Canadian Musician - January / February 2020 | Page 22

ROAD TEST Focusrite Scarlett 3 rd Generation 18i20 Recording Interface By Drew Robertson I recently got my hands on the latest iteration of Focusrite’s flagship record- ing interface, the Scarlett 18i20. With a new look and upgraded electronics, how does it compare to its studio-staple predecessors? Appearance & Construction Gone is the bright red anodized metal hous- ing of the first two generations, replaced with a smooth black finish that now features a red accent ring around the front to show its heri- tage. You’ll also immediately notice the lack of rackmount points on the front of the unit, but fear not – Focusrite has given us the option of attaching included rackmount “ears” to discreet attachment points underneath rubber grom- mets on either side. Addressing the front of the unit from left to right, you have the two front-side XLR/combo jacks that also act as instrument inputs. Then we have our two 48-V phantom switches and eight preamp pots. The pots feel great; they’re much easier to manipulate and feel very precise. Next, we’re presented with the improved LED meter display. The monitor segments have been enlarged, making them much easier to read at a glance, which I definitely appreciate. Arrayed below the monitor segments are indicators for sync lock, MIDI input, and USB sync, all of which are easy to see when in use. Lastly, we have a monitor control section with a dedicated talkback mic switch, alt speak selector (another nice new addition), dim and mute switches, the monitor gain pot, and twin headphone outputs. Focusrite differentiates the monitor gain and headphone pots from the preamp pots by mak- ing them out of grooved metal – nice work. Moving to the rear of the device, we have the remainder of our I/O and expansion I/O. The only change you’ll notice from the older models here is the switch to a USB type C port for PC connectivity and the addition of a second ADAT 22 C A N A D I A N M U S I C I A N port, allowing you to track a full 16 channels at up to 96 kHz. Talk about punching above your weight class... The only thing I miss over the older gen- eration is the highlighting on the line out jacks that denoted the main monitor outs; it’s a mi- nor gripe, but in the dark, it helps to be able to quickly pick out my main lineouts. Sound & Electronics The 18i20 has always had a great sound for its price point and the third generation does not disappoint. Like previous versions, it comes equipped with eight Scarlett preamps, all of which have been upgraded with a new design that promises smoother gain and more head- room. I was able to get a workable level with my Heil PR40, which has a relatively low output of about -53dB, whereas with the older versions I would have needed a gain booster to have a workable signal. The two front inputs benefit from a rede- sign that improves sonic quality and headroom when dealing with super-hot instrument pick- ups. Another new addition is that of a dedi- cated talkback mic built in between the front preamps. This can also be assigned to any other preamp via the talkback switch or within the software. The biggest feature new to the 18i20 is the inclusion of the AIR circuit on each pre- amp – previously reserved for the higher-end Clarett and Red series. AIR is an effect modeled on Focusrite’s classic ISA preamp design and it sounds fantastic. I liked it so much that I ended up just leaving it on most of the time. Overall, I like what Focusrite has done with the electronics on this generation. The up- grades are logical and add a boatload of value to an already feature-packed device. Workflow Working with the 18i20 has always been straight- forward and logical and it’s only gotten better over time. Between the physical improvements to the device itself and the bountiful changes to Focusrite’s companion Control software, it’s never been easier to get up and running within minutes of set-up. Within Control, you’re able to change just about any feature of the interface that you could need. It’s also where you’ll find the AIR mode switch as well as digital controls for your instrument mode switch on channels one and two and the pads. While direct out mode is the default setting, the 18i20 is capable of routing just about any signal to any output, making configuration very easy. Like the second generation before it, this one can operate in surround mode. On Mac OS, it’s possible to do this all of the time, but in Windows, it’s unfortunately limited to your DAW of choice due to ASIO driver limitations. Summary I’m really impressed with the third-generation Scarlett 18i20. Focusrite managed to take what was already a feature-packed device for its class and bring it to a whole new level. You get top- tier features in a budget-friendly package and it really shows that the company is paying atten- tion to the consumer and prosumer market. This is a great interface with enough expansion and flexibility to see you through almost any project, even allowing you to mix in 5.1 or 7.1 surround. With seemingly unlimited options out there for engineers, I think Focusrite has delivered a compelling product that’s even worth an up- grade from a previous model thanks to the new features. Way to knock it out of the park, Focusrite. Drew Robertson is an audio engineer, live sound tech, and educator. He is based out of London, ON, and is the co-owner of Prosperity Audio Works. He can be reached at [email protected].