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For the past decade-plus, Focusrite has gained millions of fans around the world thanks to its line of high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use USB interfaces.
In fact, these popular portable interfaces have been the entry point into the wonderful world of audio recording for countless artists, producers, and engineers, and remain constant top sellers to this day.
The Scarlett series, known for its affordability without compromise, offers a gateway into professional-grade recording, boasting pristine preamps, intuitive controls, and seamless integration with your favorite DAW.
Stepping up the ladder, the Clarett+ series raises the bar with its premium-grade components and enhanced features tailored for discerning professionals. Meanwhile, the OctoPre series stands as a testament to Focusrite's commitment to expandability and versatility.
In this buyer’s guide, we’ll break down the differences and similarities between the Focusrite Scarlett, Clarett+, and OctoPre Series so you can find the perfect match for you and your creative ambitions.
The legacy of Focusrite traces back to its inception in 1985 under the visionary leadership of Rupert Neve. Tasked with building preamp and EQ extensions for none other than the legendary Sir George Martin, Focusrite demonstrated its commitment to top-quality craftsmanship and innovation right from the start.
Over the years, Focusrite's dedication to excellence and groundbreaking technology led to the introduction of iconic audio interfaces that have left an indelible mark on the industry. In 2011, the company made waves with the launch of the Scarlett 2i2, a compact yet powerful interface that revolutionized DIY recording and empowered indie artists to share their music directly on platforms like YouTube and SoundCloud. With millions of units sold, Focusrite cemented its position as an industry leader, setting the stage for the next evolution in audio interface technology.
In the pursuit of innovation and meeting the evolving needs of musicians and engineers, Focusrite unveiled the Clarett and OctoPre series. Building upon the company's rich heritage and expertise, the Clarett series emerged as a pinnacle of professional-grade audio interfaces, offering ultra-low noise preamps, high dynamic range conversion, and Air mode emulation for unparalleled sonic fidelity and versatility. The Clarett series quickly became the preferred choice for recording studios, post-production facilities, and live sound applications, establishing a new standard of excellence in audio recording.
Simultaneously, the OctoPre series provides pristine preamp expansion options to complement existing interfaces or consoles. With the OctoPre series, users could effortlessly scale up their recording setup to accommodate larger sessions and diverse input requirements, ensuring uncompromising sonic performance and adaptability in any recording environment.
With that, here’s a breakdown of the different USB-based, affordable, and incredibly accessible recording gear Focusrite currently offers across their Scarlett, Clarett+, and OctoPre lines.
This red metal box doesn't need much of an introduction, because countless producers and engineers have probably started their audio journey with a Focusrite Scarlett interface. These interfaces have only gotten better with every new generation, but at the end of the day, they’re one of the most popular USB audio interfaces ever made because they’re easy to use, sound great, and last a lifetime. Need we say more?
Recording high-quality tracks doesn’t get much easier — or more enjoyable — than doing it with the Scarlett Solo, a personal USB interface that punches well above its weight. This pint-sized box is perfect for those who want to cut a demo or capture an idea for a song without the need to set up an extraneous amount of gear. With the Solo, you can just plug in a mic or instrument and get going, all while knowing the interface’s ultra-low-noise mic preamp, studio-grade converters, and massive 120 dB dynamic range will have you sounding top-notch every time.
For those looking for an even more streamlined recording experience, the Scarlett Solo Studio bundle includes headphones, an XLR cable, and a condenser mic along with the interface — everything you need to track your ideas to life.
The Scarlett 2i2 is perhaps the most well-known in the series, and for good reason. This 2-in/2-out USB interface is a comprehensive toolkit filled with all of the basic recording essentials, making it a joy to use for both beginners and seasoned pros. This latest generation is the most optimized take on the 2i2 yet, complete with intuitive Auto Gain technology for effortless setup, Air mode for instantly bringing vocals or lead parts to the front of the mix, and Clip Safe technology for consistently clean recordings. Plus, the included software bundle gives you access to Ableton Live Lite, Pro Tools Artist and Hitmaker Expansion for even more flexibility.
For those looking for a full starter pack, the Scarlett 2i2 Studio bundle offers everything you need to start tracking right away.
The 4i4 includes everything that makes the 2i2 and Solo great, but with an extra two inputs. The result is a robust and versatile option for simultaneously tracking mics, guitars, keys, and MIDI devices in the studio or on the go. Capturing band practice, flexing your multi-instrumentalist muscles, or even building your own sample library via Loopback is easier and more streamlined than ever thanks to the 4i4.
The 4th generation of the 4i4 is built off of years of fine-tuning and technological improvements, but the 3rd-gen Scarlett 4i4 offers similarly impressive specs for a bargain.
This 8-in/6-out interface comes stock with high-quality 24-bit/192 kHz digital audio converters and two preamps fit for full-blown consoles, offering users an elegant way to combine their favorite analog and digital tools.
If you love the smaller Scarlett interfaces but need something with additional inputs for tracking and outputs for mixing or monitoring, the 16i16 might be for you. This compact 16-in/16-out desktop interface features two 4th Gen Scarlett mic preamps, Hi-Z instrument and line inputs, plus digital I/O via ADAT, SPDIF, and MIDI.
The largest desktop audio interface in the Scarlett range, the 18i16 features everything that makes the 16i16 great, plus two more front-panel 4th Gen Scarlett mic preamps (for a total of four), making it a solid choice for artists, producers, and musicians who record live instruments.
The only rack-mountable interface currently available in the Scarlett range, the 18i20 offers an impressive 18 inputs and 20 outputs. Perfect for tracking, the 18i20 features eight of Focusrite's 4th Gen Scarlett mic preamps.
Plus, the 18i20 offers a variety of advanced features for modern studios, including a built-in talkback mic, A/B speaker switching for instant referencing on different monitors, and eight channels of LED bar metering which can be assigned to inputs or outputs, as well as master output metering.
While the Scarlett is one of the best starting points for those starting their recording journeys, the Clarett+ Series takes everything up a notch: More headroom, greater clarity, ultra-low noise, and a more robust Air circuit modeled after the iconic Focusrite ISA One preamps.
The smallest model in the Clarett family is ideal for those who still want the size and portability of the Scarlett, but also access to a few key upgrades. The 2Pre comes with premium A/D and D/A converters for fully transparent, dynamically rich audio signals, while the 10-in/4-out layout lets you thrive in any setup or instrumentation. Plus, the ADAT optical input supports up to an additional eight mic inputs via an ADAT-friendly preamp like the Octopre (more on that below).
Along with the impressive analog specs, all Clarett Series interfaces come with the Hitmaker Expansion software pack, featuring a variety of plugins and effects from Antares, Brainworx, Softube, Landr, XLN Audio, Relab, and more.
The Clarett+ 4Pre offers four preamps powered by analog Air circuitry for a sonically rich and detailed sound that works on a wide range of sources. Along with the ability to record up to 18 channels simultaneously, the interface also offers two headphone outputs with independent volume controls and a neutral frequency response.
We’re in the big leagues now with the Clarett+ 8Pre interface, a rack-sized unit that adds plenty of versatility, power, and clarity to your studio setup. Not only do you have a whopping eight Clarett+ preamps and top-grade AD/DA converters, but the unit also comes with a three-month subscription to Pro Tools Artist and the Complete Plugin Bundle, which gives you access to any and every plugin you need to take your projects from idea to final master.
Finally, the OctoPre Series is designed to seamlessly expand your setup by working alongside your Scarlett or Clarett interfaces. Using ADAT ports, the OctoPre gives you easy access to studio-grade preamps, transparent AD conversion, and of course, abundant input options for tracking sessions big and small.
The only thing that can make the Scarlett interfaces even more useful is more inputs, so the Scarlett OctoPre is a perfect companion. This eight-channel expansion gives you the same Scarlett preamps found in the interfaces, high-precision AD conversion with sample rates up to 192 kHz, and accurate digital clocking with Word Clock I/O and JetPLL jitter elimination. On the software side, the unit comes with both the Red 2 & 3 Plug-In Suite and the Softube Time & Tone Bundle for plenty of plugin options capable of a wide array of tones.
In a nutshell, the OctoPre Dynamic is an expansion of the expansion, offering everything from the base model along with true analog compression. Each channel comes with a responsive compressor knob that lets you easily dial in the soft-knee VCA compressor circuit for taming, boosting, and coloring your dynamics. For satisfying squashed and chunky tones, the More button instantly doubles the compressor ratio for simple but effective sonic transformation.
As you might have guessed from the name, the Clarett+ OctoPre is optimized for use alongside any of the Clarett interfaces, utilizing the same premium components, high-fidelity AD/DA conversion rates, and signature Air circuitry. Some new additions include two JFET instrument inputs for bringing out the best of your instrument signals and a flexible insert design that lets you easily incorporate outboard gear into your signal path.
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