PreSonus ATOM SQ, hybrid MIDI Keyboard/Pad Performance and Production Controller with Studio One Artist, Ableton Live Lite and Studio Magic recording software bundle

Wanted the software so this felt like a free item as not much difference in price so a no brainer. Now I have had a little mess around with it I feel I could use it to put radio jingles together and have a bit of fun. I don't make music, but have created a few beats for a laugh. I normally use Audition so a bit of a learning curve as there is hardware and software to deal with hence 4 stars for ease of use but that would probably not be the case for Studio one users. Seems to be very well made and would be a great tool for the target audience. I would still say for the money it will be worth a play with as it is a lot of fun and in the 20 hours I have had it I have only made one jingle as too distracted making drum beats!

Quality product as always from Presonus. Fits nicely at the side of my keyboard and works flawlessly with studio one. A brilliant piece of kit, use it all the time.

So far my experience with this has been very positive. As a user of Studio One, and the ATOM being very much focused to it, it worked straight out of the box. No messing around, just plug it in and fire up Studio One. A bit inconsistent on focus sometimes, and I wouldn't bother with the keyboard function - get a dedicated keyboard controller if that is what you're after, but it does work if all you want is something simple to jam with. The encoders are fine, but a bit of a pain with non-Studio One instruments and effects. It is a little expensive, and would have been nice if Presonus offered a unit at a slightly cheaper price for those that already have their (great, btw) Studio One. That said, if you want to get started with bedroom producing, and it's your first foray into spending some money on the hobby and haven't quite settled for your DAW of choice, I do recommend this - not only a decently built controller, but a nice starting point with Studio One Artist. One thing though; you will quickly outgrow Artist - its lack of VST support out of the box is something to keep in mind (you can buy an add-on to enable this, but at that point, you may as well go for their Pro option, which makes the included Artist moot).

Absolutely fantastic product which is excellent value for money considering all the software it comes bundled with. The pads and rotary knobs are top notch as well with a great feel and response. Loads of tutorial video's available online as well.....

I would love to recommend. It was my favourite keyboard. However the unit failed just under a year getting stuck in a mode where all the lights get stuck in a rainbow style. Instruction to flash the firmware do not resolve the problem. One of the best mid controllers designed for the size. But also one of the most buggy/ faulty.

Worth every penny

Having gone through Maschine Studio and Mikros in use within Studio One now very happy with the Atom NI changes were annoying however still use Battery and Komplete and Maschine software if necessary but find the Atom much more easier. Solid build quality and prefer its format. Absolute recommendation for S1 users and great for a new user who does not have a daw yet. Although the artist license is naff for anybody already using S1 Right now the Pro upgrade is £99 at Scan making this an absolute no brainer if you do not have Studio One 4 and want to step into it.

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