High-performance Quantum HD interfaces by PreSonus serve as the core for a robust, user-friendly recording system.
Louden Up With PreSonus, the US powerhouse is famous for its DAW Studio One and studio gear like mixers, monitors, headphones, and interfaces. But for the masses, PreSonus shines brightest with their Eris series, covering monitors and headphones, offering fantastic value options that have earned high marks in our reviews.
For those yearning for more, PreSonus tops its hardware lineup with an array of interfaces and monitors brimming with clever, user-friendly features, perfect for recording guitarists and solo producers alike.
In the clip above, we've crafted a simple recording setup to showcase these features. Our foundation is PreSonus' Quantum HD 8, a USB-C audio interface that serves as a conduit to Studio One Pro 7, allowing seamless configuration of our recording setup right from the DAW.
In the audio department, we've hooked up speakers from the Eris Pro range. The Quantum HD interfaces are the cream of PreSonus’ interface offering, encompassing the more compact HD 2 and flagship HD 8, with an assortment of input/output options.
The HD 8 can either be rack-mounted or rest easily on a desktop and boasts two instrument inputs upfront and eight mic/line inputs at the rear – accompanied by 10 line outputs at the back. The interface also sports two quarter-inch headphone outputs for monitoring and offers Word Clock and optical connectivity, making it simple to expand the I/O up to 26 inputs and 30 outputs.
PreSonus highlights that the Quantum HD interfaces boast an impressive 'high-performance signal flow,' thanks to converters boasting an impressive 124dB of dynamic range.
PreSonus also rolls out the all-new Max HD preamps, eight on the HD 8 and two on the HD 2. These are digitally controlled analog preamps offering 75dB of gain, low in noise and highly transparent, making them ideal for capturing a wide range of sounds.
What sets apart the Quantum HD range is the Auto Gain feature, which takes the hassle out of gain staging for various input types. This convenient feature can be fine-tuned using the front panel button, within Studio One, or through the Universal Control app.
Speaking of the Universal Control app, it's another standout element of the interface's workflow, providing hands-free control over multitudes of features. The app is compatible with iOS, Android, PC, and Mac.
PreSonus became part of the Fender family a few years ago, and you'll notice that these latest interfaces include features tailored specifically for recording electric guitars.
The front panel input connections have been designed in consultation with Fender and include input and output connections, designed for effortless re-amping. This means users can transmit instrument-level signals out of a DAW to process them via an amp, amp sim pedal, stompboxes, or a desktop effects unit.
The Quantum HD interfaces come bundled with software, including a perpetual license to Studio One Pro 7, along with a year of Studio One Pro+, providing access to every plugin and sound pack PreSonus has on offer – encompassing sounds to suit a variety of genres.
Although the interfaces are fully compatible with various DAWs, there's some remarkable integration when using them with Studio One specifically.
When launching a new Studio One project, users can leverage preset Quantum HD project templates, which set the session up for a multitrack project utilizing the interface's I/O.
Users can also directly access hardware controls within the Studio One mixer, eliminating the need to toggle between the control app, hardware, or DAW to configure features.
In our setup demo, we have the outputs of the Quantum HD 8 connected to a pair of Eris Pro 8 monitors. These are coaxial monitors, meaning the high and low frequencies radiate from a single position, offering a more natural listening experience.
On the rear panel, they also house Acoustic Tuning controls that make it a breeze to modify the speaker response to fit our studio space.
Should we desire more bass, we can connect a sub – PreSonus offers an Eris Sub – and subsequently use the low cut to prevent our monitors from interfering with the sub.
Put together, these three elements create a straightforward but potent recording setup, with some appealing touches that will undoubtedly excite busy music makers.
This setup caters exceptionally well to recording guitars or vocals at home, yet with the inputs/outputs on the Quantum HD 8, we could also link up an entire rack of hardware synths or record a multi-track band session.
The Quantum HD 8 retails for £869, and the HD 2 is available for £429. The Eris Pro 8 monitors fetch £349 each.
Swing by PreSonus for more.
Technology and gadgets are at the forefront of PreSonus' hardware lineup, with the Quantum HD series interfaces boasting impressive features like high-performance signal flow, Auto Gain, and advanced preamps. The Universal Control app allows hands-free control over these features, making music production more efficient for users. On the other hand, the Eris Pro series monitors and headphones offer fantastic value options for the masses, providing a natural listening experience for home recording setups.
