PRESONUS Quantum 2626 £470
The Quantum 2626 follows on from PreSonus’s much lauded Quantum 2632 interface, released a few years back. Ahead of its rich features and respectable audio quality, discussion surrounding the original Quantum mainly focused on its progressive way of working, whereby instead of being able to choose between monitoring input signals at source and/or monitoring through software, the hardware monitoring was removed.
The ultra-low latencies possible with a Thunderbolt connection eliminated the need for additional mixer applications outside the user’s DAW, simplifying the recording process by some margin and offering greater value for money, since fewer converter arrays were required. Such a move precluded any form of standalone operation and monitoring of inputs, however, which proved a deal-breaker for some.
This year’s Quantum 2626 is a streamlined version of the earlier flagship model, offering similar headline features but at reduced cost. Gone is the detailed LED metering, the digitally controlled
