We’re dwelling in a golden age of music manufacturing gear, the place pro-level sound isn’t locked behind the glass in high-end studios, it’s now proper in your desk! Proper now, it’s on my desk. The Scarlett 18i20 4th Gen (accessible right here within the DJTT retailer) is a shining instance of this shift, bringing severe studio chops to the house and stage for bed room producers, smaller house studios, and digital musicians who need clear sound, smooth management, and versatile routing with out breaking the financial institution. Preserve studying for my overview.
Constructed for the Hybrid Hustle
Whether or not you’re monitoring vocals, devices, routing gear in a modular stay rig, or streaming a DJ set, the Scarlett 18i20 delivers. With 18 inputs and 20 outputs, USB-C connectivity, and a surprisingly low noise flooring, it’s good for the trendy multi-tasking setup. Now technically it has 8 analog mic preamps, with the remainder of the inputs dealt with digitally. Personally I’m not utilizing all 8 analog preamps on the identical time nevertheless it’s good to have devices hooked as much as the interface so I can simply begin recording them anytime I need. Usually with a 2 enter interface, I must disconnect and reconnect cables which may rapidly develop into tedious.
You additionally get MIDI In and Out, which is right for syncing exterior gear like grooveboxes, synths, and even lighting setups. It’s a plus when you have units that don’t help USB-MIDI. I’ve an outdated Roland Juno-106 that I hook up by way of the 5 pin MIDI connectors.
It additionally has ten line outputs (together with twin monitor units), two absolutely unbiased headphone outs, and entrance panel switching for Important/Alt screens. I actually recognize the Dim swap, which makes it simpler to rapidly scale back quantity and return to the beforehand set stage with out an excessive amount of fiddling.
Additionally: sure, it seems good. The matte-black end and refined LED metering give it a studio-ready vibe to impress guests.
Clear Acquire + “Air” Aptitude
One of many largest wins? The preamps. They’re clear, quiet, and have sufficient achieve to comfortably drive even the famously gain-hungry Shure SM7B. No cloudlifter or preamp gymnastics wanted. Simply plug in, crank it, and go. I’ve at all times needed to cope with achieve points with my SM7B on different interfaces and am glad this isn’t the case with the Scarlett. On this 4th era, Focusrite has eliminated the devoted analog achieve knobs which is a bummer for some individuals who like having arms on management however on the flip facet, the digital controls means that you would be able to save them as preset configurations which will be fairly useful. I’ve a preset for my Zoom courses and a separate one for my recording periods.
There’s additionally the Air Mode, which provides a noticeable carry within the higher frequencies, which has been a Scarlett collection staple for some time. New on this model is the “Presence + Drive” possibility, which provides only a little bit of harmonic push for vocals or devices that want to chop by means of a dense combine, splendid for layering synths or spicing up vocal hooks. A bit of little bit of analog taste, why not?
Management Room in Your Backpack
The Focusrite Management 2 software program is tremendous intuitive and makes the 18i20 really feel like a full-blown digital mixer. You’ll be able to route, combine, monitor, and tweak with out diving into your DAW. It’s extremely useful for establishing cue mixes or dealing with audio for hybrid setups. As I discussed earlier, it can save you a number of presets of your configurations for fast recall.
Uncommon Characteristic: Constructed-in Loopback
Let’s speak concerning the Scarlett 18i20’s Loopback perform which is a singular and uncommon function that I haven’t seen on any audio interface, significantly on this value vary.
With Loopback, you may internally route your system audio (DAW output, browser audio, and so forth.) again into the interface with none patch cables or workarounds. Which means:
- Stream DJ units with mic + laptop audio to Twitch or OBS
- Pattern sounds immediately from YouTube or Spotify into your DAW
- Report Zoom calls or display tutorials with each voice and system audio
- Stability backing tracks with stay vocals for a web-based efficiency
I usually use a software program loopback answer which does give me much more configuration choices, however once more good to have this built-in on the audio interface for a fast loopback answer.
Auto Acquire
Focusrite launched Auto Acquire as a solution to set ranges with a single button press. Feed in a sign, and the interface analyzes it to recommend an optimum achieve stage. At first it appeared pointless, however after utilizing it, I discovered it to be a helpful solution to get an preliminary stage for my audio alerts coming into the interface. Take note, if the incoming audio finally modifications, you’ll nonetheless have to regulate the achieve manually, or simply use the Auto Acquire possibility once more.
Last Verdict
The Scarlett 18i20 4th Gen proves you don’t must spend $1,000+ to get skilled studio high quality. Whether or not you’re a DJ routing outboard gear, a producer monitoring devices, or a stay digital artist working multichannel I/O, this interface punches above its weight.
For producers and DJs able to stage up their I/O sport, the Scarlett 18i20 4th Gen is a no brainer. Right here’s a fast record of professionals and cons to actually break it down for potential purchasers.
Professionals:
- Tremendous clear, highly effective preamps
- Slick Air mode for high-end sparkle
- Focusrite Management 2 software program is intuitive and highly effective
- Loopback = fashionable, versatile workflow
- Reasonably priced value level for the I/O rely
- Runs in standalone mode (with out laptop), one thing I don’t use a lot myself.
Cons:
- No devoted knobs for enter management
- No onboard DSP for results (however at this value, you may’t actually count on that)
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