Внешняя звуковая карта Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 — 139 отзывов, плюсы и минусы

Решение проблем которые могут возникнуть.
1. Пропадает звук при перемотке видео в любом плеере - решение - в драйвере выставить задержку минимум 2 мс (пропадает если выставлена 1 мс) и всё, больше такой...

I use this little guy in connection with my DAW and digital piano. I run the piano sounds through balanced cables into the line-in ports for recording, and I also run VST intruments on my DAW that I trigger via USB MIDI from the piano and use this device for digital/audio conversion. I listen through Sennheser HD 595 headhphones plugged in to this and I also have some studio monitors attached using balanced cables.I purchased this to upgrade from my previous audio interface, the Behringer UF0202. That device worked quite well for this purpose as well but lacked two things: a volume knob, and balanced in/outs. The volume knob thing I could work around, but my current monitors seem susceptible to ground loops (even with a ground lift plug), so I needed to go with balanced cables. I'm glad I did. The balanced cables completely eliminated my noise problems. This was a good purchase. However, I would say to anyone who doesn't need balanced cables and is on a budget that they should consider the Behringer. It's a tiny fraction of the price and it works pretty well. Further, it's class complaint so you don't have to use Behringer's drivers. It's plug-and-play.I have some good things to say about the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (all about the hardware) and some bad things (all about the software). I've tried using the driver version 2.1, which came with the disk, and the udpated 2.2, which I downloaded from Focusrite's website.To let you know what I need in an interface:1. Balanced stereo in/out2. High quality headphone amp3. Volume knobs for headphone amp and for the main line4. Good digital-to-analog conversion5. Low output latency (input latency not important to me)I don't use the Mic preamps, which is one of the big selling points of this device.================ The Good ====================This box is simple and well-designed. It does what you want, has very convenient controls, and has high build quality. I'm pleased with the digital-to-analog conversion. It has a great big volume knob and another for the headphone amp. It has switches so each input can be a line-in or microphone pre-amp. It has a switch for zero-latency monitoring (of whatever is coming in).* The headphone amp was of particular concern for me. I use headphones a lot and a poor headphone amp can be quite a problem. The Behringer headphone amp was only ok. Specifically, it has an output impedance of 50 ohms. The rule of thumb for good headphone/amp matching is that the output impedance should be 1/8 the impedance of the headphones--my hd 595's have 50 ohms of impedance. Breaking this rule you get distortions of the frequency response. In my case mostly this meant attenuation of the bass. Most manufacturers don't list their output impedance, possibly because they are embarrassed. Anyway, Focusrite does, which is one reason I trust them a little more. The output impedance is less than 10 ohms--respectable but not amazing. Still not as low as I would need in principle but I can notice an improvement in the bass response in my headphones. There's plenty of extra voltage here too, so I could drive higher impedance cans if necessary. Anyway, good headphone amp. Check.* Balanced ins and outs work very well, The ins accommodates a 1/4 TRS style in and XLR. The light around them shows when something's actually coming in and shines red when it's in danger of clipping. There's lots of gain available. I have them turned all the way down almost. The outs are TRS style (balanced or unbalanced) and are located on the back.* I like the look of the box, with a red metal case, and the front and back are sturdy and attractive as well.* The USB cable is just a type B port. This means you can replace it if it gets damaged or whatever. The Behringer, for example, was hard-wired to its cable...king of annoying.* It's bus-powered. I actually would have been fine with a wall-wart, but this is even more simple.I really have no complaints whatsoever about the hardware.===================== The Bad =========================The driver for this thing is horrible under Windows XP. I have a clean installation with nothing installed except my DAW software, acrobat reader, and this driver. I mean, my computer is really stripped down. Performance using the Behringer was good. The latency (time between playing a note and hearing it out the speakers) was 8 ms using the Behringer, which isn't really perceptible.Unfortunately the focusrite driver, though it's technically ASIO apparently, doesn't have anything like an acceptable latency. The lowest latency I could set it at and get sound out instead of crackles and pops was 23 ms. At that level the instrument begins to sound very sluggish and laggy. It's very difficult, at least for me, to work with a large latency like that.I was ready to return this device when I decided as a last ditch effort to install ASIO4ALL. That's sort of an ASIO driver to use if you absolutely cannot make the manufa

Hi,I've had this interface for a few weeks now, and my final rating is basically what everyone else has said:Drivers: HorribleHardware: FantasticI'm am running Pro Tools 10 on a new(ish) HP Pavilion Core i5, with Windows 7 64 bit. Add the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, and if you Google around, you'll find this is a perfect recipe for disaster. Maybe you have a pretty similar set up, and that's why you're reading this. Well I'm here to tell you that although Pro Tools 10 is somewhat buggy on the PC, and although Focusrite's drivers are horrendous, I got everything to run pretty smoothly after 3 or 4 days of errors, intense goggling, and even contacting Focusrite. I'm going to give you the steps that I took, and maybe, if you're having the same problems I was, you can make it work, because honestly, we all would love to give this interface a five star rating.So the drivers installed great, no errors or anything. Plugged everything in, and opened up Pro Tools. Pro Tools found the interface, and I was like "YES!!!". It appeared everything would be ok. But when I started up a new session at 24 bit and 44.1 kHz, but got an error saying that the ASIO properties for my interface had been changed, and Pro Tools needed to restart. After posting on Avid's Pro Tools forums and seeing what they had to say, I came to the conclusion that I needed to set the 2i2's sampling rate BEFORE I opened Pro Tools. Unfortunately, the Focusrite drivers don't give you that option. The only way I knew to change the sampling rate was from inside of the DAW. I Googled like mad, and after many hours of being frustrated, and being THIS close to sending the 2i2 back and getting something made by Avid or M-Audio, I finally got everything to work. Here is what did it:Step 1Download the MOST recent drivers at beta.focusrite.com, not the ones off the public Focusrite website. Instal them.Step 2On your PC, go to the Start Menu>Control Panel>Hardware and Sound> Under Sound click "Manage Audio Devices". Click the recording tab, and set the Scarlett 2i2 as the default device. Click "properties" and then "advanced", from here you can set default format to "2 channel, 16 bit 48000 Hz".Step 3Go to the Star Menu, and type "Focusrite" in the search, and then bring up the Focusrite USB 2.0 Audio Control Panel. Set the buffer length to 6 ms.Step 4Open up Pro Tools (or your DAW of choice). Start a new session at 24 bit 48 kHz. If it says (like it did for me) that the ASIO properties had been changed, and that it needs to restart, click ok, but than click cancel when it asks you if you want to save. Then go to "Setup" and then "Hardware". From here set the sample rate to 48 kHz, and set the buffer length to 6 ms.Step 5Close Pro Tools, open up the Focusrite Audio Control Panel on more time and double check that the buffer length is set to 6 ms.Step 6Open Pro Tools, start a new session at 24 bit 48 kHz, and pray no errors will show up when you press record!And there you have it. This took me about 4 days to figure out. Hope it works for you! And if it doesn't, or if you have any questions, leave comment below and I'll see what I can do!As for the 2i2, yeah, its a fantastic little interface. Super quiet pres, awesome halo clip indicators, phantom power. Some people are complaining the headphone gain doesn't get very loud, but I found it sufficient. The little line/instrument switches are plastic, by the way, the pictures make them look like metal, but its plastic ;) Altogether, its a sturdy little box, great for the price, I just wish Focusrite would put a bit more effort into their drivers.Cheers!

I'll start off by saying that I've had this interface for about 6 months now and it is still going strong. I think that anyone, especially the beginner, looking for an interface should definitely consider this unit. Not only does it provide 2 channels, but it also has monitor out and headphone out. This could also be a decent sound card for those who are fed up with integrated audio.However, I have a few gripes with the 2i2. The headphone knob feels a little flimsy and has a bit of give if you push on it. This is purely the "feel" and does not really hinder performance. But it makes the unit feel cheap, at the controls. IMO, the knobs and switches can feel a bit unsatisfying when the rest of the unit is built so strongly. Moving on, while on the topic of knobs, the level knobs for both channels could also use indicators, but once again, aesthetics.Why 4 stars?The problem must of started happening today because I never noticed it before. Or it could be just that, maybe I never noticed it. Anyways, shortly after I engaged the 48v phantom power, the interface started making a barely audible high pitched hissing. Once again, this is barely audible and should not be a problem if your microphone is far enough away. I hope that this issue does not show up in all of the Scarlett 2i2 interfaces. I would think that an interface should produce no noise as it in key in the recording process for many home studios. Hopefully, just my unit is defective and it isn't something that is common among the 2i2's.Another thing to note is that while Direct Monitoring is a feature on this unit, the volume levels coming from the direct monitoring is very low and makes it less practical to use. In other words, I am saying that you would have to essentially turn up the gain and record "hotter" and get closer to clipping to effectively hear yourself clearly though the direct monitor. Nevertheless, it is a feature that can be utilized though.So in the end, 4/5 stars! The packaging that the interface came in was very minimalistic, but yet appealing, thumbs up for that. I really like the build quality of the interface and Focusrite makes it very easy to record audio with this unit. The only issue that I would consider a big problem is the hissing from the phantom power being engaged. Overall, great entry level interface/sound card!

I use the Scarlett 2i2 on two separate computers. One is a Toshiba laptop with Windows 8. The other is a dual boot desktop, running both Windows 7 and Mac 10.5. With Windows, I use Mixcraft 6 Pro Studio. On the Mac, I use Garageband.My two primary microphones are the Rode NT1 (requiring phantom power), a Sennheiser e855 (dynamic), and a Sennheiser e906 (dynamic). Most often, I use the 2i2 for tracking guitars (acoustic and electric) and vocals.First, let me say this unit does a fantastic job in capturing a high quality audio signal. Vocals and guitars sound stunning. If you have high quality equipment running into the 2i2, there's no reason why you should not be able to capture a completely professional sound. I am also very impressed with the extremely low level of latency I have been able to achieve.There is one thing that I should mention. If your tracks contain periodic clicks and pops, you might need to increase the number of buffers. Normally, unless it's a huge project, leaving the setting at 3ms (I use 24bit, 44.1 kHz) takes care of the problem.The second issue, and one that has been discussed in other reviews, is the driver. About 3 months after installing the driver, I started having major problems. The recording software would completely freeze up. Sometimes this would happen while trying to record and, other times, while listening to pre-recorded tracks. I thought something was wrong with my computer or the software. However, the software performed flawlessly when I selected any of the other drivers. After uninstalling and reinstalling the Focusrite driver, everything worked properly.Unfortunately, based on my experience, I've just come to expect that the drivers will malfunction every 2-3 months. For this reason, I keep a copy of the driver file saved in my download folder, just so I'm prepared. It's an inconvenience, but it's something I can live with.In summary, the Scarlett 2i2 if a fantastic unit capable of capturing professional sounding audio with extremely low latency. My rating is based upon the unit itself. Hopefully, Focusrite will be able to correct the issues with the drivers.

I desperately needed a real audio interface, I was tired of my toy Behringer 1 i/o RCA usb thing. After reading reviews online, this seemed like exactly what I needed. It's small, lightweight, and fits nicely on my desk. It's got some solid pre's, and has enough for me to work with. I didn't need the extra i/o enough to break the bank, so 2i2 is all I wanted. I'm really pleased with this, the quality is great and the ease of use is just as great. It handles line and mic inputs just as well, and the general rule of thumb sticks here that ~70% (about 2-3 o'clock on these knobs) is a good base level for the pre's. Phantom power works fine, and the direct monitoring switch is really useful. I don't like dealing with latency in Ableton, so to be able to just monitor directly when I'm playing instead of waiting for it to go through all that processing is great. And the headphone volume and monitor volume are right next to each other...all in all I'd say the design of this is very user friendly.Some people reported driver issues with this, and I can't say I've really had any problems. I'm using Windows, and I have to suggest using the ASIO drivers whenever possible. I had some issues with iTunes where the audio would just stop and the level (in the Windows sound menu) was frozen at whatever had been playing. All I had to do was disable and re-enable in the device, but that got kind of annoying. I e-mailed Focusrite about it, and they were pretty prompt with getting back to me, but the problem kind of faded away so I never really figured out what that was. I started using Fubar2000 because it supports ASIO, and I haven't had ANY issues with any program that uses an ASIO driver. I have since started using iTunes again as well (still much easier to manage the library in there), and the problem has only manifested itself once or twice since then, so who knows.

Purchased to provide professional level I/O for recording from mixers etc.Works very well for that purpose; also and probably especially useful as location recorder with just a laptop and condenser microphone(s). The bus powered connection is as simple as it can possibly get, and the package is about the size of a fat paperback book. Inputs provide for microphone(phantom powered or not), instrument, balanced line on TRS, and balanced line on XLR connector.Tested with bass and guitar via instrument input also sounded very good indeed, and dead silent. Output of high quality material also sounds superb ... and compares well with other very high quality gear. Everything about this unit is a cut above the units from its competitors in this (crowded) price point.Though lacking lots of the I/O and routing options you get with more expensive units, this device, unlike most other products in this price range, has a quality feel to its enclosure, jacks and controls. Drives headphones, even inefficient ones, to satisfying levels cleanly.The input controls have a helpful feature wherein if you have set things too "hot" the color changes briefly to red -- helpful to bring your attention to your proper metering (in SW) to adjust your levels.Re computers and drivers: almost all the tests went well. On two laptops running Windows 7, installed the latest drivers from the focusrite web site and initial tests of playback and recording went great. One of these recorded perfectly also. The other, which has a core 2 duo processor (FWIW), had issues recording properly, and no matter which of the three possible usb drivers were installed, and I tried them all, this problem remained. So, for certain windows laptops, you may want to hang onto the receipt until you verify proper operation throughout. This issue is why four starts rather than five.On a happier note this interface "instantly worked", with absolutely no installation, on a linux desktop running ubuntu studio 12.04 "precise". So for linux users this may be a very attractive option.Lastly documentation and bundled software is "light"; this is fine if you know what you are doing but it would not hurt focusrite to provide a bit more substance in their user guide for novices connecting various types of gear - guidance re best practices etc.But this is a nit -- overall a superb value provided your computer interfaces happily.

I originally bought the Sapphire 6 USB to replace my Creative Soundblaster X-fi (which I was using for the line-input on my laptop). But as I was using this 90% of the time as an interface to record/broadcast stereo signal from my DJ gear (CDJ1000 Mk3's, DJM800 with Traktor)to my DAW, I decided to order the Scarlett 2i2. I also lightly use Ableton live 8, and Komplete 6 for production. I must also add that the physical appearance is a lot better than the sapphire product line, in my opinion.The physical product is gorgeous, simple, minimalistic, and easy to use. However the included drivers are QUITE FAR from functional. I experienced a MASSIVE amount of latency issues (clicks/pops/audio playing problems, BSOD etc.). Similar to the previous review, the easy temporary fix for this was to adjust the latency on the devices 'control panel'. I did notice though, that I had most issues while playing video. Please read below for additional information regarding drivers/system setup.I'm using a non-dedicated DAW WinXP machine.Reading online, I've read that there are people that are so anal about their DAW computer that it never touches the internet. All updates/programs/etc. are downloaded and brought in via CD/jump drive. That's too extreme for me though.I found some tips on Focusrite's website [...] regarding setting an XP system up for audio playback, and was surprised to find that mine was NOT setup properly. There are similar articles regarding Vista, 7, and Mac too.Also through some brief research, I found some hidden updated drivers! See beta.focusrite.com for the most updated beta drivers for this device! Being that Focusrite is continuing to release these updates has given me hope that this product is a work in process, and will only get better as time goes on.Now with the product working consistently, it is a pretty major upgrade to my home studio. I now realize how colored the sound was from the creative soundblaster, and latency out of my DAW software is drastically minimized, to the point where I might actually be able to use it!The only other issue I've been having, is that the "line" input is too sensitive. Using XLR out of my mixer, levels barely up, it easily redlines the inputs and distorts the signal. The rec out on the mixer works (with RCA to XLR adapters), but the gains on the 2i2 have to be set to 0. I know, reduce output from my mixer (levels are 'responsibly' low). But, in my opinion '0' should be off. I don't like that there is no way to adjust this. I can't even adjust levels in the PC's control panel, in fact the only gain/volume control is on the unit itself. Not sure why that is.I hope you've found this review helpful. If I find any more good information on this device, I will be sure to share!

I've used more than a handful of USB/Firewire interfaces over the past decade. In the past, it's always been a crapshoot, regardless of brand or reputation. Instability, incompatability, and frustration abound with audio interfaces. That being said, this has been the best interface I've ever owned.The size is fantastic, the preamps sound great, it has phantom power, it looks cool, and most importantly, it's been rock solid ever since I installed it two and a half months ago.I frequently leave my PC on 24 hours a day with this plugged in, and as of yet I haven't had a single crash, dropout, 'pop' etc. It's performed flawlessly since day one.Regarding sound quality, my recordings have never sounded better. I've used this to record electric guitar straight into the unit, acoustic guitar via condenser mics, dynamic mics, hammered dulcimer, cello, synth via direct input, and it handles it all flawlessly. I'm seriously impressed with the quality.Finally, it's small enough to take with me when I want to record at a friends house on my laptop.I've used it with Reaper, Sonar X1, Guitar Rig 5, Cubase LE, all without a hitch, on two PC's - Both Win 7 64-bit. The drivers gave me no hassle installing, and as I said above, ROCK SOLID.Your mileage may vary, as I stated earlier audio interfaces can be quite the crap shoot. Same setup, same hardware, etc, and one person can have wildly differing results. That being said, I would definitely recommend this unit, as it is my favorite of all time, and I've used everything from crappy firewire mixers to high-end MOTU interfaces.Great for the price, and if 2-in/2-out works for you, it should perform better than interfaces costing twice as much. It performs better than my old MOTU 828 mkII that I got for five hundred.

Before buying this unit, I did my homework. However, not much was written in previous reviews relating to my particular use. So, I decided to touch on it for future readers. I bought this unit primarily for getting guitar parts into Mixcraft 6. I run from my guitar, to a POD 2.0, to the 2i2, and into USB on my laptop. What I did not read about, is whether this would work without extensive problems like clipping, overload, etc. Rest assured... IT WORKS GREAT! There is absolutely no problem using either instrument or line in setting on the 2i2. I have the POD at about 50% output and the 2i2 inputs to the point where they just stay green when hitting the strings hard. Do not worry about too much signal coming into the 2i2 as referenced in other reviews, particularly reviews talking about guitars with humbuckers blowing the signal into unusable levels. I am playing stuff from hardcore metal crunch and grind, to blusey Strat licks, all the way down to acoustic strumming and plucking. So far, with the POD 2.0 between the guitar and the interface(and liklely other guitar effects processors)there is enough output control on the POD and enough input control on the 2i2, that I have very good, clean sound! VERY SATISFIED! For 5 stars, it would have to be free ;^)

If you want really good sound quality and don't need very many channels or features, this is a great choice. I've never heard a better sounding interface, and this unit doesn't have any junk that I don't need. The ASIO drivers for Windows 8 (64-bit) work seamlessly with FL Studio 10.I opened the box, installed the drivers from the website, switched it on in FL Studio, pressed play, and felt a moment of joy. There is absolutely no noise and only 36ms of latency, including output latency. (2ms ASIO buffer, 34ms output latency -- there is also a direct monitor switch with 0ms for hearing what you record). I have very good hearing and didn't hear any noise or electronic buzz whatsoever. (I'm using Sennheiser hd280 headphones).This unit is very portable, and very easy to use. The sound quality is fantastic. I haven't had any of the driver problems others have had. Out of all 4 similar units, I have owned, this one is by far the best. (The others included a tascam studio usb, presonus inpsire, and presonus audio box, and an m-audio something)I don't have much experience with mic preamps, but these sound great (nice hot signal, no noise)The mic gain knobs light up green and turn orange and red when they clip or get to hot. The unit feels built well.I'm very happy with this purchase and would recommend this to anyone who needs a 2x2 interface.

SO excited to get this very awesome pre-amp last week! Be patient with the set-up because it took me a few days to figure out that the included Plug In Suite is not a stand-alone program, and that it functions in tandem with Ableton! (Duh)There are lots of features about the 2i2 that I love.The clipping indicator is a tremendous feature that is lacking in a lot of pre-mic setups. If you are looking for accuracy in recording, being able to prevent clipping is a huge bonus. My condensers and dynamic mics sound amazing through this interface. Zero noise coming from the cables... no clipping or popping. I have a Sennheiser e838 that feels like a $1k mic now... The condensers react like they have been modded and I can hear their true essence in the mixing process now!Phantom power switch, gain controls for extra power at lower volumes, a killer no-colorization headphone jack which works really nice in tandem with my monitors. This thing runs absolutely silent and never hot at all. I could not be any happier!I read a few of these reviews where I see people complaining about the latency. If you use the direct monitor function, read the instructions, and use the included DAW software, the clipping is zero latency.Amazing results for a bus powered driver! Even without the direct monitor function, I was able to trim the latency to less than a millisecond, which beats the hell out of the Line 6 UX1 DAW I had been using to access Ableton.I went to the Focusrite Beta site and downloaded the latest drivers and am very happy with the results. This is absolutely a top notch interface! I can't wait to learn it and add more Focusrite gear to my studio! Cheers!

I ordered this as a stop gap for my small dedicated home studio for some work I needed to get done before a better console showed up. I was very surprised by the performance of this USB interface. I have been using firewire for the Iast 5 years.I had just built a new computer that could not even be bothered to deal with my old interface. this one lets me record with 6ms of lag (I was amazed!). I don't even need to turn on the direct monitoring option (which was all i ever did before). While the pre-amps may not be the bees knees compared to pro strips, they are not that bad. If you are a solo home recorder; I can whole heatedly recommend this cheap ass interface. Yes, it is cheap, and it does more than what it should do.I do however recommend that you use the money saved to purchase a nice mike preamp or an optical comp strip. Please, do use the balanced inputs on this thing. For some reason, the 1/4" input doesn't track so well without hiss (however, still better than the old tascam reel to reel). I only knock a star off because you cant record with phantom power on just one mike.....Ribon and a condenser in stereo won't work without a nice mike preamp to provide the phantom power. Other than that, this thing is great! However, i still can"t get native instruments sounds/effects to work with it..........I'm sure I'll figure it out..Good luck!

I purchased the 2i2 after purchasing a brand new computer. Figured it was time to upgrade my interface for both listening and recording purposes (although, mainly for listening.)The device is great and works well and the drivers are easy to set up. I'm running Win 7 64-bit with Sonar 7 and Reason and the drivers are fine. Just make sure you're downloading the most recent ones from their website (not from the supplied CD)The Focusrite Scarlett plugin software is a a pain to install and customer support takes FOREVER to get back to you and they are completely unhelpful. The way they have you register it is completely weird and different from any other software I've had to register. Follow the instructions. I ended up figuring it out and the plugins are pretty decent.As far as the audio goes:For recording, this thing is great. Sounds as good as any interface I've ever used. Good preamps. Low noise floor. Very low latency. As clean as anything I've ever used for voice and brass.For listening, I was a tad bit disappointed. It definitely doesn't sound BAD by a long shot. But I was purchasing this to UPGRADE from an Alesis USB mixer, which I figured had a relatively low quality D/A A/D converter. I went with the Scarlett (as opposed to something like M-Audio) because everyone says that Focusrite has some of the best sounding devices for the price. After doing some extensive A/Bing with the Scarlett, the USB Mixer and my computer soundcard (with monitors, computer speakers and high quality headphones), and I've come to the conclusion that the Alesis actually sounds BETTER. Both the master level and the headphone level on the device don't get particularly loud, but that's okay because I probably won't ever turn it up that high.Pros: Price, build, preamps, latency, recording qualityCons: Software registration is goofy, listening sound quality is only OKAYI'd still recommend this device.

I bought 2i2 from local store because I wanted to use on a day that I found this on Amazon. So, I paid extra $13. I had installation of Protools 9 on my Macbook pro for the use of M-Audio 2626. 2i2 worked immediately with Protools 9 after the driver was downloaded from Focusrite site.I have been using 2i2 for recording jazz lives at local venues ( mostly restaulants ), when larger number of microphones are not necessary. Macbook pro, 2i2, a couple of microphones ( Earthworksaudio SR20 ), a headphone and cables fit in a shopping bag easily, although microphone stands do not. Carrying into the venues and setting-up are very quick and easy. 2i2 with Protools gives me more flexibility than two channel portable recorder boxs. It is nicer if the headphone amplifier makes higher output. I guess the limitation comes from the use of USB power. But, I prefer USB powered instead of having independent power supply. I edit Protool sessions at my studio where I have a Protools HD system. The microphone preamps are low noise, low distortion and are usable in quiet environment at my studio. 2i2 is not only for starters and beginners.I am going to buy another 2i2 for replacing one of PC's sound card because 2i2 is USB powered and has good sound quality. It is nice to see Focusrite avoided MIDI, S/P and TOS links, which are not necessary for most people, and cut the cost. I wish Focusrite will sell 2 more microphone input version of this.

I purchased the Scarlett 2i2 to use with my MacBook and rokit 5 studio monitors. Im running OS 10.8 and do all my music production in ableton live 8. When the 2i2 works, it sounds great. However, if you plan on ever letting your computer go to sleep or watching YouTube, don't bother. Audio completely cuts out about half the time my computer wakes up, causing all my applications relying on the interface for audio to freeze and forcing me to restart the computer. YouTube and other video sites also seem to effect the device, causing audio to come out in a very choppy, crackling fashion. This also is only fixed by restarting. Focusrite tech support could only advise to download a new beta driver which solved no problems. Judging by the many positive reviews, the 2i2 must work for some people. But if you're running 10.8 and like to use sleep mode, I would strongly suggest looking elsewhere.

Needed to begin recording into my Dell laptop...had a few problems because I was plugging it into an usb 3 port, which was advertised as being backwards compatible, but didn't seem to be true with this device. When I got it plugged into a usb 2 port, everything worked as advertised. I got acceptable lag times while recording into my DAW...easily within the range that I could play along with recordings in real time and not notice the difference. 7-8 ms if I remember correctly. I did appreciate the direct line in switch...I could hear exactly what was being played into the unit without having to route through the computer. That was a nice feature. More recently, I was very happy to get this working with my ipad mini. I did purchase a recommended usb powered hub Belkin model " F4U020" and with that - I'm good to play music into and out of my ipad. I got stereo in and stereo out...A good low cost option (with powered usb hub) to begin playing stereo music into an ipad.Build quality is high, all metal construction feels solid, switches and knobs all feel comfortable and sturdy.Works for me.

I bought my 2i2 from Amazon about a year ago ($129) and it is a fantastic piece of gear. I'm really not sure where all the driver issues are coming from, but mine was plug and play on my Vaio Core2Duo 1.8, Win 7 laptop, ASIO4ALL. Interfaced with Reason 6.5 perfectly with low-latency right off the bat. Rode NT1A sounds warm and rich, 18-volt active bass guitar is awesome, and Yamaha Compass series acoustic direct-in sounds full and detailed. The preamps are excellent, transparent (no coloration) and I'll say it yet again - detailed. If you set your gainstages correctly, there is absolutely no lack of headroom. If you need a high-quality two-input interface that's great for on the go or quick setup, this'll do ya. The price is ridiculous for this kind of quality.

Elegi Focusrite porque tiene una alta reputaci?n en diferentes foros de m?sicos y es considerado una de las mejores marcas del mercado. Conozco sus productos por referencias de amigos y no pod?a quedarme sin probar por mi misma la alta calidad.Lamentablemente no he podido usarlo a?n debido a que solo trae cable USB y el programa de grabaci?n no est? en Espa?ol, deber?a traer los 3 plugs grandes necesarios para conectar mi sistema de sonido o aud?fonos, esos que son adaptadores de un calibre grande a otro m?s peque?o. Adicionalmente, el precio deber?a incluir la licencia completa del programa.Puedo recomendar este producto haciendo ?nfasis de que es necesario comprar aparte los conectores, definitivamente!.

This might be a bit of a bare bones unit when compared to other audio interfaces on the market but it gets the job done well and looks cool too. I run 1/4 inch jacks for guitar and bass through it and use a 1/4 inch headphone adapter to run sound through headphones instead of monitors. The inputs also allow for female XLR jacks for microphones. The unit came with some compressor, eq, and reverb software plugins. They sound good. There are RCA inputs on back and a USB input which powers the unit. So far, this has been a hassle free, budget friendly unit that sounds great and is easy to use. I use it with recording software for music. I recommend it for home recording and would buy it again.

I had this interface for a few months now and I have to say its pretty impressive. I will get to chase It works great for vocals, guitar,bass, piano anything like that(Not drums obviously because theirs only two inputs)Its gives a very crisp truthful sound, my friend has the Tascam us 1800 which is not a bad interface either but this ones still crisper. Now if your a drummer I would get something different just because you will probably need at least 6 inputs, depending on the size of your kit. But if you just need a sleek basic well built interface this is the one for you,you wont be disappointed!!!

Audio quality is good at the price range. One significant gripe: If you plug in headphones, you'll find that the big friendly knob suddenly become inconvenient for right handed people. Think about it... the headphone jack is right next to the big monitor knob, so how can your right hand come in from the right side? I'm right handed so I have to reach from over or under the headphone jack and cable (especially with the Sony 7506's longer plug). When you use a tool for hours, ergonomics make a difference for enjoyment of use. Regret not buying the Mackie Onyx Blackjack with better ergonomics.

It took the manufacturer a really long time to update the drivers. Prior to the update, this unit was mostly unusable on a Mac. Now, it is better, but far from perfect.I suppose that this unit works well for an entry level sound card, but it still suffers occasional dropouts, and the latency remains horrible (about 27ms). If you are in the market for a sound card and budget is an issue, you can probably make this unit work so long as live performance into your DAW isn't your goal. The next option is an RME Babyface or an Apogee Duet 2 at 4 times the money.

It took me a while to get this device set up properly. Technical support was little help, and by the time I got their number, I had figured out the issue on my own. This difficulty wasn't the product's fault - it was mine, for being new to using ASIO. I was still trying to output via my soundcard, while inputting via the interface and the applications were dying in the process.Once I quit splitting the workload between the devices, everything worked like a charm. I got the latency down to acceptably microscopic. 6ms actual tested return latency at 64 samples in+out @24/96khz (compared to the DAW claimed latency of 2ms).My current signal chain: Mic -> Trakmaster Pro (hardware compression is vital when recording digitally) -> 2i2 -> PC.Even when I was recording on directsound drivers, it sounded pretty good - except for the latency. But now the latency is sufficiently small that it's not a major distraction during tracking. There will be people who claim that 6ms is far too much, and maybe they are really that time sensitive. However, For the average home recording hobbyist, 6ms is a synonym for imperceptibly fast.If you're looking for that secret $150 audio interface that is exactly as good as a $1500 MOTU, let me assure you that it does not exist. That said, I defend my 5 star rating as follows:The 2i2 is a massive step up from recording with a cheap PC microphone through your onboard sound chip. The latency is far improved, the D/A conversion is superior to a soundcard not specifically designed for recording, and the whole thing is reasonably transparent.It's only got 2 inputs, but I only record 1 musician at a time to avoid bleed, and I never record drums. So even recording in stereo, I'd never need more. It does exactly what I need, which is to allow me to interface my audio hardware seamlessly and transparently into my computer.It even comes with a reasonably decent DAW (Ableton Live Lite)There's a lot of people out who want to start recording, but don't have a lot of money to spend. It's easy to get caught up in the 'which one is better' game, causing costs to escalate quickly.No interface is going to make your $20 radio shack microphone sound professional. If your recording equipment is good you'll get good results from the 2i2.

I'm using this unit to set up a Linux Digital Audio Workstation. It works out of the box with a recent ubuntu install or linux mint if you prefer. You will probably want a realtime kernel and use jackd to take full advantage of this device. Without using a jackd interface or a realtime kernel audacity records 96kHz but skips when duplexed, I mark this up to not having sophisticated controls or realtime enabled.The following settings are the best I've been able to manage in jackd2 without and xruns on a realtime kernel(using qjackctl) (I'm also no expert)Frames / Period: 128Sample Rate: 96000Periods / Buffer: 3Which gives a predicted latency of 4msWith a 10ft 1/4 inch patch cord (to run jack_iodelay) I got a consistent 8.24 ms overall latency (not bad imho).Without the realtime kernel you should expect xruns with these settings, my computer is a sandy bridge pentium 2.2ghz with 6gb ram and a ssd.We have used this with an AT2020, AT2021. SM58 microphones and the sound quality is quite high. The preamps deliver what seems like no noise under usual conditions. Simple two mic recordings of band practices sound outstanding. I've also tried some higher gain recordings of weird ambient sounds (rain crickets) and still received very little noise from the device itself but can hear everything that happens in the house.Update:I've found the above setting in jack don't work well for processing live guitar effects in rakarrack. Here are the best setting I could come up withFrames/Period: 512Sample Rate: 48000Peiods/Buffer: 3RealtimeSoft ModeQjackctl lists the latency of 32ms but I have not tried measuring i with jack_iodelay. All the included effects of rakarrack work on my computer for these while booted in the (hard) realtime kernel

Let's cut right to the chase. I'm getting stable results with the buffer set to 48 samples in Ableton Live recording at 48/24. That's outstandingly low latency for a usb interface and comparable to the RME babyface. Now, I haven't used the babyface personally, but based on my experience with RME products in general, I'd expect the babyface to provide the best latency of any usb interface, but the scarlett 2i2 is a fraction of the price and gives the babyface a run for its money. For the record, I'm using the beta driver 2.3.128.0 (from beta.focurite.com) with a quad core desktop that's a few years old running Windows 7 32 bit home.I use the interface primarily to record my guitar. Since I'm using VST amplifier emulation and monitoring the guitar on the computer output, latency is my primary concern. My guitar sound is pretty mangled, so I can't really judge the quality of the preamps that everybody raves about, but it all sounds good to me.I don't use any external MIDI devices, so I don't mind the lack of MIDI ports, and 2 ins and stereo output is sufficient for me. I appreciate the small form factor, USB bus power, gain knobs for each input and separate volume knobs for the monitors and the headphones. I've used USB interfaces from Akai, Line6, Tascam, ART, and M-Audio. The scarlett has the lowest latency in my experience and is nearly as good in latency as the PCI interfaces from RME and M-Audio I've used.The downsides are few. With the latest drivers there is no 16 bit option, you are limited to 24 bit. I'm of the opinion that 16 bit is sufficient, so I'd like the option, but I doubt that many people care. I think that and the lack of MIDI jacks are about it. Highly recommended.

While this product works OK, please be aware that Focusrite provides almost no customer support for their products. I have been very frustrated with one specific issue, but have not been able to get any response. Their website is only a point of sale. All support is through phone, which is rather antiquated foe the current century. In that way they are far behind other companies with similar products that work just as well.

I bought this interface after reading positive reviews. My primary use if for recording electric guitars and some vocals. For vocals it works fine and get a nice sound from my cheapo Samson mike (hence the 2 stars). However the problem I have is with recording guitar. Plugging in my guitars (Gibson SG and Les Paul) into the instrument input results in constant signal clipping even with the gain turned all the way down. The only way I can avoid the clipping is by selecting line input and setting the gain control appropriately. Unfortunately the sound produced using the line in is very muddy. I am hugely disappointed in this product and after searching on-line it seems the only solution to this overly common problem is to either buy a different interface or run a DI box between my guitar and the 2i2. Either of those options is going to cost me money.

My only gripe is that once in a while after it's been on for a long time it seems to drop out / stop working in windows 7. I've tinkered with my usb power-save settings, etc, and it still seems to be an issue. Not that big of a deal as it doesn't do it when actively being used, but about once every other day I have to unplug the USB and reconnect it. Could be my system, could be the pre-amp, otherwise no complaints.Though be wise and download your drivers from the website, not the included software. I don't even know what is on the software but I think it's a full version behind what you'll find on the website.

It only took me 10 minutes to get this thing going, right out of the box. I utilize an Aspire One (so, no CD drive), so I downloaded the driver from [...], plugged everything in, and... voila! I was hooked up and recording. The quality of the recording is fantastic and the unit has a suave design. My only issue is a small touch of latency during playback, but it isn't a huge deal and I am going to research some possible solutions to that.

This is exactly what I needed to record one track at a time into ableton live. Before this, I would put analog signal directly into my laptop and the conversion woud always result in a nasty amount of ambient noise. This device does away with that problem, offering a very clean noiseless conversion. There are a lot of other uses I'm not utilizing, but for recording and making your own song step by step you either need a really good sound card or this.

I just bought it few days ago. It arrived earlier than expected, and one other thing is that i am buying from Philippines. Could you imagine how cool is that? I don't really know what to say. :) This interface is one of the good quality interface in its level. I love Amazon, Focusrite, and DHL. :)

for some reason the drivers that came with the interface are bad. i believe it comes with ver 2.1 but you can easily download 2.4 from their website for free. hardware wise it's pretty awesome and worth it.

This was recommended by a friend who owns his own recording studio and I couldn't be happier. The Scarlet allows me to run two instruments, two mics or a combination of the two at the same time. As an added bonus it enhances the soundcard in my laptop for playback (and even listening to MP3s and such).It also comes with a bonus Ableton Live recording software demo disc, so you can be up and recording quickly, even if all you have is the instruments and zero computer interface or software.Highly recommended!

Having used this for a while it seems to me that the previous reviews about being difficult to set up and get working properly might have been written by individuals who are less-than-proficient with electronics and computer technology. I had very little problem getting this device set up and working on a number of different rigs ranging from xp 32bit - Win 7 64 (including a 64 bit Vista). Each time set up was easy (admittedly vista was a bit stubborn). In all fairness I consider myself pretty up to date and fluent in building/maintaining hardware/software.

I spent 15 years as a professional recording engineer and recently sold much of my gear including my 24 track recorder and large console. I just wanted a simple interface for my Mac at home. I bought this last week and am quite impressed with the build quality and sound. The unit has very low noise from the preamps, not really any color to speak of (as expected at this price point) but very clean. Definitely better sound quality than the MBox. It can also handle high end Microphones with the built in Phantom. Some of the interfaces I tested had issues delivering enough current. I used this one with a Neumann TLM-170 for several hours last week without issue.The couple of cons I would list with this are:1. Powered only via USB. This is more of a nuisance issue as my Mac seems to drop power and restore it randomly when I leave the computer idle so I have started turning off my active monitors when stepping away.2. I am not a huge fan of the included Ableton SW and the fact that it limits you to 4 active plug-ins. This is not really an issue for me since I had always planned to use this with Pro Tools 10, but I think this limitation should be considered for beginners looking at this as a sole solution.Having used the Focusrite high end analog gear for years, overall I am very impressed with what they have done here for less than $150. The plug-ins alone are worth that much so getting a clean interface bundled with the plug-ins is a great bargain.

This product has done exactly what I wanted it to and has been perfect. The only thing to note is that you should use a high-quality USB cable with it (one is provided). When I first heard that I didn't believe it, but after switching from my longer cord to the one they provided... Well, the difference was unbelievable. Great product and works under Windows 7 and Windows 8.

I record vocals for fun, so upgrading to this was exactly want i was looking for.The two output feature was something i was looking for.I can plug my speakers and headphones in at the same time and adjust the volume for each one independently.Pros:Phantom power.2 Guitar/Mic input.The light indicator for volume levels.Direct monitoring for zero-latencyCons:Can't think of any at the moment.

I first bought a "stick" USB audio interface to route microphones to the computer. The audio quality was terrible, so the quality of the microphones was wasted because I wanted to save a few dollars. Absolutely upgrade to a standalone interface, and this one has not disappointed me!

The Scarlett 2i2 seemed like the perfect interface for my newly revised studio. I try it out, but the drivers are totally useless.. None of my software recognize the driver although my control panel put it as the default device.. But the interface itself seemed to work. I could directly monitor my recording through my headphones from it and it sounded fine.. Maybe it was my fault.. But I see that a lot of people have problems with the drivers.. So unfortunate..

You have to record your tracks in mono because I am not able to record a stereo track that isn't either on the right or left side. Other than that it has about the same quality as the MXL Mic Mate Pro and that was only $80. 2 stars for me.

Great product for the money and easy to use! Would recommend to others! You can't go wrong with getting this!

Awesome preamps, awesome size. its like a little nuclear bomb tiny little thing that pack a huge punch!! it should have come with a few more plugins and maybe protools also as an option.

I am starting out learning to play guitar. I wanted a way to record myself playing guitar onto my laptop so I could go back and listen and to also play both lead and rhythm parts and mix them together.After asking a few questions on a message board, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 was recommended to me. It's pricier than some of the options I was considering but given the reviews I figured it was worth taking a chance.I'm glad I did. The Scarlett 2i2 is a piece of cake to set up, even for a guy like me that's pretty PC savvy but never dealt with external recording devices.I'm running Windows 7 64-bit and everything installed flawlessly. The drivers loaded without a hitch and immediately recognized the Scarlett when I plugged it in.The included Ableton Live 8 Lite software recognized the unit as well.I'm looking forward to using the Scarlett more to improve my guitar playing. So far, I'm very happy with my purchase, even if it was a little more than I initially wanted to spend.

Love this unit. It has taken me to the next level in my audio recordings for sure. If you are a musician who wants great quality sound in a budget this is the solution.

Will run at 88200HZ with 2 buffers @ 1024 frames/period for 23.2ms latency or even at 512 frames/period with 10ms latency but less stable when running ardour with alot of plugins. (with jackd2) Tried on Arch Linux x64 and works flawlessly. Worth mentioning that ALSA DOES NOT HAVE VOLUME CONTROL but you can just use the physical hardware controls.

For a simple guy doing simple VO work, mainly audiobooks, this did the trick. Works great and gives a nice sound. Most importantly it works with pc or Mac. Since I just switched from pc to an iMac that was a money saver as some interfaces don't work with one or the other well.