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Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 vs Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 (2nd Gen)

Product Comparison: Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 vs Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 (2nd Gen)

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Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 FireWire Audio Interface

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Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 (2nd Gen) USB 2.0 Audio Interface

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General Specifications

Brand

Focusrite

Model

Saffire Pro 14

Scarlett 6i6 (2nd Gen)

Origin

China

About the Product

With its host of additional I/O capabilities, Saffire PRO 14 helps you record, mix and monitor your work without constant repatching. Two combo XLR/TRS inputs let you connect mics, line inputs or high-impedance instruments – without a DI box – direct into the front panel. Two additional analogue inputs appear on the rear, along with four analogue outputs and S/PDIF for digital sources and destinations. MIDI in and out is also included. Two virtual 'loopback' inputs are also provided for routing digital audio between software applications — ideal for capturing online audio.

The second-generation Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 USB audio interface gives you a ton of flexibility for a portable interface. Two vibrant Focusrite mic/instrument preamps are right on the front panel where you need them, while the back panel hosts two additional line inputs and four line outputs. With MIDI I/O and two channels of S/PDIF I/O, the Scarlett 6i6 is a perfect foundation for home or project studios that may need to expand in the future. And with its rugged metal unibody design, the Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 is perfect for recording on the go. Plug in, fire up the bundled software, and you're ready to rock.

Key Specs

Form Factor

Desktop

Control Interfaces

XLR or 1/4" Combo, SPDIF, MIDI, 1/4"

XLR or 1/4" Combo, SPDIF, MIDI, 1/4" TRS

A/D Resolution

24bit/192kHz

Number of Preamps

Simultaneous I/O

8/6

6/6

Form Factor
Number of Preamps

What customers say about "Key Specs"

Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 FireWire Audio Interface

Very nice sound...pre amps are good. Easy to setup and use.
Preamps. Sounds great, clear and loud. Latency. Very low. (7ms for me).
This thing made my Mac into the perfect guitar practice amp. I've recorded a few guitar and bass tracks in Logic with it. The sound is better than a mic'd amp.
Mic Preamps: clear and transparent, both with condensers and dynamics. Max gain is around 60dB.
I tried the Pro 14 out after returning an Impact Twin. The saffire box was plug and play! The sound is great and has clarity and definition -- a significant step up from my older Echo Mia soundcard.

Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 (2nd Gen) USB 2.0 Audio Interface

The Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 is probably my 4th interface and even though it"s a fraction of the price of my previous two it performs just as well, pretty impressive! Really happy with this unit.
This is an incredible interface! The sound is amazing, and registration/driver download was easier than expected. Plus, Focusrite offers a few "freebies" from their website. If you don't need a ton of inputs, this is a can't miss!!!
This box delivers the sound - very detailed converters. The mic pres are also clean and detailed.
I've had mine a little over a week and couldn't be happier. Latency is amazingly low! Has ample power do drive my JBL LSR308's like a champ.
There's plenty of I/O for a small project studio. Should you need more inputs, there is also SPDIF I/O. The converters are top notch! Latency has not been an issue so far.
My only real complaint is the grey on black color scheme for the UI. It's difficult to see but could easily be fixed in an update.
CRAP interface. doesn't stay connected for more than 5 minutes at a time.

Size & Weight

Height

1.8 in.

1.97 in.

Width

8.5 in.

7.67 in.

Depth

8.7 in.

8.35 in.

Weight

3.3 lbs.

2.7 lbs.

What customers say about "Size & Weight"

Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 FireWire Audio Interface

Its not bulky and can easily fits on my dektop.
The construction is actually really solid - mostly metal and well-reinforced.

Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 (2nd Gen) USB 2.0 Audio Interface

It feels weighty, which is a plus.
Interface compact enough but very solid. I think it will work for long time.
Not heavy and you can even take it anywhere.
This Scarlett series is absolutely beautiful in hand. The red-finished aluminum housing, the weight, and the feel of the knobs as you turn them all scream quality.

Interfaces

Analog Inputs

2 x XLR-1/4" combo, 2 x 1/4" (line in)

Analog Outputs

4 x 1/4" (line out), 1/4" (headphones)

4 x 1/4" (line out), 2 x 1/4" (headphones)

Digital Inputs

SPDIF, Firewire

SPDIF, USB

Digital Outputs

SPDIF

MIDI I/O

In/Out

What customers say about "Interfaces"

Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 FireWire Audio Interface

Solid feeling input jacks and build quality.
The amount of In/Outs including two universal Ins with Focusrite mic pre-amps is amazing, not to mention the quality of those pre-amps.
The preamps in this unit are pretty good for an interface--they're no Focusrite ISA One replacement but they are clean, mostly transparent sounding, and provide a reasonable, though not incredible amount of gain.
The Pro 14 is a quality unit with enough inputs and outputs for a home recording setup if you aren't trying to record an entire live band.
Wish it had a bit more physical inputs but i use this bad boy all the time its well worth it.
The only drawback, for some, is the Firewire interface. Those cables are stubbornly stiff and I don't think the plugs are all that swell, not that USB is anything to write home about mechanically , either.

Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 (2nd Gen) USB 2.0 Audio Interface

Mind blowing clarity and the latency is so non existent!!!!!! And the extra headphone amp is a great plus even though headphone 1 is wired to 1/2 and headphone 2 is wired to 3/4 its still ok
At first 2 mic inputs seem like it's not enough but after reading the specs and finding out this interface is expandable via S/PDIF I fell in love with it, it's perfect for me.
All I need are two mic inputs to record guitars (stereo) and one mic to record voice, I have and AT 4040, I have never heard such audio quality.
I needed the MIDI ports as well as two headphone jacks. Its nice.
The line inputs and S/PDIF allow me connect all of my gear so I never have to re-patch.

Features

Extras

Saffire MixControl ultra-low-latency DSP mixer/router, Focusrite VST/AU Plug-in Suite, for use in the mix, Two Hi-Z instrument inputs, Saffire PRO 14 can be powered via FireWire, or via its own power supply, Tactile Monitor dial, Switchable phantom power

Four analogue inputs, including two Scarlett mic preamps with plenty of even gain, Two newly-designed instrument input, designed for seriously hot pick-ups, Two headphone outputs with dedicated volume controls, Focusrite Control software to easily configure your monitoring and routing setups, Remote control from iPhone or iPad - Download the free Focusrite iOS Control app, Includes Pro Tools | First Focusrite Creative Pack and Ableton Live Lite, All the additional software and loops you need to record, Stereo S/PDIF In and Out for connecting other digital devices

Power Supply

12V DC

Phantom Power

Yes

Bus Powered

Yes

OS Requirements - Mac

Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) or OS X 10.11 (El Capitan)

OS Requirements - PC

Windows 7 (32- or 64-bit), 8.1 and 10

Phantom Power
Bus Powered

What customers say about "Features"

Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 FireWire Audio Interface

Saffire Mixcontrol. Nice for setting buffer, sample rate, etc.
Software: I only installed the Mix Control panel. It lets you route audio in various ways, switches between line and instrument inputs, etc... It's very lightweight and loads fast.
It's really well built. The knobs have a nice smooth feel when rotating left or right. Perfect for my small home studio.
This was pretty easy to set up and I have had no issues with it. Using on a Mac Mini (from 2011, but with a new HD and beefed up RAM).
Level Pots. Volume knobs seem kind of cheap compared to the rest.
Other included software. Vsts sound ok, cubase's basic plugins sound better.
Was not able to get it to work with my current MacBook Pro, it would have needed a separate hub to possibly have it work, creating more costs and more latency issues. Sadly, it was almost everything I wanted in an Audio interface, all the features, except connectivity to my computer.

Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 (2nd Gen) USB 2.0 Audio Interface

What I really appreciate is that whenever I turn the unit on it engages the software and switches the output to the 6i6 without any confusion.
This is my 2nd Focusrite, I had a Pro24 DSP that I used for a very long time. The green=go level setting is great, and I love the fact that you save and recall different sets I/O and mixer settings.
This is a great first audio interface. It's affordable, popular, has good specs, and has good preamps. Additionally, it comes with a lot of free software.
The software could be a little clearer to operate.
My only issue is the new Focusrite Control. I wish that had a manual that JUST covered the 6i6, rather that one that covered all models. I'm not finding the new mixing software to be as intuitive as I would like.

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

2 year(s)

Certifications

FCC, CE

Other Information

Manufacturer

Link

Download

Manual

Download

Link