Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface for Recording, Songwriting, Streaming and Podcasting — High-Fidelity, Studio Quality Recording, and All the Software You Need to Record

I bought this to try and make my life easier as I was recording demos with a band and found my previous app based approach (Bandlab) wasn't really helping, it was difficult to stitch together mutiple takes and the UI made it tricky to edit that together. So - this was money well spent for a few reasons... 1) a good clean signal. My bandmate who normally produces and mixes his own music was quite jealous of the tone of my bass guitar (which is what I have been recording) 2) Simple controls - I'm not a massive gearhead when it comes to musical gear so I appreciated the minimal and simple to use interface as a great introduction to recording 3) the onboarding for this is fantastic. Possibly the best I have seen in any hardware product. It takes you through each step, with clear instructional videos, and helps you out with all the freebies you get with the product. 4) as mentioned above you get some freebies - including some basic versions of audio editing workstations (DAWs). I went with Ableton Lite but there were a few others... and this has really helped my workflow. I'm able to easily record demos in a fraction of the time it would normally take with my previous app. The Scarlett also includes a few free vst plugins (EQ and Compressor) which makes for a nice entry point into the world of audio recording. That is to say that this is a package that is perfectly aimed at amateur/beginner musicians, or anyone wanting to dil their toes into the world of audio recording. The unit feels solid and well engineered. With the extras included and the build quality it delivers solid value for money.

I have had this unit for a few days and everything so far has been great. It arrived packaged in a small box without acres of excessive packing materials. The unit feels nicely heavy and of good build quality. The unit is well really well finished and all of the controls have a high-end feel and weight to their movements. Plugging in, using the supplied USB lead, the unit lit up and was ready to work pretty much straight away. I not other people have had problems with the USB driver. I had no issues although I did go to the Focusrite website before it arrived and downloaded the reccomended software. On the software: The driver works straight away, my DAW saw the unit and it worked perfectly. The Focusright control software that installs with the driver does seem a bit of a waste of time for this unit. The unit controls are replicated in the software and each of the unit switchess can be turned on or off in this software but, since all of the controls are on the front of the unit, I cannot see much point in this; the knobs stil have to be turned manually. I noted from the intro video that the Solo and the more complex units do get some controls in this software so maybe it is more use for those. I have uninstalled this control software and the unit works perfectly without it. The recording quality is superb, I have a couple of dynamic mics for recording from guitar amplifiers; the recording from these has never been so good. The mysterious 'AIR' function does seem to add a sparkle to the recording and everything is being recoded with this on at the minute. There are a good number of options for setting the recoding bit depth and the recoding frequency and this all seems to work without problems through my DAW (Studio One 5). The latency issues that I had previously have pretty much gone. For live recodrding latency is effectively zero due to the direct Monitor control. I do have some latency whit software instruments within the DAW but that is probably due to my aging computer rather than this unit. Overall I am very happy with this purchase. I had previously a lot of software freezing and latency problems that made recording a very stressful chore rather than the 'fun' it should be. With this unit in place the fun has come back and the DAW is recording perfectly. The unit is not the cheapest but feels really good and I think will be in use for a very long time. I hope this helps.

I bought this for one main reason: To get electric guitar in to my PC, and get it recorded into a DAW. If you're looking to do similar, then I can't recommend it highly enough! For that purpose it is perfect. The dedicated ASIO drivers work perfectly with numerous bits of software (Cubase, AmpliTube, BIAS FX2, and other amp sims), meaning I have no noticeable latency whilst playing/recording (which is of course essential). Does all the things my sound card can't! Monitoring is easy via speakers or headphones, and it's powered via USB so no additional power cable is required. Set up was really easy, I read a tip from another review to download all drivers before you plug it in to avoid letting the PC start searching for drivers (as apparently it can cause issues). I followed this advice and had an issue-free installation via the Focusrite 'getting started' page. Thanks, other reviewer! There's a decent bundle of software that comes with it to help get you started with recording: Ableton Live Lite and Pro Tools First starter DAWs (I'm using Cubase so didn't try these), Ampify Studio (not really one for me either), a handful of decent VST effects, and a good quality VST piano (a choice of one instrument from Addictive Keys), some drum samples/loops etc. An interesting aspect is the 'Plug-in Collective' which by virtue of purchasing the Scarlett gives you access to a free plug-in every month-or-so from various providers/developers, which is a great benefit. All-in-all I chose this device for its functionality, if you need an audio interface don't hesitate: this one is superb. If you also can make use of the bundled software, then that's a great bonus (I enjoy the VSTs). As mentioned above, I got this for electric guitar, but I got the 2i2 so I have an additional input if I need one, and there's also a mic input which will send power to the mic if required. Build quality feels totally solid with a sturdy metal case. Pic attached so you can see how compact it is. Very happy with this device.

Excellent Interface, took a while for me to work out how to use it . Had no problem using it with my laptop and being able to hear my microphone using my headphones. But it took a while for me to establish how to use it for my Church PA system . Had to watch a few Youtube Videos of others using similiar systems on how to connect the Focusrite when using passive Speakers ; by connecting my amplifier and mixer correctly i was able to use Focusrite with no problems.

I use my Focusrite audio interface to replace my previous inbuilt Realtek sound card/chip in my PC motherboard. The Focusrite stops the "burbles and sizzling" of audio anomalies which are common with PC soundcard/chips. My audio is now crystal clear. I wouldn't have invested in the Focusrite if I'd not been trying to run a Piano VST (Garritan CFX). Previously, with the old set up, I'd been getting the common audio anomalies which interfered with the purity of the VST. I now also have independent use of headphone channels and audio enhancements which make the VST now tolerable. Another important improvement is the removal of "latency" - i.e. the time taken to hear the note after the key is struck. After installing the Focusrite, I can now get more sample and buffer size options without the stuttering, or dropouts or latency issues. Everything is now immediate, so to speak. This has helped greatly with my playing. I use my Focusrite directly linked to my PC via the USB C connection. I don't use the "instrument" inputs on the front of the interface. My Yamaha MOXF8 connects to the PC via its own USB connection, which in effect is the MIDI channel communication too. The VST sends out the audio via the Focusrite, which then connects to my hifi. I plan to get studio monitors in time, to use as the amp/speaker output connected to the Focusrite. I did start with a Presonus 24C but it wasn't happy with running the VST when trying to launch YouTube content at the same time. The sound would be dumped from YouTube every time I tried to launch my VST player. I sent the Presonus back for a refund. The Focusrite is completely stable and reliable, whatever I throw at it. It also comes with a slightly longer USB C connection lead, which makes placement of the Focusrite more conducive. The Presonus came with only a very short USB C tail, which meant it needed to sit right on top of the PC, which was inconvenient. TIP: I would recommend installing the Focusrite USB ASIO drivers FIRST before connecting your Focusrite to your PC for the first time.

Save yourself the hassle of looking through endless pages of audio interfaces. Get this one. I've tried others and they're not a patch on this one. It's so easy to set up and the software provided with this interface is incredible. Perfect if you're recording audio or Podcasts. Which is what I use this for (Life At Your Own Will Podcast). The gain monitors light up in green, yellow and red (letting you know when you're clipping). The extra gain button is great when using a Shure SM7B mic. I don't need to use any other extra phantom power for it. I also have used it with a Shure MV7 mic (again, works nicely with it). It offers brilliant quality audio (vocals). Haven't tried it with any instruments other than the human voice. I've yet to work out what a couple of buttons on the front are for. It's solid, sturdy, doesn't feel cheap (not that it could ever BE cheap). This is great for Podcasts, Peeps. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Seriously worth every penny.

brilliant, durable, easy set up, quality is perfect. good value for money have used a lot over the years

I’ve been using the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen for a while, and it’s been excellent for both music and streaming. The preamps are clean with low noise, and the latency feels minimal even at lower buffer settings. Building tracks, recording vocals, or handling live sessions has been smooth — the interface just gets out of the way. It’s solidly built, and the USB connection is reliable without dropouts. Overall, a versatile and dependable audio interface that’s become central to my workflow.

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Hay esfuerzos encomiables en las tarjetas de sonido e interfaces USB, pero en cuanto te pones un poco en serio no hay otro modelo al que acudir: durante tres generaciones las interfaces Scarlett de Focusrite son recomendaciones de referencia para músicos en un estudio casero o hacer un podcast serio. Este modelo 2i2 cuenta, como su nombre indica, con 2 entradas XLR y soporta alimentación Phantom P48 de 48 V. Normalmente los micrófonos de calidad como el Rode Procaster (enlace) funcionan sin averiarse si conectas la alimentación, pero en lo posible mejor quítala si no la vas a usar. La preamplificación de esta interfaz es legendaria, como lo es la confianza que ofrece: es uno de esos productos que, sencillamente, hacen lo que dicen y no dan problemas. Que se conecte con un solo USB y su reducido tamaño la hacen ideal para meter interfaz y cables en una mochila e ir a grabar a cualquier sitio, además de la extrema sencillez de uso del panel de control de Focusrite y el valor añadido del software que obtienes con la compra. Para los que ya conozcan las Scarlett, en esta 3ª generación Focusrite ha ampliado las ya excelentes cualidades técnicas de la interfaz, pero la mayor novedad reside en que ahora se conecta con un puerto USB tipo C, más opciones de configuración de E/S y un "Air Mode" que potencia las pistas de voz emulando la amplificación de un amplificador analógico. Además, las ruedas de ajuste de ganancia se iluminan con un código semáforo: verde cuando la ganancia está bien configurada, ámbar cuando nos estamos pasando y roja si la estamos saturando. Todas estas características más la sencillez de uso la hacen ideal para auténticos principiantes pero con la posibilidad de obtener un resultado profesional con poco tiempo de aprendizaje. Instalar la interfaz es trivialmente sencillo: la conectas por primera vez y ya arranca la instalación, que te guía para registrar el número de serie en la web de Focusrite y obtener el software añadido. Este software permite hacer de todo y tiene la ventaja de que te ayuda a familiarizarte con herramientas que son estándar de la industria incluyendo una versión personalizada de Avid ProTools First. Si ves que estás un poco perdido con tu nueva interfaz, échale un vistazo a los vídeos de la guía rápida, que explican todo muy detalladamente con guías paso a paso que imprimir - eso sí, en inglés. Sin ninguna duda, la 3ª generación de interfaces Scarlett es la mejor que haya producido Focusrite y, a su vez, son posiblemente las mejores interfaces que pueda comprar un usuario doméstico que se ponga en serio. Tal vez si ya tienes una el cambio no merezca la pena salvo para pasar a un modelo con más E/S pero es un producto intachable, con cambios que mejoran la vida al usuario y que no estropean ninguna de las características a las que deben su éxito. Recomendadísimo.

this was connected to my pc for a year low intensive use, some guitar. mostly pc uses a few hours a dy. Started lowering and raising volume out of the blue one day. Died the day after... very disappointing

I’m using this to record mediations using an audiotechnica mic with FL studio, it works well and I’ve had no problems , although sometimes it needs to be restarted but I’m not sure if that’s fl studio glitching or the device

La Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 è un’interfaccia audio davvero eccezionale. Appena collegata si nota subito la qualità costruttiva: solida, compatta e curata nei dettagli. Ma il vero punto forte è il suono — pulito, bilanciato e con una resa professionale anche usando microfoni di fascia alta. I preamp sono silenziosi e potenti, e la latenza è praticamente assente. L’installazione è semplicissima: basta collegarla e in pochi minuti è pronta all’uso. Perfetta per chi registra voce, strumenti o vuole migliorare la qualità audio del proprio setup da streaming o home studio. Un prodotto affidabile e versatile, che giustifica ogni euro speso. Super consigliata!