The Mercury Studio Soul™ 242 and Studio Soul™ 242 Pro are 24:2 Class A, fully discrete mixing systems designed to deliver the sound, isolation, and separation of a large format analogue console without the physical size or operational complexity of a traditional console. Rather than functioning as a simple summing mixer, the Mercury Studio Soul™ 242 Mixing Systems act as the analogue centrepiece of a modern DAW based studio, allowing engineers to mix through 24 channels of discrete analogue circuitry while maintaining full integration with contemporary digital workflows.
Both Mercury Studio Soul™ 242 models are built around a fully discrete Class A, transformer balanced stereo mix amplifier that provides the depth, width, and harmonic character associated with classic recording consoles. The system is designed to sit seamlessly between your DAW and outboard equipment, delivering analogue style mixing with improved separation, clarity, and dimensionality compared to in-the-box summing. The architecture focuses on musical headroom and tonal integrity, making the system suitable for professional tracking, mixing, and hybrid production environments.
The Mercury Studio Soul™ 242 Pro expands the core design by adding 24 input transformers, one per channel, delivering increased channel isolation and enhanced separation across complex mixes. This additional transformer stage introduces a subtle sense of transformer warmth and glue while preserving clarity and balance. Aside from the input transformer configuration, both models share identical routing, monitoring, and processing functionality.
Integrated into both systems is a stereo bus Baxandall style equaliser designed for subtle tonal shaping of the two bus. This two band EQ provides simultaneous low and high frequency adjustment using musical, wide curves. The low control offers ±10 dB at 10 Hz and ±5 dB at 175 Hz simultaneously, while the high control offers ±6 dB at 20 kHz and ±3 dB at 2.5 kHz simultaneously. Both controls use custom 41 position detented potentiometers to ensure precise adjustment and reliable recall.
Gain, level, and EQ controls across the Mercury Studio Soul™ 242 Mixing Systems use the same 41 detent potentiometers, providing consistent feel, accurate repeatability, and fast session recall. Dedicated analogue inserts are provided on all 24 input channels, allowing external processors to be integrated directly into the signal path. These inserts can also function as direct outputs, enabling processed signals to be recorded back into a DAW either before or after the insert stage.
Routing flexibility is further enhanced with selectable panning options. Channels 1 to 8 can be assigned left, right, or centre, allowing mono sources and creative routing options, while channels 9 to 24 are configured as odd left and even right pairs. The stereo bus features transformer balanced outputs with adjustable output level and fader attenuation, delivering classic analogue tone without additional circuitry or processing artefacts.
Two independent stereo bus inserts are provided. Insert A is positioned pre stereo EQ and is suited to external equalisation, while Insert B is post stereo EQ and intended for stereo compression. These inserts can be monitored independently or combined, allowing engineers to construct complex analogue processing chains directly on the stereo bus.
Both the MercuryStudio Soul™ 242 and Studio Soul™ 242 Pro are expandable to 48:2 operation using the upcoming SS2548 24 channel expansion unit. Owners of the Studio Soul™ 242 can also upgrade their system incrementally using SS242 ISO8 transformer modules, allowing 8, 16, or 24 channels of Cinemag input transformers to be added by the user without factory modification.
Features
- Fully discrete Class A stereo mix amplifier
- 24:2 analogue mixing architecture
- Transformer balanced stereo bus outputs
- 24 transformer balanced input channels on the Mercury Studio Soul™ 242 Pro
- Baxandall style stereo bus EQ with low and high frequency shaping
- 41 position detented controls for gain, level, and EQ
- Dedicated analogue inserts on all 24 input channels
- Selectable panning on channels 1 to 8 with odd and even routing on channels 9 to 24
- Dual stereo bus inserts pre and post stereo EQ
- Expandable to 48:2 operation with SS2548 expansion unit
- User installable input transformer upgrade options
- Balanced monitor and headphone outputs
