Your purchase also gets you a bundle of other goodies as well. The folks at Focusrite have characterized the models from the Scarlett USB interface series with the following attributes – “great speed, high-quality, superb conversion, excellent low-latency performance, and sample rates up to 192kHz”. I'm also in kind of the same dilemma here, I can't choose between the Apogee Element 24 and the Focusrite Clarett 2pre. Focusrite's attention to quality shines through with this relatively affordable, gorgeous-sounding, incredibly fast 10-in/4-out Thunderbolt interface. Also thrown in is a respectable collection of plugins by Focusrite (Red2 and Red3) and Softube (Time and Tone Bundle). The immediate appeal of the Clarett 2Pre lies in its ease of use, solid integration with the Control software, and excellent sound. The larger models sell for $600 (4Pre USB) and $800 (8Pre USB) respectively, if you need more physical inputs to be used at the same time. The name carries weight - until now, it had been restricted to the costlier Thunderbolt-equipped models only. Everything is clear and straightforward and won’t confuse even a novice user. The Inst and Air LEDs are activated in the Focusrite Control software: Inst mode is for use with guitars and other high-impedance instruments, and the Air setting changes the impedance of the mic preamps, giving a "transformer resonance effect" that enhances the mid and high frequencies. I have a Clarett 8preX and I love the 8 Focusrite Pres as well as the "Air" prrocessing. My 2015 MacBook Pro is USB 2.0, so the unit powers up but Control tells me I need to connect the supplied PSU, which I do, and we’re up and running. When recording, I set u… Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2016 style: 8Pre – 18 in / 20 out Verified Purchase I have always been a loyal customer of Focusrite. Via a patchbay I also have 2 Chameleon Labs 7602mkll channel strips and a PreSonus RC500 Channel strip connected to the 8preX trs inputs that provide different sonic qualities. Very low latency and noise. Clarett 2Pre | Focusrite Skip to main content The high quality of the design and great results from the Clarett USB make it an excellent choice for anyone needing just a couple of inputs at a time - or who occasionally needs to add more via the ADAT input. The Clarett USB interfaces come in thee models - 2, 4 and 8, representing the number of individual physical inputs they have, although each model actually has rather more thanks to the availability of ADAT optical in. I think he's a robot -- Jim Collison . But wait! All rights reserved. Cons: No USB power over USB-A. Very portable. While this software offers a control panel to deal with the routing and clocking of digital connections, and some other global preferences, its primary function is to build low-latency monitoring mixes combining pre-DAW input signals with post-DAW software ret… It’s very solidly built of course and comes with a power supply although computers with a 15W USB-C port will be able to bus power the interface where available. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, So it is that Focusrite, that well-regarded developer of high end studio hardware, has brought its Clarett marque to the masses with the Clarett USB range. Good build quality. Web: https://global.focusrite.com/usb-audio-interfaces/clarett-2pre-usb, Hollin Jones was classically trained as a piano player but found the lure of blues and jazz too much to resist. The addition of MIDI ports is nice too, meaning there’s no need to add a second interface to bring MIDI hardware into your recording setup. Published Friday, May 13, 2016. There’s Ableton Live Lite, 2GB of Loopmasters samples, XLN Audio’s Addictive Keys, Focusrite’s Red plugin suite and Softube’s Time and Tone bundle. Create an account or login to get started! 67% Upvoted. report. Read honest and unbiased product reviews … Although software control panels for interfaces aren’t new, this one is especially user friendly and the fact it can run on an iOS device as well means no more going back to the computer to change settings - perfect for anyone recording themselves performing. All in all it’s pretty hard to go wrong with the way the unit is laid out. The low noise and high quality of Clarett absolutely shone through. The rednets are cool but $$$$ and you can beat them easily for less money for sound quality. The two mic/line/instrument inputs can record everything from condenser mics to super-hot pickups with no unwanted distortion – Gain Halo meters make it easy for you to set the input level. This is an audio interface that upgrades and expands upon the features […] The Scarlett range makes very good use of Focusrite’s 3rd generation of Scarlett preamps, which are the result of over 30 years of research and design. 10-in, 4-out Audio Interface For PC And Mac® Direct monitoring is possible using the Control app to set up a specific routing, and  latency was very low with regular recording tasks. The 2Pre gives you Focusrite Clarett mic preamps with switchable AIR, ADAT optical input, MIDI I/O, and 4 analog line outs in a desktop-friendly footprint. On the rear panel is power and a lock port, as well as four individual line outputs and a USB port. Hollin Jones finds out what all the fuss is about. One Over The 8Pre Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. The Claret 2pre is the only one that occupies a good price point. The Clarett 2Pre offers 2 combination XLR/TRS inputs; 4 line outputs; S/PDIF and MIDI I/O; and up to 8 channels of additional digital inputs via ADAT. The two front panel inputs are on combi jack/XLR sockets, each with a Gain knob and a phantom power switch. The electronics are first class, it’s easy to use and the results are excellent. Clarett 2Pre USB is a 10-in, 4-out audio interface. Visit our corporate site. The low roundtrip latency meant I could use decent quality reverbs on my vocal while recording without experiencing latency. Focusrite Clarett 2Pre USB. Perfect for the home studio that needs MORE. Focusrite: Clarett 2Pre & 8Pre USB Interfaces Reviewed by Josh Boughey , Andy Hong , Brandon Miller In January 2018, Focusrite introduced USB2.0 class compliant versions of three audio interfaces in the Clarett range that were previously available as Thunderbolt-only devices, opening up the range to greater compatibility across macOS and Windows. 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