PreSonus Studio 18From real comments

Name: PreSonus Studio 18
Rating: 2.7 (23 reviews)

Verdict distilled from 23 mentions across 12 aspects in comments under product review videos.

Positive sentiment50%

PROS 50%

CONS 50%

Rank based on 23 mentions across 12 aspects

View the verdict as

Buy this if...

You want solid PreSonus preamp sound at a mid-range price
You plan to record drums or need to expand channel count via ADAT chaining
You already use Studio One and want tight in-DAW gain control

What users love

ADAT expansion for more channels0 mentions

Widely praised

Praised sound quality0 mentions

Strongly positive

Strong Studio One DAW integration0 mentions

Widely praised

Sufficient I/O for drum recording0 mentions

Widely praised

Good value versus higher-tier PreSonus models0 mentions

Widely praised

Skip this if...

You need independent phantom power per mic channel
You want onboard DSP or a fat channel for real-time processing
You need flawless Mac loopback or a fully polished control app

What users complain about

Phantom power not per-channel0 mentions

Frequently criticized

No onboard DSP or fat channel0 mentions

Frequently criticized

Front volume knob limited to main outs0 mentions

Generally negative

Mac feature limitations and buggy control software0 mentions

Frequently criticized

Confusing input/output count and labeling0 mentions

Generally negative

Playback dropouts and pops0 mentions

Frequently criticized

Unresponsive hardware buttons0 mentions

Frequently criticized

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4Upper

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6Upper

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Clean, transparent convertersRock-solid, long-supported driversPowerful TotalMix routing softwareRuns hotSteep TotalMix learning curveFragile-feeling power connector

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8Value

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9Premium

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Exceptional preamp qualitySuperior AD/DA conversionOnboard DSP with wet/dry recordingHigh price for channel countFan noise concernsLimited I/O for the price

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Onboard DSP with wet/dry recording

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Fan noise concerns

Limited I/O for the price

10Mid

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Superior sound quality vs competitors32-bit float recording4 mic inputs and ADAT expansionSSL 360 sync and monitoring confusionOverly sensitive gain knobsFirmware/software glitches

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Superior sound quality vs competitors

32-bit float recording

4 mic inputs and ADAT expansion

SSL 360 sync and monitoring confusion

Overly sensitive gain knobs

Firmware/software glitches

You are here

31Mid

PreSonus Studio 18

ADAT expansion for more channelsPraised sound qualityStrong Studio One DAW integrationPhantom power not per-channelNo onboard DSP or fat channelConfusing input/output count and labeling

PreSonus Studio 18

ADAT expansion for more channels

Praised sound quality

Strong Studio One DAW integration

Phantom power not per-channel

No onboard DSP or fat channel

Confusing input/output count and labeling

Driver stability
1. RME Babyfacearrow_upward10
2. RME Fireface UFXarrow_upward10
3. RME Fireface UCX IIarrow_upward9
Clean sound
1. RME Fireface UCXarrow_upward9
2. RME Babyfacearrow_upward8
3. SSL 12arrow_upward6
Low latency
1. RME Babyfacearrow_upward8
2. RME Babyface Pro FSarrow_upward7
3. RME Fireface UCXarrow_upward4
Totalmix routing
1. RME Fireface UFXarrow_upward9
2. RME Babyfacearrow_upward6
3. RME Fireface UFX IIIarrow_upward6
High price
1. RME Fireface UFXarrow_downward1
2. RME Fireface UFX IIIarrow_downward1
3. RME Babyface Pro FSarrow_downward2
Driver reliability
1. RME Babyface Pro FSarrow_upward11
2. RME Fireface UCXarrow_upward8

Overall Impression

Sound quality and DAW integration are the standout strengths. Several users express strong satisfaction with the unit's sound, with one saying they simply love the interface in their studio setup. Others highlight that pairing it with Studio One lets them adjust gain staging directly inside the DAW, a workflow advantage over some competing interfaces. Long-time PreSonus users describe staying loyal to the ecosystem specifically for this tight software-hardware integration across their setup.

Expandability via ADAT makes it attractive for larger recording setups. Owners describe successfully chaining two 1824c units together over ADAT and Universal Control to reach 16 or more simultaneous inputs, useful for full drum kit recording. One user with 8 microphones for drums found it review-worthy and sufficient for their needs without wanting more channels in the future. This expansion path is seen as a practical way to grow the studio without an entirely new interface.

Shared phantom power and missing DSP are the most cited drawbacks. Multiple commenters are frustrated that 48v phantom power applies to an entire bank of inputs at once rather than per-channel, complicating setups that mix condenser and dynamic microphones without extra hardware like a Fethead. Others regret the absence of onboard DSP or a fat channel found in other PreSonus products, feeling it's a notable omission at this price point compared to sibling products with DSP built in.

Outdated / Not-accurate data?

cableADAT expansion for more channels

3 mentions

Widely praised

Owners detail successfully linking two units via ADAT and Universal Control to reach 16+ inputs, and others specifically ask about chaining units to expand capacity. This makes the interface a flexible base for growing a larger recording setup.

@steveboenke8257

Hello how to connect 2 1824c's together. using Universal Control 4.1 to get 16 channels\r\n\r\nConnect optical cable on main unit in to second unit out \r\nConnect optical cable on second unit in to man unit out \r\nI don't think you need both for just recording, but I use both\r\n\r\nStart computer with both 1824c's connected but turned off.\r\n\r\nwith UC (Universal Control) running.\r\n\r\nStart your main 1824c. (note serial number in bottom right-hand corner) mine ends in (8). let light flash red, blue, red, blue. you can wait till the light settles on purple, but I never do.\r\nSet main 1824c to ADAT.\r\n\r\nStart your second 1824c. (note serial number in bottom right-hand corner) this one ends in (4). Both lights should flash for a second then turn blue.\r\nSet second 1824c to Internal\r\n\r\n{I use the serial numbers to keep track of which ones which. in UC}\r\n\r\nBefore you can use both you must set the mixer in UC.\r\n\r\nFrom UC click the second 1824c (S#4 for me) {the one set to Internal}\r\nthe mixer will come up.\r\nSet all faders from 1 to 8 to 0db or as close as you can get it, for me it's 0.01 db. [very tedious and a pain in the ass].\r\nAnd set balances as so: 1,3,5,7. to left and 2,4,6,8. to right.\r\nThen in the mix section\r\nADAT 1/2 set fader 1 to 0db. balance left.\r\nADAT 1/2 set fader 2 to 0db. balance right.\r\nADAT 3/4 set fader 3 to 0db. balance left.\r\nADAT 3/4 set fader 4 to 0db. balance right.\r\nADAT 5/6 set fader 5 to 0db. balance left.\r\nADAT 5/6 set fader 6 to 0db. balance right.\r\nADAT 7/8 set fader 7 to 0db. balance left.\r\nADAT 7/8 set fader 8 to 0db. balance right.\r\n\r\nYou should be good to go.\r\nJust remember every time you start.\r\nStart computer, the main 1824c and let light blink red, blue, a couple times then start the second one.

PreSonus Studio 18chat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

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Who wins on what

Driver stability

Clean sound

Low latency

Totalmix routing

High price

Driver reliability

auto_awesomeOverall Impression

PreSonus Studio 18From real comments

Buy this if...

What users love

Skip this if...

What users complain about

Overall Impression