PRODUCT
TESTS
PreSonus Studio 24c Audio/MIDI Interface &
FaderPort USB Production Controller
By Adam Gallant
P
Studio 24
reSonus released its first USB-C au-
dio interface midway through 2018,
and the unit has seemingly been
earning favour with the recording
community in the months since.
Geared towards home and project studio
recording, podcasting, live streaming, and
mobile musicians, the Studio 24c interface is
competitively priced with great specs and fea-
tures. Recording at up to 192 kHz with 24-bit
resolution, the unit offers two XLR and 1/4-in.
inputs, which can be used as instrument in-
puts, line level inputs, and microphone inputs
(with optional phantom power toggled on
the front panel). For outputs, the unit has two
balanced TRS outputs and a stereo headphone
output. The rear USB-C 2.0 port is bus-powered,
so there is no need for a separate power adap-
tor. On the back, we also have MIDI in and out
via a pair of five-pin DIN connectors. The case
is rugged with an all-metal chassis and knobs
while the desktop footprint is small and void
of excess cable clutter.
In Use
The Studio 24c is a lot of bang for the buck
when you take the amount and quality of
software that accompanies it into account:
PreSonus’s own Studio One Artist (V4) DAW
and the Studio Magic Plug-In Suite. Included
in the collection are sought-after plug-ins like
the MAAG Audio EQ2, Analogue Lab Lite by
Arturia, reverbs from Lexicon, and much more
from the likes of Brainworx, Klanghelm, and
SPL. Studio One Artist also comes with over 6
GB of samples and loops.
In terms of hardware, perhaps my favourite
feature is the ability to mitigate latency. On the
front panel, we have direct analog monitor-
ing via a mix knob that blends between the
hardware inputs and the DAW’s playback. This
makes getting a headphone mix a total breeze
22 PROFESSIONAL SOUND
and doesn’t deter me from putting some CPU-
heavy plug-ins into my overdubbing sessions.
The interface also ships with both USB-B to -C
and USB-C to -B cables.
Worth noting is that this box is possibly
the most rugged interface in its class. It also
boasts more features than a lot of other boxes
competing for the same market share.
In all, the Studio 24c is a great addition to
this line of audio interfaces from PreSonus.
FaderPort V2
The trusted FaderPort – one of PreSonus’s
most popular products – has been refreshed
and reintroduced with the V2 distinction.
Over the past year, we’ve seen the release
of the Faderport 8 and 16 – great DAW con-
trollers with a big footprint. The FaderPort
V2 is a small, single-fader version of the
same controllers. With this redesign comes
better integration with all popular DAWs.
When booting up the device, you can select
between different modes for Studio One,
Logic, Ableton Live, Pro Tools, and Cubase,
making the V2 much more versatile than its
predecessor. V2’s look is a big upgrade as well.
The text is easy to read and the buttons are
well illuminated and colour-coded for quick
identification.
In Use
I tested the unit in both music and audio-
for-video applications and it sped up and
enhanced my workflow in both cases.
This being my first fader controller meant
there were a few habits to break before I could
take advantage of its functionality. Part of
what makes transitioning from the keyboard
and mouse to the controller easier is the qual-
ity of the fader. The motor is quiet and the
fader’s movement isn’t distracting. The unit
provides up to 1024 steps of resolution in all
DAWs and I quickly learned that a little move-
ment can go a long way, depending on the
source material. Aside from automating with
the fader, the FaderPort delivers fast, tactile
control over such tasks as: scrolling through
channels, scrolling through the edit timeline,
and zooming.
In Pro Tools, we can link the fader to the
session’s master fader for master volume
control. To speed up editing, the encoder
knob can nudge regions, drop in markers,
and navigate markers in a session. For hyper-
accurate panning, we can flip the pan from
the big blue encoder knob to the fader, which
can be helpful for tedious panning jobs like
car-bys and footsteps.
Ultimately, the FaderPort V2 is a blast to
use. It adds a certain degree of enjoyment to
the production process and speeds up session
navigation. I found it to be the perfect com-
panion for both music and audio-for-video
applications.
Adam Gallant has worked in all facets of digital
audio production, from music composition
to location and post audio for television and
film. He currently owns and operates The Hill
Sound Studio in Charlottetown, PE.