(see rating details)

Verified Purchaser zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.

I’m a keyboard player with a lot of hardware synths. I used a Focusrite 4i4 and a 12-channel mixer for years, but needed more inputs and better routing for outboard effects.After trying—and fighting with—several mixers, I upgraded to the Focusrite 18i20. Actually, I bought three. That gives me 24 analog inputs and 26 analog outputs. Connecting everything was a breeze, the sound quality is superb, recording is easier, and routing is dramatically simpler than dealing with analog mixers.I called Focusrite support with what turned out to be a silly question. They answered almost immediately and had the answer right away. That kind of support gives me confidence.Zzounds has also been awesome: next-day delivery, payment plans when needed, and painless returns. I’ve even bought Open Box “Very Good” and “Like New” gear—everything has arrived mint, with the same manufacturer warranty and return/exchange policy. Their warehouse clearly takes care in what they send out.After a lot of recent studio drama and headaches, going digital was absolutely the right move. My 4i4 was rock-solid for years, so jumping into the deep end with three 18i20s was an easy transition for my workflow.For context, I primarily use an Akai MPC X/XL and Logic on Mac.

(see rating details)

Verified Purchaser zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.

3 stars for me. Started to hear a buzzing noise about 2 months after purchase. Thought is was coming from speaker cables. Changed cables and still heard buzzing. Noise went away for a quick moment and went to chain, external mic pre, compressor, and then to audio interface and the buzzing came back. I would love to trade this in and buy something else from Focusrite. I have used focusrite for over 15 years and had no issues until this unit. I do believe that Focusrite has a great design here but I have way too much gear and need a dedicated source along with my Mytek converters. Looking for a new interface.

(see rating details)

Verified Purchaser zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.

My first impression hooking up this interface. Wow. The kit is very well done, from the hardware, firmware and software. There is a standard AC cord plug in the back and a power switch on the front. There are eight inputs with only two being instrument-capable inputs. You'll have to get a pre-amp or an additional Scarlett if you need more. I have a couple of stereo keyboards (GS e7, Yamaha reface) that eat up half my inputs. You can chain additional Scarletts together to act as one interface. Although I don't foresee a need to update the hardware, hopefully backward compatibility is considered for a (future) Gen 5. I had some difficulty getting enough gain on the Scarlett while keeping the noise down. Auto-gain feature is nice but I find it silly on this type of equipment, as any musician will manually adjust their gain how it is needed. In the end, I adjusted the pre-amp and ran the Scarlett gain 'warm'.The software and firmware updating is excellent. Needed an update out of the box, was quick. And within a week later another update was available and automatically applied with no fuss. Easy Peasy.