PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. (often known and styled as PreSonus) is an American manufacturer of
professional audio equipment and
software, used to create, record,
mix, and
master music and other audio. This includes their line of
digital audio workstation (DAW) software,
Studio One. In November 2021, it was announced that the company is to be acquired by
Fender.
The company's first product was the DCP-8, a multi-
channel digital processor (including
compression,
gating and
mix automation) that could control
analog audio using
MIDI (resulting in a new
patent).[3] Subsequent products include the DigiMax multi-channel
microphonepreamplifier with
ADAT output (2000),[4] the Central Station monitor controller with
talkback (2004),[5] and multi-channel
FireWire interfaces, including the FireStation (2002),[6] FirePod (2004),[7] and FireStudio series (2006).[8]
In 2006,
KristalLabs Software Ltd., a start-up in
Hamburg founded by former
Steinberg developers Wolfgang Kundrus and Matthias Juwan, began working on the
Studio One DAW and on the Capture live-recording software in cooperation with PreSonus.[4][9] KristalLabs subsequently became part of PreSonus when the company acquired all of their assets in 2009 (leading to the creation of the new entity PreSonus Software Limited).[10][11]
In 2008, PreSonus developed the AudioBox USB audio/MIDI interface,[12] and in 2009, the company launched its StudioLive series of digital mixers,[13] the first version of their
Studio One DAW,[14] and the first version of their Capture live-recording software.[13] This was followed by their Virtual StudioLive (VSL) control software in 2010,[15] and their QMix control
app in 2012.[16]
PreSonus expanded in 2012 by acquiring the
Nimbit online direct-to-fan music service,[18] again in 2013 when they acquired assets from Notion Music (including the
Notion and
Progression music-notation and composition software applications),[19] and again in 2014 by acquiring the live sound hardware manufacturer WorxAudio (PreSonus continue to sell specific hardware, including loudspeakers, under this brand).[20]
Wolfgang Kundrus and Eike Jonas left PreSonus in 2014.[21] Kundrus is now Software Architect and Senior Developer for
EastWest Sounds.[22]
In November, 2018, PreSonus released their 16-pad ATOM portable
MIDI Controller, which included extended integration features with their Studio One software.[citation needed]
In November, 2021,
Fender announced it they had signed a definitive agreement of merger with PreSonus.[23][24]
Core products
Hardware
Hardware manufactured by PreSonus includes the following:
Digital mixers, allowing multiple audio channels to be fed into a computer system via a single
USB or
Firewire connection, including the StudioLive brand.[25]