FocusriteScarlett 18i8 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface for Recording, Producing and Engineering — High-Fidelity, Studio Quality Recording, with Transparent Playback

***If you are looking for an industry professional or musician's take, read another review. I am neither.***I write this review with utter sadness, because I bought this after returning the Apollo Solo. That Apollo Solo was so beautiful. Sounded so fantastic. Had features I could only dream about. Sadly, my setup just could not handle it. One day, I will upgrade my hardware that includes a Thunderbolt 3 header. Then I can buy the X4 variant. Then the API and Maag EQ will be waiting for me in my UA account.With that obituary out of the way, let's talk about the Focusrite 8i6.I wanted something I could rackmount, but I did not need 8 mic preamps. I am just one person, and I am not recording a band, or having guests on a podcast or radio show. I am simply messing with "music", even though I am not a musician or audio engineer. I might just put this on a 1u rack shelf, because my space is limited. I encourage Focusrite to make something to make the smaller units rackmountable, even if I have to buy it separately. Thank you in advance.*Features*The features are straightforward. 4 line ins, MIDI, coax, 4 outs, 2 pres, 2 headphone jacks, and maybe some other things I forgot. That leaves plenty of flexibility for my personal setup. The one feature I am really loving is the Focusrite Control software. Very easy to use, and has a loopback feature. That is very nice, because I do not have to resort to Voicemeeter Banana. My setup hates Voicemeeter Banana. So anytime I can avoid that, I am one happy guy. The old 2i2 does not have the loopback feature. So now I can stream without having to use the native Windows drivers to stream.*Price*It's not UA level price, but it is not exactly cheap, either. If you do not need that many inputs or features, you might be better off getting something smaller. However, if you want loop back, etc., make sure you double check what the software offers you! Do not be afraid to look and ask around.*Included software*I am sure some will find the bundled software useful and good. I am sure it is wonderful. However, I have Ableton Live 11 Standard and Studio One 5 Pro. The included Control panel is really nice.*Would I recommend it?*Yes. If it suits your needs. There's lots of interfaces to choose from. The only advice I have for you is, do not fall for the shills or the gear snobs. They are not paying your bills. Always, always get what serves you best, and what is in your budget. The point is to have fun and be productive. Not show the size of your lollipop.

This is my second Focusrite interface and I just can't find anything to complain about. They have durable metal bodys, knobs have a nice rubbery grip to them and turn very smooth. I had the last interface for years and it still works great, I just needed more inputs so I upgraded to the 18i8. I notice zero noise from the unit itself. Pots are noiseless when adjusting levels and dont add any crackles or hiss. The jacks are solid and grip cables tightly. This one even has Midi capability which has been nice for my multi synth setup. I have found that the Focusrite Control app has been fairly easy to use and I was able to get it up and running with very little effort and confusion. The price was also cheaper than my usual musical instrument outlets by a considerable amount, although I noticed that the price would go up and down while it was in my cart before I pulled the trigger.

My Line 6 UX2 was fun in its time, but it was long past time for an upgrade. This Focusrite box is just about perfect for what I do. It has independent power instead of drawing from the USB port. It has 4 monitor outputs instead of the 2 I had. It has 2 headphone jacks as well so you can have another set of ears in the mix if you want. This box is also capable of supernatural sampling rates up to 192 khz. If we get bionic hearing someday we might notice it.Has a metal case instead of plastic. Setup could be accomplished by a 5 year old in about a half hour. If you don't hear your headphones, reinstall the drivers, restart, and make sure you click the follow up prompt when you login to finish. Then everything is controlled in the Focusrite Control software. The only thing that sucks about the software is you can't use the sliders with the mouse, you have to physically turn the volume knobs. The software just provides a graphic to show the levels. Not a big deal, but sometimes a person's interface is buried so you have to reach. Would be nice of the sliders controlled the knobs as well, but that is a motion controller that would have to be soldered into the next model with code written for it. Might not be able to keep it under 500 bucks that way.The 18i8 is meant to make music or podcast, but it is a great base for an entertainment system. Movies with quad monitors where you can control the pans to get it dialed in perfectly to your location in the room. Yeah, might want to rewatch star wars after setting something like that up. PvP gaming is insane because you can setup the quads to where you can hear footsteps from any direction, like you are actually getting jumped.

I am very impressed with this unit. I have only had it for a week or so, but so far I can say it's exactly what I've been needing to get back into recording. I was an original user of the Aardvark audio interface that was way ahead of it's time 20 years ago, and I never fully recovered from it being put out of support. Finding this unit and all it's features and easy connection to something like an iPhone is incredible. Eventually I will get a Mac to use with it, but this thing is awesome.

Focusrite keeps upping the quality and capabilities of their interfaces and the 16i16 is a great example of their commitment to small setups. I have yet to delve into the software but so far as some basic vocals it’s not needed. The dual air modes sound as expected, the mic interfaces are nice and clean, and the bump to 24/192 makes the cost worth it. Then throw in the ability to do routing (up to 96kHz) amongst the extra line ins/outs, optical, and ADAT connections. Perfect for a small studio. The only thing I’m missing from this, that some of the larger have, is the speaker “thump” protection since I have multiple Mac’s and sometimes need to switch my peripherals between them. I do appreciate the ability to provide continuous separate power from the usb.