PreSonus Central Station Plus Rackmount Monitor Controller with Remote Reviews

Built Solid
Secure and tight input/output jacks
Awesome LED strip indicators
Very quiet and equal left/right volume control
Talk Back Function a great add
Built in XLR mic input a great add
Lit selector buttons for visibility in low light
Multi Input/Output Buffett
The Remote Controller is FANTASTIC! (Small desktop footprint with 1 cable).
I would recommend this for any home studio

It's a monitor controller. I've had one since probably 2006... I did have the original pronged power adapter... which crapped out at one point...but I was fortunate to find another one. That was 10 years ago at least.
Should it happen again. I'll just get another Central Sation with the newer adapter. Why?

It's a great unit...I use the digital inputs for monitoring from the board. Has multiple inputs from other sources.
I have 2 sets of monitors and a sub. Works great for switching or combining. Trim pots are on the front making it easier to set levels and balance with the handy mono button.

Never used the talk back... not in a space that needs it.
The headphone output is totally fine with the 3 phones I've used with it.

It's not supposed to do anything more than let you hear audio from multiple sources. It doesn't mix them.
It's a switcher.

It's a utility purchase. Never had an issue besides the adapter one time. I think it's a great unit.

Great product at that price point

As always, Sweetwater came through quickly and efficiently. I've dealt with David Hess for nearly 20 years and he has never let me down.

I first saw and heard this controller years ago in a Nashville music store and thought it sounded incredible then. I was working on large format consoles and had no use for it. Years later when I started mixing "in the box" I purchased a Mackie Big Knob (active controller) because it was less expensive. Not a wise choice. Don't waste your money, do it right the first time. Quiet, Clean sound with plenty of I/O options. Buy this and don't look back.

If your looking to have control and make good decisions when listening to you Mixes or Masters. This is for you! I can control the volume and switch between my Focal Monitors or my Tanoys with a push of a button next to me on the Central Station Remote. Plus, I can add Button C if I need my Sub to check the low end.
The Talkback is so cool and easy to use. It also has Digital and Aux Select with Mute, Dim and Mono...
Trust me, I have been doing this a long time and the Central Station is Paramount in my Studio!!!! :-)

This unit is awesome, great piece of gear, awesome price, I love the easy switching between monitors.... Talk back is works exptional well..... Buy this unit you won't be disapointed

I use the Central Station to connect a DVD player (via phono plugs), a PS3 (via toslink), and a Mac (via coax digital through a Focusrite interface) to my Yamaha studio monitors. I use it essentially as a preamp and headphone monitor. That way I can have my music studio and my entertainment system share a sound system in my small den.

It'd be even better if it had a couple guitar/mic inputs and a USB interface, but I realize that's not what it was built for, and I get along fine with a Focusrite 6i6 interface connected to the Central Station via coax digital, and a Line 6 POD XT Pro connected via TRS.

It's got a clean sound, lots of connection options, and I've been using it this way since the Central Station was first available, without a lick of trouble.

My bad!! Somehow I missed that it does indeed have a mono switch - in the speaker select section. (I guess I found the single select button/dual trim pots arrangement a bit disorienting... I don't blame the designers - they're trying to give us the most functions in one rack space.) Anyway, happy to be able to test mono at the push of a button! 5 stars and my apologies.

Well built piece of machinery... Very versatile, incredible transparency, would I highly recommend this over any thing in its class!

take more than 3 years.
works flawlessly.
true sound.
indispensable thing in the studio

I replaced my Mackie big knob (12 yrs old) due to a hum it was producing, with this unit. I agree with the reviews that the buttons do not feel sturdy. In fact they're a bit loose in their sockets. Not a deal breaker but I treat them with a bit more care than normal. The unit sounds good, a bit brighter than the big knob in my opinion which means a bit more transparent than the mackie. Talk back button works fine for the vocal booth/CR comms. I don't find that it's a slow ramp up like other reviews said, but it's not instant either. I have no problems communicating with clients. Rack mount unit is solid. Remote is solid except for somewhat flimsy buttons. My studio produces commercial backgrounds for radio/tv and this unit is a good fit for these applications. We run 3 sets of monitors so this unit checked that box. I'd recommend this unit for project studios. Purchased it about 8 was ago from Sweetwater. Sweetwater customer service continues to knock it out of the park!

Worth every penny spent! Embedding the Central Station Plus into my system was a piece of cake! I really wasn't sure if it was going to be worth the cost but I have to say, I am extremely happy with the way this thing operates. Quiet, transparent, easy-peasy. All controls feel extremely solid to me. Love the remote! A great quality piece of gear for any studio with more than one set of monitors. Makes the monitor A/B thing easy and I love the control I have over the sub now. I don't have use for the cue features so can't comment there.

Nice unit! I've used it for months now and it's been holding up well. I'm very happy that Presonus prioritized transparency and keeping the sound as uncolored as possible. (Can't comment on the remote control, as I bought the rack unit when it came separately.) Flexible and convenient routing enables quick speaker comparisons, with and then without subwoofer. (My one regret is that I wish it had a mono switch!) Two words of advice to buyers: The push buttons feel a bit delicate, so be reasonably gentle with them and they ought to be fine. Also: the speaker select button configuration selects stereo pairs with one button each, but the trim pots next to them are Left and Right, one per speaker, so be sure to adjust both pots for your sub or else you'll get some wack phase issues.

very useful and nice, but I'd like it has XLR inputs

Works very well. Allows me to focus more on the session and lesson on patching.

I had it for 5 years and i must say i would not know how to go without it, it helps your workflow ,creativity and makes your life a whole lot easier i never had a problem with it meaning no technical issues with any components going bad its a true workhorse , this is for the recording studio setup its just perfect i repeat if your gonna have a recording setup and on a budget this is what you need , but not for mixing or mastering it kind of changes the sound of whats translating to your speakers a little and it sounds great really am not ever getting rid of mine lol.

In this price range you can't beat the features. The 2 digital ins and the inclusion of an RCA input are great. However, if your primary concern is transparency, look elsewhere. I did a shoot out with a Dangerous DBox and it was like taking a blanket off my speakers. The image widened as well. Then again, that box costs twice as much...

Still, I will say it's the best in it's class - but don't let the marketing fool you. "Transparent" is relative....

The features work great. However after a few years the digital meter on the front craps out, either pegging and staying in the red, or completely stops working. This has just happened in my studio (after almost 6 years), and the same thing also happened in another studio where I freelance. In fact they replaced that unit, got another, and the same thing happened.

Sounds great for the price ,

The Central Station is a full featured monitoring station that costs very little considering the options you get. The headphone amps sound considerably cleaner than the Behringer HP60 I own. I'll never buy another Behringer product, but that's a different story... I love the flexibility the cue channel offers as far as routing possibilities. The remote control and talkback are a huge bonus too. And this thing has a Mono switch! When I got my first Central Station installed and was trying it out, I plugged my ipod into the aux RCA inputs and turned up the aux volume knob. Everything sounded great for about 30 seconds and then the right channel dropped out completely. I tried several other cables and it wasn't those or the ipod. I notified my sales guy Dennis Konicki of my troubles and he promptly got me in contact with Evan Larr from Tech Support. After some troubleshooting, he decided to arrange for a new unit to be sent to me and when I received the new one, a return label would be in the box to return the malfunctioning unit. That means my workflow at my studio didn't get disrupted by not having my Central Station for days! Now THIS is why I continue to buy my gear from Sweetwater. If I had bought a used one somewhere and had issues, or even bought one from a less reputable store I would have a big repair bill on my hands. Thanks Sweetwater! You guys are the best.

This is great purchase for what I needed, which was to run 3 sets of monitors and to free up a little more desktop space. The talk bac mic is always a handy feature. My only real issue with it is the power switch is located on the back and the level meter isn"t a smooth surface. Beyond those issues you can"t beat it for the price.

I've had this for a few years, built quality is just ok, sound is good, meters went out after two years , the talkbalk is very cheaply made and pretty noisey after 2 years as well ( i've had it for almost 5) , if your budget is 600 this is the best thing at that price range but you are better off getting something in the range of the DBOX or Satori.

I've used this unit and remote every day for over 7 years paired with several different monitoring set ups. It is very reliable (my unit must have 10K+ hours on it, still works great), has plenty of connection options and is a solid choice for a decent sized project studio. However, if you've spent many thousands of dollars on your monitoring set-up and just as much on your converters, this just isn't going to yield the same level of transparency as the more expensive hi-end units (Dangerous, Crane Song, Grace, Etc...). Don't get me wrong, if you've spent $5-10K on your entire set-up (monitors, A/D, etc), this is a solid workhorse and will serve you extremely well for years to come, but if you're $20-30K+ deep into your signal chain, do yourself a favor and don't cheap out on the one piece of gear that you hear everything through and spend the money on something better, or at the very least, try out a couple options to hear the differences for yourself.

Bought two of these units about 6 years ago. They have both stopped working. The led meters were the first thing to fail. Both units continued to function normally despite the meter failure. That was at year two or three. At years 6 and 7 respectively the units completely stopped working. The failure manifest upon power up on one unit and the other failed in the middle of a session. I really like Presonus. They are a respectable American firm. I really wish they would improve the Central Station so that it has longevity beyond the 6 or 7 year mark. I would be willing to shell out a couple hundred more dollars for each unit if it meant they would last a decade or more.

My Presonus Central Station did not even last 2 years. Crapped out before. As far as I am concerned it's over-priced and over-rated. I would not recommend it to anyone.

I had high hopes for this unit when I first bought it. Sadly, after initial testing, I'm very disappointed. I have four main gripes, two of which are deal-breakers...

1 - There is no phantom power on the XLR Talkback mic input. Yes, I can navigate around that, and just run the mic through another preamp first, but c'mon... When a producer is in the control room and 6 feet away, how is a dynamic mic going to pick them up? Large diaphragm CONDENSERS don't have any problem! What were you thinking, Presonus??? At least you included a foot switch jack...Thank you!

2 - You can only select 1 input source at a time. It would be really handy to have multiple sources live at the same time. Hearing my computer "ding" when I am expecting an important email, etc. would be handy while I'm working on mixes.

3 - The talkback mic SLOWLY comes up to volume after pressing the talkback switch...DEAL BREAKER! When you are facilitating an active conversation between an artist in the booth and a producer in the control room, the LAST thing you want as the engineer is a talkback mic that takes it's time coming up to volume. The artist will not hear some of the responses and instructions. By itself, this issue will create stress and frustration, and will cost me repeat business.

4 - Where's the stinkin' volume?!?! I have the send going into the unit MAXED, and the output from the unit MAXED and still have volume issues. MAJOR DEAL BREAKER!!! Presonus even references inadequate volume levels in their FAQ, and responds that it's "not an amplifier", so they knew that it might not measure up when they designed it. I am shocked that a company that makes full-featured mixing consoles would fail so badly with their monitor controller.

I have trusted Presonus devices in and out my studio for over 10 years now. But after recent tech support calls and seeing the Central Station in action, I really question if Presonus hears the heartbeat of their end users. Wake up Presonus!!! It's pretty sad when an Onyx is a better solution than your Central Station.

I returned this product and Sweet Water exchanged it without problem with a Dangerous Music Source. They even paid all shipping :)

You don't even have to turn this thing on, you already realize this is Behringer quality... just cheap Chinese cr*p.
Vu Meters are messed up, all buttons feel dangerously unreliable, rear connectors aren't better...
If your studio is full of Behringer products, that might be fine... but if your brands are more like RME, Avalon, etc. forget this immediately.

So my advice to you:
Make yourself a favor and spend $350 more to get a Dangerous Music Source $900 + Rack Kit $50 and you'll get a extremely high quality product, 1000% times better for 50% more.