At PreSonus, AIR exists because there’s a seemingly endless demand for high-quality active 2-way loudspeaker systems with optional subwoofers.
With the sub as the base, a pole inserted into the mounting cup, and a 2-way box on top, you have a compact ground stack that takes up little space in a small club, church hall, school — anywhere you need a portable full range system that can easily be disassembled and stored until needed.
For installation, most of these systems come ready to be hung from any reliable structure. The 2-way boxes are usually trapezoidal so they can double as stage monitors. Most importantly, these systems are very layman friendly and capable of taking a lot of abuse — an important consideration when the application calls for the keys to be turned over to someone who knows less than nothing about sound… and wants to keep it that way. So, while there are already dozens of options in this crowded market, PreSonus seems positive there is room for one more.
The Perfect Opportunity
Following convention, PreSonus uses plywood for the AIR15s and AIR18s subs, and molded polypropylene for the AIR10, AIR12, and AIR15 2-way systems. While you check out the comparison chart on the PreSonus website for all the minute details, I’ll load the truck with a couple of AIR15 tops and AIR15s subs and head out to a live event where we can determine if these are as good as the specs show, or if it’s all hot AIR.
Severed Heads is an Australian electronic music group that’s been around from the late ‘70s. The current members are Tom Ellard and Stewart Lawler. Tom has been around almost from the group’s beginning, enduring various dissolutions and reunions along the way.
The venue was the Rochester Memorial Art Gallery—or to be specific, the ballroom. It was originally constructed as the women’s student union for the University of Rochester and first opened in 1933. Needless to say, the building exudes an all-consuming splendor from that period—highlighted by a high ceiling, flat wood and stone walls and tall stained-glass windows. Pretty lively, to say the least.
The Setup
This was the inaugural event in what is planned as a series of concerts, so the first thing was to plot a sensible layout. The stage runs nearly the width of the room, but there’s a lift that juts out from the stage, splitting the area in front into two sections—approximately 70/30. To compensate, we shifted the center of the performance area to the 70 percent side.
The main focus of a Severed Heads concert is the original video content that runs in sync with the live audio. The rider specified a rear projection system that swallowed up 20 feet of backstage space, pushing the duo pretty close to the leading edge of the stage. The ballroom can comfortably handle a crowd of 400 standing, but the promoter’s expectation was that most people would want to hang close to the front of the stage, so it was mostly SRO.
For the P.A., it was decided the best solution was to place one AIR15s sub with a pole mounted AIR15 2-way on the floor at either side of the projection screen. The 2-way tops were angled in to provide coverage close to the stage without risking feedback. To fill the side areas and reinforce the bass, an additional sub and top by another manufacturer were placed to the outside of the PreSonus AIR systems. This secondary system helped push the sound past the fans in the foreground while the two PreSonus AIR ground stacks did most of the heavy lifting. All AIR speakers have an LCD screen with EQ and multiple presets. With the built-in signal processing, customizing the system for a particular application (FOH mains, monitor wedges, DJ use, or for improved speech intelligibility) is a simple task. The treble and bass controls allow for a boost or cut by 10 dB to compensate for the room. For this application, we matched up the AIR15 and AIR15s subs and let the DSP sort it all out.
There are two combo XLR mic/TRS line inputs, each with a Class A microphone preamp and their own gain controls. A stereo 1/8” connection is provided for your “consumer” devices. With the internal mixer, you can combine these signals and send a balanced XLR Mix to other loudspeakers.
As the strict rules of the house dictated that nothing could be set up on the floor out from the stage, the best choice among my small collection of mixers was a PreSonus StudioLive 16.4.2. I anticipated that the mixer’s wireless control feature would allow me to roam about the floor, appearing to be just another nameless face while holding in my hands the power to control all that was coming from the loudspeakers and stage monitors. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Due to a not-yet-resolved issue, I have been unable to get the StudioLive on speaking terms with my network. This is not to imply that there’s any issue with the mixer, it could be elsewhere in the network, or even some simple boneheaded oversight on behalf of the operator. In any case, PreSonus support has been responsive and helpful—but we can’t all stand around scratching our heads when there’s a show to do. The only option was to set up in a convenient spot behind the drape at stage left.
AIR Pluses
With the audio and video dialed in, Tom and Stewart took the stage for a remarkable two-hour show. The PreSonus ground stacks covered the main center section of the audience evenly, with vocals clearly cutting through over the fervent background that included numerous frequency ending is explosive bass notes.
Now, maybe it’s my OCD, but it drives me wacky when I see a two-way top box on a stand or pole cocked left or right like a confused German Shepherd. Some boxes come with hard plastic mounting cups, some metal — and all too often, they won’t hold the loudspeaker at 90°.
PreSonus appears to have worked some sort of voodoo and come up with a unique stand mount that not only keeps the speaker vertical, but also provides for a 7.5° forward tilt. Just press the buttons on the bottom of the speaker to unlock it from the current position. Tilt forward or back, and it locks into the other position, and you can do it while it’s on the stand. The other end of the pole is threaded to mate with the connection point on the sub. With the pole snugged down on and the top box in position, the unit stands strong and straight.
While name implies that the AIR speakers are lightweight, that depends on what you compare them to. They are well balanced and do have several features that make life better for those of us who lug around portable sound gear. AIR10, AIR12, and AIR15 two-ways have built-in handles with excellent grip for carrying either vertically or horizontally. There is only one side handle on each box, so lifting them on the stands requires one-hand to be under. Oh, and a big shout out to whoever decided to recess the control panel deep so that the knobs don’t get caught when I slide them into my truck. Much appreciated.
Having used the PreSonus AIR15 and AIR15s at a dozen or so live music and DJ shows over the summer, there’s no doubt that PreSonus has stepped into this market with a product that merits consideration. They have incredible sound—clean and punchy, and plenty of power. Their feature set is impressive, and they are easy to live with in terms of loading and lugging. When you need a speaker that you (or one of your clients) can set and forget, the PreSonus AIR systems fill the bill.
At A Glance: The Gig
The author used PreSonus’ AIR series for a Severed Heads show in Rochester, NY. The gear (like the band) was mostly heard and not seen, with emphasis purposely placed on the video screens.
PreSonus AIR Series
Pros:
- Excellent sound, ample power to cover an audience of 200-250 (depending on venue) or typical dance floor (DJ)
- Built-In mixer on two-way boxes
- Signal processor makes it very easy to “set and forget”
- Innovative stand mount on two-ways
Cons:
- Only one side handle, two would make hoisting onto a stand faster and easier
- Signal processor adjustments require you see the display—make sure you get it right at soundcheck
Pricing:
PreSonus Air10 1200W 10” Powered Speaker – 499.95
PreSonus Air12 1200W 12” Powered Speaker – 599.95
PreSonus Air15 1200W 15” Powered Speaker – 699.95
PreSonus AIR15s 1200w 15” powered subwoofer – 799.95
PreSonus AIR18s 1200w 18” powered subwoofer – 999.95
