Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
means 2 inputs, 2 outputs – and the same terminology applies all the way up to the top of the line 18i20, meaning 18 inputs 20 outputs Added the ability to choose whether 48V is retained after restarting Scarlett 3rd Generation interfaces.
However, last year Focusrite faced a big problem with its Clarett USB range! As explained in the ‘ Chip Crisis’ article published in the Sound On Sound September 2021 edition, a huge fire last year all but obliterated the Japanese factory of Asahi Kasei Microsystems — AKM being one of the major suppliers of high‑quality A‑D and D‑A converter and digital interface chips to much of the pro‑audio industry. The added bonus when considering devices from both ranges is that they both have different types of preamps installed in them. Wherever you sit on the creative spectrum, this audio interface will fulfil all of your audio-based requirements. Capture crisp vocals, the nuances of acoustic instruments and powerful drums with unrivalled clarity thanks to eight Clarett+ mic preamps. Out of the box, first impressions are very reassuring. The smart brushed aluminium front panel and all-metal case is complemented by a series of really sturdy controls, apart from a couple of slightly wobbly switches in the monitor section. The build quality is superb and is a definite improvement upon the early incarnations of Scarlett interfaces that had rough, sharp edges. Panel layout is extremely intuitive, with simple preamp controls, clear LED metering, and monitor and headphone controls on the right. Take the Air The other interfaces in this list (Scarlett 8i6 and above, plus all Clarett interfaces) will require power supplies, and as such cannot be considered as portable. Comparing: Use-Cases Professional/Studio Use Recommended interfaces:The unit’s front panel carries physical controls for phantom power (switchable in two groups of channels 1‑4 and 5‑8), preamp channel gains, headphone volumes, and the dedicated monitor section (with its own volume control and dim/mute buttons). Further configuration is via the elegant Focusrite Control app (for PC, Mac and iOS devices), which provides remote access to some relay‑switched preamp settings (line/instrument mode on channels 1‑2, and the Air EQ on all channels), as well as configuring the internal signal routing between the USB channels and the physical inputs and outputs to create monitor mixes, selecting the internal sample rate, and so forth. Bench Tests These interfaces have what I would call extreme portability considering the amount of features. Due to the stylish nature of Focusrite’s designs they fit into every studio environment in an aesthetically pleasing manner. The Clarett range offers a more complete Air mode as it alters the input impedance of the preamp, therefore applying a different colour to the microphone. The Scarlett and Clarett ranges and the Octopre all come with their own respective plugins, suites and freebies. Focusrite’s Clarett range offers Thunderbolt connectivity and high specifications at an attractive price tag.
Necessity may be the mother of invention, but a switch to Cirrus Logic converters has also significantly improved Focusrite's Clarett+ audio interfaces...
Key Features
When push comes to shove, the Clarett beats the Scarlett with higher quality mic pres, expandability and audio specs. However, the Scarlett comes at a much cheaper price point. Meaning if you were to go down the avenue of using a device from the top end of the Scarlett range and you chose to combine it with the Clarett Octopre extension, then you would have two different sets of really beautiful sounding preamps.
If you’re simply recording guitars and vocals, or even just voices (for a podcast, for example) then this might be ample range for your needs. The 8PRE on the other hand is a great option for professional recording. It comes with 8 brilliant Clarett preamps with the option to expand to 16 preamps via the Octopre unit (another 8 Clarett preamps), connected by an optical cable. The Focusrite Clarett 8Pre Podcasting/Streaming Recommended interfaces: On the A‑D side of things, the new Clarett+’s dynamic range figure remains much the same as the previous model. My own test bench measurements using an Audio Precision system gave an AES17 dynamic range measurement of 117.7dB (A‑wtd), which conforms to the published specification of 118dB. I’m not sure why, but the Clarett+ 2Pre is claimed to achieve a slightly better result than its predecessor at 119dB (A‑wtd).A newly-added D-A converter yields even greater dynamic range than before - something that is especially noticeable on music with high dynamic variation. This is used in conjunction with a meticulously-designed output filter circuit, and the lower D-A converter noise floor allows users to identify intricacies within their mixes that were previously impossible to hear.
Great Deal 
New Comment