Discuss Quantum Series Interfaces Here
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First post, and I hope not a contentious one. Just working on the build of my first "serious" home studio after a lot of dabbling at home, and a lot of use of professional recording studios over the years, the greater part back in the analogue era, at least for where the recorded sounds were processed. I've been using Studio One for a few years now, and I am very "bought in" to the Presonus workflow concept, and have decided on that basis I'll be equipping my home studio with Presonus as first choice.

Studio is: Half decent size "live room" that can house a 4/5 piece band for rehearsal, and record a drum kit with some room to breathe; + slightly too small "sweet spot" control room that will be used for control and mixing, but possibly not mix-down that I care too much about - we'll see how it sounds. I have already committed to 24 XLR from live room to control room, and 12 TRS going back the other way. Won't ever use them all, but given the studio build costs compared to multicore cabling, a no-brainer.

Options seem to be Quantum or StudioLive 32:

Quantum (26x32), PC for Thunderbolt (will need to buy one, + TB adapter and cables), FaderPort 16, 1 or 2 additional mic preamps, headphone amp or 2.

Advantages seem to be low latency even when using plugins, smaller physical desk to house it all, outrageous sound quality and sampling rate. Fits on many standard studio desks. Amazingly flexible.

Disadvantages? More cabling and ADAT interfaces. Reliant on computer monitor all the time. Presonus seem to have stopped making mic preamps, so I'll need to research something as good as the DP88 for a reasonable price

StudioLive (32), will work with existing PC, might need some headphone amps, nothing else to buy.

Advantages are that I have all the preamps I could need immediately, more real estate for DAW control than I have ever dreamt of, can operate a studio without looking at a computer monitor if I wish, and if we ever get to play out again, I'd quite enjoy using it as a live desk in most situations.

Disadvantages? Will need a custom physical desk for the studio to sit it on. It's only 48 kHz rather than 96 or 192 kHz. Main problem is that after all the acoustic treatment is all in, the control room is only 2.5 m x 3.5 m (about 8' x 11'), and I don't really want the physical desk to totally dominate that space (and I do accept I have little choice, it's too small!)

So the question is: Quantum or StudioLive? I'll see if I can cross post to get a view from SL users, but would love to hear your thoughts.

Liam
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by SwitchBack on Sat Apr 03, 2021 6:00 pm
Then consider the 32R: except for the physical controls (which you list both a pro and a con) and the 96kHz it seems to tick all your boxes.
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by ianaeillo on Sun Apr 04, 2021 1:24 am
Liam,

This is going to be a roundabout answer, but here’s why I love my quantum 2632. So I have a slightly different setup, and I use my quantum for mixing only. I track in a large studio and bring sessions back to mix at home. I absolutely adore my quantum, and here’s why.

After spending years acquiring the best plugins I could afford- UA, brainwork, slate, fab filter, lexicon and eventide blah blah blah - last year I started getting serious about integrating outboard. I realized that I actually preferred my new UA1176 plugins to my hardware newer UA 1176s and realistically the only plugin I didn’t prefer over hardware was the Fairchild 670. As I only have access to one of those at the studio and can’t afford a $60k comp for home, I decided to dump all 8 channels of “nice” outboard I previously had. I set out to get only devices that hadn’t been emulated in the software realm. I ended up with roughly 26 channels of outboard. Weird stuff. Ashly SC63, Korg KEC42, Urei 535, CBS Audimax II, Drawmer DS201. The Quantum 2632 was filled and I scored a new-in-box quantum 2 sitting around in a local guitar shop for $200. I stalked eBay and reverb and Craigslist end grabbed two DP88s for $350 each.

The quantum has been rock solid the entire time. Never missed a beat while I evolved from console mixing to ITB to hybrid. While I am used to mixing on a large format console, the ability to expand and add and the DAC I/O on the DP88s has been priceless. Using pipeline, I have presets for all of my outboard. The quantum has been incredible and the sound quality is, frankly, fantastic. I totally understand the desire to not look at the computer screen, but the Quantum is the best investment I’ve ever made. I have no idea what the future holds for my setup; but the fluidity and convenience and expandability of the quantum, in my humble opinion, is priceless and cannot be overstated.

I can’t say that you wouldn’t be happier with an SL or the 32R, but if you decide one day to deviate from your original intention of your home setup, the quantum will always be there to afford you the ability to change.

Studio One Pro 5.5, Studio One Pro 6.12, Faderport 16, Faderport Classic (1.45), Metric Halo ULN-8 MKIV, Presonus Quantum, Presonus Quantum 2, Ferrofish Pulse 16, (2) Digimax DP88, Audient ASP800, BLA HD192, 27-Inch Late 2012 3.2GHZ i5 32 GB 1600 DDR3, 2Tb SSD, 10.13.6 High Sierra + 10.14 Mojave + Windows 10
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by liamhumberstone on Sun Apr 04, 2021 11:50 am
Ianaeillo,

Thanks for the detailed response and thoughts. I was a little disappointed to see the DP88 is discontinued, and very few available used. Might even make sense, if I were to go in the same direction as you, to pick up a couple of Quantum 2626 to use as mic preamps for the 2632?

SwitchBack,

I hadn't even thought about the rack mixers as recording interfaces, and the SL 24R might even be enough. It would be a rack interface for the studio, going straight into Studio One Pro on my PC via USB, with enough I/O to run some outboard at the rare times I might use any (Ianaeillo, REALLY appreciate your thoughts on how good plugins are getting, I am a Fractal convert of a few years for guitar amplification, digital "virtual analogue" really is coming of age now). I'd be stuck on a computer screen for most work, but could add a FaderPort 16 to get some physical control. Plenty of output channels available for headphones, etc, and I am sure I'll figure out a way of setting up a channel for talkback.

The biggest appeal of this is that while I wouldn't be doing much mixing through the SL rack in the studio, I have been meaning to get a new desk for playing out with the band. I'd be happy to use a tablet for that purpose, and it looks like I could pretty easily set up to wander around the venue in sound check and have control of the mix through a 32R or 24R.

It also occurred to me that I could run a hybrid of that setup for live rehearsals in the studio, using the studio multicore in 2 directions, and rerouting the mixer to a pair of active speakers for vocals and anything else that needs sound reinforcement.

Not sure if I am dreaming, but it really does seem I get the best of all 3 worlds without too much compromise this way. Only downside is all those XLRs plugged into the front panel of the rack in the control room, and I won't have a "true" physical mixing desk.

Thanks for your input both, you have inspired a lot of new thoughts, and quite possibly saved me a heap of money! I am aware the bulk of the conversation has been in the "wrong" sub-forum, except that it isn't, because a Quantum isn't quite out of the running yet. However I do have some searching to do in the StudioLive section now.

Liam
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by howardweatherspoon on Sat May 13, 2023 1:45 pm
Old thread but here's my two cents! I have both the quantum2626 and the SL32iii. The quantum sounds better with thunderbolt for tracking but with the SL32 added...you really have a powerhouse setup. Over time I have integrated all of my hardware through my SL32 and track into the quantum...then flip the DAW button on the SL32 and use it as a controller. I run vocals from my 1073 pres into the SL32 using its onboard compression to really control the vocals. Then, I shoot the controlled vocals to the 1176 hardware compressors. The signal is so evenly controlled that the 1176 really shines. From there it hits an SSL six and then into the quantum. People hear the end result and are blown away. If you can get both...you will have endless possibilities. The SL32 is so much more than a live mixer. I dare say it's more of a studio mixer because of its flexibility

Howard

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