Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 – USB Recording Interface

The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is a new audio interface made by a company well known for their quality microphone preamps. This sleek looking guy shouldn’t fool you by it’s size. Housed in an anodised aluminium unibody chassis, the 2-in / 2-out interface comes with two award winning Focusrite preamps that sound fantastic.

Key Features

• High Quality Microphone Preamps – Focusrite is known for their fantastic mic pres.

• High Digital Performance – 24-bit depth and 96KHz sample rate.

• Simple and Portable – USB 2.0 makes connectivity not an issue, and the light weight frame makes it easy to use it on the go.

• Scarlett Plugin Suite Included – A great set of plugins come with the 2i2. The Scarlett Plugin Suite has compressors, EQ, Gate, and Reverb and is compatible with most major DAWs.

• Direct Monitor Function – The Direct Monitor function allows you to flip a switch and listen to your signal directly through your headphones or speakers, without having to be routed through your computer first. This will help you avoid latency while recording.

Front Panel

• 2 line, mic, or instrument combo inputs. XLR and 1/4″ TRS jack combo.

• 2 gain knobs

• 2 gain halo signal indicators

• 2 line / instrument switches

• Direct monitor switch

• USB connection LED indicator

• 48V Phantom power switch

• Large monitor level dial

• Headphone output – 1/4″ TRS jack

• Headphone level knob

Rear Panel:

• 2 balanced monitor outputs – 1/4″ TRS Jack

• USB 2.0 Port

• Kensington Lock slot

Included Software:

• Ableton Live Lite 8

• Focusrite Scarlett plug-in suite

System Requirements:

• OS X 10.6.5 Snow Leopard (32 and 64 bit) and above, including OS X 10.7 Lion
• Windows 7 (32 and 64 bit), or Windows XP Service Pack (32 bit only)
• Windows Vista is not officially supported

Retail Price: $189.99

In conclusion, for it’s low price, this is a great audio interface to start with. If you’re just setting up your first home studio and looking to save some money – this could be great. Just keep in mind that you will need to purchase your DAW separately, unless you only plan on using Abelton. Having two mic / line inputs for this low price, as well as having monitor outputs and headphones is a fantastic deal.

Guitar Center Special Price: $149.95

Guitar Center has deals on this every now and then – You can check out more reviews and savings on their website by following this link:  Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB Audio Interface Standard