Less enamouring was the Lexicon MPX-i reverb, which routinely laid on the reverb with a trowel and needed the Wet signal dialling down to around 10% to be usable. Pulling up a Male Vocal preset, I was instantly in the ballpark and after pulling out a little of the saturation and a bit less of the highs, I was happy. In the PreSonus corner: iZotope Neutron was first up, which has a reputation as a great sounding intelligent channel strip. I put them all to the test on my voice, to determine which would get me the best result.
#Arturia analog lab lite presonus software
so in reality, the audio performance of your preamps will not be a deal breaker or maker in you choice of interface.Īll boxes come with comprehensive software bundles - a significant part of the value proposition when looking at an interface in this segment. The minute differences were probably more mic technique etc. If anything, the Focusrite pres had a little extra HF detail, thanks to their new ‘Air’ control. Who will win: Survivor or Contender? Old Faithful, or Hipster Box? The truth is, I’d be splitting hairs in my test there was practically no discernible difference.
Knowing the heritage of the Presonus XMax preamps on the Studio 24C, its time for the ultimate comparison. The Scarlett, however, offers a perfectly acceptable balance with no such tweaking available, only a direct monitoring on/off switch. The KA6 and Studio 24C share Input/Host crossfade knobs for direct monitoring, which allowed me to dial in a good mix of click and mic into my ears for a quick vocal take (or five). All are plug ’n’ play, and play nice with a recent Mac. Stacked up and ready to record, these three interfaces all deliver a great experience for a first-time user.
Focusrite also graces us with USB-C, another welcome addition. Its knobs lack markings for gain-matching (like the Presonus), but all have a nice resistant feel for fine adjustments. It’s a very nice unit to behold and to operate, netting you the same I/O as the Studio 24C sans MIDI.
The evergreen 2i2 from Focusrite is fresh from its 3rd gen makeover, so it now sports reflective glass front and back I/O plates, and shiny, primo-feeling everything. The front panel knobs feel solid, and make accurate incremental adjustments easy with their weight and resistance. Instead of traditional B, you’ll find slim-line USB Type-C on the back, ideal for versatility, making for easy swap outs if you get caught short (the 24C ships with two USB cables: Type C to C and Type C to A). It comes with a stereo out, headphone out (on the rear… why?) and MIDI I/O, too.
Once again, we get two combo preamp inputs, but no extras out back. The Presonus box ain’t so pretty, but what it lacks in looks it makes up for in ruggedness. There are VUs for all the ins and the main out, and a big fat volume knob on top. A pair of high-power headphone outs are also included, for the odd collab or sharing a production with a mate. One standout addition is the recessed USB-B port, making your computer connection rock solid (it takes some effort to get it in and out). It has two preamp-equipped combo jacks, two extra TS inputs on the back (CV-ready for use with modular gear), MIDI in/out, as well as two stereo outputs. Now a black, minimal slab of glass and aluminium, it’s a stylish looking unit. The Komplete Audio 6 is a MkII refresh of its years-old namesake.