Compare Clarett+ and Scarlett
Which interface is right for you?
Whether you’re new to recording or looking to upgrade your existing interface, Clarett⁺ and Scarlett have a wide range on offer. Discover the key differences between the Clarett⁺ and Scarlett ranges, so you can find the right interface for your needs.
Compare Clarett+ and Scarlett
Whos is Clarett+ best for?
Clarett⁺ is perfect for engineers and producers. With professional-quality mic preamps, which have very high headroom, low distortion, and ultra-low noise, there is no compromise on audio quality so that you can get the Focusrite sound. Exceptionally pure recordings can be captured, whether miking guitars, recording vocals or tracking drums.
Whos is Scarlett best for?
Scarlett is great for songwriters and guitarists, with the studio-quality mic inputs enabling artists to record great-sounding audio at home. It’s perfect for solo artists, and the higher range in Scarlett grants more inputs so that multiple instruments can be ready to go at once.
Key differences between Clarett+ and Scarlett
Here are some key feature differences between the two interface ranges, so you can be confident in purchasing the right one for you.
All-analogue Air
Clarett⁺ and Scarlett both have the feature ‘Air’. There is a difference in the interfaces, however. Both Clarett⁺ and Scarlett share these features:
A completely analogue circuit - Air is analogue on all our interfaces; there's no DSP taking place or plugins running in the background. This means that Air adds no latency or timing issues to your recording path.
Single button press - Perhaps the best thing about Air — apart from the sound — is that it's a simple press of a button to engage, making it instantly there for you whenever you need it.
Low-noise operation - It’s common for noise to creep in when increasing the gain on high frequencies. Air is designed to minimise noise and keep your recording clean and pure.
Digital control - Although Air is 100% analogue, you can use Focusrite Control to turn Air on and off using Mac, PC, or iOS devices.
There are two key differences for the Air feature on Clarett⁺; Air packs an additional punch by closely emulating not just the sound, but the circuitry of the original ISA 110 mic preamp from the Focusrite Studio Console. In addition to the 4dB boost at 24kHz provided by the all-analogue filters, Clarett⁺ also switches the input impedance when Air is engaged, from 6.2kΩ to 2.2kΩ.
Setting microphone levels
Vocaster makes setting microphone levels simpler with Auto Gain, which listens to your voice and sets the gain on the preamp accordingly, so you’re ready to record. With Scarlett, this is done through the gain knob manually, with Focusrite’s iconic gain halos helping you get the perfect signal levels.
Available bundles
Scarlett Solo Studio and Scarlett 2i2 Studio are two available bundles from the Scarlett range. Both include the CM25 MkIII condenser microphone, SH-450 professional closed-back headphones, an XLR cable to connect your microphone, and a USB cable to connect the interface to a machine of choice.
ADAT connectivity
ADAT is a connection that allows you to expand the number of inputs and outputs available to you by connecting another interface, such as the Clarett⁺ OctoPre. The Scarlett 18i8 and Scarlett 18i20 have this connection, but the other interfaces in the 3 range do not. All the Clarett⁺ interfaces do have ADAT. If you’re recording numerous sources at once, ADAT connectivity will be something to consider.
Inputs and outputs
The number of inputs and outputs (I/O) varies not just between Clarett⁺ and Scarlett but between the different interfaces under them. The higher the interface is in the range, the more I/O is available to you. For a more comprehensive look at the numbers, please head to the comparison chart, where you will also find details on MIDI out option.
