The New Focusrite Scarlett Solo Audio Interface

[note: since this article was originally written, Focusrite is on “3rd generation” Scarlett products]

Focusrite has just released a new audio interface – the Scarlett Solo. I have been using the Scarlett 2i2, now the big brother of the new Solo, as my primary studio interface for a couple of years now. What’s so great about the new Solo?

It’s perfect for folks who want the same quality of the Focusrite preamps and and converters (analog-to-digital), but don’t need to record with two mics at the same time. The 2i2 has two microphone inputs that allow you to record two things simultaneously. But even as a musician, I almost never make use of that capability. I primarily record one thing at a time, and layer them track by track.

So if you’re like me and don’t really need to record more than one thing at a time, or if you are not a musician at all, but only record voiceovers, video narrations, podcasts, etc., then the Solo is perfect for you! And because it only has the single microphone input, it is much less expensive than the 2i2 at just under a hundred bucks.

Because of the lower cost for the same quality, we just replaced the interface in our Home Recording Starter Kit with the Scarlett Solo, lowering its price in the process.

Details

So what does the new unit pack into its smaller package? It’s easily portable and connects via USB into any Windows or Mac desktop or laptop. It has a single Focusrite microphone preamp, phantom power, along with an instrument/line input. So it’s great for singer/songwriters, or folks who only ever need to record one microphone at a time. It records 24-bit resolution and sample rates up to 96 KHz. And it comes with Ableton Live Lite software and some free loops as well.

CLICK HERE to see more or buy one.