$249.95











PreSonus ATOM SQ Overview

The PreSonus ATOM SQ is a versatile hybrid MIDI keyboard/pad performance and production controller that's ideal for creating hip-hop, EDM, or any other style of music. Quickly and easily craft beats and melodies with the remarkable staggered pad layout that's familiar and intuitive to both keyboard players and step sequencer fans.

The touch strips can be assigned to control any parameter from filter cutoff to panning, while the 32 pressure- and velocity-sensitive pads support polyphonic aftertouch. The context-sensitive LCD screen provides easy feedback for common functions and the eight endless rotary encoders control are readily assignable to any control parameter.

Additional features include navigation and transport controls, an onboard arpeggiator, and a constrain-to-scale function that prevents wrong notes. This complete music production package includes Studio One Artist, Ableton Live Lite, and two loop packs and custom kits for Impact XT. The ATOM SQ is USB bus powered and ships with a USB cable.

A complete music production package with hybrid MIDI keyboard/pad performance and production controller and Studio One Artist and Ableton Live Lite (both included)

32 velocity- and pressure-sensitive, RGB LED pads in a unique, staggered layout; intuitive for keyboard players and step sequencer fans

Context-sensitive screen displays valuable parameter information including CC assignments, swing, and much more

Eight endless rotary encoders can be easily configured to control nearly any software parameter

Deep integration with Studio One’s Pattern editor for intuitive step sequencer programming

Expressive arpeggiator for dramatic, easily-performed melodies

Includes custom-curated content libraries for ATOM SQ

Constrain to Scale feature puts an end to wrong notes forever

USB bus-powered for easy connectivity and maximum portability

Two product announcements coming up today from PreSonus. Some well-founded speculation that the second announcement will be Studio One v5.

I hope this doesn't mean they will try to completely turn Studio One into a "beatmaker" for Hip-Hop and EDM and eschew the traditional DAW market. There was a lot of focus on "beatmaking" with v4, so I had hoped V5 would improve MIDI, automation and the mixer.

Does it have Ableton integration? Yea, the screen looks good, but can the Ableton user to browse through Ableton presets and choose them directly from this controller and to assign them on midi channels? If this is the case this is an instant buy from me, but I dunno.

As far as I've read on the web version 5 will have the new midi 2.0 and MPE support (finally!) so that's great.
I don't mind that their introducing clip launch now, SO still has a lot to offer for old skool time based recording and with midi 2.0 and MPE it's going to be better.
More and more SO is finding a good balance between the old and new, that's how I see it.

cant wait to find out all about whats on that screen

Interesting. But that said, I’ve been waiting for my PreSonus Quantum Thunderbolt 3 preorder for months overdue now. While all things considered that’s understandable, I wonder when this will see the light of day.

Also, should this be listed in the product announcement section?

The traditional DAW market, maybe you don't understand where the market is right now. This isn't 2009...

That's what Push 2 is for.

So, or Push 2 or nothing …LOL!

Sorry, but if you can’t browse and choose sounds with this controller, first of all what is the point of this big colored screen, and secondly if this is the case sorry but this is very pricey…

OMG Studio One 5 looks insane.

SO is already my favorite piece of creative software ever, the new version adds everything I have been dreaming of, and then some...

...and there is the subscription service. thank god its totally optional and seperate from just buying the sw

I’m a little confused, does Studio One 5 still not have a Clip feature apart from the new Show feature... is the Show matrix exportable to a timeline?

thats one fine looking controller
i wish steinberg would release similar controllers for cubase

They will have to combine the first atom with this one. The next version of Push and Maschine are going to kill it's sales.

Pretty cool, but one fader like a faderport would've been awesome.

On the Presonus site it says there's an Ableton Live mode on the SQ but only from version 10.
How far the integration will go exactly we have to wait till some reviews are there.
It depends on what you need exactly but for 250 $/euro it can be a good solution for some of them.

This comes from their website;

Seamless Integration with Ableton® Live
Use ATOM SQ’s Constrain to Scale mode and Arpeggiator to perform live
Change session Tempo, navigate the timeline, open/close windows, and display which windows are open or closed
Control track Volume, Panning, send level and Solo/Mute/Arm status
Select a Device and edit its parameters
Navigate Clips and Scenes
Launch or stop Clips and Scenes
Control Live’s crossfader with ATOM SQ’s touch strip
Transport control (stop, play, record) plus "Capture MIDI"
User Mode for custom assignments
Requires Ableton Live version 10.1.15 or later for full integration support

https://www.presonus.com/products/ATOM-SQ/features

Thanks for the reply.

I think the integration with Ableton is kind of limited, but for the Presonus Studio One DAW users the integration is awesome, because it offers step sequencer, preset browsing, and you can navigate and choose instruments and effects from the browser, etc.

Although we need a video demo to get a clue of how it works. I have the Presonus Studio One DAW, because I had the Atom controller, but I sold the controller. Currently I’m using FL studio and Ableton Live. I have the Launchpad Pro MK3 and the launchkey mini MK3 for the Ableton, and the Akai Fire for the FL Studio. What is missing from my setup is the ability to choose sounds from a controller without the need to watch at the computer screen at all.

95 % of mousing always is deriving from the preset browsing, choosing and assign to midi channels. This is the most important operation, and so far only the Push 2 integrates this function properly. So, now for the Presonus Studio One users this function will be available too, but I have to see some video demo, to see how this works in details.

Here is the Presonus Studio One DAW integration

Studio One Integration Features
Automatically detected by Studio One, no setup required
Deep integration with Studio One’s Pattern editor for intuitive step sequencer programming
Navigate and choose instruments and effects from the Browser
Change presets on virtual instruments and effects
Create a new track
Activate metronome and change song tempo
Set looping points in timeline
Navigate the timeline
Zoom in and out on the timeline or events
Directly edit MIDI events and also apply Quantization or Humanization commands
Transport control (stop, play, record)
Studio One dynamically switches ATOM between Keyboard and Drum modes depending on the selected instrument
Requires Studio One v5 or later for full integration support

I think this is a new tendency in the market, which can be called the ‘’DAW Groovebox Controller’’ movement . And I think Novation should rethink about their Launchpad integration and features…I mean if you compare this controller with the Launchpad Pro MK3, this is cheaper and it looks better IMO. And Akai should upgrade the Akai Fire controler for the FL Studio.

When are these companies going to realize that putting the screen away from the encoders practically defeats the purpose of owning a controller to reduce screen usage? Nobody would actually prefer to get their visual feedback away from the encoder.

NI really got it right with the KK S-series, yet everybody else puts their screens in some other awkward place (except for the MPC-X). The product owner of Atom came over from Nektar, which also never got that convergence right, so I don't expect Presonus to ever change their tune.

Love the bottom half of the design, but reduce the size of those massive encoders and put the screen directly above them!

cant find any vids on this product has anyone found any?

A couple things... those knobs... just like on the first Adam controller... they are too big. Not only do the knobs take up unnecessary space being that big but it also gives the controller a cheap look IMO. Also... I hate when they make the screen small and push it off to the side of the controller. The screen should be in the middle of the controller IMO.

Here's a quick photoshop I did of the Atom SQ with 2 screens in the middle of the controller.




And here's the real Atom SQ...

Presonus aren't going to make Atom SQ integrate better with Ableton to it's own DAW? Does that make any sense lol? Should be interesting as I have the first one.

Unfortunatelly, your proposition is not better than the original. I usually play something with my right hand (some melody or chords) and use my left hand to tweak sound settings at the same time. Thus I require knobs to be placed on the left side. With your design, it would be very awkward to reach with my left hand to the right side of the controller. What's even worse, I would cover the view of the display with my palm.

loopop has a video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR7OWG2RVL8

Incredibly idiotic move by Presonus to not post a small S1 v4.6.3 update to allow the many Win 7 Studio One users the ability to buy and run Atom SQ with S1 with full integration. In fact S1 V5 added almost nothing new beyond the Notation addition, this is a hard fail IMHO.

Presonus just forced many of their loyal customer base to give their competitors our money, lol..... Presonus must NOT like making money from their customer base, lol.

I thought you could see the knobs parameters name in the screen, why... why ?
Beside the Electra one and the Novation SL MK3 .. nothing ? I mean am i the only one that wish an lcd / oled screen where you can see mapped parameters with name and values ?

Yea, I have seen a lot of guys, on Loopop video on youtube channel, to complain about the parameters and why they’re not depicted on the screen, because as it is you can see them only after you’re moving the knobs. And this applies only in the integration with the Studio One, because by using the Atom SQ with the Ableton you can’t see the parameters at all. Hopefully this can be fixed through a firmware update.

But, I have to admit it that I like it, why? Because it looks like this is the second complete hybrid music box in the history of music technology. The first is the Ableton Push (1 and 2) of course. The integration with the Studio One is perfect; basically you can make full songs without to touch your mouse or even to watch at your computer screen at all. It is like you’re using a standalone groovebox, but very powerful because it is connected with a complete DAW, the Studio One. And on top of that you get a melodic and drum pattern based step sequencer which I think is up to 64 steps. And you have got and an arpeggiator as well.

So, in conclusion, this is an instrument, a modern groovebox, you can explore its possibilities; you can play with it having fun and producing some cool music.

Now, as for the integration with the Ableton, I was a little bit disappointed when I saw the Loopop review, because I realized that the integration with Ableton is adequate of course but nothing special. But, regardless of its limitations, I think this can be seen as a straight competitor with the Launchpad X and the Launchpad Pro MK3. The knobs and the big multi colored screen offer more pleasant experience to the user.

With some minor firmware updates this can be transformed into a Push mini easily, effortlessly. Of course I understand that Presonus as a company won’t sabotage their own DAW, giving advantages to Ableton users…

But anyway a bravo deserves to Presonus for this release because it moves the music technology a step forward I think.

Here is the video, great review as always Loopop does.

The problem with the knob parameters can be fixed through a firmware update, but I don’t think that this is a major issue anyway, because once you will switch a little bit a knob the Atom SQ’s screen it shows the parameter and the value. So, I think this is not a big deal.

I don’t get the mediocre reception of this great hybrid groovebox here on gearslutz, seriously, only few comments I can see and complaints.

If this were a standalone groovebox the reception would be huge with hundreds of gearslutz pages already …

This is 2020, we've had grooveboxes now for over 20 years so we know what does and does not work best. We've had DAW controllers now for over 20 years so we know what works best there too. The poor reception is based on real end user experience wanting the best tools to integrate with Studio One to enhance our experience. Presonus are not giving the end users what they need for a tool.... thus the logical complaints and disappointment with Atom SQ.

Money is not easily spent in 2020, and we end users vote with our money..... Presonus better get their act together and release better tools that ALL Studio One users can use, the competition out there offers a lot of quality options today.

But, you don’t respond to my question, the statement “isn’t good enough for the price because it doesn’t have the right tools’’ it is just a generic opinion which doesn’t say or explain anything concrete.

So, I understand that the Atom SQ isn’t so appealing to the most people, but what I don’t understand is why this Atom SQ isn’t appealing to the Studio One users, or in general to the groovebox lovers, considering the price of course.

My question isn’t provocative or anything, I’m just wondering and I have a genuine question because in my opinion this little hybrid groovebox is awesome.