The biggest improvements, though, have been reserved for the two models at the top of the range.
The 6i6 has likewise received an extra pair of line ins to become the 8i6, and both the 8i6 and 4i4 now offer loopback inputs for recording audio from other Windows or Mac sources to your DAW.
The old 2i4 has been replaced with the 4i4, which adds a pair of dedicated line inputs. Both are also available as part of a 'Studio' bundle, which includes a cardioid capacitor microphone, a pair of headphones, and an XLR cable. The baby of the range, the Solo, now has balanced TRS outputs, while the next model up, the 2i2, gets stereo direct monitoring. All the Scarlett preamps now feature the Air option found on Focusrite's premium Red and Clarett interfaces, which adds high-end excitement in a fashion that is intended to emulate their classic transformer-based ISA preamp design.Īs well as these welcome global improvements, the six individual models within the Scarlett range have also acquired new features over their predecessors. The preamps have an extra 6dB gain range over the second-generation Scarletts' 50dB, dynamic range on the analogue inputs has been raised from 109dB to 111dB, and total harmonic distortion has been reduced on all analogue I/O. There are also hardware improvements across the range, mostly relating to the inputs. This will change as take-up for the newer standard increases on host machines. However, Focusrite's research shows that most users are still connecting their interfaces to computers with the older USB sockets, so the cable that comes with the Scarletts has a type‑C plug at one end and a type–A plug at the other. The third-generation Scarletts are still USB devices, but whereas previous generations were fitted with USB 2.0 type–B sockets, these have been replaced with current type‑C connectors. Focusrite have, though, made it easier for beginners to get started with their Scarletts by developing a new 'onboarding' process (see box). For the third generation, the focus has shifted back to hardware development: driver performance is largely unchanged, and the only major development relating to Focusrite Control is that it's now usable with all of the models in the range, not just the 8i6 and up. The headline features second time around were mostly on the software side of things, with new USB drivers offering much–improved round‑trip latency, and the old Mix Control utility superseded by the Focusrite Control package that is now employed across all of Focusrite's interfaces. Three years on, they've repeated the exercise to create the third generation of Scarletts. From the compact and portable Scarlett Solo to the versatile Scarlett 18i20, this is a range that caters to most home-studio needs and since their introduction in 2011, these modestly priced USB devices for getting audio into and out of a computer have carried all before them.Ĭompetition is fierce in this market, and in 2016, Focusrite renewed the Scarlett range to reflect buyers' ever-increasing expectations in terms of sound quality, features and low-latency performance. Seek them here or seek them there, you don't have to look very far to find Focusrite's Scarlett interfaces. The latest generation of Focusrite's extensive Scarlett range offers something for every budget.
The new third-generation Focusrite Scarlett range.
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