Thanks for the video! All of the reviews I've seen focus on the input quality. These boxes aso act as DACs for computer monitor speakers. Is there any difference between these and other audio interfaces when it comes to output quality?
I bought this bundle before Christmas and have just sent it back. No matter what I did, how I adjusted volumes and various settings - everything I played with even at normal volume clicked and popped. The problem was the audiobox, as there was no issue when the headphones were connected directly to my new Mac mini. Now, I'm no audio engineer expert, so I thought it was something I was doing. I contacted Presonus support and they requested I sent audio samples - I must admit they were quite responsive but they told me it was a problem with the box. So I arranged a return. In the meantime I bought the Starter Solo bundle and its pretty much worked out of the box. I tried playing the same audio through both boxes and the clicks had gone with the Scarlett box. It's a shame, as I thought the Personus mic had a nice tone. But I wasted a lot of time over trying to get this to work.
Awesome review! It saved me a lot of time, and you addressed some concerns and features I wouldn't have even thought of. This video is a template for how to do an excellent product comparison.
Thank you so much for your professional and straight forward explanation. So many people add in so much unnecessary commentary. Yours was easily understandable for someone like me who is not good with sound setup. I purchased the Audio Box and you confirmed my suspicion of it sounding a little too "junky"(lack of a better term). I was undecided about keeping it until you said it was not good for line in. I work with tracks off of a laptop. So I am going to try the Scarlett-thanks!!
I have both. Like them both. The sounds quality on the Focusrite is slightly better. Also, no one talks about this but when using VST instruments, I was able to get more without getting stuttering. I purchased both when I encountered issues with my Beringer 404, which worked fine for years but all of a sudden would spike my audio processing load meter on the same songs in Cubase. Not sure why, but I noticed that the Focusrite handles it better. Love them all. I use the Presonus on a mobile setup, with less VST instruments.
@@jorgeguitar2540 on my laptop with an i5 processor and 16 gb ram, it did, when I'd hit a certain number of vsts. But it stopped when I switched it over to my stationary rig, a desktop with xenon processors and 64 gb ram. I guess it's a combination of contributing factors. Hope this helps.
@@robr471 thanks for the reply. So in conclusion if we want to run more plugins with the audiobox we need more cpu power and ram? I wonder why my scarlet doesn’t need a computer with more power? Sorry not good with tech stuff
@@jorgeguitar2540 correct. But with everything being equal, same PC specs, my Scarlett ( I have the 2i2 3rd gen) does slightly better than the Audiobox. I don't fully know why.
Just starting my search for an interface to help record my dulcimer sessions here at home. I’m pretty sure you just answered every question I never thought of asking. My mind is made up now. Thank you!
Thanks for the comparisons! I like how you point out how each one could work for different people depending on what kind of work they are doing instead of just saying one or the other is amazing.
I found this video to be extremely informative and helpful. I needed a total comparison with these two devices to make a good decision on which one to choose and because of this video I have made my decision to go with the focusrite
Very helpful. I am in the process of building a home studio and was stuck between these two interfaces. You made the decision a lot more clear. Thanks.
Hello Helman, how did you been with the Presonus? My idea is to be able to connect a microphone, guitar and/or an Alesis recital piano to the presonus but I can't find effective information anywhere...
Dude, I hit the buy button on Amazon as soon as you spoke into the hissing sure mic with that blue thing son.... Forcourite had always been one of my top pkuging and hardware. But this was way back end the day. A lot of this new stuff has been catching up with the big dogs 🐕.... but as always a big dog will show these young buck how it's done always 💯.... I AM FORCUS RIGHT NOW!!!!
really a great review and a nice compare to highlight some hard-to-find but glaring deficiencies of both (though mainly the USB96 unless MIDI is critical) I returned a USB96 before stumbling on this video because it had quality issues and there was really no useful software to help troubleshoot audio issues when connected to a PC.
Just pick up a Presonus audiobox usb 96 25th anniversary edition for $60 Watch a lot of reviews n will work great with my audio-technica at2020 mic . also great for monitor speakers ,I also have a lot of midi devices.
Man! I was looking for this. Comparison video between Presonas and focusrite.... for a long long time... . I was about to buy presonus but after watching your video I have changed my mind.. your video is one of the best out there.. you are so articulate...
Trying to decide between these two right now, I have lots of experience with the presonus as my sister and I currently share one, but I had no idea you weren't supposed to use it with line inputs lol. That's mainly what I've been using it for!! I think I'll be leaning more toward the Scarlett in that case. Also I appreciate the section about the knobs! The tiny knobs on the audio box I find are difficult to turn with my chunky fingers, and the layout of input 1 and 2 is so bizarre!
What does it mean that you've been using it with line inputs? Left Chanel in my Presonus is silent now so I think it could be burned by pluggin NUX MG-30 .Thanks
Spot on review of both these products and I use both. I'll share how I use them as a DJ for streaming and recording as it may help my DJ peers. I'm using a Pioneer DDJ-1000. For broadcasting/streaming .... I have the Master 1 (XLR) outputs going to Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 (XLR inputs) and that goes to my OBS/streaming computer via (USB) and the audio is great. For recording.... I have the Booth (1/4' Balanced) output going to a Presonus Audiobox USB96 (1/4' Balanced) inputs and that goes to a separate PC via USB where I record the set in Audacity (saved as a .wav) .... also Rekordbox allows me to kill the mic on the Booth so I don't have to jump through hoops to have mic free recordings. I get many compliments on the clean recordings. When in my home studio I also have the 1/4" outputs on the Presonus going to the 1/4" inputs on a small Yamaha MG06 mixer and use the XLR outputs on that to connect my studio monitor speakers. I can say that there is some hum from the speakers when quiet, due to the Presonus. Thanks again for a great review.
thank u for this great comparison video. was about to go for the presonus (i needed the midi in/out), but the noise is too much. guess ill look into the focusrite scarlett 4i4 then. thanks again!
Hi - Two things to note about this amazing quality box - 2i2! When you unbox it, it will almost certainly go for a firmware update. I DID NOT use the cable that came with it but instead grabbed a THUNDERBOLT to THUNDERBOLT cable. The firmware upgrade DID NOT WORK and the process freezes at 50%. I tried everything. As soon as I used the thunderbolt to normal USB, it updated fine. Secondly, I noticed some comments that the 48v button does not stay selected after the unit is disconnected. Its a pain. However, go into the app settings and you will see RETAIN 48v - ENABLE or DISABLE. Problem sorted. John.
Hi John, Thanks for the comment. Interesting to hear your experience with the firmware update! Yes, the 48v is disabled whenever it's unplugged. This is likely because the mild inconvenience of pressing the button is better than potentially damaging a ribbon microphone that you may have connected prior to starting it up. But, like you said, you can go into the deep settings and change this.
I bought the USB 96 from Presonus. I needed to replace my other AudioBox because I have had it for a good amount of time, and knobs are shorting out. I do notice on the headphone knob, I can push them a bit harder, and I feel like the audio is just cleaner. I will probably do a test recording on them soon, I have the MXL 910, and only use it sometimes. so this will be an interesting test, I don't plan on screaming in the mic LOL, I had the 2i2 at one point, some years ago, great interface, but there was noisy in my opinion, I had to take it back. I even had a fireware focusrite interface, it had bells and whistles but eventuall it was discontinued and i upgraded my laptop, fun times trying record and make music without all the hassle. BUT some people love hassle, and complication.
This is the best video comparison of these interfaces, I want to buy my first interface ever and this video was very helpful, thank you so much!, I've decided to go with the Focusrite.
Unfortunately I have one that is giving me hell of a problem. I have not even been able to use it because the studio One software upon which it runs refused to be activated and they have no customer care so there no way to get help from presonous. You are on your own
this makes me lean towards the Scarlett. but! the mix knob on the audiobox makes me wonder. will I want that? seems older Scarletts may have had that and removed it. someone on youtube commented that they used it a lot before it was gone.
Wow, that was just great. I wish I had seen your video a couple of weeks ago, I wanted to buy Audient ID4 but when I went to the store the seller told me that Audinet doesn't have good hardware quality and he persuaded me on buying presonus audiobox usb 96 he kinda insisted. so I bought it, as soon I connected my mic and computer to it, I heard a terrible hiss sound and also I have to turn the gain all up to be able to record at (-18 to -12 db) I have to take it back to the seller, I hope he'll change it to Audient. you said everything correctly, it's shameful that Presonus company keep producing this weak device...
Yes, at least in my country the prices difference is really huge. As I didn't knew what technical features have each one and I was wondering why if they look so similar, the 2i2 is way more expensive than Audiobox. So this comparison was useful to me. And I finally decided for the Audiobox, because for the kind of recordings that I do, I don't really need that kind of high quality level.
I'm completely new to the audio recording world so this might be a stupid question. I want to mainly record acoustic guitar but I'm also trying to learn to produce music using a midi keyboard. My question is if I were to get the Scarlett 2i2 couldn't I run the midi keyboard directly to my computer? What would be the difference between that vs plugging it to the presonus?
if you need for studio better wait and give more 100$.. I did like that.. And I get Presonus 68c, for that money you will get one of the best audio interface and beautifull DAW... Studio One 5 Atrist is one of the best DAWs.. But if you dont have money, and you dont need for studio Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is best option for you.. becouse resolution of sound is better.. someone say that doesnt mean nothing, but you can hear that belive me, if you buy budget interface, I know you dont have money for good mic.. :)
For me the comparison between these two was super necessary, because in my country, the recording kits available include whether the PreSonus 96 or the Scarlet 2i2
Great work and very good analysis and comparison. I wish I knew or seen your video when I bought a second hand presonus audiobox 96 for recording with synths. Now I guess I must buy an di box too. Does a presonus studio 2|4 (not the "24c") have the same thing with audio input?
No problem inputting keyboard line in providing volume control on keyboard is no more than half. No difference in quality from USB696 headphone out to keyboard headphone out either. Bonus is midi in and out which I use frequently with my multi track workstation. Quicker for me rather than recording tracks individually into DAW.
show of hands of the people that actually watch the meters (or rings in this case) physically ON the interface unit.....you can't tell me that you don't pay more attention to the graphic meters in the software your using... I have the Presonus...and to be honest, I watch the meter in Studio one or reaper....I never even notice the little clip light on the box itself...
Typically I do it initially to "make sure I'm in the right neighborhood" before messing with the DAW and fine-tuning. The other time that I do it is if I'm recording in a hidden window but I'm sharing a screen that covers the DAW. Then I'll be glancing at the interface throughout the recording to make sure it's still where it needs to be while I walk through a piece of software, for example.
Thanks a lot for this video, it's exactly the comparison I was looking for. One questions: for instrument recording such as electric bass and piano, which one would you choose?
Seemed like you are leaning towards the focusrite from the start. At the end of the video you forgot to add the price needed to add a midi external device for the focusrite, but sure added the DI box needed for the presonus. Hard to take you serious.
I could hear the difference through the Presonus Eris 3.5 monitors I bought a couple years ago. I just bought a second set along with a USB96, a condenser mic, and headphones as a package deal they offer. I went with cheaper!
Please 🙏 help me, my presonous Studio one is not activating, no matter what I do it keeps saying "An error occured at the server (status 200). I have called Prosonous countless times nobody is picking, customer care is zero. Only answering machine keep reffering to go find help online which I have done without success. Please help me 🙏🙏🙏
Thank you for this explanation. I'm actually looking for an audio mixer/usb interface to connect a digital piano and a microphone to Zoom for online lessons. I have been looking at Yamaha AG06, and Presonus USB 96, Studio 24C and two Mackie products. My piano has line outs and midi and USB(printer cable) outputs. Thanks to you video, Presonus Audiobox 96 is now out of the list. Could you propose me what would be best option for me. I'm a student and I'm on a budget. But in the long run, it'd be nice to record the piano music. I looked all of your comparisons of these interfaces, but still hard to make decision. Thanks a in advance.
i have an audio box and it was great with condensers but now i have a sm7b the noise is unbearable so i’ve just purchased a 2i2, fingers crossed i’ll finally be happy with my set up 😂
Thanks for the comment. Yes! The SM7B requires a lot of clean gain! Some people find that the 2i2 isn't quite enough, but it's atleast in the ballpark compared to the AudioBox.
I agree that the difference is minimal if you're using a condenser mic. But if you're using a dynamic mic and require more gain, the PreSonus is noticeably worse and you can't "calibrate it in right way" to fix this.
Oh man, your explanations are always clear! A bit unrelated question,, Im going to buy presonus 24c. Can I connect my Pioneer CDJ 800mk2 and Mixer Pioneer DJM 500 to presonus? (I want to record my DJ performance). If can, should I plug it on the CDJ (2 pieces) or on the mixer?
Can I ask, if, say, my keyboard's MIDI is connected into my computer (laptop) directly via USB MIDI, then why would I need a MIDI signal flow through the audio interface?
Hi, I have a question about recording. So theres a main pc with all recording softwares and all running. Now a musician wants to play synth on his mac, is there a way to record it on the pc? should it be mac -> audio interface (connected to mac) -> audio interface (connected to pc) -> pc? Is there a way to connect two pcs together without audio interface? Since the pc audio interface only has two inputs and they are occupied by bass and guitar.
for a guitarist perspetcive, which interface is better between Focusrite 2i2 and Presonus 24c in terms of using of a amp sim like Amplitube an Bias fx, therefore instrument imput.
I prefe the 2i2 so much but the lack of MIDI kinda sucks for me. Is there anyway I could use midi devices while sticking to 2i2? I mean is there any separated product that uses midi devices?
I'm disappointed in the Presonus gain power... Have to crank my mic up till almost full blast.. I might need a preamp to boost it. Not sure if I'm doing anything wrong.
Sir, I enjoyed listening to your wonderful review with regards to comparison with which it made me to go with the Focusrite. However, before I make the purchase I would like to confirm with you with regards to my need. I have a Behringer Eurorack MX802A mixer which I would like to hook up to my I Mac computer using Audacity software. Would this be the right choice or is there a cheaper and better option? My knowledge in this field is not that great and hence requesting your advise Thanks in anticipation!!!
The Audiobox and Scarlett show good and similar performance in Microphone, but when we are talking about the instruments... Scarlett outdone the overdate Audiobox 96.
Hi, Thank you for your description. I have a special question. I'm looking for a digital Audio Converter to listen music from my iMac. I don't care about the XLR or Jack inputs. And i also need separate controllers for monitors and headphone levels. Scarlett 2i2 and Presonus Audiobox usb 96 seem to be good choices for that. Do you think if the Presonus model is the good choice for my need. thank you very much
I have a NodeN1TA/Audiobox and it hisses . Is that because the microphone requires more gain and power right ? I’m going to try the focusrite 2i2 3rd gen
The 2i2 exceeds my budget. Should I consider the Scarlett Solo instead the Presonus because the input noise? It’s for guitar VST. The main disadvantage I see in the Scarlett Solo is the lack of the direct monitoring.
The Scarlett 2i2 has direct monitoring. The button is just moved over the headphone jack, which actually makes more sense. If you're only plugging in a microphone and a guitar VST then the Solo is perfect for you!
Excellent, no-nonsense overview. I enjoyed it and subscribed. I have one question. I want to buy a digital interface that I can use to help me digitize live music and spoken-word recordings from 1970s audiotape (reel and cassette). Some of the recordings will need a lot of "audio repair" after they are digitized (I'll get software for that). Which of these two units would be better for that project...or would you recommend another unit? If I understand correctly the Presonus unit might introduce some noise?
@@HarvinderSingh-yy8th I probably should have said "audio interface"? It's a unit that you plug in between your cassette player or reel to reel recorder and your computer.
I haven't. We'll probably attempt some more Behringer reviews again in the future. I'm still jaded from the last review where after three tries we couldn't find a unit that actually worked as advertised.
@@kettnercreative I don't blame you one bit. One of your video's you mention that there digital mixer lies are ok. This one isn't on the market yet. But the Beringer line seems to be not trust worthy.
That was really a very well explained detail review. I was planning to close in for Presonus. But after watching this video, I feel investing more money in Focusrite is worth it. Thanks buddy. Pune City, India
Hi I have a PreSonus Firebox, very old, but it has 6 outputs which I use 4 to carry audio to a stereo amp and to cue headphones. Can this be achieved with either of the options and if so how?
We'd love to see a photo of your setup!
Tag @kettnercreative on RUclips, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc..
Thanks for the video!
All of the reviews I've seen focus on the input quality. These boxes aso act as DACs for computer monitor speakers. Is there any difference between these and other audio interfaces when it comes to output quality?
Man, it is definitely the best review that i've seen on these two auidiointerfaces! Really helpful. Thank You!
Glad it was helpful!
Your style of comparing these two products is the clearest and cleanest on RUclips. Great Job!
Man this dude made it way pass clear what to buy... and I thought blue was my favorite color.... you can call me red man for now on.... lol
Idk how this channel read my mind on deciding between these two options
I bought this bundle before Christmas and have just sent it back. No matter what I did, how I adjusted volumes and various settings - everything I played with even at normal volume clicked and popped. The problem was the audiobox, as there was no issue when the headphones were connected directly to my new Mac mini. Now, I'm no audio engineer expert, so I thought it was something I was doing. I contacted Presonus support and they requested I sent audio samples - I must admit they were quite responsive but they told me it was a problem with the box. So I arranged a return. In the meantime I bought the Starter Solo bundle and its pretty much worked out of the box. I tried playing the same audio through both boxes and the clicks had gone with the Scarlett box. It's a shame, as I thought the Personus mic had a nice tone. But I wasted a lot of time over trying to get this to work.
Awesome review! It saved me a lot of time, and you addressed some concerns and features I wouldn't have even thought of. This video is a template for how to do an excellent product comparison.
Glad to hear.
Thank you so much for your professional and straight forward explanation. So many people add in so much unnecessary commentary. Yours was easily understandable for someone like me who is not good with sound setup. I purchased the Audio Box and you confirmed my suspicion of it sounding a little too "junky"(lack of a better term). I was undecided about keeping it until you said it was not good for line in. I work with tracks off of a laptop. So I am going to try the Scarlett-thanks!!
I'm happy that the video helped you make a decision.
I have both. Like them both. The sounds quality on the Focusrite is slightly better.
Also, no one talks about this but when using VST instruments, I was able to get more without getting stuttering. I purchased both when I encountered issues with my Beringer 404, which worked fine for years but all of a sudden would spike my audio processing load meter on the same songs in Cubase. Not sure why, but I noticed that the Focusrite handles it better. Love them all. I use the Presonus on a mobile setup, with less VST instruments.
Thanks for the comment.
Does your audiobox clips and pops when adding more vsts to your daw? I don’t have a problem with my 2nd gen Scarlett.
@@jorgeguitar2540 on my laptop with an i5 processor and 16 gb ram, it did, when I'd hit a certain number of vsts. But it stopped when I switched it over to my stationary rig, a desktop with xenon processors and 64 gb ram. I guess it's a combination of contributing factors. Hope this helps.
@@robr471 thanks for the reply. So in conclusion if we want to run more plugins with the audiobox we need more cpu power and ram? I wonder why my scarlet doesn’t need a computer with more power? Sorry not good with tech stuff
@@jorgeguitar2540 correct. But with everything being equal, same PC specs, my Scarlett ( I have the 2i2 3rd gen) does slightly better than the Audiobox. I don't fully know why.
Just starting my search for an interface to help record my dulcimer sessions here at home. I’m pretty sure you just answered every question I never thought of asking. My mind is made up now. Thank you!
So what did u choose then?
Thanks for the comparisons! I like how you point out how each one could work for different people depending on what kind of work they are doing instead of just saying one or the other is amazing.
Glad you found it helpful!
Excellent, clean, and understandable comparison my man. Thanks a lot!
This channel is my go-to for technical info. Hands down the best imo. Thanks for all you share with us, much appreciated!
Wow, thanks!
Great review, thank you. I can really hear the hiss difference. But, I love the blend feature.
Totally. I can take or leave MIDI, but the blend knob is such a great feature.
I found this video to be extremely informative and helpful. I needed a total comparison with these two devices to make a good decision on which one to choose and because of this video I have made my decision to go with the focusrite
Very helpful. I am in the process of building a home studio and was stuck between these two interfaces. You made the decision a lot more clear. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks, greetings from Colombia. I have bought an audiobox but was not sure of the purchase made. Now I am sure it was a good purchase
Great! Happy to hear!
Hello Helman, how did you been with the Presonus? My idea is to be able to connect a microphone, guitar and/or an Alesis recital piano to the presonus but I can't find effective information anywhere...
Dude, I hit the buy button on Amazon as soon as you spoke into the hissing sure mic with that blue thing son.... Forcourite had always been one of my top pkuging and hardware. But this was way back end the day. A lot of this new stuff has been catching up with the big dogs 🐕.... but as always a big dog will show these young buck how it's done always 💯.... I AM FORCUS RIGHT NOW!!!!
Thank you so much!! I’m in guitar center blasting this shit
aha, I'm sure they love you for it.
Amazing video, it was exactly what I was looking for. Needed helping on figuring out a few things with my new Shure SM7B. Thank you so much again.
The Presonus sounded better than the Focusrite with the condenser mic.
really a great review and a nice compare to highlight some hard-to-find but glaring deficiencies of both (though mainly the USB96 unless MIDI is critical)
I returned a USB96 before stumbling on this video because it had quality issues and there was really no useful software to help troubleshoot audio issues when connected to a PC.
Just pick up a Presonus audiobox usb 96 25th anniversary edition for $60
Watch a lot of reviews n will work great with my audio-technica at2020 mic . also great for monitor speakers ,I
also have a lot of midi devices.
Sounds like a good buy. Congrats.
Super appreciative of the breakdown here … just a vocal artist here I think I’m gonna go with the Scarlett solo
Good review. I wasn't really considering either of these but ended up watching the whole thing just because the info was direct and clear.
Man! I was looking for this. Comparison video between Presonas and focusrite.... for a long long time... . I was about to buy presonus but after watching your video I have changed my mind.. your video is one of the best out there.. you are so articulate...
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is the Boss as well as the Focusrite 18i8 and Focusrite Clarett 4Pre.
Very good review. I think that what you are using to record the video's audio sounds better than either of the interface units you are reviewing.
Can you tell us what do you use?
Trying to decide between these two right now, I have lots of experience with the presonus as my sister and I currently share one, but I had no idea you weren't supposed to use it with line inputs lol. That's mainly what I've been using it for!! I think I'll be leaning more toward the Scarlett in that case.
Also I appreciate the section about the knobs! The tiny knobs on the audio box I find are difficult to turn with my chunky fingers, and the layout of input 1 and 2 is so bizarre!
What does it mean that you've been using it with line inputs? Left Chanel in my Presonus is silent now so I think it could be burned by pluggin NUX MG-30 .Thanks
I have been using the audio box and I also use a sure SM 7B and I have realized that I definitely need a better interface
You just need a klark teknik CT1. Turn your presonus gain to 65%
Thank me later
Great review! Definitely helped me decide between the two based on how I intend to use them, thank you!
Spot on review of both these products and I use both. I'll share how I use them as a DJ for streaming and recording as it may help my DJ peers. I'm using a Pioneer DDJ-1000.
For broadcasting/streaming .... I have the Master 1 (XLR) outputs going to Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 (XLR inputs) and that goes to my OBS/streaming computer via (USB) and the audio is great.
For recording.... I have the Booth (1/4' Balanced) output going to a Presonus Audiobox USB96 (1/4' Balanced) inputs and that goes to a separate PC via USB where I record the set in Audacity (saved as a .wav) .... also Rekordbox allows me to kill the mic on the Booth so I don't have to jump through hoops to have mic free recordings. I get many compliments on the clean recordings. When in my home studio I also have the 1/4" outputs on the Presonus going to the 1/4" inputs on a small Yamaha MG06 mixer and use the XLR outputs on that to connect my studio monitor speakers. I can say that there is some hum from the speakers when quiet, due to the Presonus. Thanks again for a great review.
thank u for this great comparison video. was about to go for the presonus (i needed the midi in/out), but the noise is too much. guess ill look into the focusrite scarlett 4i4 then. thanks again!
Yeah, that might work better for you.
Hi - Two things to note about this amazing quality box - 2i2! When you unbox it, it will almost certainly go for a firmware update. I DID NOT use the cable that came with it but instead grabbed a THUNDERBOLT to THUNDERBOLT cable. The firmware upgrade DID NOT WORK and the process freezes at 50%. I tried everything. As soon as I used the thunderbolt to normal USB, it updated fine.
Secondly, I noticed some comments that the 48v button does not stay selected after the unit is disconnected. Its a pain. However, go into the app settings and you will see RETAIN 48v - ENABLE or DISABLE. Problem sorted. John.
Hi John, Thanks for the comment. Interesting to hear your experience with the firmware update!
Yes, the 48v is disabled whenever it's unplugged. This is likely because the mild inconvenience of pressing the button is better than potentially damaging a ribbon microphone that you may have connected prior to starting it up. But, like you said, you can go into the deep settings and change this.
I bought the USB 96 from Presonus. I needed to replace my other AudioBox because I have had it for a good amount of time, and knobs are shorting out. I do notice on the headphone knob, I can push them a bit harder, and I feel like the audio is just cleaner. I will probably do a test recording on them soon, I have the MXL 910, and only use it sometimes. so this will be an interesting test, I don't plan on screaming in the mic LOL, I had the 2i2 at one point, some years ago, great interface, but there was noisy in my opinion, I had to take it back. I even had a fireware focusrite interface, it had bells and whistles but eventuall it was discontinued and i upgraded my laptop, fun times trying record and make music without all the hassle. BUT some people love hassle, and complication.
Super helpful. Thanks for this. Good to know about direct keyboard limitations on the presonus. You just made up my mind.
Glad it was helpful!
This is the best video comparison of these interfaces, I want to buy my first interface ever and this video was very helpful, thank you so much!, I've decided to go with the Focusrite.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for letting us know about the input limitations on the AudioBox. I definitely won't be getting that now.
Unfortunately I have one that is giving me hell of a problem. I have not even been able to use it because the studio One software upon which it runs refused to be activated and they have no customer care so there no way to get help from presonous. You are on your own
I use both of them. Too me, they're the same. But. I prefer Presonus . But. This guy is on point on telling you about these devices..
Great video man. Just bought 2 focusrite setups for me and my brother (:
So good! I wish you good luck with your project!
this makes me lean towards the Scarlett. but! the mix knob on the audiobox makes me wonder. will I want that? seems older Scarletts may have had that and removed it. someone on youtube commented that they used it a lot before it was gone.
Wow, that was just great. I wish I had seen your video a couple of weeks ago, I wanted to buy Audient ID4 but when I went to the store the seller told me that Audinet doesn't have good hardware quality and he persuaded me on buying presonus audiobox usb 96 he kinda insisted. so I bought it, as soon I connected my mic and computer to it, I heard a terrible hiss sound and also I have to turn the gain all up to be able to record at (-18 to -12 db) I have to take it back to the seller, I hope he'll change it to Audient. you said everything correctly, it's shameful that Presonus company keep producing this weak device...
the 96 is 100$ cheaper than the 2i2, a fairer comparison is with the 24c
Yes, at least in my country the prices difference is really huge. As I didn't knew what technical features have each one and I was wondering why if they look so similar, the 2i2 is way more expensive than Audiobox. So this comparison was useful to me. And I finally decided for the Audiobox, because for the kind of recordings that I do, I don't really need that kind of high quality level.
I'm completely new to the audio recording world so this might be a stupid question. I want to mainly record acoustic guitar but I'm also trying to learn to produce music using a midi keyboard. My question is if I were to get the Scarlett 2i2 couldn't I run the midi keyboard directly to my computer? What would be the difference between that vs plugging it to the presonus?
Now Im having second thoughts for getting the presonus from a budget prespective 1🤔
if you need for studio better wait and give more 100$.. I did like that.. And I get Presonus 68c, for that money you will get one of the best audio interface and beautifull DAW... Studio One 5 Atrist is one of the best DAWs.. But if you dont have money, and you dont need for studio Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is best option for you.. becouse resolution of sound is better.. someone say that doesnt mean nothing, but you can hear that belive me, if you buy budget interface, I know you dont have money for good mic.. :)
go find Julian Kraus and you will se what i want to tell you :D
I bought these presonus bundle. I'll check it out, I might just later get the presonus with usb type C
i have the presonus audiobox and i can tell you the noise is almost unbearable without a limiter, and it still affects the intended sound
You can use a USB-b to USB-c cable to record with the Audiobox. I do it.
Same here.
Both are pretty good. They are both very close to each other. The focus rite is more versatile.
price-wise, wouldn't it make more sense to compare the scarlet to the presonus 24c?
For me the comparison between these two was super necessary, because in my country, the recording kits available include whether the PreSonus 96 or the Scarlet 2i2
Scarlett cannot be beaten.
Great work and very good analysis and comparison. I wish I knew or seen your video when I bought a second hand presonus audiobox 96 for recording with synths. Now I guess I must buy an di box too. Does a presonus studio 2|4 (not the "24c") have the same thing with audio input?
No problem inputting keyboard line in providing volume control on keyboard is no more than half. No difference in quality from USB696 headphone out to keyboard headphone out either. Bonus is midi in and out which I use frequently with my multi track workstation. Quicker for me rather than recording tracks individually into DAW.
show of hands of the people that actually watch the meters (or rings in this case) physically ON the interface unit.....you can't tell me that you don't pay more attention to the graphic meters in the software your using...
I have the Presonus...and to be honest, I watch the meter in Studio one or reaper....I never even notice the little clip light on the box itself...
Typically I do it initially to "make sure I'm in the right neighborhood" before messing with the DAW and fine-tuning.
The other time that I do it is if I'm recording in a hidden window but I'm sharing a screen that covers the DAW. Then I'll be glancing at the interface throughout the recording to make sure it's still where it needs to be while I walk through a piece of software, for example.
Thanks a lot for this video, it's exactly the comparison I was looking for. One questions: for instrument recording such as electric bass and piano, which one would you choose?
I think the Scarlett 2i2 is more complete, overall.
Seemed like you are leaning towards the focusrite from the start. At the end of the video you forgot to add the price needed to add a midi external device for the focusrite, but sure added the DI box needed for the presonus. Hard to take you serious.
I could hear the difference through the Presonus Eris 3.5 monitors I bought a couple years ago. I just bought a second set along with a USB96, a condenser mic, and headphones as a package deal they offer. I went with cheaper!
Please 🙏 help me, my presonous Studio one is not activating, no matter what I do it keeps saying "An error occured at the server (status 200). I have called Prosonous countless times nobody is picking, customer care is zero. Only answering machine keep reffering to go find help online which I have done without success. Please help me 🙏🙏🙏
Without a doubt the most professional like presentation.
If you have a .midi device, you will need the corresponding li e level audio input???? Where are you going to record into daw?
Thank you for this explanation. I'm actually looking for an audio mixer/usb interface to connect a digital piano and a microphone to Zoom for online lessons. I have been looking at Yamaha AG06, and Presonus USB 96, Studio 24C and two Mackie products. My piano has line outs and midi and USB(printer cable) outputs. Thanks to you video, Presonus Audiobox 96 is now out of the list. Could you propose me what would be best option for me. I'm a student and I'm on a budget. But in the long run, it'd be nice to record the piano music. I looked all of your comparisons of these interfaces, but still hard to make decision. Thanks a in advance.
192 k sample rate is a waste of pc resources. 96 k is enough to pro recording.
192 is nice insurance that you don't have to upgrade for the next 5 years regardless of computer speed.
i have an audio box and it was great with condensers but now i have a sm7b the noise is unbearable so i’ve just purchased a 2i2, fingers crossed i’ll finally be happy with my set up 😂
Thanks for the comment. Yes! The SM7B requires a lot of clean gain! Some people find that the 2i2 isn't quite enough, but it's atleast in the ballpark compared to the AudioBox.
Which one should i Pick if im Will be running this on my computer whit mixcraft?
presonus mic input have this hiss just on maximum volume of input if you calibrate it in roght way the hiss will decrease a lot.
I agree that the difference is minimal if you're using a condenser mic. But if you're using a dynamic mic and require more gain, the PreSonus is noticeably worse and you can't "calibrate it in right way" to fix this.
Oh man, your explanations are always clear! A bit unrelated question,, Im going to buy presonus 24c. Can I connect my Pioneer CDJ 800mk2 and Mixer Pioneer DJM 500 to presonus? (I want to record my DJ performance). If can, should I plug it on the CDJ (2 pieces) or on the mixer?
I wondered if you have compared the latency of both units, and which one have the lower latency?
i have had my keyboard plugged in mine for years with no problem.
Nice
Can I ask, if, say, my keyboard's MIDI is connected into my computer (laptop) directly via USB MIDI, then why would I need a MIDI signal flow through the audio interface?
I think it’s to enhance the quality
Yo the background has red light over the scarlets sire and blue over the audio audiobox's side neat. Thanks for the info anyway
Aha. You're welcome.
if you arent running a mixer in between this and your recorded instrument, just realize you should be using line level ln either.
Question..the audiobox usb 96 as to work with studio one??
Hi, I have a question about recording. So theres a main pc with all recording softwares and all running. Now a musician wants to play synth on his mac, is there a way to record it on the pc? should it be mac -> audio interface (connected to mac) -> audio interface (connected to pc) -> pc? Is there a way to connect two pcs together without audio interface? Since the pc audio interface only has two inputs and they are occupied by bass and guitar.
for a guitarist perspetcive, which interface is better between Focusrite 2i2 and Presonus 24c in terms of using of a amp sim like Amplitube an Bias fx, therefore instrument imput.
I prefe the 2i2 so much but the lack of MIDI kinda sucks for me. Is there anyway I could use midi devices while sticking to 2i2? I mean is there any separated product that uses midi devices?
Great video man! Do you recommend the Scarlett or Presonus for recording vocals with a Shure Sm7b microphone?
@Jamie Lee very informative thank you!
I'm disappointed in the Presonus gain power... Have to crank my mic up till almost full blast..
I might need a preamp to boost it. Not sure if I'm doing anything wrong.
Presonus Audiobox 96 + Audio Technica ATH M50X or Beyerdynamic DT 770 80 its a good idea only for listening to music ? My budget its only 200$
Beyerdynamic DT 770 80 are good I use the 250 ohms. Also the M50 is good but I prefer 770.
Sir, I enjoyed listening to your wonderful review with regards to comparison with which it made me to go with the Focusrite. However, before I make the purchase I would like to confirm with you with regards to my need. I have a Behringer Eurorack MX802A mixer which I would like to hook up to my I Mac computer using Audacity software. Would this be the right choice or is there a cheaper and better option? My knowledge in this field is not that great and hence requesting your advise Thanks in anticipation!!!
Thanks fpr this honest and thorough review!
My pleasure!
So, If i want to buy the behringer td-3 and connect to the presonus will I have problems because is line and not instrument? Thank you, great review.
I think I'm more confused.....leaning to the Scarlet side but is there a device that also adds Midi? Edit: Looks like the 4i4 and up has Midi.
Which is better? Focusrite Solo 3rd Gen or That Presonous Audio box USB 96?
The Audiobox and Scarlett show good and similar performance in Microphone, but when we are talking about the instruments... Scarlett outdone the overdate Audiobox 96.
Presonus 26C is also a good pick instead of Audiobox 96 and Scarlett 2i2.
Scarlett better for electric guitars too?
If I have the Presonus and a Cloudlifter I should be fine right?
what is the round trip latency for these?
Not only latency other features matter too.
Hi, Thank you for your description. I have a special question. I'm looking for a digital Audio Converter to listen music from my iMac. I don't care about the XLR or Jack inputs. And i also need separate controllers for monitors and headphone levels. Scarlett 2i2 and Presonus Audiobox usb 96 seem to be good choices for that. Do you think if the Presonus model is the good choice for my need. thank you very much
I have a NodeN1TA/Audiobox and it hisses . Is that because the microphone requires more gain and power right ? I’m going to try the focusrite 2i2 3rd gen
Yeah. The Audiobox is pretty noisey. The 2i2 can power the NT1A with much less hiss.
Is there no line in for recording my synth keyboard and guitar in the presonus?I only see xlr inputs for mics and nothing else.
The 2i2 exceeds my budget. Should I consider the Scarlett Solo instead the Presonus because the input noise? It’s for guitar VST. The main disadvantage I see in the Scarlett Solo is the lack of the direct monitoring.
The Scarlett 2i2 has direct monitoring. The button is just moved over the headphone jack, which actually makes more sense.
If you're only plugging in a microphone and a guitar VST then the Solo is perfect for you!
@@kettnercreative I thought that the Solo had no direct monitor button. Now I’ve seen it. Thank you!
Excellent, no-nonsense overview. I enjoyed it and subscribed. I have one question. I want to buy a digital interface that I can use to help me digitize live music and spoken-word recordings from 1970s audiotape (reel and cassette). Some of the recordings will need a lot of "audio repair" after they are digitized (I'll get software for that). Which of these two units would be better for that project...or would you recommend another unit? If I understand correctly the Presonus unit might introduce some noise?
Digitalization can be done on DAW. There is no digital interface. Interface is mean for raw natural recording.
@@HarvinderSingh-yy8th I probably should have said "audio interface"? It's a unit that you plug in between your cassette player or reel to reel recorder and your computer.
Em relação à qualidade de saída pra VST ao vivo em comparação com a saída p2 de um Mac Retina 2015, qual teria mais qualidade na teoria???
I don't get this not directly plugging line in's. If I see a line in, I expect it to work.
not everything is like that though, they probably have good reason for doing it that way.
Thanks for this informations
Execus me What do you think is better in the voiceover works?
Scarlett
So with the presonus, I can't connect a microphone and a keyboard and record at the same time?
Very helpful, thank you! So, I have a question for the Focusrite: can I use input 1 and 2 as a pannable stereo input LR?
Yes, use DAW.
Man yet another great video, you just earned yourself another SUB Peace
Thanks!
He so blatantly tried to avoid saying "its nice to have a big nob" at 7.36, heheh
So I can’t use the presonus on my iPhone ??
Thanks for the good work. Have you looked at the
Berenger flow 8
I haven't. We'll probably attempt some more Behringer reviews again in the future. I'm still jaded from the last review where after three tries we couldn't find a unit that actually worked as advertised.
@@kettnercreative I don't blame you one bit. One of your video's you mention that there digital mixer lies are ok. This one isn't on the market yet. But the Beringer line seems to be not trust worthy.
Very Nice ! Congrats from Brasil !
this very clear which one fit for you, thx
That was really a very well explained detail review. I was planning to close in for Presonus. But after watching this video, I feel investing more money in Focusrite is worth it. Thanks buddy. Pune City, India
I'm also from pune brother
Hi I have a PreSonus Firebox, very old, but it has 6 outputs which I use 4 to carry audio to a stereo amp and to cue headphones. Can this be achieved with either of the options and if so how?