Added the ability to choose whether 48V is retained after restarting Scarlett 3rd Generation interfaces. The best card I could find for the price which enables to do anything. Physical channels can be expandable with a preamp via an optic cable. 8 physical inputs are mostly enough for fieldwork. As you can see from the table above, there are some noticeable improvements in the 3rd Gen. All specs considered, the inputs and outputs benefit from a wider dynamic range, gain ranges, and higher input and output levels. What Else Is New In The 3rd Gen? With its speaker-switching technology, the Scarlett 18i20 gen 3 also allows you two to switch between two different sets of monitors. This is an essential feature to ensure the best possible mix and professional level results. Your interface is now ready to use! If you're using recording software then make sure you select the Focusrite ASIO driver in the audio settings for that software.

This device desperately needs hardware controls for user settings. With that, all Focusrite would really need to do to provide Linux support is to make the device USB class compliant. Unfortunately, since the driver is proprietary, the Linux driver is a reverse-engineered one that works but still has some issues, the device being as new as it is. The free/open source community will fix the driver issues in time, and the device is already quite usable, but all the troulbe make one beg the question: why make things so difficult, Focusrite? One welcome difference is the new headphone amps, which drive significantly louder (and clearer) than previous generations. The only issue I have with this device it's that it has ONE bus mixer. Means you can create one "custom mix" aka virtual mixer (with whichever physical or software inputs you like) and then assign this one mix output it to whichever outputs you like but there's only ONE such stereo mix. It means that you can't for example pass line-in 7-8 to out 1-2 and line-in 5-6 to out 3-4 as that would require 2 independent virtual mixers which is not possible.

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People often ask me what audio interface I recommend. I always answer with two questions: “What are you recording?” and “What’s your budget?” There are products on the market that will suit any answers—there is literally something for everyone. Focusrite has taken that idea and run with it in its new lineup of Scarlett interfaces. While this review focuses on the Scarlett 18i20 3rd generation interface, many of the advancements I mention carry across the entire Scarlett line.

Eight balanced line inputs allow you to connect synthesizers, drum machines and other line-level sources so you’ve got no shortage of recording potential! 20 Outputs The Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface features the best preamps ever used in a Scarlett audio interface and the largest range of I/O in the line. The Heart of Your Studio Whether you are an in-the-box producer or a musician recording with external instruments, Focusrite lays out your best connectivity options regardless of your chosen scenario. What Is Focusrite Control? Focusrite has done a great job with the new 3rd generation interfaces. While first glances may give the impression that they are just a prettier version of their former selves, the real magic lies under the hood. This is evident in many of the upgrades:

The Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 comes with eight of its own built-in inputs, two of which are accessible via the front panel via microphone/instrument combo connectors. The rear panel features six additional microphone inputs, as well as eight line inputs; users may connect line inputs and microphones concurrently and toggle between the two, but the interface is limited to eight inputs total. For access to the extra 10 inputs, you’ll need to bring your own ADAT- or S/PDIF-compatible equipment and connect it to the corresponding ports in the rear of the interface. This slim audio interface is fully equipped with the inputs, outputs, and digital synchronization with other devices you’ll need. Getting started with the 18i20 In total, as the name suggests, the Scarlett 18i20 3rd gen has 20 outputs which give you a huge amount of options for recording and monitoring. Focusrite are excited to announce an extension to the standard limited warranty, which comes with all new products. What’s more important for you in your situation, are the specs of your computer. The Scarletts are super-low latency, so if you do find you are having dropouts, audio pops, etc — it’s more than likely going to be an issue to do with the overall computer specs. Writing with loads of channels of CPU-intensive orchestra libraries and VSTs will take its toll on your computer’s resources, regardless of how low latency the audio interface is.

Focusrite has done a great job with the new 3rd generation interfaces. While first glances may give the impression that they are just a prettier version of their former selves, the real magic lies under the hood. This is evident in many of the upgrades listed above. When activated, the Air setting gives you the Air effect found on the original ISA mic preamps, adding brightness and openness to your vocal and acoustic recordings. The Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 is a sleek and rather unassuming midrange audio interface that manages to offer premium features at a price point half of what its direct competitors ask. Weighing in at just 7.5 pounds and sporting an understated two-tone finish with streamlined knobs and buttons, the 18i20 sports eight microphone preamps and direct compatibility with production-level audio gear, among other highlights. This combination of feature set and value, along with its overall build quality, make the third-gen 18i20 a seriously appealing option for producers and musicians running newly expanding recording studios and working on a budget. Anyway, as your question relates to purely home studio mixing, in-the-box, and working with soft synths, the short answer is that yes, the Scarletts (any of the generations) will be more than enough to cater for your larger instrument ensemble needs. While physically speaking the quality of this unit is great, the software implementation leaves a lot to be desired. Many configuration options, such as extending the number of inputs through the ADAT connection, require using the Focusrite Control proprietary software suite, which is only available for Windows and Mac. Why not make all options configurable without a PC, and especially without a proprietary piece of software?Seek them here or seek them there, you don't have to look very far to find Focusrite's Scarlett interfaces. From the compact and portable Scarlett Solo to the versatile Scarlett 18i20, this is a range that caters to most home-studio needs; and since their introduction in 2011, these modestly priced USB devices for getting audio into and out of a computer have carried all before them. The step-by-step guide walks you through the supplied virtual instruments, plug-ins, and sample-content installation before giving you the option of how you would like to set up the interface based on how you plan to use it. This is a fantastically streamlined approach to giving customers the fastest and most effective path to getting down to business as soon as possible. Software interface is fairly intuitive and enables users to make alternative monitoring. Drivers are working without problem with Voiceomeeter Banana stuff. My old Steinberg card does not work with them properly. Equipped With improved A-D and D-A conversion, the Scarlett 18i20 gives you great sounding 24-bit/192kHz while both recording and mixing. Which unit in the Scarlett lineup is best for you depends on your needs and budget, but at this price, the 18i20 3rd Gen will have you set for a long time without breaking the bank.

Not being one to pore over manuals, when I unboxed the 18i20 3rd Gen, I went right to Pro Tools I/O and got to work. Setting up I/O was as simple as you’d expect; straight away, I did some experimenting with latency to see how low I could go before Pro Tools glitched. I recorded a bunch of VO, and while I got it to a pretty low latency (setting the buffer to a mere 32!), I couldn’t quite shake that “phasing” sound in my headphones. This might have been less noticeable for an instrument, but for most applications, you’ll probably want to switch to zero latency mode. This is assignable in the mix control software.

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Focusrite claims that the 3rd generation Scarlett interfaces are characterized by high gain values and low noise. Making mic preamps since 1985 (Rupert Neve founded the company until being sold to Phil Dudderidge in 1989), they have skin in the game regarding developing high-end gear. As the flagship model in the Focusrite Scarlett range, the Scarlett 18i20 offers fantastic audio quality with comprehensive I/O and great expansion capabilities.