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].