Alesis Studio 12R
The Alesis Studio 12R is a 12-channel, 3U rack-mountable mixer and microphone preamplifier. It was aimed at recording studios, live sound reinforcement, and fixed installations. EQ Magazine (December 1996, p.19) described it as a straightforward, no-frills design that packed serious utility into a small rack footprint.
The Studio 12R has eight hybrid/discrete mic preamps. Each delivers up to 60 dB of gain with low noise, and there is enough headroom to drive digital recorders at full dynamic range. Every channel has a balanced XLR mic input with 48 V phantom power, a balanced ¼-inch line input, a long-throw 60 mm linear fader, and high and low EQ. Each channel also gets two aux sends. Aux 1 is pre-fader for monitor or headphone feeds. Aux 2 is post-fader for external effects. The master section is compact: a single 60 mm logarithmic master fader, a dual 10-segment multicolored LED meter bridge, and level controls for the aux return and phones output.
A note on the names. Period coverage consistently uses the full name Alesis Studio 12R, and that seems to have been the official product name. The "12R" shorthand likely came from rack-mount convention.
Known specs from period reviews:
- 12 channels, 3U rack-mount format
- 8 hybrid/discrete mic preamps with 60 dB gain
- Balanced XLR mic inputs + balanced ¼-inch line inputs per channel
- 48 V phantom power on all mic channels
- 60 mm linear faders per channel; 60 mm logarithmic master fader
- High and low EQ per channel
- 2 aux sends (Aux 1 pre-fader, Aux 2 post-fader)
- Dual 10-segment multicolored LED meter bridge
Several things are not documented. Production years, original price, exact weight, and the finer points of the EQ circuitry are absent from the surviving record. If those details surface, this page will be updated.
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