The 1U rack-mount PreSonus Quantum 4848 features high-quality A/D/A converters with 120 dB dynamic range on every input and output and offers 32 channels of DB25 line-level I/O for bringing vintage and boutique analog gear into the DAW and back with near-zero latency and pristine signal quality.
An additional 16 channels of ADAT Optical I/O are available to add Lightpipe-equipped digital gear, or extend existing analog I/O to 48x48 by connecting two PreSonus DigiMax DP88 A/D/A converters with recallable XMAX Class A preamps and line-level inputs. BNC word clock I/O and low-jitter clocking ensure the Quantum 4848 and other digital audio devices operate in tight sync for superior imaging. The unit’s front-panel level meters can be switched between input and output monitoring.
For applications requiring more than 48 channels, up to 4 Quantum 4848 interfaces can be stacked via Thunderbolt to create a 192x192 system. Alternatively, the Quantum 4848 can be stacked with any Quantum-series interface to add recallable XMAX mic preamps, SPDIF I/O, and MIDI I/O. The Quantum 4848’s second Thunderbolt port also can be used to add peripherals such as hard drives - maybe benefiting of promotional prices on discontinued Thunderbolt 1 and 2 gear, which should work just fine.
As with other Quantum-series interfaces, the Quantum 4848 uses proprietary Thunderbolt drivers for macOS and Windows to deliver the expected ultra-low-latency performance while maximizing efficiency, even at higher buffer sizes. DAW monitoring allows users to manage their sessions and musicians’ monitor mixes from a single window.
The Quantum 4848 is compatible with any recording software that supports Core Audio (macOS) or ASIO (Windows) and includes PreSonus’ Studio One Professional to provide a complete recording solution, from tracking to mastering. Studio One Professional’s Pipeline plug-in allows users to insert hardware processors into their Studio One session with automatic latency compensation, so outboard gear can be used with the same flexibility as a plug-in in the session. Users also get the Studio Magic Plug-in Suite, a collection of seven plug-ins from leading developers.
As PreSonus also highlights, while some DAWs limit I/O access when using third-party audio interfaces, the Quantum 4848 provides three Channel Profile modes that allow users to adapt the input and output channel configuration when the application limits the system to 32 inputs and outputs. Setting the Quantum 4848 to use 32 analog inputs with 16 channels of ADAT, 24 analog inputs with 8 channels of ADAT, or 16 analog inputs with 16 channels of ADAT, allows to customize the assortment of analog and digital inputs for different needs. Of course, when used with PreSonus' own Studio One Professional software, users will be able to record up to 192 simultaneous inputs.
The Quantum 4848 is now available immediately with a U.S. street price of $1,499.95.
www.presonus.com/products/Quantum-4848
