Studiomaster live desks have been described as "the best kept secret in rock and roll". The Trilogy is designed to carry on this tradition, but also be at home in the studio. Has it fallen between two stools, or is that just the drummer? Martin Walker plugs in.

Studiomaster have been building quality mixing desks for years. Most of the time, they stay out of the limelight, seemingly content to let their reputation speak for them. The only time they really changed from evolutionary to revolutionary was the ill-fated Star System mixer — a brave attempt to create a new design that catered for people with no preconceptions. The bulk of the controls were on a vertical panel, with only the faders on a small horizontal 'foot'. This resulted in a unit that had loads of inputs and great versatility, but with a small desk 'footprint'. Sadly, although Studiomaster came up with a great design, most potential purchasers were too conservative for it to be a huge success.

Now they are at it again. The Trilogy is advertised as an 'Innovative Concept in Audio Design' and is designed to be equally at home for multitrack studio recording, front of house, and stage monitoring. However, this time, although there are unique features that can be adjusted to suit the particular application, the design and look is fairly traditional. It would certainly be extremely useful to uproot a recording desk for live use, rather than having a separate one. But are there any compromises? Read on and find out.

OVERVIEW

The first thing that struck me as I opened the box (no, it wasn't a loose power supply) was just how good the Trilogy looked. We've all seen the adverts, but how often do you find a product that looks better in the flesh than under the photographers soft-focus and spot-lit publicity shots? It is also ergonomically designed. All of the rotary controls have differently coloured pointers that can easily be seen from a distance. Under dimly lit live conditions, the EQ and Pan controls show up best, along with the routing buttons and faders — this makes it easy to sum up at a glance what is happening in your mix. There are 14 mono mic/line input channels and two stereo channels (each with both mono mic and stereo line inputs). These all have six aux sends and four-buss plus L-R output routing.

The inputs and output sockets are mounted on the top of the desk rather than on the back panel. People will always argue about this one. Personally, I find it useful to see just what's plugged in where. If you are using a patchbay, then it probably is nicer to keep mixer sockets out of sight, but for live use in particular, having all of the sockets in plain view means that you can see everything at a glance, nothing can be pulled out accidentally without it being immediately visible, and quick channel swaps can be performed if a crackly channel develops during a gig, without having to disappear round the back with a torch.

On the Master section, there are four further stereo Aux inputs, comprehensive monitoring options, four group faders, and a stereo ganged L-R fader. This gives a total of 16 mic inputs and 12 line inputs (a grand total of 28 inputs).

CHANNEL STRIP

Each mic/line channel has a balanced XLR input for low Z mics, as well as a TRS quarter-inch jack for balanced line levels (plugging in a mono jack lead will convert this to unbalanced operation). It's nice to see line levels with this facility — even pseudo-balanced cables can result in far better hum rejection on stage than running unbalanced lines everywhere. Phantom power (48 Volts) can be globally applied to the mic inputs from a recessed switch in the master section, which has an associated warning LED. For maximum versatility, internal links can be removed on individual channels if required — a neat touch if your mic collection is fixed, with only a few requiring power. Next up is the Insert with traditional TRS (Tip = send, Ring = return) wiring, so that you can patch in effects such as compressors to specific channels (pre-EQ), and then a Direct Out (post-fade), which could be used as individual sends to a multitrack recorder in the studio. The Gain control operates from 12 to 60dB (with a 20dB pad on the line input), and this should cater for nearly everything.

"I liked the positive action of the faders, and the dust seals on fader slots are good for preventing crackles in the future."

(Click image for higher resolution version)

The EQ section is three-band, with Lo at 60Hz, Hi at 12kHz (both with a shelving response), and a fixed-Q swept mid which goes from 350Hz to 6kHz. At the lower end, there is also a 100Hz bass roll-off switch, which is almost a necessity on a live desk to remove stage-derived rumbles from mics, but which can also be used in conjunction with Lo boost for a different bottom end response. It seems a gentler roll-off than some, but this can often result in a more 'musical' sound.

Next up are six aux sends, grouped into three pairs (1/2, 3/4, 5/6). The first two pairs can each be switched pre/post, with pre-fader normally used for on-stage foldback use, and post for effect use where the fader settings are relevant. The third pair (5/6) default to pre-fader for foldback use, but can be changed to post-fader or pre-EQ by moving links within the body of the mixer. I didn't open everything up to see how easy it was, but this sort of option can win a lot of friends.

The Pan control is next, followed by the routing switches — Mute with an associated LED for the pre/post Aux sends as well as the channel output, and three routing switches sending L-R, 1/2, and 3/4 to the group or stereo busses.

Below the routing buttons are both Peak and Signal LEDs. 'Signal' lights for any level in excess of -20dB — this is a real comfort. Especially for live use, knowing that a signal is present can help a great deal when you have a lot of channels on the go. The Peak LED indicates that the channel signal is approaching its maximum level. It would be nice to know how much more headroom there is before clipping, but in the absence of this figure, occasional flashes and your ears should tell you if anything is wrong. It seems to monitor at several places along the signal chain, as it responds to overload from the gain control, EQ section, and the channel fader. This is excellent if you like sailing close to the wind with your levels to optimise signal to noise ratio.

Below these is the Listen switch, which is globally switchable between PFL (Pre Fade Listen) mode, normally used when trimming gain controls when setting up, and Solo (Solo In Place or SIP) which maintains the stereo position and fader setting — this is more useful if auditioning a channel in isolation, whilst hearing its contribution to the mix unchanged. The Listen buttons are all latching, so that multiple channels can be auditioned simultaneously (also handy when two adjacent channels are carrying a stereo signal). Finally, the channel fader, which is of the 60mm variety, has a reassuring amount of mechanical resistance — just right for slow fades without jerkiness, and in live use, it is unlikely to get moved by accident. There is also a dust seal on all faders, which should ensure their longevity in more hostile environments.

"The Lo and Hi EQ work well, tailoring the sound in a smooth way..."

The Trilogy 206 under review has 14 of these mono channels, followed by two mono/stereo channels (Studiomaster have coined these MON:STER, but I'll let them off this time). It is unusual to still retain a mono mic input on ostensibly stereo channels, but very welcome all the same. The line input sockets are L/Mono and Right, again both balanced on TRS jacks. Both mic and stereo line inputs have their own gain control, another lovely touch. Apart from the obvious change from Pan to Balance control for stereo use, the other differences from the mono channels are the lack of Send/Return and Direct Out, plus a more restricted EQ — still three-band but with a fixed frequency of 1.6kHz. However, rather than mix both mic and line through the same EQ, the Trilogy has an option to assign the EQ to either mic or line. This feature has another use — for the line inputs, it effectively acts as an EQ bypass when switched to the mic position.

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE

The Master section controls the main and buss output levels, Aux sends and Returns, metering, and mode switching (more about this later). At the top are the four balanced group outputs on TRS jacks at +4dBu. There are four balanced stereo Aux inputs, the first three are on TRS jacks (again, use only the L/Mono socket for mono use), and the fourth has a pair of unbalanced phono sockets. These will probably be used for connecting a DAT or cassette for playback of stereo mixes (or background music for gigs), and although musos don't like phonos, it does save making up special jack to phono leads. Aux Inputs 3 and 4 have single rotary level controls (stereo ganged) and a listen switch, whilst 1 and 2 also have a two-band EQ (60Hz and 12kHz — same as the other inputs), and sends to Aux 5 and 6. Aux 1 also has a routing switch to L-R (out) or 1-2 (in), whilst Aux 2 has a similar option for L-R or 3/4.

The six Aux sends each have a rotary master level control and associated Listen switch; these signals appear as a vertical strip of six Aux output sockets for foldback or effects use. Also in this cluster of sockets, the back panel main L-R outputs are duplicated, firstly on balanced TRS jacks, as well as an unbalanced pair at -10dBV on phonos (which will probably be mostly used to connect a DAT machine for live recordings). Both Group 1 and 2 outputs and the L-R outputs have Send and Return sockets for global compression, EQ or enhancement to be patched in.

The final socket is Control Room. This is an unbalanced TRS stereo jack output (duplicated by a Phones socket further down), which listens either to the normal L-R output, or PFL/Solo signals if any Listen button has been pressed. This is one of the few niggles that I have. How many control room power amps have you seen with stereo inputs? Although you could probably also use this socket for a second phones output (both have an output impedance of 33 Ohms, so should be suitable for most phones apart from the 8 Ohm variety), I'd still prefer to see two separate mono jack sockets, and also separate level control for control room and phones outputs, rather than the combined one next to the phones output.

Below the Aux section are routing switches for 1/2 to L-R, 3/4 to L-R (for hearing the group outputs on the main mix), four Listen switches for the groups, and the four group faders, along with the clever bit that gives the Trilogy its name — a pair of recessed switches (use a ball-point pen) bearing the legend 'Stage Mode'. When these are in the normal (recording) position, the four group faders operate as you would expect, controlling the output level of the four main mixing busses, routed by the appropriate channel switches, and appearing on the four Group output jacks.

"Studiomaster deserve to do well with this one, both in small studios and for general live use."

In Stage Mode (LED on), the 1/2 switch reconnects Aux 1/2 to the first two faders (the 3/4 switch does the same for Aux 3/4), as well as connecting these signals to the four outputs formerly used by the group signals. Meanwhile, the four group signals are re-routed to the first four rotary Aux send pots, and from there out of the first four outputs of the six Aux out set. This sounds more complicated than it is. In practice, for live work, you get the four faders for controlling multiple monitor mixes from Aux sends 1-4. In addition, the four outputs controlled by these faders are balanced, so are more suitable for live use in hostile environments. In studio mode, the four Group faders give four balanced feeds to a multitrack. Once you get your head round it, this really does optimise the mixer for the appropriate function, and it works well.

To help distinguish those controls affected by the changeover, they each have the recording function labelled, with the stage function labelled beneath this in smaller print, plus a blue triangle. So, by looking for the blue triangle, you can easily see which controls are affected. And by recessing the two buttons, there is no possibility of altering them by accident and getting thoroughly confused. All in all, an excellent idea, and far easier to get to grips with in the flesh (so to speak!).

The final controls are the main ganged L-R fader, which are often easier to use in practice than controlling a pair during long fade outs (how many desks have you seen with the two master faders taped or otherwise connected together for this reason?). Have I left anything out? Oh yes, the Meters. These are of the twin LED ladders type, with a PPM response, and normally monitor the L-R mix, switching to monitoring PFL or Solo level if any Listen button has been pressed. Above the L-R fader is the phones socket with its level control (also controlling the Control Room output as mentioned above) and the Listen Mode switch, with separate LEDs showing either green for PFL or yellow in Solo mode. If any Listen button has been pressed, the appropriate LED starts flashing to indicate that you are in Listen Mode.

GETTING TWIDDLY

Right, now that we've got the description of the controls out of the way, what did they actually feel like? Well, they all operated smoothly, partly because each rotary control is individually bolted to the front panel, rather than poking through a hole and risking chafing on the side of it as some designs do. They all have a fairly firm resistance, so that they don't get moved accidentally. There were a few tiny crackles from the odd control, but I'd happily put that down to misuse of the review model. The mic preamps use a hybrid transistor/IC circuit that gives very low noise, and the desk was indeed very quiet in use overall — well up to a studio environment.

I noticed during setup that one of the gain controls ended up in a different position from the rest. This turned out to be because the pots and their knobs are splined rather than having a 'flat' position for the knob to locate itself. Simply pulling off the offending knob and properly aligning the knob pointer with the pot at one end stop sorted this out. Some of the knobs might be a bit too close together if you are a one-man roadie/live engineer with the strength and hands of a gorilla, but I doubt that many people would find them much of a problem, especially as the alternative would be a bigger and heavier desk.

"There was a transparency about the overall sound..."

The Lo and Hi EQ work well, tailoring the sound in a smooth way, and they would suit live use. Having turnover frequencies of 60Hz and 12kHz is fairly common. Some desks adopt 100Hz and 10kHz for more dramatic effect, but these do tend to encourage boomy bass and screeching highs, whereas most people want welly and crispness, for which the Studiomaster frequencies are more appropriate. The mid-range has its bandwidth optimised nicely (I measured it at two octaves); narrower EQs are useful for tuning out problem areas but sound less 'musical' than a wider bandwidth. Part of the historical US/UK EQ differences lie in this area, and lower Q (wider bandwidth) designs tend to be more associated with 'classic' UK mixing desks. Studiomaster describe theirs as a cool 'British' design, and who am I to argue? My only niggle is that at 350Hz to 6kHz, the mid-range sweep could do with going down a bit lower, many desks get down to around 200Hz. It is often here that a little cut can help reduce boominess, for example with acoustic guitar sounds. I liked the positive action of the faders, and the dust seals on fader slots are good for preventing crackles in the future. There was a transparency about the overall sound — I found myself listening to CDs played through it all the time I was writing this review, and kept noticing subtle details that I'd missed before.

SUMMING THE OUTPUTS

I liked this desk a lot. Its main claim to fame is the Stage Mode, and this is well thought out, allowing the most important functions for recording (groups) and live use (foldback) to be moved to fader operation, as well as emerging on balanced output sockets. Small touches like the EQ assign on the MON:STER channels, and the PFL/Solo option are genuinely useful. All desks are a compromise between versatility and cost, but this one has few. Having the option to alter internal push-on links to customise your mixer is an added bonus, and the extra controls on the panel help to keep the cost down. Phantom power can be disconnected from any input individually using link LK1, and Aux 3/4 can be altered from post to pre-EQ when using the Pre front panel switch position by setting link JP2. Finally, Aux 5/6 can be converted from their normal pre-fader use to either post-fade or pre-EQ using links at JP1.

The inclusion of a 1 kHz line-up oscillator would have been useful for studio use, but a keyboard can soon be pressed into duty for this role, and for live use it could be disastrous if someone pressed the switch accidentally when connected to a large PA system. The instruction manual has a useful section on setting up the Trilogy for multitrack or PA use, along with a guide to problem areas such as feedback from vocal mics, and apart from omitting a block diagram of the circuitry, contains everything you might need to know.

From the long-term point of view, Studiomaster desks have been used since the '70s and have an excellent reputation for reliability, working night after night not only for gigs, but also in fixed installations such as theatres, clubs, and colleges. Each channel of the Trilogy is on a separate circuit board, which although increasing the build cost makes repair much quicker and easier if it is ever needed, as well as allowing the controls to be mounted more rigidly — again, another plus point for live use.

Apart from the 206 reviewed here, there is also a 166 version, which costs around £760, with only 10 mono mic channels rather than the 14 of the 206 version. This can also be rackmounted (12U height) if required. They can both use the 140EX expander (also rackmountable if desired; priced at just under £600) to provide an additional eight mono and two mono/stereo channels. This aspect will also win Studiomaster more friends — when your desk runs out of inputs, most people have to sell up and start again. I must admit that for the first time, I was really sorry to see a review item leave my hands. Studiomaster deserve to do well with this one, both in small studios and for general live use.

Studiomaster Trilogy 206 £911 inc VAT.

Studiomaster, (Contact Details)