USB audio capture - MacBook Pro 2020

I am having an issue with my new MacBook Pro USB interface for audio capture. I use OBS Studio for my livestream interface. The video is from a MEVO camera via RTMP. The audio is through a Presonus StudioLive 24R rack mounted soundboard, using using the Universal Control application to manage the sound board. I have a stereo mix off the board routed to USB channels 1 and 2 (as they are the only two channels monitored on a Mac, from what I have been told). I have checked and rechecked all of the settings, and no luck. Even a direct microphone routed to a single USB channel is garbage.

The USB interface has been through a USB A to Thunderbolt 3 adapter. I have used a combination adapter (Apple brand, HDMI/USB A/Thunderbolt 3 combination) and a dedicated USB A to Thunderbolt 3 Apple branded adapter, and still bad quality.

I connected to my 4-year old HP with the same settings, and the sound quality is solid. So, this would seem to isolate the problem to the Mac, and in particular the USB interface.

What is particularly frustrating is that one of the drivers to purchasing this MacBook was my involvement in live-streaming for my organization, so this USB sound quality issue is really throwing a curve in my plans, and is currently making this brand new MacBook a very bad purchase. I sure am hoping that someone can help me get this figured out.

Currently running the latest updated Catalina (10.15.7).

Presonus Universal Control version 3.3.0.59348 macOS x64

OBS Studio version 26.0.2