Function: Audio Interface and A/D/A Convertor and Preamp Expander
Price: $599.95 – $699.95
Overview: It’s not often we get to do a joint review of two different products, but when we saw how flawlessly the new Presonus Studio 192 and Digimax DP88 worked together, instead of deciding between the two, we decided to review both! The Studio 192 is a rack-mounted audio interface and “Studio Command Center” boasting 192kHz/24 bit recording capability via USB 3.0 connectivity. In contrast, the DP88 has no standalone recording capability and is designed to be used in conjunction with any other studio setup via ADAT.
Studio 192 Features: Describing the full features of the Studio 192 and DP88 could take 20 pages, but for brevity sake, we’ll stick to the highlights! Studio 192 sports 8 XMAX Class-A discrete preamps (the same preamps in the Studiolive mixer) and the highly regarded Burr-Brown convertors, giving a crystal clear, distortion free sound. As a Studio Command Center, the Studio 192 features an onboard talkback mic that can be routed to any mix, a “dim” and “mono” switch, two independent headphone amps, and ten balanced outputs. Able to simultaneously stream 26 inputs and 32 outputs, Studio 192 is ideal for small to medium-sized studios or portable home setups. For the money, Studio 192 offers a ton of features in a 1U rack as well as 8 great sounding mic preamps plus Presonus’ Studio One® 3 software.
DP88 Features: Sold by Presonus as an “8-channel A/D/A Convertor with Remote Preamps,” let’s break down what that means for the DP88 and Studio 192 together. DP88 has eight of the same XMAX preamps on its back panel and utilizes Burr-Brown convertors similar to the Studio 192. The preamps can also be control led from UC Surface and Studio One® 3 when connected to the Studio 192, and can be
recalled from the front panel. DP88’s preamps can be accessed via the 8 physical XLR inputs, or via DB25 connection, and by using DB25 you gain access to 8 direct analog-to-digital line-level inputs. Eight DAC (Digital-to-analog convertor) outputs and eight direct outputs are available via DB25 and 8 channels of ADAT round out the I/O.
The Bottom Line: The Studio 192 is a powerful, great-sounding interface when used alone and provides enough features to be a strong centerpiece with which to build your studio around, but if you need more I/O or a few more preamps, the DP88 works perfectly with both Studio 192, and more importantly, remotely with UC Surface and Studio One® 3.
