The Presonus Atom SQ is a versatile and expressive USB pad controller, designed for both beat production and melodic sequencing. Featuring a 32-pad layout in a dual-row configuration, it offers an intuitive step-sequencing workflow inspired by classic drum machines while retaining the expressive playability of a finger-drumming controller. Its velocity-sensitive pads, touch strip, eight assignable encoders, and high-resolution LC display seamlessly integrate with Studio One and Ableton Live, offering a fluid, hands-on production experience. Whether used for triggering loops, sequencing beats, or controlling virtual instruments, the Atom SQ is designed to enhance workflow in both the studio and live performance environments.
Unlike traditional grid-based controllers, the Atom SQ’s 32 velocity-sensitive RGB pads are arranged in a dual-row layout, making it ideal for both step-sequencing and real-time performance. Its built-in arpeggiator allows for dynamic rhythmic patterns, while scale and key modes transform the pad layout into a melodic controller, tuned to the correct notes in the key. The touch strip adds expressive control, enabling parameter sweeps, pitch bends, and modulation assignments. Using the eight infinite encoders, users can tweak filter cutoff, resonance and effect settings, as well as mix levels, in real time, while the dedicated transport and navigation buttons further streamline the workflow by providing direct access to essential functions.
Lightweight, compact and USB-C-powered, the Atom SQ is ideal for on-the-go production. Whether sequencing drums, playing synths, or triggering samples, its responsive pads and assignable controls interact seamlessly with DAWs and hardware MIDI instruments. While it lacks traditional MIDI DIN connectivity, its full USB MIDI implementation makes it a powerful controller for software-based production setups. The layout is optimised for Studio One, mirroring the pattern editor and impact drum sampler, and can also function as a clip launcher and MIDI controller for Ableton Live, with pre-mapped controls for effortless session triggering and device control. The Atom SQ’s compact form factor makes it a natural fit for hybrid production workflows, enabling beatmakers, producers, and live performers to craft music anywhere.
Presonus is a US company founded in 1995 by Jim Odom and Brian Smith in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The firm designs hardware and software at both professional and more affordable levels for musicians and producers. Presonus first made a splash in the mid-1990s with the DCP8, an eight-channel analogue compressor/limiter/gate with fader and mute automation that could be digitally controlled by MIDI. In the early 2000s followed a series of microphone amplifiers and the first audio interfaces for the then-emerging home studio scene. Today, the company's product range includes audio interfaces, microphone preamps, digital mixing consoles, and studio monitors as well as the established DAW software Studio One.
Designed for studio production and live performance, the Atom SQ integrates deeply and seamlessly with Studio One and Ableton Live, allowing users to browse sounds, edit patterns, and tweak instruments directly from the hardware. The navigation buttons streamline preset selection, drum editing, and mix adjustments, keeping the creative process uninterrupted. In Ableton Live, the Atom SQ serves as a powerful clip launcher, performance sequencer, and MIDI controller, allowing for hands-on control over track levels, panning, and effects in real time. With its flexible pad layout, assignable encoders, and expressive touch strip, the Presonus Atom SQ is a dynamic controller that will appeal to producers, beatmakers, and live performers alike.