PRESONUS Audiobox 1818VSL USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface

The flagship in PreSonus' new generation of USB 2.0 audio/MIDI interfaces, the AudioBox 1818VSL takes hardware/software integration to the next level and delivers a combination of features, audio quality, and value that is unprecedented in this product category. Using your computer CPU and PreSonus Virtual StudioLive™ (VSL) software, AudioBox VSL-series interfaces provide reverb and and delay effects and the same Fat Channel compression, limiting, semi-parametric EQ, and high-pass filter, as the PreSonus StudioLive™ 16.0.2 digital mixer— all with inaudible latency. It's a great choice for project studios, performing bands, school music labs, and a wide variety of corporate installations and other contractor applications.This is a pro product all the way, with high-end 24-bit, 96 kHz converters; Class A XMAX™ preamps; ADAT optical I/O; S/PDIF coaxial I/O; word-clock output; and MIDI I/O, housed in a heavy-duty, rack-mount metal chassis.Furthermore, thanks to the power of VSL, the AudioBox 1818VSL includes a 26x8 software mixer. As a result, with just an AudioBox 1818VSL and your laptop or other computer, you can mix a studio session or live show featuring a full band—all while monitoring and recording with or without real-time processing! And you can do it simply and easily, with no hardware mixer, no outboard effects rack, and minimal wiring, thanks to the tight integration between PreSonus hardware and software.Tracking without hearing effects and signal processing is like playing a video game with your eyes closed. Musicians rely on aural cues when performing, and their performance can vary depending on what they hear in their monitors. Adding just the right amount of compression, EQ, and reverb can make a huge difference in their ability to hear themselves clearly and to experience their performance as if it occurred in a natural space rather than in the artificial sonic environment of the studio. The result is a better performance and ultimately a better recording.You have plenty of effects plug-ins for your DAW, but processing audio with a DAW takes more time than you might think. True, we're talking milliseconds, but it's long enough that if you put DAW effects in your studio monitors, you'll hear the original sound slightly before the processed signal, which is very disorienting. That much delay might be acceptable for live gigs, where the band is playing together in an ambient space that has natural delay. But you can't record that way in the studio.Features: 24-bit / 96 kHz 18x18 USB 2.0 recording interface 2 dual-purpose, front-panel, mic/instrument input channels 1 USB 2.0 port 2 combo XLR / ¼” mic/instrument inputs 6 combo XLR / ¼” balanced mic/line inputs 2 balanced ¼” main (L/R) line outputs 6 balanced ¼” auxiliary (L/R) line outputs 8 channels ADAT optical input and output (at 44.1 or 48 kHz; 4 channels at 88.2 or 96 kHz) 2 channels (stereo) S/PDIF coaxial input and output 1 stereo ¼” headphone output 1 BNC word-clock output MIDI In/Out 6 dual-purpose, front-panel, mic/line input channels True +48V phantom power for condenser microphones (switchable in two banks for channels 1-4 and 5-8) Headphone jack with level control Main-output level control Power/USB sync LED LED clip indicator for each channel L/R main output meter (dual 7-segment LED ladder) Mix, adjust input and playback-returns levels, and add effects and signal processing from your laptop or other computer Studio One™ Artist digital audio workstation software included Virtual StudioLive™ (VSL) control software included