I am looking to get a new audio interface. I am looking between these two.  I record mostly Guitar and Bass using Sonar X1 and I use a lot of Midi instruments like Superior Drums and East West stuff.  If given a choice which of thses would you buy.
 
Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 USB Audio Interface
 
And
 
PreSonus Audiobox 22VSL USB 2.0 Recording System

I'm a Guitarist...

The Scarlett is a nice unit....

But right now, if you buy the AudioBox you get Studio One Producer for FREE...
that could tip the balance if your interested in Studio One at all...

Personally, I would go with the Roland Quad Capture, which I use...
in it's price range I don't think it can be beat...but, that's just my opinion...
it's $100 more then the other two..but well worth it...VS Preamps Rock (to me)

But it you have to pick between the two..I think I personally would go with
the VSL, it has redesigned preamps I believe...and you get S1 Producer for FREE...
haven't had a chance to try one...and you get the VSL Software also I believe..

You can always upgrade later...

my 2 cents...

EDIT:  Double Post...be careful with that Mouse Button Eugene...

I'll vote for the Focusrite.
 
I bought their saffire pro 40 firewire interface a couple weeks ago, and I couldn't be happier with it. Focusrite usually gets raves for their preamps, and I concur. In fact, I'm thinking of selling my PreSonus Eureka channel strip ($500 for one preamp/compressor/eq) because the preamps on the saffire pro 40 ($500 for eight preamps and everything else) sound at least as good if not a tiny bit better than the Eureka.
 
Focusrite came out with new drivers for their firewire interfaces a couple months ago. They are absolutely stable on my system, and the performance and latency are now better than almost all other firewire interfaces except RME. The design and features of the Focusrite also suit my preferences and seem very professional, but that is quite subjective.
 
I'm sure the PreSonus 22VSL is generally comparable to the Focusrite 2i4, so you probably can't go wrong with either. As far as getting Studio One Producer for free with the 22VSL, that isn't a selling point to me. I tried the demo a while ago, and tried to like it, but I still like Sonar (I'm using X2a producer) much better, and again, that is personal preference.
 
Hope you enjoy whatever you get! (Focusrite )

I'm very happy with the MOTU Ultralite I recently bought. Its costs more than the others, but it has an internal DSP that gives it the capability to do eq, compression, and reverb on inputs, monitors or both - great for tracking.

cclarry
....

But right now, if you buy the AudioBox you get Studio One Producer for FREE...
that could tip the balance if your interested in Studio One at all...

I would have to say that this is a very good deal based on the upgrade alone.
 
As for the OP's question, between the two I would go with Focusrite.  It's better design with easy access to knobs and switches, more outs/options and more software (which includes Bass Station II synth).  One negative, it seems that the 2i4 does not have mixing/routing software.
 
Kind regards,
 
Living Room Rocker

Yes, it is a free upgrade to Studio One Producer from the Studio One Artist already included with the product. As I read it, that would mean you get Studio One Producer for free.

scook
Yes, it is a free upgrade to Studio One Producer from the Studio One Artist already included with the product. As I read it, that would mean you get Studio One Producer for free.

 
 
Yeah, I caught that and was just about to edit my post.  Thanks, scook and my apologies, cclarry.
 
Kind regards,
 
Living Room Rocker

I recently shopped for a new interface after my EMU 1820 preamps starting giving me static.  I considered the Focusrite 2i4 and the Presonus 44VSL.  The Presonus was cool for the low-latency monitoring, but I couldn't get low latency using soft synths.  I shopped at Long and McQuade so I could buy both and return the one I didn't want (within 30 days).
 
The Focusite worked perfectly out of the box.  And no, it doesn't have a software mixer panel - just a small tool for setting the latency/buffer.  I kinda like this, though, it makes things much simpler - either monitor through Sonar or use the mix knob on the interface.
 
I would have liked the extra inputs on the VSL44, but they were not needed, and the latency issue killed it for me.  YMMV.
 
The preamps were excellent on both models.  I didn't have any issue either way.