I repeated these tests using the larger 18i20, with identical results.
What’s more, two-thirds of that 3.9ms is reported as being on the input side, so response for virtual instruments (which use only the output buffer) should be lightning-fast. After installing the separate low-latency utility, everything still seemed to work, the reported round-trip latency dropped to an impressive 3.9ms, and my re-recorded audio lined up almost to the sample with the original.
Reaper reported the round-trip latency as being 5.6ms, and a re-recorded click was actually a few samples early, suggesting this figure was not optimistic. With the class-compliant driver, I was able to record at 44.1kHz at a 32-sample buffer size on my early 2014 MacBook Air.
#Scarlett solo 2nd gen drivers mac
On Mac OS, the Scarletts use Apple’s class-compliant driver, as do many other rival interfaces but, interestingly, Focusrite offer an optional utility which can reduce its operating latency.
#Scarlett solo 2nd gen drivers install
The smaller, bus-powered models, including the 2i2, have no control panel software of their own, and only on Windows do you need to install a driver. However, the fruits of their work vary depending on which Scarlett you have. Welcome as all these hardware tweaks are, it’s Focusrite’s software engineers who have delivered the headline improvements in these second-generation Scarletts.
New mic preamp circuitry is said to offer less gain ‘bunching’ at the top of the dial, and the high-impedance inputs have been redesigned to cope with hotter guitar signals. The new Scarletts offer slightly better audio specifications than the originals, with dynamic range quoted as 106dB for most of the 2i2’s ins and outs, and 109dB and 108dB respectively for the 18i20’s inputs and outputs - not in the same league as the Claretts, but again, more than adequate at the price. At this sort of price, you wouldn’t expect to see features such as colour touchscreens or digital gain controls, but in general, the new Scarletts look and feel a lot more expensive than they are.įocusrite Scarlett 2i2.There are also some changes inside the boxes. What is new is the physical design: both units are very classy indeed, losing nothing by comparison with Focusrite’s much more costly Clarett interfaces. There’s not space here to list the complement of I/O that each Scarlett possesses, but both follow tried and tested formats, and are practically identical to their ‘first generation’ Scarlett predecessors. All Scarlett, No Pimpernelsįor this review, Focusrite sent two of the six Scarletts: the 2i2 and the 1U 18i20.
So, although the ‘second generation’ Scarletts have had a physical makeover, it’s the software that has seen arguably the biggest changes. This was mainly directed at Focusrite’s control software, which some found awkward to use, and at their drivers, which didn’t offer stellar low-latency performance, and lacked clarity as to the actual latency a given setting would yield. Popular though the original Scarletts were, they attracted criticism in some quarters. Five years is a long time in music technology, however, and Focusrite have now ‘refreshed’ their range of USB interfaces to reflect new developments and changing priorities. In fact, Focusrite say that since its launch in 2011, the 2i2 has become the best-selling USB audio interface in the world. Focusrite have updated and improved their Scarlett interface range.įrom the desktop 2i2 and Solo units to the rackmountable 18i20, with eight built-in mic preamps and ADAT digital expandability, there are Scarlett interfaces to suit most studios.