Why PreSonus’ Quantum HD interfaces are the ultimate solutions for recording guitar
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Guitarists like to make a lot of fuss about their signal chain, from pickups to pedals to amps – but when it comes to actually making recordings and mixes, it’s important not to forget the audio interface. A great audio interface is one of the most vital steps in the signal chain when you’re recording anything digitally.
PreSonus’ Quantum HD interfaces are the ultimate solutions for guitarists looking for a pro-grade audio interface. They boast some seriously powerful specifications and, perhaps most importantly, some guitar-specific features designed in collaboration with Fender. Let’s explore what makes the Quantum HD interfaces so formidable for everyone from the home-recording guitarist to pro-level engineers.
Pro-grade specifications
If an interface is going to be the ‘ultimate’ solution for guitarists, it needs to have some serious specifications under the hood. The PreSonus Quantum HD interfaces feature world-class sound quality thanks to powerful 32-bit, 192kHz converters. Plus the MAX HD preamps – two on the Quantum HD 2, eight on the Quantum HD 8 – ensure extremely clean audio recording with up to 75dB of gain. So even if you’re recording with the quietest of ribbon mics, you’ll get a pristine, clear signal.
Flexible connectivity
Looking to record just a single guitar, or short on studio space? The Quantum HD 2 is a more compact desktop unit, featuring two on-board inputs for stereo recording. Despite its smaller size, it doesn’t compromise on power – it boasts all of the same features as its bigger sibling, with the exception of the ADAT standalone mode.
The Quantum HD 8 is a larger rack-mount unit, and features two instrument inputs along with eight microphone preamps for recording far more sources at once. Both units also feature ADAT expandability, allowing for 16 total channels of optical input.
You may already have your preferred set of studio monitors or headphones. The Quantum HD interfaces have powerful line and headphone outs to drive them, from high-grade monitors to fussy high-impedance headphones. The Quantum HD 8 also boasts a second headphone output for easy A/B testing or recording with a friend. And speaking of A/B testing, both units also offer built-in speaker switching, letting you compare your mix on two sets of monitors without having to reroute any cables.
So regardless of whether your studio is simply a corner in your bedroom or a professional operation, the right Quantum HD interface can easily fit into your workflow.
Easy setup and control
With USB-C connectivity, the Quantum HD interfaces are easy to use no matter your platform of choice, supporting Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and iPadOS. The Universal Control compatibility also allows for easy adjustment of levels, loopback and monitoring from your phone, tablet or computer. Easy loopback routing also makes streaming and content-creation easier than ever, without having to mess around with third-party loopback software.
Outside of the software and connectivity, recording setup is made even easier thanks to Auto Gain – this lets you instantly set the right preamp gain levels for your guitar or mics, meaning you can avoid clipping or recording too quietly without really having to think about it. This is particularly handy for guitarists recording direct – if you’re recording one part on a low-output Telecaster, Auto Gain makes it easy to adjust when switching over to an EMG-loaded beast.
In through the right DAW
Every Quantum HD interface includes a perpetual license for PreSonus’ Studio One 7. If this is your first foray into properly recording your guitar, the right Digital Audio Workstation – or DAW – will help you make that leap to pro-sounding mixes. The Quantum HD interfaces are also able to be seamlessly controlled via Studio One 7, which also grants you access to some incredibly powerful bespoke tools such as AI stem separation, unique virtual instruments, Splice integration and plenty of modern workflow innovations.
Guitar-focused inputs, designed in collaboration with Fender
Impedance is a complex topic, but the main thing to keep in mind is that if there’s a severe mismatch in input and output impedance, you’re going to get some signal degradation, with high-end loss and an overall weak sound. You can have the best preamp in the world but it won’t matter if you’ve got an impedance mismatch!
Hence the importance of plugging a guitar into the right kind of input on your interface – instrument inputs, or High-Z inputs, feature much higher input impedances than standard microphone or line inputs, meaning they’re ideal for connecting a guitar.
But not all instrument inputs are created equal. Fender’s engineers have brought their experience of guitar input stages to the High-Z instrument inputs on the Quantum HD interfaces. These inputs have been meticulously designed to ensure that their input impedance will give you the best possible clarity and dynamic range, regardless of whether you’re using passive or active pickups.
Dedicated reamp outputs
Guitar-friendly inputs are all well and good, but what about amp-friendly outputs? Reamping is one of the most powerful tools out there when it comes to recording guitars. The basic process involves taking a dry signal directly from the guitar and recording it into your DAW, and then replaying this signal into your amps and effects to re-record the same performance.
This lets you tweak your pedals, amp and mic placement after the fact, rather than having to get things completely right before you actually lay down your parts. Reamping also means you can blend multiple tones for even bigger-sounding mixes – great if you want to create a stereo field out of just one guitar performance, or fancy experimenting with parallel drive tones.
However, reamping is not quite as simple as taking any old regular output from an audio interface and running it straight into your amp or pedalboard. An unbalanced guitar signal is very different to what comes out of most audio interfaces’ line outputs – the mismatch in signal type can lead to some serious noise problems. Like with the input stage, there can also be a severe impedance mismatch – meaning your reamped track may not sound great, as the guitar gear is expecting a higher output impedance than an interface can provide.
The traditional solution is to buy a reamp box – this is a dedicated piece of gear that converts a line-level signal back into an instrument-level signal, eliminating the hum and impedance problems. However the PreSonus Quantum HD features built-in reamp outputs. This makes for a pretty elegant solution, the reamp outputs are able to supply the right kind of signal to go straight into a pedalboard or amplifier – meaning you don’t need to worry about external converters at all.
Keep up with any amp sim with ultra-fast USB-C performance
But what if you’re not recording with physical gear? With such a range of excellent digital amp-sims out there, it’s easier than ever to get a great guitar tone in the box. But if your audio interface isn’t up to the task, you may be faced with latency issues – where your buffer size is too large, and you have a noticeable delay as things are processed.
But thanks to the Quantum HD’s fast USB-C connection, you can achieve around a 3ms latency at 92kHz and a 32-sample block size. 3ms is about the same time as sound takes to travel one metre – so a 3ms digital latency is essentially the same as a metre away from an amplifier.
Low latency is extremely important when it comes to playing with amp sims – if you’re a guitarist, the interaction between your ears, your brain and your fingers has been finely tuned as you’ve learnt to play. You’ll know if something’s off – a short round-trip latency means you’re able to play digital amps and effects as if they’re the real, analogue thing.
The right tool for the job
Guitarists might not ascribe the same mojo to audio interfaces as they do to pedals and amplifiers, but they’re an incredibly vital piece of gear when it comes to ensuring professional-sounding recording. Whether you’re building a home studio or looking to upgrade a pro-level rig, the Quantum HD interfaces are ready to take your guitar recording to the next level.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
