In January 2026, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation rolled the majority of PreSonus products into the Fender brand name, unifying their complete recording system under the moniker, Fender Studio. The popular DAW, PreSonus Studio One Pro, became Fender Studio Pro while the Quantum and AudioBox Go lines transitioned to the Fender Quantum Series (not former PreSonus products), and Fender AudioBox Go. Offering a comprehensive and complete all-in-one economic solution for project studios and home recording, Fender Studio has DAW recording, a complete line of plugins, Fender amp simulators, and paired interfaces.
The Fender Quantum LT 16 is the most capable interface in the LT series, built for project studios, multi-instrument setups, and electronic musicians. With eight MAX-HD mic preamps offering a chunky 75 dB of gain that Fender says is “the most in its class,” LT 16 offers eight front panel combination XLR/TRS inputs with front panel gain controls with lights to indicate if your signal is clipping and selectable phantom power for inputs 1-4 and 5-8. Inputs 1-2 are optimized for instruments like guitars or a stereo keyboard, and 3-8 are line inputs.
The look and operation of the LT 16 is as spartan as can be imagined, with simplicity being the essence of this unit. The front panel offers a single headphone jack with volume control as well as a large monitor level dial. Last, a Direct switch enables standalone “Mic Pre Mode” which enables you to use the LT 16 as an eight-channel standalone mic preamp. This feature makes it possible to use the LT 16 as a hybrid recording rig or to expand your studio’s input options. “The Direct button's primary function is to turn the direct monitoring function on/off (the monitor mix can be adjusted using the Universal Control app or the Studio Pro hardware monitoring feature). The Direct switch does also engage Mic Pre Mode or Mixer Mode when using the LT 16 standalone (not connected to a computer),” the company said.
The LT 16 also features eight rear panel TRS analog line inputs for integration with outboard gear such as external mic preamps, synthesizers, mixers, or other line-level devices. Four hardware switches enable these inputs to run in stereo pairs at either +4dBu professional line level or at -10dBv consumer level. A pair of 1/4” connectors power the Main Outputs, and an additional six 1/4” connectors power line outputs. Last, five pin MIDI in and out DIN connectors and the main USB-C computer connection complete the package.
The LT 16 comes bundled with a perpetual license for Fender Studio Pro, Fender’s premiere DAW recording platform. MC reviewed Presonus Studio One Pro 7 in our February 2025 issue, and much has been improved with Fender Studio Pro, now on version 8.1. Designed to help answer questions instantly, “Studio Assistant” is an intelligent A.I. in-DAW guide provides real-time answers and creative support.
A first-of-its-kind integration now available directly in Fender Studio Pro 8.1, Moises Studio delivers powerful vocal transformation, the ability to generate stems from pre-existing tracks and stem separation. Moises Studio integration is available for all 8.1 users, providing 10 audio stem separations, 120 stem generations, and five voice conversions per month at no extra cost. Moises trains it’s A.I. Studio models on content licensed from independent labels, artists and Moises’ own internal production team. No user content is used for training A.I. models and users retain full creative rights over all uploaded material.
The new Vocal Tune plugin gives creators tuning ability, from subtle natural correction to stylized tonal transformation with formant shifting. Studio Pro 8 features Fender’s famous amps and effects models.
Fender has created a complete recording ecosystem with recording interfaces, DAW software, as well as the free Fender Studio app for recording and jamming on the go. Fender Studio is a low-cost reliable system for musicians and creators that can handle the needs of project studios and home recording in an affordable package. Fender will continue to expand and develop the system with new features. $499.99
