Recording - December 2020 - 32

REVIEW

PreSonus ioStation24c:
2x2 USB-C audio
interface and
production controller
When a two-channel audio interface and a
single fader control surface love each other very much...
REVIEW BY DAVID BLASCOE

reSonus is well known for its expansive line of audio interfaces
as well as its popular FaderPort range of USB controllers. Now
PreSonus answers the question, "Why not both?" By popular
request, PreSonus has combined the functionality and convenience of
the single-fader FaderPort with a great sounding two-channel audio
interface! I present to you the new PreSonus ioStation24c audio
interface and production controller. Let's check it out...

First Impressions

Out of the box, the color scheme is
inverted from that of the FaderPort. The
slightly curved faceplate is grey, with the
fader and knobs framed in black. While
built entirely of plastic, everything is well
made and solid. Four wide rubber feet
on the bottom provide stability and grip
well on any desktop surface. All of the
silver knobs have a nice weight and resistance, as do the plastic buttons that
have a very beefy feel to them, requiring
just a little bit of extra effort to push. It
may sound silly, but even just pressing
"Stop" or "Play" felt like I was somehow
accomplishing something more. All this
to say, it feels entirely professional and
is quite satisfying to interact with.

Motorhead

One of the stars of this show is the
touch-sensitive, 100mm motorized fader.
Lifted directly from the FaderPort, this tactile feature is a joy to use in this day and
age of mouse clicks and typing on a computer keyboard. When selecting or cycling
through channels in your DAW, the fader
automatically zips up and down to reflect
32 RECORDING December 2020

the corresponding virtual channel fader.
This weighted fader makes automating
volume and other parameters easy and,
again, satisfying. There's something to be
said about having a mechanized tool on
your desktop that physically responds to
what you're doing in the digital realm.

Time To Record!

As mentioned earlier, the ioStation24c is also a two-channel USB-C
interface that can record up to 24-bit/
192 kHz audio. It comes with a pair of
PreSonus XMAX Class A mic preamps
and a 115dB dynamic range. The back
panel features two XLR-TRS combo inputs for microphones, instruments, or
any line level devices you have. There
are two balanced 1/4" outs for your studio monitors, a rear-located 1/4" headphone out, and a 1/4" footswitch input
as well as the USB-C port, power socket,
and switch. Power is supplied with an
external wall-wart block.
Input and monitor controls are on the
right. There's an input control for each
channel along with line input and 48v
phantom power buttons. Below are the

main and headphone level knobs along
with a simple mix control to blend between
the DAW playback signal and your direct
inputs for zero-latency monitoring. This is
rounded out by a mute button which mutes
the mains and is very convenient when recording in the same room as your monitors. Each of these controls is refreshingly
simple to use compared to many other interfaces, which often require menu diving
on a small screen to perform simple tasks
such as mixing between your DAW and
input signals or muting your speakers.
I tracked everything from synths to
bass guitars to vocals with the ioStation24c and have zero complaints. The
resulting recordings sounded clean, quiet and professional.

Studio Assistant

PreSonus touts the ioStation24c as a studio assistant that keeps you in the creative
zone without ever getting in the way, and
that was certainly the experience I had with
it, particularly with its out-of-the-box airtight
integration with PreSonus Studio One recording software (reviewed last month).
Beyond Studio One, the buttons on the
faceplate integrate well with any DAW,
including my DAW of choice Ableton Live
(see below). You have your usual transport
control suspects, such as Stop, Play/Pause,
and Record, along with channel strip controls like Mute and Solo. There are controls
for read/write automation, session navigation and more. In the center of the action is
another feature taken from the FaderPort-

Recording - December 2020

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