PreSonus Quantum 2626, 26x26, Thunderbolt 3, Low Latency audio interface with software bundle including Studio One Artist, Ableton Live Lite DAW and more for recording, streaming and podcasting

Product Information

Edit: I should point out that I am not using any daw, I run this as a bedroom live rig using Neural DSP plugins. The first two inputs are designed for mic or instrument, while the remaining Inputs (3-8) interchange between mic and line. This depends on the kind of connector that is used. Next to these are preamp gain controls and simple multicolored LED metering to signify the activity and clipping on each channel.

Both these buffer sizes let me run quite CPU taxing sessions and monitor via plugins. But if you’re willing to keep things simple, the 16-sample buffer setting in Studio One 4 delivered a whole 1.27ms round-trip latency.

PreSonus MicroStation BT — A Real-World Review

If you’re thinking of moving up from a USB 2.0 or FireWire interface, prepare to be amazed. The Quantum 2626 will change the way you record.

In addition to using the interface to record and mix, I will also be using the interface to listen to music, while working and typing at the same desk for long stretches of time. Each channel also has its own front-panel Gain knob accompanied by an LED that lights up green, yellow or red, depending on the input level. Fancy metering it isn’t, but it’s sufficient. For more detailed input metering, you can open the included Universal Control software, which provides ladder-style meters for each input and output channel.Some settings, like Reaper has, to turn off/on certain handling maybe. One way of optimizing cores does not fit all synths. Some motherboard makers do a reasonable job of posting updates and documents, but they are also constantly developing new boards and juggling support for older ones on any number of pressing issues. The result is that most motherboard makers are constantly behind the curve on notifying customers of the need for updates.

With a barely measurable round-trip latency of less than 1 ms, it's no wonder Sound on Sound magazine dubbed Quantum-series Thunderbolt audio interfaces the "fastest audio interface on the planet." The Quantum 2626 uses the Thunderbolt 3 bus and PreSonus®' proprietary driver to achieve the lowest round-trip latency of any audio interface (as low as <1 ms). Now you can record and monitor with up to 24-bit, 192 kHz fidelity through your favorite plug-ins, without leaving the DAW. After plugging in and powering up, I installed and opened the Universal Control application, assuming it would provide a way to create cue mixes and provide other software mixing features, which is usually the case with units that offer this many channels. This unit was established after the celebrated Quantum 2632 audio interface. This interface was known to have a progressive approach to how it worked. Released a few years after this interface, the Quantum 2626 is a more innovative development in the Quantum series of audio interfaces by PreSonus. I would never have been able to set the buffer that low in a session of that size on a USB 2.0 interface. The result would be compromised audio and error messages saying I’d used up all the CPU power. I would have had to set the buffer so high that latency would be an issue.D esigned from the ground up for speed, the PreSonus Quantum interface line launched in 2017 and now comprises three Quantum Thunderbolt Interfaces: Quantum (26X32), Quantum 2626 (26X26), and Quantum 4848 (32 line-level I/O on DB25). The Quantum 2626 is the first in its family to incorporate Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. The 2626 features 8 XMAX preamps and flexible connectivity. According to PreSonus, the unit has the “lowest round-trip latency of any audio interface available.” They say it can be under 1ms round-trip, depending on your setup. That seems right in the ballpark based on the performance I was getting. I don’t have the statistics available to compare it to other Thunderbolt 3 interfaces, but I can say unequivocally that it’s the fastest interface I’ve ever used.