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!!
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 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!
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
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!!!!
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...
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...
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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'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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.. :)
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?
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
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...
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?
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?
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.
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!!!
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
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.
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.
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.
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 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!
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?
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!
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 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.
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.
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, 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.
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.
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