Desktop DAW Control & Interface - PreSonus ioStation 24c USB First Look & Review

In this video we're getting into the new PreSonus ioStation 24c DAW controller and interface that was announced this past January at winter NAMM. I've had the 24c on the desk for the past couple of months through a few big editing projects and have to say it came in more useful than I originally expected. Check it out and leave any questions you have below.
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[@zdravkodimitrov]

I think this is a brilliant product. Hopefully they make a 4 channel version with MIDI (maybe with a 4 motorized fader interface to match)? To me, that would be perfect.

[@FiBband]

I have it. It's a boss in certain situations. I have mine on the left to my keyboard though since most my keyboard shortcuts are done quicker with my right hand. Makes things a little easier for me. I do however think that this is a test product to see if minimal fader ports should be paired up with an interface. And I 100% agree, it just makes sense. Good video, thanks for the review

[@truthboy7168]

nice content as usual! 👍 you ever tried the controller sitting on the left side of your keyboard? so you have basically the right hand on the mouse and switching with the left hand between keyboard and controller...adds up fpr a better workflow imho. ✌️

[@DcSoundOp]

Okay, so I moved the unit to the other side when I first read your comment a few days ago.... It’s certainly an interesting option. For me, to the right of a Magic Trackpad is still my preference. It keeps the enter key on my num pad within reach of my right thumb, and the fader becomes part of the usual gestures and things I’m used to doing on the trackpad. I’ll keep experimenting in the future though, thanks!

[@Piotre]

Thanks for nice review. IMHO this brilliant idea for mobile studio like hotel room or somewhere out. Additionally having decent length USB cable means you can use it as wired remote controller so play/rec etc keys are getting in such context very usable... I wish it was on market when I was buying mobile card. But well... USB powered would be great... However not sure how much does this thing consume power in every possible scenario. Maybe standard USB powering is just not enough? There are few variations and older notebooks have only older type which means less power provided.

[@FiBband]

Also, I believe that anything that contributes to workflow will have some sort of learning curve specific to the buyer. It sucks to take the time to learn a new workflow, but sometimes the benefits and rewards that come with learning it can be worth the time it takes to relearn how to navigate your hands

[@bryanmontero]

Awesome video! But if i’m not mistaken the audio box and the iostation don’t have the same pre amps. The iostation has a class A preamp

[@DcSoundOp]

You are right, they are not quite the same... The AudioBox is listed as a Class A preamp design while the ioStation is listed as having XMAX preamps, which are also a Class A circuit. My favorite is the AudioBox 96USB, which is just listed as having "2" preamps... not further explanation or specs.

[@reineralex9270]

thanks for this review...very useful and understandable...thank you!...the idea for PreSonus could be to develop this one with more channels and tunderbolt based ...to integrate this is a logical thing...I am sure, PreSonus is working on it.

[@felipedromundo8861]

I remember TASCAM doing the exact thing you ask for like 10 years ago, but somehow it didn´t lift off

[@GladiusOFFICIAL]

Does this work as a standalone analog style dual mic pre ? (with each mic input going out to seperate audio outputs?)

[@DcSoundOp]

No, I don’t believe it does that as a stand-alone. Maybe someone with one can test the current firmware though, since this one had to go back to presonus after the vid. Thanks!

[@henryvanweeren7233]

By the sounds of it, is Presonus trying to zoom in on the home recording market?

[@DcSoundOp]

They’re certainly putting a lot into their recording products & software these days.

[@johnthelad]

@@DcSoundOp I wonder what percentage of Studio One users are like me....just work alone in a small room at home.

[@LossLeadas]

the io station 25c cause a lot crackles and pops in studio one and no its not my latency no matter where I put it it still pops. my other audio interface didn't do this. what other options I have to fix it? yes I already update S1 and the interface.

[@DcSoundOp]

Hi, can you let us know a bit more about your setup. What you have connected & routed where and what other gear you are using. There are a lot of different things that could cause this, most likely is your clock settings between hardware and software. Let me know more & I'll do my best to help!

[@christhomas2729]

These products are nice. But I have a CS18AI. A giant Faderport

[@AnupamDas]

Hi how can I use it with Adobe Audition? And can you pls make a video with Adobe audition setup? Thank you.

[@DcSoundOp]

Hey thanks for the question Anupam. I have not used Audition personally in a few years now, but I would think this Faderport guide should help you get sorted on the control side of things - helpx.adobe.com/audition/using/control-surface-support.html - and then you just need to select it as your audio interface also. We had to send the 24c back to PreSonus after the video was made, so we unfortunately don't have one to make another video with :( - Thanks again, all the best.

[@dawoud8013]

if this interface were based on the Studio 68 C, and had independant +48V on at least 2 inputs, for sure i would buy this Presonus. Instead i have to buy a Motu M4, or Audient iD14 MK2 or SSL 2+ .

[@Diegosaurio]

Hey, can it control the send levels with the fader or knob in Studio one?

[@DcSoundOp]

Whatever fader you have selected on the screen is what the fader will control. Unless there has been a firmware update since I tested it, the knob was for navigation if I remember correctly. Maybe someone who has a current version can chime in here on how the knob is used in their setup. Thanks for the question Diego!

[@BeniRoseMusic]

I still have my Alphatrack, was just about to finally get rid of it after it sat in a drawer for 5 years, then I thought, maybe someone's figured out how to get it working again. I haven't found anything tho, I would much prefer it over the XTouch One I just purchased, and probably the newer Faderport too, but I haven't tried that one yet.

[@DcSoundOp]

I've heard so many good things from Alphatrack owners over the years, it's strange the company wasn't able to keep it going. Even stranger that their website is still active, but with no current info.

[@BeniRoseMusic]

@@DcSoundOp Yeah apparently they pivoted into gimmicky iPhone apps?? Such a shame.

[@DcSoundOp]

@@BeniRoseMusic really? Yikes!

[@TheRickdoggie]

The interface that comes built into the ioStation is more similar Studio24c ($149 MAP) rather than the AudioBox96 ($99.95 MAP). The only difference is that the ioStation features the full XMAX preamp design whereas the Studio24c has the XMAX-L which is designed for bus powering.

[@DcSoundOp]

Thanks for setting me straight Rick! Is there a white paper I can link with more info on the functional differences between the designations used in the PreSonus mic pres? I see Class-A, XMAX, XMAX Class-A & XMAX-L used regularly & sometimes interchangeably between the spec sheets, website & marketing and I know I’m obviously still not getting it right. All the best 👊🏼

[@TheRickdoggie]

@@DcSoundOp Sure, I'll get you something that compares all of them on one sheet. However, the unique technical specs for each product can be found on each product page under 'TECH SPECS' . Here is the link for the ioStation specifically since that is the product in this video: www.presonus.com/products/ioStation-24c/tech-specs. Thanks for the great video review. I'm a huge fan of your work.

[@pickleman5041]

How would these compare to the Audient ID 14 MKii? I'm watching videos where reviewers are turning the gain to the max with little to no noise added.

[@massivebeatzz]

so these audio specs seem pretty impressive, if it beats the regular 24c. Just limited in terms of I/O, hence the cheap price tag. ? And 5ms RTL at 64buffer 48khz? That's damn fast

[@mochifreeman6648]

This seems nice but where are the meters or clip LED? I've never seen a PreSonus IO without at least a clip LED.

[@DcSoundOp]

The LED is right above each of the input knobs. Meters would be cool though! Thanks for the question Mochi!

[@mochifreeman6648]

@@DcSoundOp fantastic, mahalo much for answering my question. 🤙🏾

[@thecoastCoverband]

Joe where is de link on the faderport 16?

[@DcSoundOp]

I'm not sure who Joe is or which link you're asking for. Can you clarify what's up & I'll try to help if I can? Thanks!

[@madnessncydeme]

Help! Please! when I recording voice through iostation 24c in StudioOne it's make record with music in other track. But in track with instrumental I didn't make "rec" I did same process with Focusrite and it's okay. Track recording only my voice. How fix that with Iostation?

[@DcSoundOp]

Hi, I'm not sure I understand the issue you are having. Can you give us more details about the routing and what you are doing exactly?

[@naturesounds1664]

😮 does it contains effects like reverb echo ...?

[@DcSoundOp]

yes

[@westwalnutrecords]

If RME made something like this..... Game over. This is what the Babyface should be

[@LaCorriente220]

Is this compatible with other DAW?

[@DcSoundOp]

Yes! It does MCU & HUI modes and works with Logic, Pro Tools, Cubase & Ableton at least. Thanks for the question.

[@LaCorriente220]

Thank you for answering my question💯🙏🏼

[@toffeeriot4219]

How do we program drums etc if there's no midi port?

[@DcSoundOp]

You’d need a separate midi interface. A usb to midi adapter is pretty inexpensive.

[@JaCrispy360]

are the knobs on this replaceable?

[@DcSoundOp]

Just the knob or has the shaft broken off? Either way the answer should be yes, depending on how much effort & expense you’re up for.

[@JaCrispy360]

@@DcSoundOp simply just the knob, not the pots.

[@DcSoundOp]

I’d bet if you messaged the folks at PreSonus directly they’d be able to hook you up.

[@wienerstein2817]

Have you had any gigs lately? I'm wiped out where I am.

[@DcSoundOp]

Not a thing, everything cancelled for the year. All of my recent work involves travel too, so that’s a whole other issue even if things do start to come back. I’m thankful to have had a few video & editing projects that have helped recently, but that’s it for the moment.

[@wienerstein2817]

@@DcSoundOp Yeah it's rough. Stay strong. I think we'll make it through this.

[@ProfilsEntrepreneursTv]

Hello everyone, I just bought my faderport v2 and I would like to know how to configure it in a simple and clear way to avoid confusing my mind because no instructions. I use both cubase pro 10.5 and protools. please help

[@DcSoundOp]

Page 10 of the manual are the instructions for setup in ProTools, pg 18 is Cubase - pae-web.presonusmusic.com/downloads/products/pdf/FaderPort_OwnersManual_V2_EN_02062021.pdf

[@ProfilsEntrepreneursTv]

@@DcSoundOp okdone

[@toffeeriot4219]

Nothing much seems to happen when I press the blue encoder.

[@koenignero]

Isn´t this thing meant to used with the left hand?

[@DcSoundOp]

It’s meant to be used however you want to use it. Most folks traditionally put a fader like this on their mouse side… some don’t. Do whatever makes you happy.

[@EdmundLabito]

Mine takes almost 8 seconds to power on. Is this normal? Please help.

[@DcSoundOp]

Like you plug it in & turn it on & then what happens? I don't remember a long boot time on this one, and 8 seconds doesn't seem excessive. Let us know what's happening.

[@EdmundLabito]

does yours come on soon after pressing the power button? And if there is a delay please let me know how many seconds you have to wait. I just want to be sure if all the IOSTATION24c behave so. Every gadget I have powers on right after pressing and releasing my finger from the power button.

[@DcSoundOp]

Unfortunately we don't get to keep all the gear forever that is sent in for reviews. Again though, 8 seconds doesn't seem very long at all, there are plenty of mixers and interfaces that take much longer than that to boot. If it is really causing you concern, reach out to PreSonus - assuming you've registered the unit, you can go to your 'MyPreSonus' - then the Support tab & you can open a ticket yourself from there and someone will give you a shout back with an answer. They are usually very responsive for simple questions.

[@girolamo5637]

WISH IT HAD METERS

[@DcSoundOp]

Are you thinking input meters or meters on the outputs would be more helpful for you? Manufacturers read these comments occasionally, so I encourage everyone to be specific if you can with feature requests for them. Thanks for the message Girolamo.

[@girolamo5637]

@@DcSoundOp Hi, yes Input meters While setting recording levels! Output meters would be nice also! Thanks for reaching out Best Regards