A New Standard? PreSonus STUDIO 24c!

Introduction

Hello, I'm a new user of the PreSonus STUDIO 24c. This article is a review of the PreSonus STUDIO 24c entry-level audio interface by me, as someone who has used it for two years. I hope it will help you when choosing an audio interface, especially if you are a beginner.

PRESONUS / Studio 24c audio interface

What is an Audio Interface?

When I started researching equipment needed for DTM, I came across this piece of equipment called an audio interface that is often introduced as a necessity. What exactly is this item for?
Simply put, an audio interface is an “entry/exit point” for sound. It is used to “input” the sound from a guitar or microphone into DAW software, and to “output” the sound from the DAW software through headphones or speakers. This is what you need when you want to “output” the sound from your DAW software through headphones or speakers.
In fact, computers have built-in audio interfaces from the start, so it is possible to input and output sound. However, since they are not designed for music production, the sound quality will be significantly degraded. Therefore, if you want to enjoy DTM in earnest, an audio interface is a must.

STUDIO 24c Review

Now it's time to get down to business. From here, I will share my impressions of the STUDIO 24c from a variety of perspectives. However, I will not mention too much about sound quality. When you are a beginner, you don't know what sounds good and what sounds bad. Furthermore, since good and bad sound is subjective, I believe that there is little point in telling you what I think is a good sound.
Therefore, in this review, I would like to focus on conditions other than sound quality (price, specifications, accessories, etc.). I would be happy if you could use this as a basis for your decision when selecting your first one!

Low price!

When recommending a product to beginners, low price is still an important point. However, it is meaningless if the price coincides with the product being cheap or poor.
In this respect, I feel that the “STUDIO 24c” software has achieved the quality required for music production.
However, there are also many models in the under 20,000 yen lineup that are less expensive than STUDIO 24c. I urge you to compare them in terms of specifications and added value in addition to price, and determine which product is right for your needs.

Support for everything from music production to streaming!

As I mentioned earlier, the product you should choose for your audio interface depends greatly on its intended use.
STUDIO 24c is a 2-in / 2-out interface, so you can record two instruments simultaneously and output sound from two cables (plus headphones).
The two input jacks are Hi-Z combo jacks that can be used to connect either a microphone or an instrument such as a guitar or bass. Speaking of microphones, the unit is also equipped with a phantom (48V) power supply, which is necessary for using condenser microphones.
Other features include a “loopback” feature. This is a feature that allows you to input the sound into your computer again, which is useful when you want to stream the sound of your DAW or games, for example.
Other features include a front display showing input and output volume, and a direct monitoring feature that allows recording without delay by listening to the input sound as it is.
These features indicate that STUDIO 24c is a product that can be used not only for DTM music production, but also for streaming.
A slight inconvenience is that the headphone out is located on the rear panel. While this has the advantage of keeping the front of the unit clear, I can’t really deny that it is a little difficult to use.

The included software is gorgeous!

Low-priced audio interfaces all have similar features in terms of performance. The biggest difference between products from different companies is the bundled software.
The bundled software “Studio Magic” from STUDIO 24c is quite impressive and offers sound source and effect plug-ins from renowned manufacturers such as Arturia, iZotope, and UVI.
The list of plug-ins can be found on the official website, but here I would like to introduce a few of my favorite plug-ins.

・ Brainworx bx_opto

This is an optical compressor. It is characterized by its slow attack and is effective for smoothing out vocals and strings.

・ Native Instruments / REPLIKA

A delay. This product can be used for a wide range of applications, from natural delays for blending tracks to creative delays for active sound creation.

・ UVI / Model D

This is a grand piano sound source that includes Steinway pianos, and presets with various expressions are available from the start. It is a very reliable instrument, especially when you only have the sound source that comes with your DAW.

The STUDIO 24c comes with more than just this. Studio One, a DAW also developed by PreSonus, is included!
The specifications are such that you can produce with this alone without any problems.
If you want the top-of-the-line Studio One Professional, you can get it at an upgraded price from Artist, and for those who want to use Studio One as their DAW, STUDIO 24c is highly recommended.

A few things I noticed...

This may be a problem specific to my environment, but the volume of the input seems a bit low. That in itself is not much of a problem, but the problem comes after that. When the input gain is gradually increased, the sound suddenly clips (crackles) when it reaches the maximum. This means that you end up recording at a much lower volume than you want.
A simple solution to this problem is to turn up the volume before input. I connected a booster pedal between the guitar and the interface to amplify the signal before inputting it.
The low volume of the input also means that the sound is less likely to crack (if the gain is not maxed out). You may want to consider this as a characteristic rather than a drawback.

Summary

Now that you have learned about the appeal of the STUDIO 24c, I hope that you are now familiar with STUDIO 24c.
Low-priced audio interfaces are truly a battleground. Various manufacturers are offering a wide variety of products, each with its own unique appeal. Among the most popular are the STEINBERG UR22C and Scarlett from Focusrite.
As one of the loyal users, I hope that STUDIO 24c will leap ahead of these rivals to become a new standard
Thank you again.

The “sound & person” column is made up of contributions from you.
For details about contributing, click here.