All user reviews of 4/5 for the PreSonus AudioBox USB

I needed a little card to balance music or record my console's output. I got it for its reliability and for the quality Presonus preamps.

I use it on a Macbook with Logic.

UTILIZATION

Drivers OK on Mac and Windows.

Total 14ms latency, it's enough for what I do. In recording 2 tracks, reading, I got a 14 with no ill treatment with no worries.

GETTING STARTED

Plug and play on a Mac ... Must install the software under Windows, in 2 cases, the manual is useless, it's very simple!

OVERALL OPINION

I came across few problems of diaphonie ... The mix knob completely on PC, when I hear the same sound from the preamp, for the analysis, it's been a bit shit ... Anyway, it remains a great product anyway

What characteristics have motivated your choice?
USB fantom, handy for my laptop not equipped with Firewire
Two inputs and 2 outputs, enough for my config

With which instruments or systems (console, preamp, DTD ...) and you use the connection with what?
Inputs: microphone and instruments (guitar or otherwise)
Outputs: active monitor speakers



UTILIZATION

The drivers are stable?
New drivers for vista for download, available on the site gratos presonus

What software do you use most often?
Ableton Live

How many tracks do you manage to record / playback simultaneously?
No Limit

GETTING STARTED

Installation sometimes a little galley, including some conflicts in ableton with various midi controllers, but nothing unmanageable

OVERALL OPINION

For how long have you been using it?
8 months

Did you try many other models before getting this one?
Presonus firebox but not for the same use

What thing do you like most/least about it?
The USB is not that great even if rarely lag, I prefer firewire, more efficient

What is your opinion about the value for the price?
A bit expensive but it's sturdy

Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice?
For exclusive use USB, yes

purchased for direct recording of guitar, bass and electronic drums in midi with Ableton Live, which runs with a 2GHz Core 2 Duo and 4 GB of ram in seven 32-bit (4 GB useless until 32-bit I know)

UTILIZATION

asio driver is stable in the recording but I do not know why you need to reinstall all the time, a restart on 2 PC's over there, too sucks. So I use Asio 4 All, and I'm not bored.
if the hardware level, it's solid, nickel knobs, easy to use, are transparent preamp (I did not experience the high end), it lacks nothing in that I use . Latency level, closing all programs and priority setting in Live, I'm less than 10ms (8 I think), but beware I can not tell you if it happens with lots of plug-in and 50 runs open, this n is not that I'm using.

GETTING STARTED

If one puts aside the problem of driver, it's plug and play. Sorry but the manual I remember if I read it ...

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for quite some months now and I think continue. For the price it's very good stuff, solid, comprehensive, transparent. There is this driver problem, but I do not know whether to blame the Presonus or Microsoft, in all cases with Asio 4 All is settled.

Motivated to save one or two tracks. Preamp quite correct.
For microphones, guitars, synth.
Mac.
With SM57 microphones, AT831b. Yamaha synth (midi) yamaha guitar (in direct or via microphone)

UTILIZATION

No driver needed on mac, plug and play!
I use garage band, I record two tracks simultaneously without latency (except with lots of apps open, but it comes from the computer and not on the map).

GETTING STARTED

Immediate implementation.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for a week, she walks nickel, it does what I ask it is robust and has a great sound quality (compared to others in this price).
A breath very slight bit appear in certain circumstances: potentiometer very low or very high.

* I was looking for an A / D interface 2 channels minimum, running under linux and with good preamps
* The configuration is interesting to me: Guitar and vocals between Jack and then in effect processor and Rackarrack sooperlooper (looper).
* Use is: live performance guitar / vocals
* Computer Requirements:
I tested with two systems:
- Tour processor low-end AMD Athlon 2.7 GHz L2 Cache 1024 KB, 2GB of RAM running Ubuntu Studio rel Jaunty time kernel as an audio interface with Intel HDA alternative.
- Latest issue laptop Intel Core 2 Duo 1.3 GHz dual processor with 4 GB of memory and Ubuntu 10.04 lucid lynx noyeu 2.6.32-25 not rel time with native Intel HDA audio interface 

UTILIZATION

* USB Audio drivers linux apparently stable
* I use the audio software on linux (jack, rackarrack, guitarix, ardor, rosegarden, hydrogen ...)
* Number of track record: 2, since the interface has only two entries.
* No need to update
* Latency: I measure when the computer was running rackarrack is very demanding in terms of audio processing as it turns conjuction up to 10 guitar effects. The acquisition frequence selected is 48 kHz.
- On tour with Athlon processor with jack + rackarrack: interface with systm = 8 ms (128 ech / PERIOD, PERIOD 3 per pad) with the same USB AudioBox
- On the laptop with intel dual core: works well. The minimum latency is 8 ms with 3 Periods per buffer and 128 samples per PERIOD. I can not go below this latency either the card integrates with the laptop (intel HDA).
I do not know exactly how typical to the computer is important because the processor does not ultimately turn a lot. On the Athlon, which is weak, it occupied up to 60%. I don't understand why I can not fall below 8 ms even if it's enough.

GETTING STARTED

No configuration necessary.
If you do not have any sound:
- Be careful to organize well the software associated with the Jack. For Rackarrack for example, you must verify that the number of period by buffer is the same as that of the jack otherwise no sound.
- There is a potentiomtre that fixes the mixing between the input / output in the listening
In fact the absence of sound can be attributed to the AudioBox, then it has nothing to do ...

OVERALL OPINION

* I use it for a month
* I have not tried other models (of this type) before.
* What I love most: the sound is very good
* What I like least: the low readability of  potentiomtres
* Excellent price/quality
* Yes I would make this choice again