Loud, clear, customizable mixes.

High-quality monitoring is crucial for artists to deliver their best performance, so we’ve given the EarMix 16M a loud, clear headphone amplifier that can drive low-impedance devices such as professional-caliber in-ear-monitors. We started with a top of the line digital-to-analog converter for the best dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio. We took special care in the amplifier design to deliver excellent sound with a wide range of in-ear monitors and headphones with different impedances. Controls and inputs can be customized on each unit to allow each musician to create a mix that works best for them. Once you’ve perfected a set of monitor mixes, save the whole scene to internal memory; you can store and recall up to 16 mix scenes locally.

What is an AVB network?

Audio networking is much more than just a way to connect a digital snake. With an AVB network, you can connect digital audio devices over long distances using CAT5e or CAT6 Ethernet cable and route your audio anywhere on the network with extremely low latency. AVB offers several unique benefits that make it a better choice for audio than other networking protocols. For example, AVB provides a high-precision clock that significantly reduces harmonic distortion and phasing, ensuring your audio stays clear and clean. AVB ensures you always have enough bandwidth to carry your low latency audio—even when your intern starts streaming a movie. These important benefits are an inherent part of AVB; you don’t need to do anything special to your devices or AVB switch. And you can only get them with AVB.

Your ears—and bands—will thank you.

EarMix 16M’s connectivity, AVB networking with PoE, and PreSonus’ famed hardware/software integration give you all the tools you need to create a truly professional personal monitoring system that can serve even the largest ensembles. We remembered the little things, too, like an optional microphone stand mount. Best of all, thanks to loud, clear headphone amps, high-end converters, and top-quality signal processing, EarMix 16M delivers exceptional sound quality that will further enhance your hard-earned reputation as an audio professional.

Analog Input/Output

• 1/8-inch stereo aux input
• 2 Balanced ¼-inch TRS line outputs
• ¼-inch TRS stereo headphone output with loud, clear headphone amp that can drive low-impedance in-ear monitors

Meters, Controls, and Processing

• 3-band EQ with sweepable mid frequency on all channels and main mix
• Limiter on all channels and main mix
• Stereo channel linking
• Channel grouping
• Solo and Mute
• Mix scene Store and Recall; store up to 16 mix scenes locally
• 16 Signal present and clip LEDs (one for each input)
• 8-segment stereo output meter
• Channel Level rotary control with 8-segment level indicator
• Aux Input level control
• Independent Monitor (line out) and Phones level controls
• Routing setup from StudioLive Series III consoles and UC Surface

Digital

• 16 mono channels of input via AVB networking
• 2 AVB Ethernet ports
• 24 bit, up to 48 kHz operation

Power

• External 24 VDC power supply (included)
• Support for PoE power

Physical

• Mic stand mounting option (sold separately)

Building an EarMix System

STEP 1: Connecting Your Existing Audio System

Like a traditional personal monitor mixing system, EarMix starts with a rack-mount input module. Available with 16, 24, or 32 local inputs, StudioLive Series III rack mixers will take your personal monitoring to the next level. Because the EarMix input module is a stand-alone mixer, you have Gate, EQ, Compression, and Limiting on every input and bus, plus the ability to create up to four effects mixes with reverb or delay.

In addition to the master effects and dynamics processing available on the StudioLive Series III rack-mount mixer, each EarMix 16M is equipped with a 3-band EQ and Limiter for each of the 16 channels, plus the master. More on that in a minute.

OPTION 1: Direct Connect

StudioLive Series III rack mixers are available in 16-, 24-, and 32-channel input configurations. This allows you to choose how much busing you would like to do from your Front-of-House mixer. For example, if your FOH mixer has 32-channels, each with their own direct output, you may wish to directly connect a StudioLive 32R and do your busing locally on your EarMix System.

In this configuration, you will need to create subgroups on your StudioLive 32R and route those buses to one of the 16 network inputs available on your EarMix 16M. The advantage of this system is that the mixing and processing for your EarMix System are entirely self-contained. This allows you to provide your musicians with a true monitor mix experience, because all compression and EQ settings are customized for the stage and completely separated from what the audience is hearing in the main mix.

OPTION 2: Get on the Bus

Maybe your mixer isn’t equipped with direct outputs on every channel. Or maybe you’re on a tight budget and would like to save some cost. In this configuration, you will take a much larger mix and bus it down to a more manageable number. So, in our example, a 32-channel mix becomes 14 buses that are then connected to a StudioLive 16R.

In this example, you can still use the StudioLive 16R’s processing to add bus compression and EQ that is customized for your performers, freeing up your Front-of-House engineer to dial in the sound for the audience. You can also use the StudioLive 16R’s two effects buses to add Reverb and Delay to any instrument group that you wish. These return streams can then be routed to individual channels on the EarMix 16M, allowing each musician to set their own wet / dry blend.

With either option, once you have dialed in the processing and levels for your EarMix system, you no longer need to have a computer, iPad, or Android tablet connected to your StudioLive rack mixer. All settings and routing will be stored and remain unchanged until you reconnect software control and make an alteration to your set-up.

STEP 2: Distributing Audio Over the Network

Once your analog connections are made, the next step is to add a switch, so that audio can be sent to the EarMix 16M mixers. This is where the PreSonus SW5e comes in. This compact AVB switch allows you to connect up to four (4) EarMix 16M mixers and will provide power to each of them. Multiple switches can be daisy-chained to connect more EarMix 16M mixers as needed.

STEP 3: Local Mixing and Listening

EarMix 16M mixers provide a truly customizable listening experience for each musician. Once the sources are connected, each musician can add EQ and limiting to each channel, plus the Main Mix. Channels can be grouped, providing a single level control for multiple channels that is determined by the musician controlling the mix, not a distant and distracted Front-of-House engineer.

And EarMix 16M personal monitor mixers can be connected to in-ear monitors and headphones, or powered speakers or amps, so no matter how your musicians wish to hear themselves, they can control their mix from stage.

Powerful, flexible, and affordable, EarMix provides professional personal monitoring that is easy to integrate into existing systems and even easier to use.