Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (4th Gen) Interface Review

[capslock]

The super low noise on the input is great, but why ruin it with poor saturation behavior? People buy this kind of interface to record, otherwise, they could simply buy a much better DAC for half the price.

Can't speak to the Motu M2, but I had the M4, and its analog inputs have their quirks. The Ultralite MkV has much much better inputs, but is also pricier.

 

[NTTY]

Was the "Inst" button set to Line Level? (it needs to show white illumination, green is for instrument level with higher gain set by default). I'm surprised by the input being saturated at only 1,7V but it could make sense if the input was set to instrument level.

 

[daftcombo]

If you have to control volume digitally upstream, the convenience of having a nice volume knob is lost.

 

[NTTY]

If you have to control volume digitally upstream, the convenience of having a nice volume knob is lost.

For the purpose of an interface to be used with a DAW, that sounds ok to me. When mixing/mastering: Go anywhere near 0dBFS you shall not.

 

[Smaestro]

For the purpose of an interface to be used with a DAW, that sounds ok to me. When mixing/mastering: Go anywhere near 0dBFS you shall not.

Eh? Masters more often than not have peaks between -0.1 dBFS and -0.5 dBFS. Since Spotify guidelines ask for -1 for some leeway during file conversion (wav to ogg), that's now the standard.

 

[NTTY]

Eh? Masters more often than not have peaks between -0.1 dBFS and -0.5 dBFS. Since Spotify guidelines ask for -1 for some leeway during file conversion (wav to ogg), that's now the standard.

Unless I read you incorrectly (could very well be the case), this sounds like loudness war to me, and so a bad practice.

 

[Smaestro]

Unless I read you incorrectly (could very well be the case), this sounds like loudness war to me, and so a bad practice.

I don't know what you mean, but what I said has nothing to do with the loudness war. I don't want to go off topic in this thread, but here's a bit of background info

Spoiler: A short bit on the loudness war

The Loudness War is/was about reducing the dynamic range (DR). The DR is the difference between the average loudness and the peak loudness. Because louder sounds better, and peak loudness is always limited to 0dBFS, engineers reduced the dynamic range with compression and limiting, to make tracks louder than others. You basically squeeze the average loudness closer to that upper limit of 0dBFS, for example to -6 dBFS, which is very little. Heavy reduction of dynamic range is considered bad and taking the 'life' out of music.

But I was talking about the peak loudness. Peaks should simple be as loud is possible without distorting. Most systems are at their best with the signal as loud as possible, as the noise stays constant, so you end up with the best ratio of Signal-to-Noise. You can't go over 0dBFS as that adds distortion. (Sometimes used for desirable in the recording/mixing process, but technically impossible in the digital world of streaming and WAV files).

The advent of streaming platforms has actually weakened the Loudness War. Platforms normalise the (average) loudness tracks to around -14dBFS, while asking for peaks at no more than -1 dBFS. That means music can have 13dB of dynamic range without ever sounding less loud than other songs. That is much more than is customary, at least in EDM, pop, hip-hop, rock etc. A small note: the quality of the mix itself has a lot of influence over perceived loudness, and that doesn't show up in the numbers. It is completely possible to have a muddy and soft sounding mix with the same numeric loudness as a punchy clear mix, this is the art of mixing

 

[Cbdb2]

OK Amir, so it doesn't meet your expectations. Can you recommend a $170 interface that DOES meet your criteria? Many of us are very sensitive to price.

Motu M2 Review (Audio Interface)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Motu M2 Audio Interface (DAC, ADC and headphone amplifier). It is on kind loan from a local member and costs US $179. I previously reviewed Motu M4 which is its larger brother. The M2 has the look of other Motu products: I like the color...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[SuicideSquid]

Overall, I would have wanted to see significant improvements in a 4th generation audio interface. Sadly the Scarlett 2i2 does not deliver on that front so I am not going to recommend it.

If you want to see significant improvements, particularly on the ADC front, I think you have to jump up to the Clarett interfaces. I've used a Clarett 4Pre USB to record my band's last two albums and have been very happy with the finished product. Would be curious to see how it measures but can't part with it long enough to send it in for testing!

 

[anphex]

I just hate its color. Why red? It destroys any nice room or desktop design.

 

[Sombreuil]

With that said, I'm surprised this interface remains so popular. My one attempt at a Focusrite interface ended after about 2 months: they stopped updating the drivers at the pace of the operating system and I couldn't use my interface. I assume they do better now. I couldn't give it away. I had a similar experience with EMU FWIW.

I have a 2i4 1st Gen that came out almost 15 years ago, and their drivers are still updated (the current ones came out less than 6 months ago).

So it still looks like in this part of the market the standout is the Topping. You get okay DAC performance, the best ADC performance in the sub $200 interface market and a pretty powerful headphone output. From other reviews it also has better EIN specs that competitors.

What about the drivers and their stability though? For music production, drivers are 90% of the reason why one would buy an interface.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I have a 2i4 1st Gen that came out almost 15 years ago, and their drivers are still updated (the current ones came out less than 6 months ago).

What about the drivers and their stability though? For music production, drivers are 90% of the reason why one would buy an interface.

Obviously too early to tell on Topping driver support.

I too have a 1st gen Scarlett. An 18i20. Released in 2011. I think I purchased mine in 2012. Still supported on Win 11 and MacOS Sequoia. Never had a driver issue with it at any point in time. While not SOTA in performance I actually don't think I ever had any problem recording music with it.

 

[amirm]

Something seems off with this review. If max output position was giving +6 dB compared to the input signal, this implies digital gain is being applied.

We don't know what the volume scale references. Maybe max is 0dB and what they say is 0 dB is -6 dB. Alternatively, it could be activating a secondary analog gain stage. This is why I said in the review I don't understand their pipeline.

 

[amirm]

Could you specify which input you have measured? I assume only the front line input (as you mention the line inputs) and not the rear XLR inputs, is that correct?

The rear XLR is for output. The inputs that I used are on the back but are 1/4 inch. They are labeled as "Line Input."

 

[amirm]

Multitone?

Oops. Forgot to put it in the review. Just added it:

 

[Dave_Reite]

The rear XLR is for output. The inputs that I used are on the back but are 1/4 inch. They are labeled as "Line Input."

It is the other way 'round.
The rear XLR's are inputs, and the TRS jacks are outputs. (Pretty standard for boxes like this.)
Although many pro-boxes have combo input jacks on the front.

Dave.

 

[Somafunk]

I just hate its color. Why red? It destroys any nice room or desktop design.

It’s a focusrite “thing”, much like the KRK yellow cones on their monitors. Very easy to identify

 

[tccalvin]

The rear XLR is for output. The inputs that I used are on the back but are 1/4 inch. They are labeled as "Line Input."

You probably got confused because the previous gen 2i2 had combo inputs on the front. An honest mistake.

This time they separated line and mic inputs for whatever reason.

If you look at the very picture of the interface you posted, the XLRs are clearly labeled as "inputs".

 

[Sokel]

You probably got confused because the previous gen 2i2 had combo inputs on the front. An honest mistake.

This time they separated line and mic inputs for whatever reason.

If you look at the very picture of the interface you posted, the XLRs are clearly labeled as "inputs".

It's a female XLR connector,by that alone it couldn't be an output.

 

[Somafunk]

deleted, unnecessary as tccalvin commented on setup