PreSonus’s Atom SQ is a MIDI pad controller that promises to be all things to all producers, offering a suitable surface for TR-style drum programming, triggering loops, playing keyboard parts and navigating your DAW.
Atom HQ features 32 velocity- and pressure-sensitive pads that can be used as a musical keyboard or step sequencer, plus eight endless rotary controllers, an arpeggiator and context-sensitive screen displays. There’s also a constrain to scale feature that means you can play without ever hitting a ‘wrong’ note.
Designed, as you might expect, to integrate tightly with the PreSonus’s Studio One 5, Atom SQ offers deep integration with said DAW’s pattern editor, enabling you to create evolving sequences right from the hardware. A copy of Studio One 5 Artist comes in the box so that Atom SQ owners have access to a fully functional studio setup right away.
That said, Atom SQ is also said to work nicely with Ableton Live, both in the studio and on stage. It enables you to launch clips and scenes, select devices and edit parameters, navigate tracks and scenes and make mixer setting adjustments. In fact, a copy of Ableton Live Lite is included, too.
If you have your own more specific requirements, you can remap and configure the various knobs, buttons and other controllers however you wish.
Find out more about the Atom SQ on the PreSonus website. It’ll be available soon priced at $250/£250.
