Focusrite have completed the overhaul of their ubiquitous Scarlett range, extending the 4th Gen improvements to the three largest models.
Focusrite’s Scarlett range are said to be the best‑selling USB audio interfaces in the world, and their distinctive red liveries show up everywhere from bedroom studios to serious broadcast and post‑production facilities. The six members of the fleet cover a huge range of possible use cases and connection scenarios, with the flagship 18i20 offering everything you need to handle complex multi‑channel recording jobs. The two smallest members of the Scarlett family all feature built‑in direct monitoring that is handled from the front panel, meaning that you don’t need additional software to use them. By contrast, the 4i4, 16i16, 18i16 and 18i20 all incorporate digital routing and mixing features that have to be set up from a software control panel.
It’s this distinction, I suspect, that led Focusrite to stagger the introduction of the 4th Generation Scarletts. The 4th Gen Solo, 2i2 and 4i4 were launched together towards the back end of 2023, and were reviewed in the October 2023 edition of SOS. Now, more than a year later, Focusrite have introduced the ‘refreshed’ versions of the larger models. In this review I’ll focus mainly on the top‑of‑the‑range 18i20, but will describe the other two models where they differ.
Getting On The Bus
All three of the new models inherit the form factors of their 3rd Gen predecessors, but changes to the model numbers are significant in terms of I/O count. As before, the 1U rackmounting 18i20 features eight analogue inputs with mic preamps and 10 analogue line outputs, plus ADAT optical and coaxial S/PDIF digital I/O. However, the desktop 3rd Gen 8i6 and 18i8 have now morphed into the 16i16 and 18i16 respectively, indicating that both now feature ADAT in and out as well as stereo S/PDIF in and out. The 18i20 is still distinguished by having a word clock output, and two sets of optical ports instead of one; but this is only so that the full eight‑channel input and output quota is maintained at 88.2 and 96 kHz sample rates. If you’re working at 44.1 or 48 kHz, all three offer the same 10 channels of digital audio I/O in total.
From the hardware point of view, one of the biggest steps forward also relates to the 16i16 and 18i16: unlike the 3rd Gen 8i6 and 18i8, both can be bus powered. In case your computer or tablet can’t supply the necessary juice, a second USB‑C socket is provided along with a generic power supply. My MacBook Air was able to power the 16i16, but only just; simply plugging in another USB cable provoked an ‘insufficient power’ warning, even when no device was attached.
The Scarlett 16i16 and 18i16 now both feature ADAT optical in and out, greatly extending the possibilities when it comes to I/O expansion. Both can also be bus powered, unlike their 3rd Gen counterparts.
Elsewhere, all three incorporate the same hardware improvements that were apparent in the 4th Gen 2i2 and 4i4. Foremost among these are a new, digitally controlled mic preamp design with 69dB gain range, a redesigned Air Presence characteristic and an additional Air Harmonic Drive mode. The digital control has allowed Focusrite to implement their Auto Gain function, which aims to establish appropriate gain settings automatically by analysing the input signal, and a Clip Safe option which turns the gain down automatically when clipping is detected. Like the 2i2 and 4i4, the larger models also boast improved technical specifications. Dynamic range is now 116dB on the mic/line inputs and 122dB on the line outs, at the cost of a 1dB increase in EIN on the mic preamps.
Focusrite’s Safe Mode should ensure that your first clipping episode is your last!
All three models also feature a new headphone amp design; this too is digitally controlled, and is thus distinct from the headphone amp used in the smaller 4th Gen interfaces. In terms of specifications, there’s very little to distinguish the latest Scarletts from more ‘professional’ interfaces costing two or three times as much, with one possible exception: as on previous iterations, the line outputs are still calibrated such that 0dBFS produces an analogue level of +16dBu, and the line ins can accommodate a maximum input level of +22dBu. Focusrite explained that these are effectively dictated by the choice of components and power rail voltages; support for the more standard +18 and +24 dBu would require higher voltages, in turn generating more heat, requiring more expensive components and thus increasing cost. In practice, a 2dB difference is unlikely to be problematic in most scenarios.
Soft Power
Given that most of the hardware improvements were ready to roll out on the smaller Scarletts in 2023, it’s logical to assume that the additional development time for the larger models relates to the software side of things. The same Focusrite Control 2 utility is used across all Scarletts, including the 4i4 and optionally the 2i2, and looks very similar now to how it did a year ago. But, of course, there’s a lot more functionality for it to address on the larger models, which have speaker switching, digital I/O, digital headphone control and, in the case of the 18i20, talkback.
In terms of mixing and routing, Focusrite Control 2 and the Scarletts’ built‑in DSP are largely unchanged since the third generation. With the 18i20, you get six simple mixer tabs, each delivering its own balance of the eight analogue ins, the 10 digital ins and four stereo DAW playback channels. You can thus create up to six different low‑latency cue mixes, which can be assigned to separate physical outputs. Counting the stereo loopback output, there are a total of 13 stereo outputs that can be addressed on the 18i20: five analogue output pairs, the two headphone outs, plus S/PDIF and four ADAT pairs. There are no aux sends, built‑in reverbs or other signal processing, while the 18i20’s talkback mic can be routed to any combination of the six cue mixes, but doesn’t have a fader within them, and can’t be recorded directly. For my money, that’s fine, and what was already a very slick user interface in the 3rd Gen Scarletts has gone up another couple of levels with Gen 4. A large part of the reason for the Scarletts’ success is the attention that Focusrite have paid to making the learning curve as simple as possible to navigate, and they’ve managed to make things even less intimidating in this new version.
The Input tab offers access to all the same preamp controls that are accessible from the front panel, so you can switch each of the 18i20’s first eight inputs between mic/line and instrument modes, activate phantom power, choose an Air setting and engage Safe Mode. You can also trigger Auto Gain, which is arguably more useful when there are eight preamps to handle than it is on the smaller models. Adjacent odd and even inputs can be linked for stereo recording, so that gain is matched across them regardless of whether they receive identical levels during the audition period, and it’s also possible to trigger Auto Gain for multiple inputs at once. The only slight fly in the ointment is that once you arm Auto Gain, the 10‑second audition window begins immediately. If you are, for example, recording yourself playing drums, you need to hit the button and leg it over to the kit in order to start playing before the time is up. Having said that, as long as WiFi is available you can trigger Auto Gain from the app running on a phone, and Focusrite say they are looking at how a count‑in timer could be implemented.
Auto Gain can be applied across multiple inputs at once, which is perfect for multi‑miked drums and so on.
In the 3rd Gen Scarlett line‑up, the top two models offered alternate speaker switching. In the 4th Gen, that has now been extended to the 16i16 as well as the 18i16 and 18i20, although the implementation is still pretty minimal. Switching is enabled using a simple toggle within Focusrite Control 2, and if active, repurposes the second pair of line outputs to feed the alternate speakers. Pressing the front‑panel Alt button or its software equivalent then performs the actual switching. There’s no provision for trim offsets between the two outputs. The simplicity of this arrangement is of a piece with the Scarletts’ master section functionality more generally; monitor control is restricted to volume, mute and dim, with no mono button, and as previously mentioned, the 18i20’s talkback functionality is intentionally basic. And although the 18i20’s 10 analogue outputs mean that it could, in principle, be used in an immersive or surround context, this certainly isn’t catered for by the built‑in monitor control. Any calibration or level adjustment would need to be handled elsewhere in the chain.
The distinction between ‘professional’ and ‘semi‑pro’ interfaces is now more about open‑endedness of design and ergonomics than it is about raw sound quality or round‑trip latency.
Get Up & Go
What all this shows, I think, is that the distinction between ‘professional’ and ‘semi‑pro’ interfaces is now more about open‑endedness of design and ergonomics than it is about raw sound quality or round‑trip latency (which is the same here as it is with the smaller 4th Gen models reviewed back in 2023). Can you achieve a few dB more dynamic range by spending three times as much? Yes. But how often will the difference be noticeable in reality? Very rarely, I suspect, and then only if you are lucky enough to have epically good speakers in an acoustically perfect environment. The biggest thing that distinguishes the new Scarletts from, say, Focusrite’s Red range is the extent to which they are streamlined to cater for particular use cases. In terms of versatility, they are at the other end of the spectrum from something like RME’s TotalMix FX — and for many people, I think the pros of that will far outweigh the cons. If you’re a drummer or a singer‑songwriter and you want to put up some mics, plug in a guitar and be ready to go right away, the 4th Gen Scarletts remove as many obstacles as possible from your path. Features like Auto Gain and the excellent Focusrite Control 2 app allow you to spend less time worrying about what’s going where, or why you can’t hear anything, and more time making music.
On The App
Perhaps the biggest development Focusrite have made with the software side of the larger 4th Gen Scarlett models is the introduction of a new remote control app called Focusrite Control 2. Available for iOS and Android, it allows hands‑on control from a phone or tablet connected to the same WiFi network as your computer.
Connection is initiated by scanning a QR code generated from the desktop Focusrite Control 2, and there is a very pleasing continuity in terms of both form and function between this and the app version, which looks and feels identical and works as well from a touchscreen as the desktop version does under mouse control.
Alternatives
This is a highly competitive market, and several other manufacturers have broadly similar ranges. Perhaps the most direct rival is Audient’s EVO series, which also features digitally controlled preamps with auto‑gain; elsewhere, Steinberg, ESI, PreSonus and MOTU all make comparable models.
Pros
- Excellent specifications and sound quality, especially considering the price.
- Existing 4th Gen features like the new preamps and Auto Gain are arguably even more useful on these larger models.
- Highly streamlined setup and intuitive operation.
- New Focusrite Control 2 app for iOS and Android works well and closely mirrors its desktop counterpart.
- The 16i16 and 18i16 can be bus powered, and both have ADAT in and out unlike their 3rd Gen predecessors.
Cons
- Monitor control and other master section features are quite basic.
- Auto Gain timer can be awkward in some circumstances.
Summary
Somehow, Focusrite are still finding ways to make their best‑selling interfaces better sounding and easier to use!
Information
16i16 £349.99; 18i16 £489.99; 18i20 £629.99. Prices include VAT.
Focusrite +44 (0)1494 462246.
16i16 $369.99; 18i16 $499.99; 18i20 $649.99.
Focusrite Group US Inc +1 310 322 5500.
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