Focusrite Clarett 2Pre USB Audio Interface

This is a midrange interface in terms of price, but the audio quality is absolutely superb and the hardware is easy to use. It's solid and the controls feel great - plus the indicators on the front are obvious and useful. The focusrite control software which operates some of the features and routing is not very intuitive, and needs a bit of playing around with to see what is possible in terms of routing. The bundled plugins are a bonus. Its USB-C connection is backwards compatible with USB and cables are provided - I went with this version over the thunderbolt as an attempt at future proofing. This is about the 10th interface I have had, and is by far the best value for money.

I was waiting some time for this to come to the supplier then to store. When i opened it, the from red panel (right side say above the headphone knob) had pulled away. It's metal.. was it missing glue? not sure.... i could push it back but i questioned the build quality after hearing it's amazing... the back plastic panel also seems flimsy and not completely stuck in place. it was super odd and concerning. it works great, but i think it might be a manufacturer issue.

Pre's sound great, and the interface proper is as flexible and powerful as I need for a home studio with multiple instrument setups along with voiceover requirements and has already slotted into my studio making my workflow easy and efficient.The extra software packages Focusrite offer are fantastic, I have a new EQ from Eventide, and a $90 grand piano from XLN Audio that is exquisite.One side note, if you buy one and Output 3 &4/Headphones don't seem to be working, don't worry. When I rang Focusrite it seems that certain units have been set to the wrong clock source. Just go to the file menu in the free included Focusrite Control application and reset to factory settings and all will be good.Only niggle in what is a great value, solid product with fantastic ... MorePre's sound great, and the interface proper is as flexible and powerful as I need for a home studio with multiple instrument setups along with voiceover requirements and has already slotted into my studio making my workflow easy and efficient.The extra software packages Focusrite offer are fantastic, I have a new EQ from Eventide, and a $90 grand piano from XLN Audio that is exquisite.One side note, if you buy one and Output 3 &4/Headphones don't seem to be working, don't worry. When I rang Focusrite it seems that certain units have been set to the wrong clock source. Just go to the file menu in the free included Focusrite Control application and reset to factory settings and all will be good.Only niggle in what is a great value, solid product with fantastic extras.

This was an upgrade from an older Audio Interface which didn't have full Windows 10 support,Its a beautifully crafted interface, the controls are nicely laid out, the audio clarity is superb, both with my SE2200 Condenser Mic and my Acoustic Guitar pickup system. The supplied software enables detailed control of features. The AIR setting really adds a clarity to the upper frequencies. I'm glad I upgraded, I did my research before buying but its definitely a product that lives up to its reputation.

An awesome Interface; but be ready for some pain if using under Windows

Hands down this has been the best audio interface I've used to date granted I've been using a number of USB based mixers and/or audio interfaces. Once thunderbolt connectivity issues were solved - this came up pretty easily and software for this device makes it a very robust recording and even decent little hardware mixer. Most of my issues were from using Windows; Focusrite has been a Mac developer for a number of years with their interfaces with Windows support for these new Thunderbolt devices only arriving late 2016. As such the software is still in beta and support using Thunderbolt 3 can be patchy - see Focusrite's website for more details. If you want to ease your user pains and are using a Thunderbolt 3 Windows workstation like myself; be sure to get the ... MoreHands down this has been the best audio interface I've used to date granted I've been using a number of USB based mixers and/or audio interfaces. Once thunderbolt connectivity issues were solved - this came up pretty easily and software for this device makes it a very robust recording and even decent little hardware mixer. Most of my issues were from using Windows; Focusrite has been a Mac developer for a number of years with their interfaces with Windows support for these new Thunderbolt devices only arriving late 2016. As such the software is still in beta and support using Thunderbolt 3 can be patchy - see Focusrite's website for more details. If you want to ease your user pains and are using a Thunderbolt 3 Windows workstation like myself; be sure to get the Apple Thunderbolt3 to Thunderbolt2 adaptor and use an Apple Thunderbolt cable. This will mirror what Focusrite developers are using to give you the least amount of potential problems. To get the maximum out of this interface you will want to use audio programs with ASIO support; but even standard windows recording programs can make good use of this interface with the included WDM interfaces it provides. All in all a great product; just be warned getting your computer's Thunderbolt interface iworking can be a bit of a nightmare (ASUS X99 Motherboards in particular are a mine field speaking from first hand experience). Once you get your thunderbolt3 interface working though you'll be glad you got one of these! Once again I should note the pains I had were with Windows itself, the 2Pre worked fine one it was able to be detected but as the Thunderbolt3 connectity is still not officially supported by Focusrite be prepared for some teething problems.

Beware if using THunderbolt 3

So in full disclosure, I did not want to give this product a poor rating when I was never able to even try it out. From all the research I've done, this is suppose to be a great product.My issue is I am running Windows 10 with a thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) type port. THIS PRODUCT IS THUNDERBOLT 2. I realized that when I bought it, but what I did not realize was that it is not compatible with Windows based thunderbolt 3 computers. As least not as of May 2017 according to the manufacturer website. I bought 2 different TB2 to TB3 adapters and after a week of trying to get to it properly connect and recognize the device, I called Focusrite. We then spent some time troubleshooting it and once the tech on the phone realized I had a TB3 computer, his response was "there's your ... MoreSo in full disclosure, I did not want to give this product a poor rating when I was never able to even try it out. From all the research I've done, this is suppose to be a great product.My issue is I am running Windows 10 with a thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) type port. THIS PRODUCT IS THUNDERBOLT 2. I realized that when I bought it, but what I did not realize was that it is not compatible with Windows based thunderbolt 3 computers. As least not as of May 2017 according to the manufacturer website. I bought 2 different TB2 to TB3 adapters and after a week of trying to get to it properly connect and recognize the device, I called Focusrite. We then spent some time troubleshooting it and once the tech on the phone realized I had a TB3 computer, his response was "there's your problem... we're working on that." Apparently it works with some Windows TB3 computers, but obviously not all. iOS computers seem to work fine, but I did not research that extensively. If you want to read the current article Focusrite published regarding compatibility issues, look up "Clarett Windows || Thunderbolt 3 (type-C) + Adapter support"The construction seems extremely solid and should last a long time. Good looking unit sitting on my desk. Hopefully Focusrite can solve this problem ASAP.

Great Audio Interface for your computer

I use this product to record into Cubase on my Windows pc. This audio interface easily lets you record analog instruments and microphones straight into your DAW software. With the SPDIF interface the unit can be expanded or used as a great digital input if you've got equipment that has that as an output. I use the SPDIF connection directly off my keyboard straight into the Clarett and it gives the cleanest and quietest audio recording into the computer.While the Focusrite "Focus Control" software is much improved over older version, it's still not as intuitive as it should be. I find it confusing to use. However, the Focusrite support folks have been great in helping me out with the proper settings.A great bonus is that once you register your unit you have ... MoreI use this product to record into Cubase on my Windows pc. This audio interface easily lets you record analog instruments and microphones straight into your DAW software. With the SPDIF interface the unit can be expanded or used as a great digital input if you've got equipment that has that as an output. I use the SPDIF connection directly off my keyboard straight into the Clarett and it gives the cleanest and quietest audio recording into the computer.While the Focusrite "Focus Control" software is much improved over older version, it's still not as intuitive as it should be. I find it confusing to use. However, the Focusrite support folks have been great in helping me out with the proper settings.A great bonus is that once you register your unit you have access to some great downloads to enhance your recording capabilities. Nice.

I'm pleased thus far!

I've been running an old M-Audio AudioBuddy mic preamp into an M-Audio Delta 1010LT PCI interface for about a decade, with a Rode NT2 mic. I record hip-hop vocals, and I also produce beats. The Delta 1010LT works well for making beats, but the AudioBuddy was seriously lacking in quality/clarity for vocals. I was looking to take a significant step forward, finally.I stopped by a local Guitar Center, and I browsed the various interfaces available. I had been researching online for about a week. Unfortunately, GC doesn't carry Audient products, as I had been eyeballing the Audient iD22. The sales rep said the most popular interface in their store is the UA Arrow, but they were out of stock, and he said the next best thing (at least in popularity) is the Clarett 2Pre. ... MoreI've been running an old M-Audio AudioBuddy mic preamp into an M-Audio Delta 1010LT PCI interface for about a decade, with a Rode NT2 mic. I record hip-hop vocals, and I also produce beats. The Delta 1010LT works well for making beats, but the AudioBuddy was seriously lacking in quality/clarity for vocals. I was looking to take a significant step forward, finally.I stopped by a local Guitar Center, and I browsed the various interfaces available. I had been researching online for about a week. Unfortunately, GC doesn't carry Audient products, as I had been eyeballing the Audient iD22. The sales rep said the most popular interface in their store is the UA Arrow, but they were out of stock, and he said the next best thing (at least in popularity) is the Clarett 2Pre. We chatted for a while about it, and I spent some time looking into it online. I eventually made the purchase.I haven't utilized it to record a complete song at this point, but I have tested it out for the sake of ensuring that it's not defective in any way. I'm quite amazed at the clarity, the low noise even when the gain is cranked up, and the virtually nonexistent latency when tracking vocals! The software (Focusrite Control) that comes with it seems simple and straightforward, but I haven't done much with it beyond installing it. The vocals really stand out, and the interface seems to perform very well. I do believe the interface / software is set up out of the box for the "direct" monitoring capability. Also, I'm currently running a mid-2012 MacBook Pro (4GB RAM and an i5 CPU), recording in Reaper.Installation was a breeze on the Mac. Registration with Focusrite was extremely simple. I also downloaded a couple of plugins from Focusrite, using the bundle code that came with the interface - the EQ and compressor plugins are pretty nice.I would definitely recommend this interface to anyone on a modest budget, who is also looking for quality recording without spending a large amount of money!

Review of Focusrite Clarett 2 Pre USB Audio Interface

This is my 2nd Claret. The old Thunderbolt version wouldn't work with my iMac.It sounds great!The mic preamps are fantastic as is the headphone amp.The config is annoying and setting up wasn't as clean as I thought it should be, but once done, it's superb.Had the Apollo X been available, I would have spent the extra, purely as all the plugins sit on the unit and not the host. But that price hike is considerable and that purchase wouldn't have been because I felt the Apollo does the job any better - I just prefer the resources being managed that way.But as a product - brilliant and tremendous value.

Worth it

Huge sound quality upgrade from my single input usb unit of another brand. Decided to get this unit over the 2i4 solely because I'm a Mac user and thunderbolt is the way to go if you have the option. For guitar I noticed an immediate difference in sound quality recording with both a mic and DI. For bass, I only record from a preamp, but can't really hear a difference as obvious as the guitars. Also, I find myself always keeping the 'air' option on.The only con I can give this is that you'll benefit from watching a youtube video when installing. Otherwise the process is a bit confusing, at least for me using Logic Pro X.