Are the PreSonus 1824c and FocusRite Scarlett 18i20 roughly the same?

A

AllTheCoolNamesAreTaken

Silver Member
I'm looking to get a drum interface and these two seem to be the best rated. And while I would prefer the FocusRite (simply because everyone has raved about it for so long), where I live it is almost twice the price of the PreSonus.

Several posts on the web have said they're basically identical systems and the PreSonus may be a little better because of the software bundle.

If the FocusRite 18i20 is just miles better than the PreSonus 1824c I'll just wait until next time I take a trip to the US. But if they're basically the same, it would be nice to just buy the PreSonus (and avoid the eventual hassle of dealing with customs).

Thanks!
 
NackAttack

NackAttack

Active Member
I own the 18i20, but only because a very nice (reckless? about to quit?) GC employee randomly gave me a deeeep discount when I said “I would buy that now if it wasn’t so expensive.” I had also been researching the 1824c. As far as specs go, they appear very similar. One difference is that the Phantom power is either off or on for all inputs on the 1824c but the 18i20 separates 4 inputs if that makes a difference with your mic setup. FWIW I ended up using Studio One as my main software and I think it’s free with the 1824c. The 18i20 comes with “lite” versions of Pro Tools or Ableton. I don’t have experience with the PreSonus, but I can’t imagine the Scarlett being “miles“ better.
 
rhumbagirl

rhumbagirl

Senior Member
I've only owned the Scarlet (1st Gen), but looking at the pictures on Amazon, the Presonus doesn't look to have the same build quality - the headphone jacks don't have a metal collar; the slots for mounting are recessed which might create a headache if using a nut-driver, although I have mine mounted using phillips screws; the Presonus requires a separate power adapter. Both look to have the optical connections for connecting an input expander like the Focusrite OctoPre.
 
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