PreSonus AudioBox USB 96 USB Audio Interface - 25th Anniversary Edition Reviews

I bought this because the people I know who use computer based pa and recording systems for a living recomended it. I wanted to record direct to my compter, without first mixing down to my CD recorder then loading it into my computer. And I wanted to take old files and use the mix down editing features of Studio One. If I don't die of something first, at 73, I hope to become familiar enough to do some multitracking with it. You will need to add a GOOD quality D I Box if you want to have the most versitality for inputs like I need for my Fostex MR16 and Tascam CD-RW900,as well as various guitar amp feeds,pedals and keyboards) dinosaurs to say the least. So far, with the Studio one software, this little less than $ box can replace all 5,000$ of my 20 year old home studio, with another 50 grand of processing and effects thrown in for free.
I have spent quite a few hours watching tutorial's, which sadly, most are demonstrations of features, not instructional sessions. (Chris Green's are great, and Quanta has a pro level real hands on series) But a patient reading of the quick start guide can get you rolling.
From a hardware perspective this is tough, and almost any input from an xlr output except a speaker feed (I run most things through my board which has a main feed balanced xlr out)is probably safe. Line level quarter inch feeds are best put through a D I Box with a minimum 15dB pad.
I have had a crude home studio since 1964, and never used a computer recording system of any kind before. So if I can climb this learning curve, anybody can.

Very simple to connect. Very simple to understand. Perfect for those just learning or for those with years of experience.

Great hardware. The software does not load any options for Ampire. Only one effect us available.

I bought this to motivate me to practice on my squier strat, since I'm a Linux geek recording onto my Ubuntu laptop sounded like fun. Setup was dead simple, just plug in the usb cable and power up the PreSonus, Audacity showed the new audio device (Edit | Preferences | Devices Recording)

Look ma! I'm rappin now!!

This gear is a gem! Solid construction and easy to use. Plug and play! Highly recommended!

I am new to DAW and music production. I am not new to music as I play guitar and have for more than 40 years and I play some piano and drums. PreSonus and Studio One is an amazing step towards today's music production, creation and music style. I am not the most Tech capable person, I am older and old school, and I struggled with the idea of computerizing my music. I have to say that I am impressed at the ease of the program, the tutorials to help me join the 21st Century and the range of creativity available to me. PreSonus and Studio One went out of its way to make music production easy to follow and a work flow that is tailored to the user by the user. The drag and drop is an amazing tool and all the files and tracks are designed for not just a newbie like me, but also for a veteran user. Fantastic! Cliff Franklin really took the time to hear me and my needs and explain what would work best for me. I was trying to figure how to download a free Digital Audio Interface as I was going to try a different DAW when Cliff walked me through all things DAW, Digital Audio and answered all my questions. He walked me through the choices and explained to me why Sweetwater and PreSonus with Studio One was a better option for me. Between the ease of the program, tutorials, upgrades at reduced cost, constant updates, newsfeeds, musician community accessible, and so much more plus Sweetwater Tech support, I am in amazing hands. Technology turned out to be pretty darn cool and it is with something I love - music. The best part is I feel like this technology, PreSonus and Studio One, is enhancing my music and taking it one step further rather than robbing it and reducing it to a computer. I am enjoying it very much like a kid in a candy shop. Shout out to Cliff Franklin for taking an old dog and teaching her some new tricks and using the greatest of patience in walking me into the 21st Century. Amazing job, Amazing product.

This little gem works well with Studio 1 v.5 The Tutorials are really good.

Works great Low Latency and that is what I need. Shipped fast and Chris from Sweetwater followed up to help. How great is that for service? Usually I can't get anyone on the phone at GC!!! Sweetwater calls YOU!!!!

This little rig took me from being a rank beginner to an eager beginner. Just kidding. I have a long way to go, but the AudioBox USB 96 is so easy to use that I have never really needed to invest any of my massive learning curve into making this interface work. It just does, so I can concentrate on building my skill set at the DAW.

Its mic preamps are clean. Recording at "1" gives a ton of headroom in the track. Monitor outputs drive any nearfields you could want. Playback/live adjustment knob makes it a snap to give your vocalist a headphone mix she'll love (although if you also want to listen with headphones you'll need a little headphone amp with multiple outputs (mine has 4), a tiny accessory that punches above its weight.) The AudioBox even has MIDI in and out if you don't do MIDI through USB into your computer. In short, the interface is perfect for laying down multiple tracks one or two at a time. I like to record my guitar with two mics –– no problem with the AudioBox. You can also use the AudioBox USB 96 to record bass or electric guitar through DI and a mic'd amp on a separate track. (You'd also need a good amp and a simple DI for this.) Sadly, my bass amp sucks: it hisses and whines, so I can't do this. But I am very happy with my bass tracks done straight into DI and then through XLR into the AudioBox.

I bought my first one –– the AudioBox USB (no 96) –– in 2011 and then dabbled a bit in music production. But I really got the bug in 2020. Unfortunately, the box started acting up after nearly a decade of being bounced around through multiple moves. I finally diagnosed it as the cause of some skipping in my tracks. I immediately came to Sweetwater for the current model, AudioBox USB 96. My outstanding sales engineer Aaron Kinney fixed me up and I haven't looked back.

Presonus makes a range of gear, but they seem to target folks like me: eager amateurs who want good results. So don't forget that one of the best parts of the AudioBox USB 96 is that it comes bundled with Studio One 5 Artist. This is an excellent DAW, also easy to learn. True confession: After I got back into recording with gusto, I upgraded to Studio One 5 Professional. But Artist is outstanding for the beginner, and more than sufficient for the enthusiastic hobbyist. I just wanted Melodyne, and I like to own my software, not rent it. But here again, Presonus has you in mind if you don't want drop $300 right away. You can buy the AudioBox USB 96, get up to speed with Artist, and if you want more you can literally get IT ALL for fifteen bucks a month, if you're into the way most software is purchased these days.

Whew. I suppose I have to say that I am NOT affiliated with Presonus, just a happy customer. And we all know Sweetwater rocks. There seem to be a lot of 2-track interfaces out there today. I would not consider any of them, knowing what I know about the AudioBox USB 96 and the Presonus ecosystem.

I needed a portable audio midi interface with good quality. The price and value is great. Its a sturdy metal chassis

Just getting into audio recording and couldn't pass up the deal on this PreSonus AudioBox USB 96. Easy to setup and use on my Windows laptop and came with Studio One 5 Artist. Just what I needed to start down that recording path.

I honestly wasn't expecting much... but I bought it just to take in LTC/Timecode and Midi for designing and automating lights with, but I also needed something easy to use at home for recording my keyboards and taking calls over the internet, and this interface as simple as it is, ticked all the main important boxes. It sounds GOOD! It's built solid! This unit also features detent potentiometers, which is real nice for getting the gains across both inputs to match exactly for when you're recording a stereo source. The headphone output sounds really good, it even goes to 11! This interface also provides 48v Phantom power, but big whoop, don't all interfaces do that? Well this interface happens to be powered over USB! I use both MacOS and Windows and connecting it up was really straight forward.

Coming from an old Behringer FCA1616 interface I've been rocking for years, I've grown accustomed to the beautifully sounding Midas preamps, they sounded good even when you really drove them hard, but they were noisy as heck sometimes, and the knobs just didn't feel solid and were hard to get a stereo pair to match. I also miss the insert jacks on the back of that unit, but I can just get used to running my processing through the front of the Presonus now.

This unit while budget friendly, is a rock solid little box, and I think I want another one already just to have it.

I am not an audio engineer or recording expert. I am very happy with the price, quality and value you get with this box. The software that comes with it is amazing. So, if you're just getting started you should definitively give this product some serious consideration.

The built quality is really good, the knobs have a good quality and overall the metal case looks tough and it could take some good drops. There was a loose screw included in the bag which I didn't know what was it for but after reading a couple of reviews I was able to find out it was for a rack mount if you want to mount it in a rack. I am a Mac user and literally just plugged and played and it's working perfectly with the PreSonus Eris 3.5 that I also bought.

I owned an older Audiobox and recently upgraded to this new version. WOW the build quality seems a lot better than the old Audiobox. Knobs are really solid and it is built like a rock. The mic preamps have plenty of gain and are quiet using several of my condenser mics and even an SM58 which has low gain. One thing that I didn't like about the older blue model is that there was a small amount of bleed when you turned the mix knob all the way. This new one doesn't have that issue. I'm really pleased with it.

This is an amazing audio box! We currently are using this with our PreSonus Studio Live 32 mixer and sending out a custom life streaming mix then using that for Wirecast. I love the fact that you can use the headphones and listen to your computer audio and then move the dial and listen to the input audio from the USB box! So convenient! I have been using this for a while now and have had no issues and it works exceptionally! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who needs to hear a certain mix or a louder preamp output. The set up time including on boxing takes about five minutes and it is literally a plug and play device with no set up required. As soon as you plug in the USB cord to your computer, your computer will automatically start downloading the necessary drivers to make it work. I am currently using a windows 10 professional license and this works without any flaws!

This is a well-made product that functions perfectly. Great sound clarity, solid build, easy to set up. would highly recommend.

This little interface is it. All black, I forget its there sometimes with my black desk.

It's pretty surprising how great this interface is for the price point. Preamps are clean, it's easy to use and setup, and it comes with a pretty powerful version of Studio One. If you're looking for a small interface that you can toss into a go-bag for podcasting, quick one or two channel recording, you can't go wrong with this.

I'm usually skeptical about buying From websites I don't know. But I was recommended this buy a friend and was not disappointed. Great customer service. Package arrived quick and on time. And there sales rep talked to me personally to make sure my order was handled. They get a two thumbs up and will be recommending.

Product is as described and easy to connect. A lot to learn on presonus but instructions are available. The only thing I misunderstood is that I cannot add instrumental such as piano or synthesizer to track but that was my misunderstanding. Sweetwater has all the MIDI equipment needed for that. Oh, and I recommend listening to Joe, language clearer.

Easy hook up . Downloading the software was a little lengthily but after gearing up and started recording my music what a sigh of relief. After recording on protocols for the past 10 years using the Presonus artist one on this interface made making music so much more enjoyable. I'd recommend this to anyone to buy and enjoy it.

This is definitely the way to go if you need to hook up a laptop to your sound board to use programs like Ableton or Mainstage. Using the headphone jack created a low buzz that disappeared when I used this. I believe you can download drivers but I didn't need them. Many thanks to the folks at Sweetwater who helped me find just what I needed without spending money on what I didn't need. Word of caution: make sure the channel is muted when you plug in or out, or turn the computer on or off, or you will get a pop that sends you through the roof!

Works well as a analog to digital sound converter between our soundboard and computer for live streaming. Inexpensive solution for our church.

Works well for my purposes. However, the unit I received is not all black. It is black with silver sides - not black. The front, back, bottom and top are black. Strange. Didn't notice this for a while. So beware if you want an all black unit. 4 stars due to color snafu.

bought this on my teacher's recommendation. he's almost never wrong -- this presonus worked right out of the box.
can't ask for more.

Sweetwater is the best company in the businuess.

Use to connect from the headphone jack to iMac using Ecamm software to Facebook Live.

Power User Tip: Active instruments are those that have an internal preamp or a line-level output. Active instruments should be plugged into a D.I. box, which should then be connected to the mic input rather than directly to an instrument input. Plugging a line-level source into the instrument inputs on the front of the AudioBox USB96 not only risks damage to these inputs but can also result in a very loud and often distorted
audio signal.

If you are going to use it only for microphones it's great. Gets the job done. However for guitar direct in signals it falls very short. Even at the lowest gain setting my guitar clips the preamps with a direct signal which is disappointing. It is also only capable of driving 60ohm headphones so if you need to drive some higher impedance cans look elsewhere.

I called to return this item because it was just too difficult to get working for my purposes.

I probably could have gotten it working okay with some coaching, but I'm getting on in years, and I made the mistake of taking "no hassle" return policy, "We want you to be completely happy with your purchase," and "not satisfied with any new product, for any reason" to mean precisely what it said.

But what that effectively meant was that I was going to have to pay for return shipping and also a fee for having registered the included software (which is necessary, I was directed by the instruction manual, to get the unit to work with my computer). So returning an $80 dollar item that could be resold at nearly or at the original price was going to cost me over 30% of what I originally paid for it.

This seems a bit disingenuous to me, if not entirely unethical, from a company that prizes itself on being adopted "family" once you decide to do business with them.

Needless to say, my confidence has not been inspired such that I feel I can chance doing business with Sweetwater again—especially on a bigger ticket item. And I was looking pretty hard at some Sterling By Music Man $500-range electric guitars, too.

I really hate to give negative reviews and the product itself is probably fine.

But the admittedly friendly and polite service I got was ineffective and pretty disappointing.

It's fortunate for me that my son is pretty tech-savvy and can probably get the unit up and running for me without much trouble.

Others may not have the same opportunity.

I have the blue faced PreSonus audiobox USB 96 and it is driving me crazy with its cutting in and out. I went online to find out the root of the problem and hopefully the solution, but I mostly found that other people have experienced the same problems without any solutions. One person said he switched out the PreSonus USB Computer connecting cable and it seemed to have solved the problem. I plan to try that solution but I am not hopeful. I have a 9 dollar Behringer U-Control that is working as an interface for the time being. The Behringer seems to work fine, and if connected to a small mixer, it might be the solution. But what to do with the PreSonus device. I have no idea. I might add that I have a Focusrite 8i6 on another computer and it works great! In the future I will stick to Focusrite for interfaces or go super cheap with a Behringer U-Control. I hope others have had better luck with their PreSonus devices. It is well built and not cheaply built. Very perplexing.

Everytime I try to record there is always an issue. It consumes most of my recording time trying to fix the problems. Preamps are weak.
If you can put some extra bucks to go next level do it, if not you get what you pay. Since I do recording for my own entertainment only well, I can live with it.

alot of static and feedback

I needed a 2nd card for a 2nd computer with just 2 channels and this, for the price, seemed perfect. In most all aspects the card performs just fine. However there is a very annoying issue with this card: when opening programs, browsers, or even scrolling through pages like Twitter or Youtube, there is a distinct pop from my speakers. Even when the volume on the card is turned down to zero it still pops. I tried a 2nd set of speakers with the same result.

I assume this will be something addressed at some point with firmware or even drivers but out of the box I'm going to have to send this back and pay a little more for the quality and consistency.

Works very well, can get great sound, hard to manage clipping peaks sometimes. Using as audio output for Windows is GARBAGE because it will constantly click when audio device is accessed. You never new so many programs were opening and closing the audio device until you start hearing your speakers thump each time. Even when muted.

Does not work, I tried over and over again to set up but my computer does not see it. I have windows 10, 64 gigs of memory, 2 tb storage. A waste of time and money, will be going elsewhere for a different interface.

Just bought the AudioBox USB96...25th Anniversary Bundle....
What a scam this is turning into...The registration says the serial number is invalid...they asked for pics of the unit serial number and a copy of the receipt (which I immediately provided) no reply after that so....no way to download the Studio One Artist v6 that was supposed to come with (or any of the other software either) apparently the midi does work after installing the drivers...but for the money I could have used my 40 year old Amiga 3000 with midi and Bars and Pipes Pro. and recorded straight into my Tascam Model 24.

I've had the displeasure of owning this steaming pile for a while now and in between spending hours upon hours of trying to install it and then realizing that half the knobs don't even function I've come to the conclusion that it would serve its purpose much better as landfill at the local dump. Presonus' own Studio One won't even recognize it. I've uninstalled and re-installed the drivers dozens of times and even went so far as to completely erase the drive everything was installed on to try and start fresh but it always ends in failure. I'm done with Audiobox, I'm done with Studio One and I'm done with Presonus.

Audio consistently cuts out.

Got everything set up, played for 5 minutes, listened back for a moment. Inputs stopped taking signal. i hadn't even used the second input, it just didn't work. Absolute disappointment.

Have had NOTHING but problems with this since the day I bought it. As soon as you fix one problem another arises. There's a constant noise in the background, even with the gain control all the way down you get clipping, the drivers have suddenly stopped working numerous times. I'm done.

Vicious pop when the unit receives power and upon initialization when software is started. This occurs even with all volumes down and nothing but headphones plugged into the unit. If I don't remember to take out earbuds (which I never do), I'm in for an unpleasant jolt.

Also prone to dropouts which seem to be exacerbated/mitigated depending on the USB port/hub it's plugged in to.

You get what you pay for - if you're considering buying this, maybe consider a step up

this hardware has so much noise if you're trying to record anything. buzzing that seemingly can't be figured out, I've checked endless forum posts about what it is and how to stop it, finally found out presonus reps admit the preamps on their two in hardware like this audiobox 96 are sub-standard. any company that knowingly sells you a product that makes actually using it difficult because of lack of quality should be avoided like the plague, and that means presonus.

I even took my mic out, as in unplugged it from the box, and it still buzzed like a hive. See videos for more.

If you're *only* miking things, fine, get the Audiobox. It's cheap and simple. But if you want to plug a guitar or bass in (something Presonus definitely wants you to do, hence the xlr/inst combo jacks), skip this device. There's no instrument pad and the impedance is all wrong for instruments. The gain knob, when using an instrument is not 0-10. It's -10 to 30. So even all the way down, your input is only -10db. When I plug in a regular old passive guitar, even with the knob at -10, the signal clips. It's totally unusable. Presonus says this is the expected behavior, and I should get a DI box.

Yes. You read that right. So instead of buying this, and a DI box, just spend $150 and buy a better interface that can accept instrument level signal.

This thing already has a horrible signal-to-noise ratio, and if you turn the gain up to a certain threshold, it becomes even worse, so if you decide to disregard this review and get this thing anyways, please make sure you that have the gain on the interface low and just turn it up in post to avoid having an atrocious SNR. The driver of this thing appears to have some sort of built in limiter because if you even come close to peaking the microphone, it just decides to turn your gain down to an inaudible level, and you have to wait an absurd amount of time for it to return, and sometimes, when it does return, the interface starts emitting this horrible noise, and you have to unplug it and plug it back in to make it stop. Unfortunately, if you decide to disable audio enhancements in the device manager to negate this stupid limiter, that means that you can't do any extra signal processing; that means no Equalizer APO or OBS without having to deal with this limiter.

The mic should NOT route directly out the main by default. The "mix" feature is completely useless - when turned all the way to "playback" the mic signal is still included in the main out. I was hoping to have a nice portable IO for quick SMAART RTA and time alignment use cases, but not with this...

Never had this issue with other audio interfaces but I can't use this due to the way it picks up WIFI and converts this to background noise on both channels. I had to wrap the unit in RF blocking material to reduce it so I could not longer hear it. Maybe you won't have this issue as it is certainly environmental BUT don't expect to use this near an RF source like a router or wifi booster/LAN switch.

In all other respects the unit works very well, but for an audio interface to pick up RF like it does seems like a design issue.