Focusrite Scarlett 3rd Gen

F
ocusrite’s Scarlett
USB interfaces
combine excellent
sonics and audio
fl exibility at an
affordable price point,
and the third
generation units have just landed. Up
for review I have two of the mid-sized
units (the 8i6 and 4i4) from a range
that starts with the pocket-sized Solo,
and tops out at the impressively
equipped 18i20. All units in the
range have received a physical and
technical upgrade, with improved
preamps (now up to 56dB gain),
balanced connectivity throughout,
and the inclusion of Focusrite’s ISA
transformer preamp emulation option
(Air). There’s now a slicker front panel
with LEDs and the halo-style input
level meters sitting below a shiny
surface. Meanwhile, all units now use
USB Type C connectors, although for
the foreseeable future will ship with
Type C to Type A cables. Finally,
Focusrite are rolling out a new
onscreen onboarding process that
guides you through the setup from
the moment you fi rst plug in.
Looking specifi cally at the review
units, both gain a couple of extra
inputs over their predecessors (the
2i4 and 6i6). So, for the 4i4 you get
two mic/line/instrument inputs with
gain, two line-level TRS inputs and
four TRS outputs. The 8i6 also has
you to quickly route inputs, DAW
outputs or a custom blend of both
back into the DAW.
As I’ve come to expect from the
Scarlett series, the sonics are neutral
and the drivers reliable, and both
units operate at up to 192kHz. The
Air option tilts the frequency response
towards high frequencies, and this
can be great for taming undesirable
proximity or adding high frequency
lift. There’s also a decent pack of
bundled software including Ableton
Live Lite 10, Pro Tools First Focusrite
Creative Pack, Focusrite Red 2 and
Red 3 plugin suite, Softube Time and
Tone bundle, XLN Audio Addictive
Keys and Focusrite Plug-In Collective.
This is a solid refresh and both review
models deliver a noticeable upgrade
on predecessors.
two mic/line/instrument inputs with
gain, and gets four line-level TRS
inputs, four TRS outputs and stereo
S/PDIF in/out. Both units include
MIDI in/out. For headphones, the 4i4
has one front panel output with level
and the 8i6 two outputs with
individual level. The larger interface
requires an external PSU which,
though understandable, is moderately
annoying given it’s pretty compact.
The smaller 4i4 is USB bus-powered.
Both the 4i4 and 8i6 support
Focusrite’s Control application, and
this means that a number of settings
including pad, line/Hi Z instrument
selector, and the Air option
mentioned above can only be set via
the software. The app also handles
low-latency monitoring, so there’s no
direct monitoring knob as per the 2i4,
although it’s worth noting that the 3rd
Gen 2i2 and Solo interfaces continue
to use this system. Whether you view
this as extra fl exibility or unnecessary
complexity is personal preference, but
I like the software option, particularly
when you take into account that
there’s an accompanying nifty iOS
app that effectively adds in remote
control capabilities as well. A further
positive is the monitor mix system
which allows easy creation of low
latency mixes for each output stream.
Finally, both interfaces support
Focusrite’s Loopback feature,
whereby a further mix panel allows
THE PROS & CONS
+
Slick front panel with
undersurface LED
indicators and halo
input metering
New, improved
preamp design
‘Air’ transformer
stage emulation
Both compatible
with Focusrite
Control software
iOS version of
Focusrite Control
offers useful wireless
control of settings
-
Scarlett 8i6 requires
external PSU
FM VERDICT
9.2
S licker than ever, and the
4i4 and 8i6 make good use
of the excellent Focusrite
Control software to deliver a
user experience
F
ocusrite’s Scarlett
USB interfaces
you to quickly route inputs, DAW
outputs or a custom blend of both
two mic/line/instrument inputs with
gain, and gets four line-level TRS
THE PROS & CONS
Focusrite Scarlett 3rd Gen interfaces | Reviews
107
FMU347.rev_focusrite.indd 107 7/8/19 9:48 AM