Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Studio 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface Bundle for the Songwriter with Condenser Microphone and Headphones for Recording, Streaming and Podcasting, Red

EDIT: I bought these in 2020 and it's now the end of 2025. The DAC remains perfect but I retired the headphones two years ago for some cans by Beyerdynamics. I stand by my review and think the 2i2 is the gold standard for people who want a good entry level DAC set. I purchased this as I was in need of a set of studio headphones and the ability to connect my electric guitar to my PC for working on music in Ableton. Some observations: - HEADPHONES: Audio quality is very good. I was using some Sony WH-1003X Ms to produce previously, with the main issue being that audio quality was only useful when it was powered. The Scarlett headphones were able to easily meet that quality. I personally find the 1003X-Ms far more comfortable - for my head shape/ ear size the Scarlett headphones feel a little tight, and get quite uncomfortable when used constantly over a few hours. I purchased replacement ear padding for the HyperX Cloud 2 headsets and used them on the Focusrite headphones, and that solves the discomfort issue. - INTERFACE: So much utility in the 2i2 interface itself. Being able to set the volume/gain on each channel, and being able to hear your inputs in near-real-time is amazing. The latency in monitoring your own voice very low, which is great for checking your own voice volume/ quality. Being able to power/ depower the Scarlett Mic direct from the interface is very useful. - MICROPHONE: The microphone is crystal clear and very crisp. It's got quite a bit of heft to it, and is compatible with most threaded microphone mounts. I don't see a need for using anything like a pop filter with this mic. I'm very happy with the microphone in particular - I'm no audiophile so more experienced audio hobbyists probably have more detailed opinions on the mic and whether it's worth the price. Overall I am quite content with this purchase. Hopefully the headphones will break in a bit more, but even in that case I think that the 2i2 interface and microphone are very good.

I bought this as an upgrade from a Razr plug and play (which was very good). I manage the sound clips through the Adobe products which, I have to admit, I don't know how to work very well. The sound quality from this is a huge improvement. I was delighted it didn't need an additional power supply*, and it only needed a bit of activity on the web to get everything working perfectly. The instructions were clear. * I think it has quite a draw of power, so I plugged it into the rear USBs, not the front ones. I think my front USB share the power and there sometimes isn't enough for demanding equipment. The kit appears as options as exepcted in all software, including video conferencing and across windows. The sound is very clear and rich. I only use it for speech. It is fairly directional and is quite good at excluding background. The only thing I didnt like was the absence of a pop filter in the set, it needs one. There are people here who know much more technical stuff, but for a beginner, this gives wonderful recordings.

Register product immediately with focusrite. This will allow you to get the ableton live 11 daw. Follow the ableton set up instructions. This took me about an hour, not the 10 min stated, probably because I'm completely new to daws. Ableton explains everything slowly and allows you to take your time getting it right for your system. Scarlett is very easy to use through ableton and has crystal clear sound quality. A lot of reviews I read before purchase talked of the difficulty in setup but I just followed the instructions with patience and I had recorded my first track by that evening. Don't expect to be mixing your own albums that night but tbh the sound levels were the only thing I manipulated and the rest just took care of itself. Great piece of kit, quality sounds and loads of fun.

Does everything well. It's small well designed and affordable. It has a walk you through on line how to set it up,and tutorials for use. A good studio must have for beginners and pro musicians.

This Focusrite bundle is a really good starter setup for an indie home studio setup. The gear has a cool, distinct look with the deep red and black colouring, very stylish. The audio interface works excellently and is quite easy to set up. It's recommended you go through the activation and setup videos on the Focusrite website as this will show you how to use the interface, and the activation gives you access to free software, including the lite version of recording software Ableton. To get the full benefit of tutorials and getting the software installed, it can take upwards of an hour, but it is well worth putting in the extra effort to learn the ins and outs. The interface is easy to use, with two input jacks that can either be used to plug in instruments such as electric guitars, digital pianos and other instruments with a pickup and 6.25mm jacks, or can be used with a XLR microphone. You can increase the gain on each, and a green/yellow/red light will flash to show you whether the volume is in a healthy level or if it's too high and distorted. With instruments, you can choose the 'inst' and 'air' options which will improve the clarity and balance of recording with certain instruments. Best setups are explained in the tutorials videos. There is also an output for headphone use, and an 'output monitoring' mode which lets you hear your recording in real time so you get instant feedback. The interface comes with its own ASIO driver which you can select for use in recording software to improve the buffer quality, sample size with the focusrite control panel. Reducing buffer can reduce latency but may result in audio distortion especially in output. The headphones included are pretty damn good. They have a beefy sound, while also maintaining a very solid clarity. They are fairly comfortable, although I think they are a little heavy on the clamping effect. The output monitoring works well with these headphones and they are also good for general music listening. The microphone included is also good, it's easy to use and by using the 48v function on the interface, doesn't require any extra power. There is no mic stand included, so if you don't have one already, I'd highly recommend purchase one along with this set. Sound quality for the microphone is pretty good, sounds quite clear though it did sometimes pick up a little background hiss and popping as there's no filter included. The bundled software makes for great value for money with this set. Ableton is an excellent piece of software that can be used to create some great recordings. The included version is the 'lite' which includes the basic recording setup and a few samples and effects. The pro version can be purchased if you want the full suite of options but the 'lite' here is plenty sufficient for beginners. You can also access some digital amps and other effects software through this, though you will need to individually register for each, which is a bit annoying and time consuming during setup. Overall, I would very much recommend this bundle. Focusrite is a leading brand in audio interfaces, and the scarlet 2i2 is a great piece of kit. The included headphones, mic and software are on the more basic end but make for an excellent overall package. The RRP is perhaps a bit pricey for starters, but I have seen this discounted on several occasions which makes this even better value.

very good interface one of the best fell few times but like new i dont use the mic anymore i us a black spirt and audio technica headphones

What an amazing little beauty this is. Records perfectly. Works really well with my DAW. It is without a doubt the best home recording interface you can get for less than £300. It’s easy to set up and easy to use. Simply plug it into your laptop or PC and follow the instructions. The only thing I would recommend though is that in order to prevent things like latency or drop outs, you’ll need to have 8gb of ram in your computer. This ensures crystal clear click free recordings.

'Focusrite' ... A solid well made and presented piece of equipment. Looking forward to using this for 'live' instrument and vocals music recording. I do like the headphones and also use these with my audio music system. Worth a mention .... I found the software download and activation for 'Pro-tools' which is linked to this package, from 'Avid' to be a bit difficult to access and set up using 'iLok' . A rather confusing procedure and not too well explained ... try 'YouTube' ! Also note that you appear to have to 'log into' the 'Avid' website in order to use this software once you get it set up. Not so good if you are recording with no 'wi-fi' around ! I haven't yet tried alternatives such as 'Ableton' or maybe 'Audacity' ? Nevertheless first impressions for hardware suggest 'looking good !'

The interface and mic along with the headphones sounded very well, heard very well and I was able to plug-in my guitar without any issues and clean hearing

It is extremely high quality, bought in 2022 still works nice today, nice editing software it comes with but only 1 year trial or few months i dont recollect. The only issue I have ever faced with it is sometimes when the headphones only have volume coming from one of the ear buds but there are solutions for that if you try.

Es pequeño y perfecto!! Llegó a tiempo, muy fácil de instalar y entender! Es de una calidad perfecta para trabajar como actor de doblaje y locución, es muy conocido entre profesionales que se dedican a ese mundo. Compré además un estuche para transportarlo y está genial, ya que te puedes llevar tu trabajo a cualquier lugar del mundo. Sin duda es una excelente inversión!

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Muito boa a placa e o microfone. O fone também é bom, porém aperta um pouco mais as orelhas devido a pressão das espumas.