Why You Shouldn't Buy This Interface (Presonus Audiobox USB 96 Review)
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- čas přidán 16. 12. 2022
- This is a review of the Presonus Audiobox USB 96 25th anniversary edition.
Presonus Audiobox USB 96: amzn.to/3PPotqx
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I have the original silver/blue presonus audiobox 96 and have used it for years without any problems at all whatsoever. I plug my guitar, microphones, etc, in and get a great sound, no conspicuous noise overflow and the thing is very reliable and easy to use. Would highly recommend...
I think sometimes it's all about mastering the equipment and use the best side of it. U can have expensive gear and still do crap.. it has done me magic too. Thanks
Do you have issues using guitar pedals with your's? I can't get my Boss pedal to work with my Presonus.
What kind of issues are you having with your pedals? They should work fine running into the audiobox. I used boss pedals in the past but not with the presonus system; I used them live with a Marshall stack. I had a gray hard plastic case that housed 6 boss pedals so all I had to do is open the case and plug in and I was set to go. What kind of system are you using?
@@FEV_REJECT did u see my reply?
Reatarted my computer and everything is working fine now. Idk what the problem was lol
First, do not, I repeat-DO NOT plug anything in while it is attached to your ear. The subsequent noise and "pop" you hear could be loud enough to damage the tympanic membrane and cause tinnitus over time. It's a classic rookie mistake, and it gets irritating when newbies plug in like that and complain. This is that same with guitars, microphones, and any other electronic sound device. That "pop" you're complaining about is absolutely normal. Try not to list it as a con-it's not. Juts keep the phones down around your neck if you MUST wear them.
I agree, alot of these complaints seem nothing more than noobs not understanding how electronics work in general.
It never did that too me
The pop is a design flaw with the interfaces power handling circuitry, it happens when connecting to USB, turning on/off the computer it's connected to. It's not the same as the analog pop you get from connecting/disconnect a 1/4 inch cable for example
Anyone know how to fix clipping and distortion for kick drums? I have krk classic 5 sb monitors and the kicks dont clip when using my focusrite but when i use the audio box only the kicks get distorted?
Is it possible to connect 2 audio interface??? In studio one I have 32 ch input for recording and This presonus for Listening 🎧?
I have problems with my bass too, evrytime I recid somthing there is a sound sometimes like it is too much volume. How do I fix this?
yes I have the blue and silver version and have noted the same problems with clipping playing guitar. The signal is not clean. Also it seems to be crashing alot when paired with logic pro x. Not sure whether that is a compatability issue or driver.
So since its 2 channel 24 but what do we do ? I hear out of one side of my headphone lower
I bought a second-handed one last week.
And I try to record my CA49 with it, but there is a volumn and noise issue like you said.
I had the same issue with studiolive 16.0.1. Combi inputs appear to expect line level if 1/4" is plugged in. No provision for hi z. This restriction is not mentioned. Your only clue is a connection diagram showing a DI box. This is more than 10x the price.
For some reason, the driver on this is NOT working on my Windows 11 computer, however, it Is working my Windows 10 computer. Does anyone know why?
I own the USB 96 and am using it as a two-way MIDI interface as well as an audio output interface on a complex theater organ system. It is a dedicated non-moveable system that takes up permanent residence in the studio where the organ is installed. I find it totally lacking in latency both in the MIDI end and the sound output end. The sound is extremely good, it better be for the quality of instrument it is powering. As far as the distortion issues go, I never turn the computer sound output volume past 50 anyway so this is not an issue. There are seven channels of two-way MIDI going through this unit so it has to be on its toes. As I said, I have not detected any MIDI latency in the unit ever. The same goes for the audio. Distortion is undetectable at the volumes I use the unit at. I also do not notice any intermod distortion with all the complex voices the unit is duplicating. I have to say that I do not use the recording features so cannot pass a judgement on those, All I know is it is a fine audio output and MIDI in/out interface for the musical instrument application I have.
Have you ever used a line out from a mixer/ amp into the audiobox to record 2 vocals, acoustic guitar, and bass simultaneously?
This has answered all my questions lol I thought I was crazy I plugged my guitar into this thing and like you with the gain at zero I was still clipping everything from the interface to studio one. And like you I tried everything and could not get it to not clip.
I have 3 of these interfaces (got them for free) and the problems with the popping/humbuckers being too loud/ gain jumping up quickly don't happen for me. I wonder if you got a fault unit or if your drivers are bugged. Sounds weird
From what I can tell, the issue you mention at 4:02 seems to be a bug Windows 10 developed in its last update. I've tried several interfaces from several manufacturers and all of them have the exact same issue.
Did I miss the part of which budget audio interface you recommend? If not which one do you recommend…
I have the same model and i have all the same issues and my midi makes a screaching sound when i plug it in and ive never even used it before... i ended up buying an iostation
Thank you for your seemingly honest review. I like a well-balanced and unbiased review like yours which points out both the good and the bad of a product so I can make a decision myself as to whether or not I want to make a purchase of that product or not. Well done and thanks again.
Glad it was helpful!
julian krause didnt say better things about this box either. thanks for the heads up about guitar bcos i would have bought is for that used.... just one question please. isnt there a hidden gain reduction setting for the guitar input in the dedicated driver? on older interfaces it used to be called "pad gain", "gain -10db" or something like that. thx.
Nope, nothing like that
Maybe I have a remade updated version. I have it and have one with an external mixer and have almost none of these issues you mentioned especially from my laptop. I have the mixer going into an MPC drum machine and then the MPC into my laptop. I love how this interface controls all of the audio from my pc and mixer and MPC. This is my interface for my whole studio. Nice clean audio.
i just got mine and i cant even get sound out of my guitar through it, nothing shows on studio one or anything, any suggestions?
1. install the usb96 drivers, once installed RUN the PreSonus settings Application.(most of the times its defaut settings are the correct ones for your system unless you are a Pro and understand the options then make changes other than that just leave at default)
2. plug your unit and make sure it shows in your computer. (Audiobox usb 96) should be selected as input and output) TEST it out by playing a Pre recorded sound thru your speakers.
3. run your DAW of preference. (Studio One - Ableton - Fruitty Loops). and find the Input/output Settings on your DAW and make Changes if any necessary.
once those steps are done you should get Sound from your unit. i hope This helps. 🙂
Why do I hear distortion in my headphones, idk what it is
Would a DI box between the guitar and interface solve some of these issues? I’m new to this too and have this same interface
Better buy a way better soundcard, that solves all the problems had a lot of issues as wel with cheap soundcards like €$ 120.- does mostly have to cheap AD/DA converters less dynamic range and a lot of preamp noise. Good soundcards start at €$ 200.- thats also the lowest price of a good working DI-box for recording.
I have this interface and the clipping thing is true. My fix so far is turning the volume on your computer to 98 or using Sonarworks reference and using the -6 db headroom option . In your daw either turn the master volume down or use a sofclipper before starting to produce.
I’ve not had this issue 😂😂
Mine has it
I have this issue. It’s weird and annoying. Good thing I only paid $50.
I'm thinking of getting this one and I'm using a synthesizer. It isn't advisable right?
same here, i plan to connect 2 volcas, would it be alright ?
Wish I would’ve watched this before buying, I can’t even record my guitar with this Audio Interface because there’s like white noise at any level I put it at and ruins every recording pretty sure it’s the pre amps not sure what else would do it, do you know if the focusrite scarlet will just do the same is there anything I can do? I also think it may be my guitar I use an acoustic electric Ibanez and it uses a battery for the pickup so could be noise from that too.
Hate to tell you this man, but every recording you’ll ever make has that. If you listen closely to any recorded music ever put out, there’s white noise in the background. You just usually don’t notice because there’s so much going on.
You're really complaining about picking the thing up?🤣
Having to buy Studio One Artist, I preferred to get this audio interface (also getting other plugins). I knew this card wasn't totally good, especially for recording analog instruments (guitar, bass, synth).
However, I have a concern: when I set the input gain knob to 0 dB, I can hear the guitar signal through my speakers when i play it. The same thing happens with a dynamic mic (I don't have a condenser mic so I can't test it).
Basically, the minimum gain of both inputs is not zero, which is very strange.
I think it's the same thing happening to you at 6:10. Do you confirm?
I would like to understand if my unit has some problem (in case I can ask for a replacement), or they are all like this. Thanks for your help :)
I do confirm. I'll make a review of a good interface one day lol
@@Adrian_ Thank you so much! So I wait for the new review :)
Do I solve the issue with the instrument input distortion using a DI box (Behringer DI600p)???
Mine clips when I click on the “boost” on my Les Paul, it’s just too much input for the usb96. Don’t buy more equipment until you’ve learned how to turn down the gain. Peace
thank you dude! ive had similar issues with the steinberg ur22mkii and have been searching for a reputable interface that can handle the full power from my guitar and sound good and i saw that this interface was on sale on amazon so im glad i found your video before repeating the same mistake as i did with my current interface 😅 Would you happen to have any good recommendations for an single channel interface that can handle the full signal from a guitar's bridge humbucker?
If you already have an interface you could get a DI box and plug that into the interface. A far as interfaces go, my behringers never had that problem, and a focusrite scarlet should be good too.
I need it for vocals to rap and choruses singing only no instruments is it ok with it's mi
Yeah it will get the job done
Thank you for this. I've had this interface for about 2 years and had some of the same issues you pointed out, but thought that I was missing something or had a damanged unit. I'll definitely be more methodical about chooing my next audio interface. You earned a sub.
anybody has connected a volca to this interface? is it working ok ?
I am confused ....i am a beginner ..... N wants a good output N Best pream with best output Studio Quality sound .... So u can suggest me.. Usb 96high definition , 24c or 68c which is the best Audio interface in presonus .... Plzz help... 🤗 from india
The 68c seems like the best one
It's possible to add an external preamp? I have the same problem noise problem when connect a microphone! Thanks for the review!
Yeah an external preamp should help.
@@Adrian_ Thanks! Even with a condenser mic?
Speaker pop as the headphone amplifier gets power and stabilizes there's a shark burst of energy out to the headphones. There's ways to mitigate this which apparently they didn't do. I recommend unplugging headphones when not in use.
A friend borrowed me this Audiobox USB96 device, and it messed my whole audio system up. While normaly adding a soundcard gives just extra options in professional audio software to select.
Made a complete mess of my good working audio, had first to delete all the crapy drivers from the Audiobox USB96 before I was able to operate my soundcards in for example Cubase11pro again.
The unique problem that i have is that my headset hears the voice very low, so i have to use the windows left adn right setup audio to use the headset ,becuase if you use the samme volume in both sides it will be saturated
The main issue for me to just through that piece into the dustbin was that it started to overdub a screaching sound onto everything after two years.
I have the silver blue one and I don't hear any noise at all no matter how much I turn up the gain. No extra noise in earphones either.
I have the same problem with guitar audio. It clips no matter how low the input gain is set.
I have no issues with usb 96 recording electric guitar, single coil or humbucker. Input gain control works perfect to acomodate any signal strength without distortion.
So, which one do you recommend for voiceover work?
Check out focusrite
Just got this second hand for 30 gbp for a Rode NT1A. It's the blue version and I hope it will be fine.
Mine powers on but can't be read by any computer. It worked for a month and now I've been talking to support forever and they've been no help and I can't get a repair or refund. Has this happened to anyone else?
Yes
Thanks for the heads up
have had my audiobox 96 for about a year now and i've never had any issues with it, people i talk too often compliment my mic and in recordings it sounds great, i've used it for virtual amps for my guitar although i'm not quite the audiofile i haven't had an issue with it for the $60 dollars i spent on it's probably the best option
I notice something weird with this the AudioBox USB96. This Interface doesnt work on the 2.0 ports of AMD Motherboard's, there is issues with this online mostly by AMD users. With my b450 motherboard on Windows, it gets power but Windows cant find the device nor play sounds, but when I plug it on 3.0 ports Windows detects it and works but starts clipping with Windows playback at 100, I have to turn it down to 94 to stop clipping. I guess there is a Power Delivery Issue that AMD motherboards USB 2.0 not delivering power to power the AudioBox.
I'm just wondering whether to move on/up from my Audiobox 22VSL . . . I'll keep using Cubase, whatever.
I got this audio interface and i believe its good and does the trick. I have started uploading music and find no problems with it
LOL @ "I can't imagine trying to record a Les Paul with this thing, it would probably catch on fire" & "How much distortion do you want? Just unusable or a war crime?" You're funny, Adrian. I appreciate the honest review. I was contemplating this interface because it's one of the few budget-friendly ones that comes with MIDI in/out, which I need to be able to plug in my piano but I think I'll steer clear of it. I was actually thinking of a Behringer U-Phoria UMC204HD but you're not exactly all that positive about Behringer either. LOL
Yo tambien tengo esa cochinada, la tengo practicamente nueva, la use 1 semana y despues la metí de nuevo en su caja y la anuncié en la segunda mano. Despues compreé una scarlett 2i2 de segunda generación como solución temporal, pero la verdad creo que me voy a quedar con esa, ha salido muy buena.
que tiene de malo la presonus?
I have the same problem with the humbucker pickups and its worse with Hugh output pickups
That sounds like a nightmare.
I have the earlier USB 96 - pain in the *ss. What are some alternatives in a similar price range?
I just gotta say thank you for this video. I currently own this exact model and all the experiences you have with it I have also. This being my first interface, I thought I was crazy all these issues could happen on 1 product. Anyways ty
Weird, isn't it? They should release an updated version
I've had the exact same popping sound every time I turn on my computer with my Yamaha HS7 connected, and it makes me really angry because I've turned every knob way down, but it sounds whenever I turn the computer off or up with the speakers connected, anyone knows if there is another audio interface that doesn't do this? or is it normal?
I didn't have that problem with my behringer interfaces
@@Adrian_ thanks a lot friend
Hello Adrian Thank You so much for your great review of the Presonus Abox Usb96. man you got me taking a double look at this unit. i dont play any live instruments BUT i do use Drum Machine and a Synth to make some Recordings using this unit with Ableton. So i have not YET come across any of the issues you have had with your unit. ONLY that with the CLICK when pluging USB and having the headphones on. Other than that things seem to work ok for my intended purpose. im new ish to this so YOUR review and knowledge helps a lot. Thank You.
Thanks, I appreciate that!
The loud popping when you unplug a cable from an interface, be at USB or any other cable, you will get static charge and other phenomenon. It is a very bad idea to do that. You always turn volumes off or unplug headphones and speakers first.
Helpful and Informative video with no nonsense. Liked and Subscribed!
Thank you!
Hello! Excellent job! can i plug it into an ipad?
Thank you! I have no clue if you can use it with an ipad
Nice review - practical ideas and the narrator sticks to a well-scripted report. I do not agree with everything, but still a good review and not a commercial just to drive me to buy one so the narrator can earn a commission from a vendor. Note - I believe a DI box has to do with impedance matching, not volume levels ... might be a good topic for research - and the reason you got that big noise with the input volume maxed out is because you have exceeded the available headroom which is the range between no sound and distortion in the circuit - another good topic to research, and yet, still a good review overall. Thanks. JT
Thanks for this, my first interface sound is up and down and clipping comes in with next to nothingrecording various vinyl records. The result is pretty big variables in loudness.
I'm glad you made this. I have all the same problems and thought it was just old and broken. Turns out it comes that way. I can't stand this thing. Lol
1.) Put your source audio into minimum volume then make a loud adjustment on your interface/receiver as you prefer-- because what you are doing is the principle of "overdrive" reason why you get the distortion-- overdrive is achieved via max volume source/preamp/gain going to receiver set to min/low; the proper way is the reverse.
2.) As a best practice for all applications, always make sure the volume is in zero whenever you insert your headset/speaker/amp or still doing setup. When you are all set, that's the only time you slowly increase the volume levels. If you do not follow this, you will eventually bust all your speakers and gadgets.
It's a good interface tho I can ignor some minor annoyances. I can adjust with that.
I bought the PreSonous Audiobox Go and I just have to say that the device has exactly the same problems you mentioned for this unit. So PreSonus likely have some serious quality problem with their preamp and powersupplies.
Common issue with PreSonus, there old 16.4.2 studio live mixer has common issues.......
I have a question... why don't people buy Presonus audio interfaces? I've heard the PreSonus audio interface has a clipping issue. And the Presonus customer service is also very bad. Is it true... Many people say this too. Presonus 96 has a lot of driver and noise problems .someone tell me what is the truth ?
very good review Adrian. I will be watching more of your vids for sure. Liked and subscribed? I sure did.
Thank you so much!
Also, don’t use your boost on the Les Paul, when direct in to the usb 96. You’re overdriving the preamp..
Thank you!! Musician over 40 yrs,n am finally getting back into home recording, thank you for the help!!
No problem!
Almost all cheap sound interfaces suck big time, first because the AD/DA converter does not convert well and have only a limited frequency range and dynamics.
24-bit resolution; 44.1, 48, 88.1, and 96 kHz says less about the quality of the converter, only how much digital samples it makes.
Beside that mostly is latency an issue, that is the delay between you are playing and the device gives the sound true the monitor/headphone which is awefull.
Also pre-amps on cheap devices do have a high signal/noise ratio, the noise you record as well.
My friendly advice is look for soundcards €$ 200.- and up, see what others recommand makes all the difference.
Had to learn myself by first buying cheap crap, can recommand 2nd hand Lexicon IO 82 and IO 42 excelent sound quality and drivers for Windows are still availeble.
Forgot one thing, it's still an art to tune all your efx and (dynamic) settings before you get a great sound. Even with a good soundcard you still need to do quite some sound engineering.
But if the basics are good, you know at least that you can get a good sound......
The best aspect of the AudioBox is the driver. It has the best ASIO and WDM drivers that I've ever seen on a $99 interface. Very low latency given the price bracket (lower than Scarlett, M-Audio, Native Instruments and others) and faultless WDM drivers. I do wish they had a driver for macOS as the latency for CoreAudio Class Compliant operation is higher than ASIO on Windows (and that seems consistent across all 4 or 5 interfaces I have here).
So weird. I’ve used mine with no problems for years (including with a Les Paul). Maybe it’s a quality control issue or I’m just lucky? Also I have big hands so I can pick it up just fine 😂
I have it and it's kind of a nightmare, the only thing that was worth it was the amount of software it came with.
That video bitrate though...
Works great for me but I have to use phantom power
this video is great and i looked it up because i was trying to see why this audiobox was discontinued (ive been having the gain and noise issues, didnt know if it was me or the interface) thank u bro ! much luv
edit bc i wasnt finished with the video yet: YOU CAN GET STUDIO ONE FROM THE INTERFACE!?!? I HAVE TWO INTERFACES AND I B O U G H T STUDIO ONE SEPERATE LMFAO FUCK
Good video, but only prompted me to, an amateur in United States, make a video in defense of the usb96. And initially impressed with Studio One 4 Artist, now more comfortable with Logic,
This box is terrible. Constantly making distorted noise, I have to unplug and plug in to get it to work properly. You are correct about the noise problem...
Good Video! so far many others are more positive. I own this and its crap! its impossible to remove the white noise from a vocal signal. and i dont even sing, i planned to make Vlogs. the noise is so relevant that i just cant use it. it literally distracts you! also, THAT LOUD POP sound when either it powers on or off, is extreme. when i open Studio One, the noise gets louder... and when i close Studio ONE, it makes this weird noise. so its safe to say its only good for being able to add studio monitors such as the Presonus 3.5 with the 8 inch sub. sound good enough. other than that, its a Piece of trash
Yeah, it's a shame, maybe that's why they try to make it up with all the free plugins 😂
I had a total nightmare with recording metal with a LTD guitar with EMG active pickups
Hello. Nice video but i was waiting to see how the midi is doing but it’s more for quitar players this video. Good luck
I just wish Presonus would revive the FireStudio Mobile as USBMobile and base it on 40GBps USB. It has all the I/O I need, great U-Control options, and works with all the DAW and other stuff I use. All it needs is a current gen interface.
Check out the Quantum HD2! Just released.
@@kvltst Thanks. Interesting, but WAY overpriced, IMHO. Plus, FIreStudio Mobile has 3 sets of TRS Line Inputs, HD2 has none. ADAT doesn't help there unless your external audio sources have a matching interface or you want to incur the additional cost of adapters. I'll keep looking.
@@uzer_zero I get it. Not every product is a good fit. I agree that HD2 needed more line in's, but I'm guessing that the ADAT was part of the design as it's derived from the bigger version. Probably not enough room for more analog ins and cheaper than having to redesign a completely new board. There are always compromises. Cheers.
@@kvltst Well said. Maybe the guts of the Firestudio is just way out of date (I mean, other than the obvious Firewire intf), and wouldn't justify just putting a new USB interface on it. Personally, I don't get the obsession with so many outputs (instead of inputs) on these smaller A.I.s. It's not like someone in their bedroom or office studio is going to have an array of speaker sets they want to mix with. I also know my use case is/was niche, as I use the thing as much for a mixer as an A.I., and love being able to mix from an on-screen console and save presets. I don't think that's most folks' use case though. ;-)
You’re right.
You are right my man. Recording on a Les Paul is completely undoable. Feel free to send me any recommendations on a DI box.
Same problems plus one day there was no USB power. Tried different cables, different outlets, nada. Won't buy one again.
I do have one but I am sick & tired of using it since i am always experiencing some crackling noise often. I had gone through all the settings from youtube then i literally stopped using it after few days
this just showed up the secoend i received the interface
yeeeeeah, I've been having difficulties recording my Gibson SG with this thing, it's like the unit is about to have a seizure.
These Made-In-China products aren't designed top quality. I agree.
I bought this for $79, and got hundreds of dollars worth of software. Studio One Artist, Ableton, and a lot of instruments.
What product has the best preamps?
I managed to use it for guitar but its really not practical. It made me want to cry at first cause it wouldn't stop clipping. I'm for sure buying something else.
Horrible interface, a lot of issues, I recently bought a pair of HS7,, and the interface getting on my nerves with the glitch sounds coming from it. Bad experience with that.
As a owner of the audiobox 1818vsl which i loved, doesn't work anymore. I will never be purchasing anything from presonus again
If you put on your headphones before plugging in to the computer and hear a POP, then…
DON’T DO THAT!
I’m not understanding how you’re having so much issues with audio, when I have my levels set correctly I have no clipping issues, no distortion’s everything is clear and it’s not just me who thinks it my subscribers also notice the clarity and boost in quality, and most people who’s been in the recording industry knows when you properly set up your audio interface you’ll get the best audio imaginable, no disrespect but there’s nothing wrong with the audiobox 96, remember the clip indicator is there for a reason.
You’re 100% right about everything you said about this interface 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿
You do complain , but I like your review thumbs up, plan on listening to you more, thanks
There's one really, really killer problem with the Audiobox 96 that you've overlooked:
its drivers don't play well with AMD processors. If you're trying to record on PC, there's a decent chance that your USB drivers are too kacked to do anything.
The only way I was able to get my interface to work properly on a x399 board with Threadripper 1950x CPU was to install a NZXT internal USB 2.0 Hub. I also own the Audiobox iOne and that thing works on every PC I've owned with 0 hassle.
100% trash. Will be replacing it soon.
I just did for a volt. Hella trash , I thought it was me , but it did force me to learn a lot.
I have it, only the old ones, first versions are good. The newer are too bad. Knobs fail after 2 years.
all true