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Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (1st Gen) vs Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen)

Product Comparison: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (1st Gen) vs Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen)

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Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (1st Gen) USB Recording Audio Interface

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Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen) USB Audio Interface

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General Specifications

Brand

Focusrite

Model

Scarlett 2i2 (1st Gen)

Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen)

Origin

China

About the Product

Scarlett 2i2 raises the bar with vanishingly low latency, 192kHz sample rates, optimized preamp gain structure, and instrument inputs that handle scorching hot pickups. Ideal for the small project studio or mobile rig, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 sports two combo inputs with great-sounding Scarlett mic pres plus line-level/instrument jacks.

This is our compact yet versatile 2-in, 2-out USB audio interface. It gives singer songwriters two natural-sounding Scarlett mic preamps and the same class-leading sound quality and digital conversion as the rest of the latest Scarlett range. Take it anywhere, connect by USB, plug your mics and guitars straight in, and simply start recording.

Key Specs

Form Factor

Desktop

Control Interfaces

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

A/D Resolution

24bit/192kHz

Number of Preamps

Simultaneous I/O

2 x 2

2/2

Form Factor
Number of Preamps

What customers say about "Key Specs"

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (1st Gen) USB Recording Audio Interface

Does its primary job (sound recording and preamping) well. I had no problem recording bass and voice with 3ms latency.
This is a sturdy audio interface with simple user interface design. It's an affordable, high quality unit for a poor musician like me who wants to set up a home recording studio.
Mic pre's are surprisingly excellent sounding for a box at this price point. The main outs are balanced TRS, so it'll work with most pro powered monitors or into any preamp/monitor amp combo.
The sound quality, both for input and output, is excellent. This unit has remarkable clarity of reproduction. The headphone amp has plenty of power, too.
Sound cuts out entirely after about 30 minutes of use. Unplugging/plugging it in several times eventually gets it to work again.
Horrible high-pitched screeching sounds when GPU in my PC draws power. I believe this was due to a ground loop being between my PC and my monitors, however, the fact that this unit doesn't have it's own power source.

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen) USB Audio Interface

Really low latency. Great sound quality at an affordable price.
Pretty much what I wanted. Fairly clean, neutral and interference free sound using the balanced trs outputs to my JBL LSR305's.
Pre-amps are of good quality, to be expected from Focusrite.
Direct monitor ability is pretty useful for recording certain acoustic instruments that may not be very loud in the DAW.
No Phono out. No Midi In.
It colours the sound of the guitar. the bass is so deep you can't remove it from the software. it sounds like everything is covered by a blanket. I have the brightest sounding guitar on the market, all maple, and sounds like it's made of sponge

Size & Weight

Height

1.89 in.

Width

6.89 in.

Depth

4.52 in.

Weight

1.32 lbs.

What customers say about "Size & Weight"

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (1st Gen) USB Recording Audio Interface

Metal Quility, Solid Console, Rocking after years of use.
It has a decent design/look, its truly portable relying on usb power.
Small, light weight and easy to setup.
Also, it's built like a tank--if you can't find a hammer when you need one, this thing will do the job.

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen) USB Audio Interface

Solid build, looks really good, compact and lightweight.
Feels really well made and sturdy, the small form factor is great.
The device is very ergonomically designed, one of the best on the market in that regard.
The 2i2 has a superior build quality with a sleek solid metal case, the unit has a satisfying weight.

Interfaces

Analog Inputs

2 x XLR-1/4" combo

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

Analog Outputs

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

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

Digital Inputs

USB

What customers say about "Interfaces"

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (1st Gen) USB Recording Audio Interface

Comparably cheap to other more professional solutions, USB line out, two XLR inputs or standard guitar jacks, individual gain per channel, excellent monitor support for both headphones (with correct adapter) or actual speaker monitors, 48V power on tap.
The Scarlett has a very nicely designed combo jack, which allows you to plug in both an XLR connector and a 1/4" TRS jack plug.
The Scarlett is automatically configured to recognize any XLR connector as a microphone and any 1/4" TRS jack plug as an instrument.
When recording off the inputs, the sound is extremely quiet even with my monitors turned all the way up (both on the monitor volume control unit and on my monitors themselves). You can boost the audio in post on the PC, but the overall latency makes playing and monitoring at the same time a pain.
The headphone output volume is pretty weak even turned all the way up making the direct output almost useless. I have to turn the volume down in the audio software for the artist to hear their vocals.

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen) USB Audio Interface

The inputs on the front take both XLR cables and 6.3mm cables (For guitar jacks etc..). It looks great and easy to use.
Just bear in mind line level input is by using 1/4inch jack not xlr. it is very easy.
The headphones seem ideally suited to this interface and for general reference will probably replace my Shures as my work-a-day 'phones.
It would be nice to have some analogue inputs on the back but can live without.
The XLR cable included with the equipment is very low quality my headphones and cable have already started to mess up after 3weeks of use.

Features

Extras

Two natural-sounding Scarlett mic preamps with plenty of even gain, One headphones output with gain control, Super-low latency* for using your plug-ins in real time without the need for DSP, Connect professional studio monitors using two 1/4 inch balanced jack outputs, Powered by USB so you don't need to carry a power cable, Includes Pro Tools | First Focusrite Creative Pack and Ableton Live Lite

Two natural-sounding Scarlett mic preamps with plenty of even gain, Super-low latency* for using your plug-ins in real time without the need for DSP, One headphones output with gain control, Connect professional studio monitors using two 1/4 inch balanced jack outputs, Compact and tough enough to take anywhere, Powered by USB so you don't need to carry a power cable, Includes Pro Tools | First Focusrite Creative Pack and Ableton Live Lite

Power Supply

USB

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 Scarlett 2i2 (1st Gen) USB Recording Audio Interface

The gain on the microphone preamp provides a healthy signal.
The amp does a decent job converting the signal into my audio software.
Easy install and setup. Powered by USB cable, so literally you can be in a park with your laptop and record stuff. Direct monitoring is latency free.
Lack of pop protection circuit or relay (causes pop in monitors on PC shut down). This was a real deal breaker for me. Focusrite support claims it is not necessary, but I dare to disagree.
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.
Drivers and software were too problematic for me to use without constant problems. Seems not all people have driver issues but I certainly did.

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen) USB Audio Interface

Handy indicator LED's to know if your signal is peaking or not.
Headphones are great, the interface includes phantom power for condenser mics and the mic itself produces great audio.
Each input lights up green or red if you overload it allowing one to quickly set the recording level.
The "Gain Ring" is a really intuitive display for telling whether your input level is peaking or not.
USB-C would be nice for the newer MacBook's however for much more money a USB-C model is available.
Installing and registering the software proved to be a labyrinth of pointlessly difficult bull****.

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

2 year(s)

Certifications

FCC, CE

Other Information

Manufacturer

Link

Manual

Download

MSRP

149.99 $