Presonus AudioBox USB Audio Interface

Home recording gurus:

I'm looking to get into some home recording, and am considering the Presonus AudioBox. Comes w/ Cubase LE 4. I'm primarily gonna be laying down guitar tracks (electric...some acoustic, mando, banjo, and harmonica, with vocals). Any drawbacks you guys have experienced? I came across a thread regarding issues with mic'ing acoustic instruments without a preamp. Also, does the Cubase software that it comes with allow any sort of effects/amp modelling? Would I be better off going with something like a POD and a freeware program like Audacity?

Thanks,
TJ

Well, I like presonus. It all depends on your mic. The interface has preamps. I think it's a problem looking for a question. Apparently somebody used a 57 with a firebox and the output was low. Well, ok. As we say around here, TURN IT UP.

Cubase is great. If you ever go full blown Cubase you'll notice that it actually sounds better than LE. Somebody finally told me that the 4 LE is using the engine form sx2 and that sx3, c4 and c5 have a better engine. But all around, LE will do most anything you need. It makes a difference but that doesn't mean LE is bad.

I say go for it.

Here's what is included with the Presonus Audio Box

"Steinberg’s Cubase LE 4 48-track recording and production is included with the AudioBox giving you a full-featured and powerful recording system right in the box. Cubase LE 4 features include 48-audio tracks, 64 MIDI tracks, MIDI & sequencing , EQ on each track , VST plug-in support , Virtual instrument support , Time stretching and pitch shifting , HALionOne Sample Player included (w/ 60 Instruments, 400 MB sound library), Compressor, DualFilter, Distortion, PingPong-Delay, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, AutoPanner, Vibrato, Rotary, MonoToStereo and Roomworks SE, DaTube, MIDI Gate, StepFilter, Bitcrusher, Chopper, Metalizer, Ring Modulator, Tranceformer, Grungelizer, Drum Editor and more."

I happen to like the Presonus stuff and I know Cubase 4 LE is a pretty powerfull DAW, but I think a Line 6 Pod Studio UX2 has the better choice of included software as far as variety goes.

"Includes Ableton® Live Lite Line 6 Studio Edition 16-track recording software, Reason® Adapted virtual studio and RiffWorks™ T4 recording software for instant pro recording and idea capture right out of the box"

"The TonePort UX2 hardware interface is USB-powered and comes with Line 6 GearBox™ modeling software, which provides a must-have collection of 16 guitar and 5 bass amp/cab models, 29 stompbox and studio effects (up to 10 at once), and 6 models of high-end studio microphone preamps."