So I recently acquired one of the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB recording interfaces.
In short, the 2i2 is a glorified DI box that connects to your pc via usb, and is one of a range of these products that not only Focusrite, but also many other produce. I did however do my homework before deciding on Focusrite's product.
From the product website (
http://www.focusrite.com/products/audio_interfaces/scarlett_2i2/):
The Scarlett 2i2 is a 2 in / 2 out USB recording interface featuring two award-winning Focusrite preamps. Housed in an attractive anodised aluminium unibody chassis, the interface not only sounds fantastic but looks great too. What’s more it’s solid enough to take on the road when you travel. The Scarlett 2i2 is much more than just a pretty metal box.
There's a range of these interfaces by Focustire to choose from, depending on your preference. The major differences in the Scarlett range is the amount of inputs and outputs available on each unit.
They come in the following: 2 in 2 out, 8 in 6 out, and 18 in 6 out. The 2i2, as you would expect from the model name, is a 2 in 2 out model.
The Look
The front panel features (as expected) the main knobs and inputs:
* 2 line/mic/instrument Neutrik XLR/¼” TRS Jack Combo inputs. These inputs can accommodate both jack and XLR inputs.
* Line/Instrument switches for each channel
* Gain knobs for each channel
* Gain halo signal indicators for each channel
* 48V Phantom power switch
* Direct monitor switch
* Large monitor level dial
* USB Connection LED indicator
* Headphone output - ¼” TRS Jack
* Headphone level knob
On the back, you have your balanced monitor outputs (¼” TRS Jack) as well as the usb connection.
Included in the box is Ableton Live Lite 8 as well as the Focusrite Scarlett plug-in suite consisting of EQ's, compression, gates and reverb.
Testing...testing...
Setting up the unit is a breeze. Basically after installation of the drivers, plug and play with some minor changes to your DAW input device settings to indicate the 2i2 as the preferred input, and off you go. The unit is USB powered so you do not need extra plugs for it.
The unit is capable of 96 KHz sample quality recording, 24bit.
After plugging your instrument into the unit, the gain halo signal indicator on the channel will light up green when your input signal is sufficient for recording. Soft clipping makes the halo turn amber, while total overload turns it red. The unit reacts to signal volumes in real time, so there's no waiting to see if your input volume is ok. If the halo is green, it's all good.
I am running my boss gt8 straight into the unit at present for experimentation before I start my recording project. The sound is crystal clear and the unit handles both clean and distorted tones perfectly.
But I have to add, at first glance the unit did surprise me but two weeks down the line I am longing for something more in terms of sound reproduction.
But this is no fault of the unit.
Let me explain: plugging straight into the unit does sound great, dont get me wrong. But, imagine using headphones plugged straight into your effects pedal. Those pesky squeaky mutes that you get when rocking out to some distorted tones are difficult to eliminate when using headphones. Line tones are often very crisp, unlike the same effect heard when amped. Similarly, the Scarlett 2i2 obviously picks up those squeaky tones as well. SO what sounded massive when amped, sounds thinnish, flat, digital and squeaky. Yes, I know some eq can sort this out to a point, but I cannot seem to get rid of it completely. I even tried recording a clean signal and applying some amp and effect sims. Sure, they're ok-ish but a amped guitar still sounds way more awesome.
But a save is at hand!! I would suggest that if home recording is your bag, the Scarlett 2i2 is on your list, and getting a decent guitar tone is your thing, to invest in a proper instrument mic and record your guitar mic'd in front of an amp through the Scarlett 2i2. This should sort any fizzy problems out. That's the route I am going now.
For beginner recorders the "plug straight in" functionality of the Scarlett 2i2 will be great I presume. But if you're looking for a meatier tone, in my opinion, your guitar will need to be amped and mic'd also.
So in closing, the unit performs well, and does exactly what its built to do: be a quality recording interface. At the price of around R1500 new I doubt it can be beat. I will highly recommend it for all that want to get into the home recording arena as its a quality unit, built property and sounds great. But, as an addition I would suggest to also invest in a proper instrument mic for micing your amp for better results with effects.
