter elimination technology Zerolatency DSP full-matrix mixer/router PreSonus ProPak software suite with CubaseLE4, CubaseLE4 Demystified DVDtutorial, WaveArts TrackPlugLE,WaveArts MasterverbLE,PreSonus EyeQ, udioDamage A FuuPlus2 and Filterpod, PluggoJr,CamelCrusher, BFDLite, DiscreteDrums Sampler,Twiddly
features, maki ng it a rather heavyweight option for the home user yet - due to it's diminutive considered rack size - never
channel ADAT support. the full FireStudio.
truly 'pro' by more serious
simple - if you need these, check out If not - and we

studio owners.

suspect that many home users don't -

Fire starter

Which brings us to the FireStudio Project - an at-a-glance identical

FutoceMusic

then go for the Project. It even comes with a stripped-down version of the same Control Station software that we heaped praise on last time around. FireControl for Mac or PC

VERDICT

looking unit that strips out some of the more exotic jacks to leave behind a feature set ideally placed to ensnare home users who are serious about their sound. The Project offers the same rock-sol id construction as it's bigger rack

EASE OFUSE

gives extensive routi ng and level options for every in and out, effectively sitting

VERSATILITY RESULTS

between the hardware and the internal brains of your DAW. It's a brilliantly simple any into therefore 18xlO matrix that'lIlet you send
brother and once again the 19-inch is surprisingly shallow (about four
any out. The options are enormous - be it to simply
Great pres, backed up with great software. Getting quality sound into your DAW has never been easier.
inches) meaning that it's easily portable. And - as a bonus this time around - the

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send eight mics or line ins to eight

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