Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 vs other Audio Interfaces

[keennay]

Hey all,

I used to own a Focusrite Saffire PRO 24 DSP... well, I still own one but it's out of service, long out of warranty, and will cost more to fix it than purchase a new one.

So I'm in the market for a new audio interface and I'd like to stick with a USB interface this time. One option is a Focusrite Scarlett 6i6, but maybe there are better interfaces some of you could suggest? A Scarlett 18i6 would probably be more comparable to the Saffire I had, but I really don't need all 18 inputs. It seems like there are thousands of options these days so I'm open to all suggestions.

I use a MacBook Pro with both OS X & Windows 7, so whatever I'd purchase would have to support both OSs. I would've gone with an Apogee Duet, but that's out of the picture (and I'm not at all interested in the Pro Tools version). When I'm not recording I'd use the interface as a standalone sound card, so a good headphone pre-amp is a plus.

Cheers,
Nick

 

[midnightlaundry]

I have one (6i6). It works. It was the cheapest interface I found at the time that had MIDI and SPDIF ins/outs. This way I can use my dinosaur drum machine to program backings. The preamp is flat and colorless from what I can tell. But I can use the digital ins/outs as an interface for other preamps and recorders into the computer.

If I was recording a band, I'd go with something 8 track/rack based so you can chain multiple boxes together, but I'm not. I have other stuff for that. This is just for my lame home productions.

It works as my ASIO driver in Cubase. I like that it has a big knob I can grab to turn everything down on a whim.
I just did this last week I think.. The lead is wank, but I was going for production value; messing around with reverbs, and not a Grammy performance.

 

[Michi]

FWIW, I was looking for a new interface a while back as well, basically with the same requirements as you (Windows use only though). Focusrite was priority on my list due to hearing good things about their mic pres and stability. Eventually I found a deal on a NI Komplete Audio 6 and have been quite happy with it.

 

[tschrama]

I'm runnign a 18i6 because I wanted at least 4 mic preamps. I can recommend it, it works fine. However before I this I used a 2i2 which is far more convenient. It's small, USB-powered (less cables) and the two mic-preamps have 10dB more gain which is great if you use a ribbon mic for room micing or other low level signals. Should never have sold it for the penny I got for it.

When searching for a 2nd interface I opted for a (secondhand )Saffire 26 I/O. It has 8 mic-preamps, with phantom, highpass and loading switches and is firewire buspowered and lower latency (due to firewire). Should have done this in the first place and never messed with the Scralets.

Just my 2 cents....

 

[Michi]

...However before I this I used a 2i2 which is far more convenient. It's small, USB-powered (less cables) and the two mic-preamps have 10dB more gain which is great if you use a ribbon mic for room micing or other low level signals. Should never have sold it for the penny I got for it.....

The 2i2 doesn't do s/pdif does it? I remember looking at it but was adamant I need s/pdif .

 

[Vrad]

I've had a bunch of interfaces in this price-range... Sound-wise they're all pretty much the same, at least to me.

I have the Focusrite 6i6 which I use with SPDIFs on my Kemper. The drivers are very stable and it works great. I also had an Apogee Duet which was very nice, but really no better sound-wise than its competitors.

 

[hstlaurent]

Anyone tried the RME Babyface?

 

[Moshaholic]

After having a top shelf PT-HD rig with lynx converters and Universal Audio and Vintech preamps back in the day I am now just using this rig at home and it was the best way to go for me...

I was trying to get an affordable rig with out going RME (awesome stuff, btw) or anything big bux...

So I grabbed a used a "Avid Mbox Pro-3" (my local GC has two of them dead mint for $199 each).

The 4 mics pres on it are that not bad, but are over all just ok, and should do for most people doing small clips, etc...

BUT the converters in this unit are actually really awesome for the $$$ and the designs are in the ball park of Avid's HD converters.

I actually did not realize about the converters in this unit until a friend who is a studio engineer and does tech support for Manley and Universal Audio told me about them.

He said going this route was a decent way to throw a low cost rig together for my needs.

Also because Avid is getting OUT of the hardware business and these units can be had for real cheap. Because of my friends advice and the price point was why I decided to buy it.

So anyway I just use the converters in the M-Box and hook up my own preamps to it. It has two head phone jacks and a few other decent features for what it is.

I have two Tone Beasts (Very API like) and a Focusrite ISA Two for vocals and acoustic and instruments.

I also looked into the Gold Lion Audio preamps too to use with my MBox Pro-3, very nice but settled on the Tone Beats and The IASA Two

While this rig pales in comparison of the $80k HD rig and preamps and control surface I used to have in my little brick and mortar studio, it VERY cool and fun. Lots of options when using the little M-Box pro 3 unit.

Again the key is grabbing one of these M-box Pro's to use as the core of your rig and you can keep it simple or expand. It has plenty of in and outs on it and surprisingly weighs a TON and is very well built.

Also if I feel I want to buy a better converter (probably don't need to for my simple needs) I can just buy an RME or Gold Lion Audio converter and totally stick with my cool preamps...

FWIW - I had a scarlet before I got this rig and did not really dig it... I retuned it back to GC

I also had an ELEVEN rack and I honestly my ears thought the preamp and converter in it blew donkey dick... YMMV

Any way that was how I recently solved my little recording home studio fiending

 

[Vrad]

...

I also had an ELEVEN rack and I honestly my ears thought the preamp and converter in it blew donkey dick... YMMV
...

I can confirm this... it sucked as anything other than a guitar modeler.

 

[crwnedblasphemy]

I'm with mosh. I have an Mbox pro 3. I bought it 4 years ago or so. I don't use protools with it, but since you have an mac book pro, use FireWire 800. Free up some usb stuff.

 

[Moshaholic]

I'm with mosh. I have an Mbox pro 3. I bought it 4 years ago or so. I don't use protools with it, but since you have an mac book pro, use FireWire 800. Free up some usb stuff.

I would say that because of thunder bolt being the "new thing" the firewire port on the m-box is the biggest negative (but not really an issue at all) so I use a apple firewire to thunder bolt adapter and it is all good on my new ASUS ROG as it only has thunder bolt.

That said you need a firewire or thunder bolt port to use this particular interface as there is no USB.

 

['63-Strat]

...However before I this I used a 2i2 which is far more convenient. It's small, USB-powered (less cables) and the two mic-preamps have 10dB more gain which is great if you use a ribbon mic for room micing or other low level signals. Should never have sold it for the penny I got for it.....

The 2i2 doesn't do s/pdif does it? I remember looking at it but was adamant I need s/pdif .

2i2 doesn't have s/pdif, no.