To give some context, sound travels at just over 1ft per millisecond so a guitarist standing 7ft from their cabinet will experience a latency of approximately 7ms. Thats acceptable, but double the distance might be problematic.

Its light, due to the lack of internal power supply but looks and feels pretty tough.

This is a dual purpose device which can be used with either a MacPC or iPad, but not at the same time.

Presonus Audiobox I2 Software You Can

Using the supplied Capture Duo software you can record to an iPad, then later wirelessly transfer your session to the included Studio One Artist package on your Mac or PC.

Unofficially the iTwo also delivers functionality to some other iOS devices.

I had no problems capturing audio with a number of applications on an iPhone 4S for example.

The mic preamps are a Class A design with switchable 48V phantom power and up to 52dB of gain.

Phantom power is however switchable for both mic inputs simultaneously.

A headphone output with plenty of guts is conveniently located on the front panel adjacent to its own discrete volume control, and a large dial controls the main output levels.

On the rear you have two main outs, MIDI in and out, USB and iPad connectors.

A Kensington lock hole provides the option to secure the device should you happen to be in a public space.

Presonus Audiobox I2 Driver Installation Provides

On the PC side a quick driver installation provides an applet for adjusting buffer size and sample rate.

Its simple. Two LEDs on the front panel light green for peak levels, blinking red if the unit clips.

Given the 24 bit dynamic range this is a fine arrangement, and setting suitable input levels is child play.

Many applications of course offer more precise internal metering.

The Class A mic preamps are worth a mention as they are definitely a big draw for this device, quieter and richer sounding than those found on typical budget mixing consoles.

The PreSonus extracted a lot of performance from microphones.

The box also worked well as a direct input box, producing good character from guitar and bass.

As a HIFI enthusiast listening on revealing Focal JM Lab monitoring the fact it has remained in situ for this period of time can be taken as a compliment.

To confirm my subjective impressions and compare to on-paper specification I performed some basic sound quality tests using the RMAA utility.

Its neutral, with a flat response and a healthy 103dB dynamic range.

This unit is capable of delivering high quality sound with a forgiving 24 bit headroom allowing a large margin of error for beginners.

In audio interface terms, this is the time it takes for a signal to make the round trip from the input, through the computer (including any software in the signal path) and back to the outputs.

The problem with higher latencies is it creates a disconnect between the performer and their actions.

As a rule of thumb latencies of 12ms or better are desirable.

Thats acceptable, but double the distance might be problematic.