PreSonus ioStation 24C

PreSonus fused their FaderPort and 24c into an audio interface/production controller. Let’s find out if it knows how to Linux.

Have questions about your Linux audio setup? Ask in our forums.

DRIVERS

The PreSonus ioStation 24C is class compliant so no additional drivers are needed.

PULSEAUDIO

The PreSonus ioStation 24C will function like any other sound device in pavucontrol.

JACK

Select the ALSA driver to connect your PreSonus ioStation 24C to the Jack server. 

CONTROL SURFACE SETUP

Ardour

Edit > Preferences > Control Surfaces > Presonus FaderPort 2

Reaper

Options > Preferences > Control/OSC/web > Add > PreSonus FaderPort v2 (2018)

ROUND-TRIP LATENCY

While many kinds of audio latency metrics exist, one useful and well-understood metric is round-trip latency; the time it takes for an audio signal to enter the input of a device, get processed, and exit the output.

Measurements were taken with jack_iodelay.

TESTBENCH

VERDICT

The ioStation 24C promises the best of both worlds – a decent audio interface and a handy control surface, all at a budget-friendly price. But does it deliver? Let’s break it down:

Hits:

• Budget-friendly: Combines two PreSonus budget options into one, potentially appealing to cost-conscious creators.
• Serviceable audio interface: Decent sound quality for basic recording needs.
• Functional control surface: (Mostly) works as advertised, offering hands-on control for some tasks.

Misses:

• Reaper incompatibility: A major bummer for Linux users relying on this popular DAW. Requires the Windows-only “Reasonus” extension for proper functionality.

Bottom line:

The ioStation 24C might be a decent option for Linux users on a budget seeking a basic control surface and audio interface in one. However, its limited platform support and Reaper incompatibility are major drawbacks.

PreSonus ioStation 24C

7.8 out of 10

$249.99

2×2, 192 KHz, USB-C™ Compatible Audio Interface And Production Controller

Stability

10 out of 10

Ease of Use

9 out of 10

Look & Feel

6 out of 10

Price

6 out of 10

Pros

Works with Ardour

Motorized fader

Class-compliant

Cons

Not bus-powered

No display for SMPTE timecode

USB 2 Type-C connector

Shop For The ioStation 24C

on Amazon on eBay

Have questions about your Linux audio setup? Ask in our forums forums.