Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 3rd Gen Reviews

all you ever need from audio interface

Pros:

- So far it works stable with windows 11, that is the most important thing. - All king of inputs/outputs.

- Simple but functional control center.

- Rack mount is possible.

- Internal power suply to use with standard power cable.

- Lost of control from the front panel. Knobs and buttons feel sturdy.

- Fast startup time.

- Works standalone, without connected computer.

- I was sceptical about the Air function, but it is actualy very nice, will see how it works in the mix. Overall souns is good, but im no pro, just serious hobbiest.

- Price

Cons:

- Noisy click when turning on and some other situation, but really nothing major, it doesnt influence recording or playback, but I had to mention that, hence 4* for quality.

- No internal mixer, but at this price range it is not really a con. Anyway, if I ever needed one, I can buy separate piece of hardware.

Conclusion:

Previusly I had more advanced and more expesive usb audio interface from motu, but I changed it because of connectivity issues with new windows 11. Now I have Focusrite, that si simpler, but more functional and cheaper solution. This is what i have been looking for home recording. 100% satisfied.

Amazing audio interface

I use it for different multichannel setups and it works like a charm!

For example:

Stereo and Stereo 2.1

5.1 Surround Sound

Easy Setup, Great Sound

Was upgrading from a Behringer interface, and found this to be extremely helpful in my current audio setup. The digital interface they have is very functional and easy to use, and the setup itself was very easy, with an online guide and user manual to help you along the way. Overall a great product!

I wanted to buy an interface after I ran out of options with my line6 , and this is exactly what I was looking for. Great Sound, easy handling and you can tell by the look its no low budget or cheap item, it just feels super premium. Great choice for me and I think you won't regret purchasing if you want great sound with lots of inputs just in case you need it.

Great Product

It's a great product, great quality, looks good, and is overall useful.

I just wish that it had a bit more flexibility when it comes to the interface connected to my computer, and also a Direct Monitor On/Off switch, since I mostly use this in my home studio.

Absolutely Awesome

Good quality, perfect for surround. Absolutely awsome device. I already use my works before. And now it's for my home system.

Excelent product

I have 2 of these for my drums recording. They are just fenomenal!

Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 3rd Gen

A great interface,i'm using for micing drums so plenty of ins to great pre-amps,also using the midi connections for electric kit, all works well no issues latencey etc, the talk back and monitoring software included make for an excellent bundle.

Currently looking for a negative

I went from a 2i2 first-gen Focusrite to this beauty and was overwhelmed at how good this is!

Not quite "plug and play" as I had to download a driver but this is not an issue for me. I even got a little confused over software and the customer service on the Focusrite website were instantly helpful even at 3am in the morning.

I am really enamoured with the routing possibilities from the app and im looking forward to putting this unit to the test properly.

1 of the best audio interfaces that ive used

The unit is not very heavy but it still feels premium and solid. it has an 8 mic preamp/input on the unit itself, which I find is just enough if you're starting to record live drums. However, you'll need a separate preamp to use all 18inputs that this unit has.

The mic-preamps have a -15db pad toggle on it, and when I use certain mics with it, I found that it'll clip at around -10db to -20db. I don't know whether its is a problem with my unit or something that all units have. I don't know what caused it, but I haven't re-encounter that problem since then.

I am super satisfied with this product! I was able to test recording acoustic drums and only the raw sound sounds good! Even using low-quality microphones, it seems that the interface gives a certain color to the sound. Really good. The knobs are very smooth, the sound output quality is very good. It is well worth the price and for someone who wants to record with multiple inputs, this is the perfect interface!

Fantastic Interface!

Very pleased with this device. All the I/O I could want for my needs with superb build quality and UI. Very easy to set up with my laptop.

Très fiable

Je l'utilise pour des lives avec ableton, cette carte son est très fiable au design élégant. Le rendu sonore est très bon. Je recommande !

All-In-One

Ich nutze den 18i20 3rd Gen schon seit längerem und habe keinerlei Beschwerden. Der Preamp ist für meine Ohren sehr transparent, die Haptik fühlt sich gut an. Ich verstehe das manche die "zu kleinen" Regler bemängeln, aber ich habe damit kein Problem. Das Interface bietet viele Erweiterungsmöglichkeiten, zu dem ich nicht viel sagen kann, da ich sie bis heute nicht verwenden musste. Verwenden tue ich das Interface primär in meinem Home Studio, wurde aber auch schon für kleiner Live Gigs eingesetzt.

Ich finde es sehr sinnvoll, dass es einen Talkback Mic integriert hat, jedoch muss man dafür das Interface direkt vor den Augen haben oder über die Focusrite Control bedienen. Zweiteres funktioniert zwar, aber dann ist man zu weit weg vom Talback Mic - also alles etwas semi optimal wenn man das Interface in einem Siderack verbaut hat.

Ideal for an advanced home studio

For years i have searched for an audio interface with all the capabilities and reliability that i had some years ago with my trusted Edirol DA-2496. I tried many products with different capabilities, always with mixed results, especially in the driver stability and reliability department.

As of now my quest seems to be over - I finally have what for me is the ideal interface to create what i desire - within the objectives and economic reality of my (home) studio. This interface gives me all the capabilities i needed and was used to, with updated specs and added functionalities.

I hope this will keep working and sounding as good and as seamlessly as it has for many years.

Pros: Good sound, standalone operation, multiple connections, reliability, stability, bang for the buck

Cons: none

For the price, one of the best interfaces I've ever used!!

The build quality of the unit is fantastic, and the fact that it is a rack unit just makes it even better! The nobs in this thing are the softest and most comfortable nobs I've ever used, and focusrite software, which is compatible with all interfaces of this brand, makes the unit very customizable.

The only downside is that the 48v option is only available for groups of inputs, not individual inputs.

In short, it is an incredible interface, and compared to other interfaces in the same price range, focusrite's is much better.

Lots of i/o!

Really great interface with lots of in/out versitality. Perfect if you want to record drums of maybe a few artists at the same time. Works great with the Focusrite Control software. Definitely best you can get price-wise

A PITA for Linux users

While physically speaking the quality of this unit is great, the software implementation leaves a lot to be desired. Many configuration options, such as extending the number of inputs through the ADAT connection, require using the Focusrite Control proprietary software suite, which is only available for Windows and Mac. Why not make all options configurable without a PC, and especially without a proprietary piece of software?

This device desperately needs hardware controls for user settings. With that, all Focusrite would really need to do to provide Linux support is to make the device USB class compliant. Unfortunately, since the driver is proprietary, the Linux driver is a reverse-engineered one that works but still has some issues, the device being as new as it is. The free/open source community will fix the driver issues in time, and the device is already quite usable, but all the troulbe make one beg the question: why make things so difficult, Focusrite?

Otherwise, the device is fine. Lots of inputs right into your PC - what more can you ask for.

Incredible Sound " Super Versatile" Home / Live Show

18i20 has facilitated my setup for my live shows and recordings in my home studio. From the midi synchro via USB which is perfect to the Audio Quality in the multiple and varied configurations on inputs, I currently have korg drum machines connected and synths, minilogue xd, moog Subsequent 37 and the recording is Brutal with AIR Function and without AIR it is wonderful.

Recomended ! Easy Setup, quality & good price !

Solid and good for the money

The unit is not very heavy but its still feels premium and solid. it has 8 mic preamp/input on the unit itself, which I find is just enough if you're starting to record live drums. However you'll need a separate preamp to use all 18inputs that this unit has.

The mic-preamps has a -15db pad toggle on it, and when I use certain mics with it, I found that it'll clip at around -10db to -20db. I don't know whether its is a problem with my unit or something that all units has. I don't know what caused it, but I haven't re-encounter that problem since then.

For day to day uses, It runs smoothly. its actually plug-n-play, but if you use its control software downloading from their website, you can get much more out of it in terms of internal routing. However, I have experienced occasionally, the control software would say the hardware is not connected even thought the computer is clearly using it to play sound from my daw. Usually it will resolves itself after I restart the control software after waiting a few minutes or restarting my computer.

Monitoring 5.1

I bought it to monitor 5.1 on windows with 3 x Yamaha HS7 and 2 x Yamaha HS5.

It works well ! I can save mixes and switch from 2.0 to 5.1 using the monitor I want.

It just lacks compressor, EQ for the outputs.