A review and test of the latest Scarlett 2i2.
Tested on Linux and Windows with a microphone, guitar, and synthesizer.
The 2i2 is a device sometimes called a "soundcard",interface, or even a board. It's technically called a DAC/ADC or digital-to-analogue device, and it's purpose is to connect a digital device such as your computer or phone to audio devices like guitars or microphones.
New Features:
The Gen 4's major new feature is it's built-in DSP or digital signal processor. A DSP is a digital circuit for manipulating audio/video signals.
This new DSP adds:
- Auto-Tune: Option that listens to your voice/instrument, and automatically sets the level. It can also be used on both inputs and set them together for decent levels.
- Safe-Mode: Looks for high frequency/volume, and attempt to prevent clipping automatically.
- 5-volt DC Power: Allows the 2i2 to work with phones/tablets because they don't provide enough output power over USB.
Improvements:
Higher dynamic range and cleaner audio for both the pre-amps and the headphone amplifier.
- Air-Mode: Scarlett's signature feature that adds presence & gain to the input signal to achieve the sound of the classic Focusrite console pre-amps.
- Improved direct-monitoring
- Built-in Loopback for mixing/recording audio from the computer with the inputs. Ideal for live-streaming or podcasting.
What does 2i2 mean?
It's called a 2i2 because it has 2 inputs, and 2 outputs.
It can record via two channels each contain an XLR or 1/4" inch receiver.
It has both, balanced left/right 1/4" outputs for studio monitors, and a single output for headphones.
wow, i own a scarlett 2i2 first generation and despite some scratching potis it's still doing its job.
i wish, however, for some of the features they have by now implemented.
direct monitoring meaning with processing or 'temporary processing' would be super helpful. all i get directly now is the raw naked input.
also the 5v option would help greatly here, as living in a van makes me rely more on small devices rather than laptop rigs.
nice to meet you dude!
Hello there.
How do you mean processing or temporary processing? Like processing from the computer?
I've been using a 2nd gen 2i4 for a long time before I got this one.
The 2nd gen 2i4 has an input/playback mixer nob that lets mix between the computer's output over USB & the direct-input from your mic/instrument.
On the 4th gen there is no knob for this, but you can toggle direct, both, or just output form the computer.
A main issue I have with the 4th gen that I forgot to mention in my video is that the volume nobs for the mics are digital or "infinite" nobs. Meaning they turn forever in either direction.
It's a bad design choice because you want to know for certain how far turned up your input signal is because you'll often want to use it at the same volume.
The reason they changed it is because of the "Auto" function that listens to the signal and tries to set it to a good level. Plus there's just a lot more digital stuff in general.
Do you use your 2i2 with a phone/tablet?
I've never tried that, but I have an Android.
iPhone's are usually the ones used for recording music because Android has this round-trip latency issue. I know Samsung's top phones had a real-time driver for them that corrects the latency issue. But that's been years ago when I read about that.
I know they sell a lot more gear for iPhone/iPad music recording like i-Rig.
Do you have a 5v plug in the van?
There's something called a "1Spot" that lets you plug in like six 5v devices. It's designed for guitar-pedal boards so they can all be plugged in at once.
Nice to meet you as well.
oh, i guess first generation is ok then, infinite encoders sound not too useful for analog recording indeed.
i once had one of the first line6 usb interfaces and that was glorious!! i could record my signal dry but listen to it fully processed during recording. and that was years ago, like 10 years or so.
i could never believe that focusrite had not achieved the same, so i was frustrated when i found out o could only record metal guitars dry. what a not rocky way to get into the vibe of heavy music ahaha.
we have 12 volt electricity in the car and use 5v transformer outlets. no inverters to 220/110 v
guess i found a real tech nerd, awesome. i may have questions in the future and will seek your advice if you don't mind.
edit: that was the first toneport ux2 i believe, by line6
I looked up the Toneport UX2, and that is a really cool device.
With the Focusrite interfaces I think there's always an assumption that there's a computer doing the recording. I've seen people on boards complain about the Scarlet's lack of a "loopback", but I'm not entirely sure if that's the same thing you want or not.
It sounds like you want to run guitar in, and through effects/drive(in a computer I'm assuming?); then you want to be able to monitor the effects while recording it as just the clean signal?
When I use the 4th gen I'm usually monitoring the raw microphone input, but my software is capturing it with a noise-gate, compression, and envelope-filter. All of those are software effects in the computer, and I can route it any way I want it to be inside the computer.
I could definitely monitor it with or without effects while capturing it as clean in the software.
If you're trying to do it without a computer I'm not sure if it's possible-.
The Scarlet has a left and right output around back, and a single output on the front for the headphones. But I think it can only send the same signal to both.
So if you're monitoring clean in headphones the back outputs are the same thing except in left and right line-outs.
But yes, cars are typically 12v systems. Your transformer outlets I guess plug into the round 'cigarette lighter' port? I guess you would need an inverter to plug in a One-Spot.
I've known people who had a standard outlet in the back of their mini-vans, but I guess that's because it has a factory inverter.
And sure if you have any sort of questions I'd be glad to try and give you answers if I can.
I don't know how much of a tech nerd expert I am.
I've just always been a computer user, and tried different things with electronics. I've done the band/music thing too, but I'm no expert in that. Never really recorded anything but myself.
You mentioned metal guitar, and so I have to ask:
What kind of metal are you into? Metal is kind of a wide term.
I played in punk bands, and then in metalcore/grind type bands.
Converge is probably my favorite metal band, but their early sound is described as "hardcore punk with leftover Slayer riffs", but I like a lot of music. Even country :)
ye i feel similar. i started out with rock bands and metal (first band love was guano apes back then), rode the new metal wave with system of a down and other bands. i still dig limp bizkit's old sound also, man!
but then i discovered psychedelic trance and figured out that that is what i always wanted from heavy guitar music, quite to my surprise. was never into electronic music before.
i make psychedelic trance these days (when i have power for the laptop), but i will always remain a guitarist at heart.
ye i use the focusrite with a laptop, got a not so power hungry one that uses the cigarette lighter thingie, sort of. but man. for recording dry guitar while hearing it wih finest distortion when tracking, that is just the best. i am referring to electric guitar. acoustic recording is fine just listening to direct monitoring.
i have browsed a lot of music also, finding a lot of diamonds everywhere. i feel this will all add up to a more interesting style of psytrance eventually. i just dig the promise of it but it has not yet matured enough, most artists playing it safe and sounding the same which is a shame.
sorry but i got to share, this is one of my all time favorite tracks in psy. it shows what is possible. the whole album is incredible.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NaamLPp_OOM
as for a more metally feel, i have met people on nighttime dancefloors on full heavy metal outfits having the party of their life to some hightech (one of psytrance's night styles). the gruff looking dude was sooooo happy, had the biggest smile and yelled to me: "this is so much harder than metal!!". it was quite funny ;)
here is a legend from that scene, i can definitely hear the roughness and metal in it ahhaha. and the heart. hiteh trance.
needless to say both are best enjoyed on headphones or decent speakers but you know that. maybe it is a novel experience and can add something to your musical inventory.
will definitely check out converge. thanks!
I've never actually listened to Guano Apes, but I have heard of them.
I didn't get to appreciate Limp Bizkit until after they had faded, but I get it now.
I've loved System Of A Down since they popped off on MTV, and then discovering their first album really blew my mind. They really don't even fit into a mold. They sort of lost me after Steal This Album, but I love everything prior.
I often like stuff that isn't "mainstream" I guess you could say, and the albums that a band puts out before they're really making money are often the best to me.
The way music gets recorded greatly affects how it sounds, and with metal I think it's particularly hard to capture the sound right. A lot of times it loses it's "edge" when it gets recorded. Converge's guitarist Kurt Ballou runs God City Studios, and he's a very sought-after engineer particularly for heavy/aggressive music.
I checked out both of those songs you sent. It's not bad, but it's definitely dance music.
I've never been one to dance. I understand why people love dancing, and I love watching them dance. In a live event where there is dancing and motion it's actually a part of what makes it amazing. The people dancing are having an even more visceral experience than those who are watching. I know I'm missing out, but it's just not something that comes natural to me.
I've done the circle pits and moshing, but nothing that requires sequence/coordination. I've been to raves and seen live psych/trance stuff as well. There's a big annual rave in Baltimore called Starscape that probably won't happen this year because of the whole incident at the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Fort Armistead is where the rave happens, and it overlooks the bridge. They have it all blocked off it's crawling with cops and feds.
Are you in the USA? Not tryna pry or anything, but I'm curious.
I'm from Maryland on the East-Coast.
As for electronic music I like a lot of it. I'm a big fan of The Chemical Brothers. Lots of European stuff too like KMFDM, Assemblage 23, VNV Nation. That's sort of industrial though. I really like non-dance stuff too like Aphex-Twin, Cex(he's from Maryland), Kid-606, Venetian Snares, Boards Of Canada. Duran Duran Duran. I love a lot of break-beat,breakcore, IDM etc.
I have a music collection of mp3's that I started over 20 years ago. It's approaching 30k songs, and usually I have entire albums/EPs.
People used to listen to entire records, and the album itself was a piece of work.
Today everyone has playlists and there's more of a song by song thing.
By having the music myself it lets me listen to a band's entire discography album by album. I rarely use Spotify or anything like that.
Most of the music I make these days is electronic. All of the music in my videos is my music.
It's not particularly music that you can dance to though, and I think of it more in terms of a film score or something that adds a vibe to something else. Most of it is unfinished like I might be able to figure out an intro to a song, and maybe months later I'll figure out the next section of it.
I still write stuff on guitar, but I don't record it that often.
When I write music I'm not really thinking of intro, verse, chorus, bridge, outro.
It's more like an atmosphere, a texture or feeling. I'm usually not trying to add lyrics at any point.
Do you use a particular DAW? Like FL-Studo or Logic?
i have switched to bitwig when it came out years ago and never looking back.
started on cubase, tried studio one and ableton but bitwig takes the cake. modulate everything.
no i am actually in albania hunting a future home. i was in the us for a year though.
ye i feel similar, when a band gets too big their sounds start feeling stale. the hypnotize mezmerize era of soad was when i stopped caring.
will check out some of those names.idm in europe tends to be faster, more trancy than dubsteppy.
hopefully i can make some music in the next weeks. there is a housesitting gig coming up.
blessings dude
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