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Author Topic: Presonus AudioBox 44VSL  (Read 9592 times)
elwoodblues1969
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« on: April 05, 2012, 09:05:02 PM »

Since I was on the market once again,for yet another audio interface to square up my studio properly once & for all,I explored many options.
First,I was attracted to another Mackie product(this time an actual audio interface,minus the mixer) & initially,I was delighted to find out that the Onyx Blackjack was reduced to a mere $129...from the original price of $199 when it was first arrived on the shelves about a year ago.
But of course at this price,some red flags went off in my head & I wondered if this was a good move,so I did some research.It turns out,that there are some serious driver issues that weren't addressed properly & apparently,Mackie dropped the ball.Added to which,the USB mixer I had bought prior,turned out to have a defect,as I wasn't receiving a signal in the right channel.
All this being said,I scratched off Mackie from my gear list entirely.

At that point,I had become rather taken with the Akai ElectroMusic IEI Pro audio interface,as it had the 4 inputs I wanted,VU meters,& even a USB hub built into it and all for $249.
No one had it in stock though and after some time to think it over,I thought that perhaps that Akai was offering a bit too much for their modest price tag & I didn't want to get burned again,trying to pinch pennies.

It then occurred to me,that since I have some extra coin in my pocket,I might as well do this deal the right way & spend what I need to and not compromise on anything.

I've always liked the aesthetic quality of Presonus gear,but often wondered about the build quality of their AudioBox series of audio interfaces,as the bright blue color scheme made them look like cheap plastic boxes & I've never seen one in my local music shop.
I then decided to peruse Presonus's website & found out that the casing is entirely comprised of metal.
Presonus is well known for their high quality preamps & after having read a user review that compared the sonic quality to that of an Apogee product,I was then sold on the idea of buying the AudioBox 44VSL.
The 44VSL is certainly built like a Brinks armored truck and has a beautiful brushed metal face on it with an exquisite navy blue color.The solid & smooth precision of all of the front controls are quite impressive and equally impressive,are the 4 front inputs,the 2 pairs of rear audio outs,the main audio outs and the midi ports!

The AudioBox comes with the Studio One Artist software,which is an entry level,but fully functional DAW...but minus some of the effects,sounds & no MP3 conversion.
Presonus's VSL software is also included,which is a really interesting bit of software,in that provides additional effects & control over external effects units..as well as providing control over the audio interface,in terms of adjusting various input volumes & the main volume of the AudioBox(which can operate independently from the DAW program.

I have yet to do a recording test run on the AudioBox,to determine the audio fidelity,but according to Presonus,their rate of operation voltage-wise,of 30V,provides increased headroom and in consideration of how well designed their DAW program is,I am very confident that I could not have bought a better audio interface for $300!
Cool


-Thom


* Presonus VSL audio interface.jpg (1075.21 KB, 1100x1523 - viewed 837 times.)

* Presonus AudioBox 44VSL.jpg (128.49 KB, 404x404 - viewed 1357 times.)
« Last Edit: April 05, 2012, 09:08:46 PM by elwoodblues1969 » Logged

Oren
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« Reply #1 on: April 06, 2012, 04:30:49 AM »

If it sounds as good as it looks, you're all the way downtown. Let us know! Afro
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elwoodblues1969
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« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2012, 01:07:39 AM »

Yep...this is indeed,a 5-star piece of gear!The preamps are really stout and unlike my old NI Audio Kontrol 1 interface,the Presonus's preamps render very usable vocals,without the need for "boosting" effects,such as compression & the like.
With my other interface,I was unable to listen to any external audio sources during playback in my DAW,but the AudioBox 44VSL behaves with all of the independence of a traditional hardware mixer! 
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SLD Music
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« Reply #3 on: April 12, 2012, 04:47:00 PM »

Sounds like you made a good choice on this one.  Congrats!
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elwoodblues1969
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« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2012, 09:17:12 PM »

Sounds like you made a good choice on this one.  Congrats!

Thanks. Smiley Having made two really significant purchases from the sale of my MOX6,has really made it all worthwhile. Cheesy


-Thom
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Oren
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« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2012, 01:00:31 AM »

Schweet!   wOO
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