PreSonus Atom SQ MIDI Pad Production Controller

Get to steppin'
Modern musicians, performers, and producers need to move quickly from programming drums and samples to playing synth lines and back again. ATOM SQ was designed as a versatile and expressive MIDI pad controller for contemporary music production. Its unique design is optimized for both classic TR-style 16-step beat sequencing and drum pattern editing in Studio One or playing instruments and launching clips in Ableton Live—yet its staggered and RGB-lit 32-pad configuration is instantly familiar to anyone who’s played a controller keyboard. Advanced features let you change the keyboard scale, and a built-in arpeggiator and user-configurable touch strip make the ATOM SQ the most expressive controller you’ll ever use. In fact, it’s the best PreSonus Studio One MIDI controller available.

Control for the best step sequencer at your fingertips
Deep integration with Studio One’s Pattern Editor allows for evolving step sequences that will bring your productions to life. Insert a pattern, change its length, add new variations, and change scales—right from the ATOM SQ. Need to make changes on the fly? ATOM SQ lets you open the Studio One Pattern Editor, select and edit steps individually, and even copy, paste, duplicate, and delete events, all using tactile controls. You’ll build compositions faster than ever before using the built-in step sequencer in Studio One and ATOM SQ. It’s fast and easy for anyone who knows how to program a drum machine. And you’ll find experimenting to yield particularly rewarding results, because ATOM SQ can constrain your performance to the scale of your choice. No more wrong notes!

A complete production toolkit
Included with ATOM SQ, Studio One Artist music production software enables you to compose, record, and produce without getting distracted by the tools or hemmed in with track limitations. Easy to learn and intuitive to use, Studio One’s unique drag and drop workflow and powerful tools will let you produce faster than ever before. Also included are two carefully-curated loop libraries with custom Impact XT kits. New to version 5: Studio One Artist now lets you use your favorite third-party VST and AU plug-in effects and virtual instruments. You also now have complete support for Studio One Remote to use as a second screen or as remote Studio One control on your iPad® or Android™ tablet. And with ATOM SQ, you have the most flexible PreSonus Studio One MIDI controller available.

Ableton Live integration and more
ATOM SQ is also a unique Ableton Live controller, designed for production and live performance. You can launch clips and scenes during a performance, select devices and edit parameters, navigate tracks and scenes, control each track’s volume, panning, and send levels—plus do all your drum programming in Ableton from the ATOM SQ! Ableton Live Lite is included, so you can get to creating right away. It comes with all of Live’s essential workflows, instruments and effects—everything you need to record songs, create hands-on with your controller, take music made in your apps further and so much more.

However, wherever.
ATOM SQ is highly configurable. MCU and HUI modes plus a powerful MIDI mode let you control your favorite DAW or virtual instrument with ease. You can freely remap instrument parameters to different hardware controls, so your rotary encoders can control everything from filter cutoff to drum tuning, for the ultimate drum programming experience. You can colorize the RGB LEDs as you please to color-code your loops and samples. ATOM SQ’s LCD screen is used to display context-sensitive information, and uses a dynamic button system that changes functions depending on the task at hand. Need to add more swing to your arpeggiator or change the CC assignment of a controller? The LCD screen details functions you need, right when you need them for the job at hand.

Navigation and transport control
ATOM SQ is more than an expressive pad controller—it also lets you navigate many aspects of Studio One without a mouse and keyboard. You’ve got transport controls for stop, play, record, and a dedicated Click Track toggle. You can even zoom in and out of your timeline and navigate among your tracks, all without skipping a beat.

Wherever sound takes you...
With its unique staggered-pad layout, contextual screen design, and customization tools, ATOM SQ lets you stay in the moment of creation. Its small-footprint, USB bus-powered design means you can slip it right into your bag and produce anywhere you and your laptop might happen to go, and the complete suite of integrated software lets you start creating right out of the box. Whether you’re in the studio, on stage, or on the road, ATOM SQ gives you the freedom to create, wherever sound takes you.

Features:

• A complete music production package featuring a hybrid MIDI keyboard/pad performance and production controller with 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
• Includes 2 loop packs with custom kits for Impact XT
• 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
• MCU and HUI modes for transport control in nearly every DAW
• Powerful MIDI mode lets you control your favorite DAW or virtual instrument with ease
• USB bus-powered for easy connectivity and maximum portability

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

Ableton® Live Integration Features:

• 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

Modes:

• Studio One native
• Live native
• MCU/HUI*
• ​Standard MIDI controller
  
  

*May vary depending on application.

Connections:

• USB-C™-compatible Port

Included Software:

• Studio One® Artist production software for Mac® and Windows®
• Ableton® Live Lite (for registered users after October 20, 2019)
• 2 bonus loop packs with custom kits for Studio One’s Impact XT
• Compatible with most music production and performance software for Mac and Windows

Specifications:

macOS®

• macOS® 10.13 or higher (64-bit only)
• Intel® Core™ i3 or better
• Minimum 4GB RAM / Recommended 8GB or more

Windows®

• Windows® 10 (64-bit only)
• Intel® Core™ i3/AMD A10 processor or better
• Minimum 4GB RAM / Recommended 8GB or more

Mac and Windows Systems

• USB 2.0 port
• Internet connection (needed for software installation and activation)
• Monitor with 1366 x 768 resolution (high-dpi monitor recommended)
• 20 GB hard-drive space (for Studio One and ATOM SQ-exclusive content)
• Universal Control 3.3 or later (for firmware updates)
• Studio One 5+ required for native integration

Technical

• Connection Type: USB-C™ compatible USB 2.0 connection (bus-powered)
• 32 velocity- and pressure-sensitive, RGB LED pads
• 16 assignable buttons
• 8 endless rotary knobs
• 1 Assignable multifunction touch strip
• Dimensions (H x D x W): 0.98” x 6.8” x 14.25” / 25 mm x 172 mm x 362 mm
• Weight: 2 lbs. / 0.91 kg