I think its very important to mention that the solo doesn't allow you to adjust studio monitors/headphone volumes separately. So you if want to turn down the volume of your monitors to record or whatever, you actually just have to turn them off. This is why I opted for the 2i2
how about get a monitor controller like mackie big knob? i have the same situation like you... everytime i record vocal, i have to turn my speakers off, i think its really hurt those bottons lol...
That would be the dealbreaker for me getting the solo. I've been meaning to purchase a Focusrite for a while now but I will most likely go with the 2i2 for that reason alone:)
Ok...i have been a Scarlett 2i2 user for 8+ years. I have the standard, I recently tried the solo since i was trying to limit space on my desk. I have no idea what it is but the sound quality just doesnt seem to match. All my settings are identical. I am not sure if the components inside are that different but there is just something missing. Theres less of a full sound and it's a little quieter. All I am saying is...if its a price issue then I understand about getting the solo. But if you can afford either one, go for the Scarlett 2i2. Literally retuning my Solo to amazon today. Hope that helps for those wondering.
I got the solo on accident. I was very intent on returning and exchanging it for the 2i2, but I looked into it and the Solo actually is a pretty well featured product. My main gripe is not having an independent volume knob for the hardware monitors, which is odd. Other than this, they didn’t really cut many corners. It’s a well done product.
Thanks for this video. This is all the information I needed. I have an electric guitar, which I plan on plugging in directly, and a digital piano, which I normally record using Midi, but there would be nothing wrong with also using the AUX OUT line directly into the Focusrite so I don't have to waste my life looking for a good piano simulator to transfrom the midi signals back to audio.
@@kettnercreative I use the Focusrite solo, I just got a Shure SM7B but I’m not sure if I should get a cloudlifter? Or get a better interface and not get the cloudlifter, I’m not sure what to really do. What do you think?
I use the 2i2. If you need multiply line inputs just by a line mixer (Shure SCM 268 4 inputs) Output of the Shure mixer goes to your line level channel on the 2i2 then use the 2nd input for your mic. This setup will work great when using a midi controller / keyboard, electric guitar or any other line level instrument. This will leave one channel open for your mic on the 2i2. The 2i2 works great for my studio.
It's hard to say. I think there is a large group of people that do VoiceOver, live streaming, video conferencing, tutorials, etc. that will never use the second input in their lifetime. They simply want to connect an NT1 or SM7B to their computer and need a quality interface for that purpose. There's certainly a reason that the 2i2 is the most popular interface, but I do think it's overkill for a large group of people.
Thanks! Just what I needed to know before buying! I'm just starting a VO journey, so I'm going with their refurbished studio kit (3rd gen) on their website... gotta save that money and still get a killer setup.
There seems to be a problem with the solo where it clips no matter how far down the gain is. It's really annoying when recording guitars with a lot of palm muting.
Wow thank you! this helped me to decide what to get. at first i thought you'd need the 2i2 for a mic and a an instrument plug. I just knew the solo has an instrument plug in this video!!
This was helpful, thank you so much. One question I have in my mind though, I am going to record my electric guitar with a condenser mic. I can do that with both of the products am I correct? I am thinking of singing but I'll probably do that seperately.
Only reason I wouldn't buy the solo is because the headphone don't have a volume that is not good for studio ,your opinion is great bro .... Thanks much 2i2 all the way
Hey I have a big question do you personally think the MV7 microphone would work well enough with the scarlet 3rd gen solo btw the Microphone is usb and xlr. I really need to know.
@dar lumin ok thanks man it helped a lot because I kinda wanted to use xlr on my mic I think it just sounds better than usb but I wasn’t sure if it would work.
[Subscribed] Great video and straight to the point 👍🏼I had one question though, can I also use this as an audio interface for my phone? I want to use it for FL Studio Mobile edition to mix and master my music.
Can you use the Focusrite in place of a karaoke? How would it compare to a karaoke? I sing a lot with youtube karaoke videos or while playing the guitar. My karaoke is getting too old and I would also like to be able to record (vocals and guitar) as well so just wondering if this would be a better option for me than another karaoke. Or do I need both? If you were singing and not recording with the focusrite would you still need a DAW open?
Very nice review!Thanks a lot! I'm confused though about the keys recording... stereo? mono? Can I record keys to the "solo" or do I need the 2i2? Thanks again...
which scarlett interface would I use for recording a keyboard and vocals together? 2i2? 4i4? Didn't know if the 2i2 had enough inputs or if it would sound ok recording keyboard as mono. thanks.
@@CSL_ Unless you need to double guitars, or play with a drum track, or any other reason to need volume control for headphones and monitors separately.
Hey, I´d like to connect two studio monitors with my PC. Is the sound quality of the 2i2 better than the sound quality of the solo version? I won´t connect any other devices like microphones or keyboards.
Hello sir. I have a question.. can i use the mic input on the scarlett solo to put my mp3 player as i plan to use a backing track while i use the instrument input for my violin.
I just purchased Focusrite Solo 3rd Gen and when I GO LIVE on FB (or just record in Quicktime) the sound only comes out the left side. I understand that this happens because the Focusrite Solo considers input 1 (XLR) to be the left channel and input 2 (1/4 inch) to be the right channel. Now this would be an easy fix in post with any DAW because I can process the final output in Mono however because I GO LIVE and I dont have the option to fix in post (because it is LIVE) How can I get the live audio on the left and right side of the recording when recording live?
Hi Mathieu, Thank you for reaching out. At this time our content calendar is pretty set for the next couple months but we'll be looking to participate in podcasts etc. some time in late spring/early summer.
I'm about to purchase an audio interface to record electric guitars, Once you get an interface, how/where do you get plugins/presets/soundbanks/"Pedalboard"?? I just want to know that which ever interface I get, I'll be able to find effects and distortions.
Very nice video, i think you missed out when talking about the SOLO the part about the monitor wheel (most important to me). Is there any way to detach the monitors from sounding when recording I have to turn off my monitors else the mic will pick it up when recording voice.
Thanks for the helpful video. I have a question. I have a Scarlett Solo 3rd and my guitar is heard even when the instrument potentiometer is lowered to the end. Is that normal or should an electric guitar not be heard at all?
![Which Focusrite Scarlett Interface Should You Buy? [Solo vs 2i2 vs 4i4 vs 8i6 vs 18i8 vs 18i20]](/img/1.gif)
We'd love to see a photo of your setup!
Tag @kettnercreative on RUclips, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc..
I think its very important to mention that the solo doesn't allow you to adjust studio monitors/headphone volumes separately. So you if want to turn down the volume of your monitors to record or whatever, you actually just have to turn them off. This is why I opted for the 2i2
Right! Good point!
how about get a monitor controller like mackie big knob? i have the same situation like you... everytime i record vocal, i have to turn my speakers off, i think its really hurt those bottons lol...
That would be the dealbreaker for me getting the solo. I've been meaning to purchase a Focusrite for a while now but I will most likely go with the 2i2 for that reason alone:)
I dont understand what's the probleme ?
@@jolavoie8901 it gets annoying as hell when you wanna switch between recording and playing back through your monitors lol
Ok...i have been a Scarlett 2i2 user for 8+ years. I have the standard, I recently tried the solo since i was trying to limit space on my desk. I have no idea what it is but the sound quality just doesnt seem to match. All my settings are identical. I am not sure if the components inside are that different but there is just something missing. Theres less of a full sound and it's a little quieter. All I am saying is...if its a price issue then I understand about getting the solo. But if you can afford either one, go for the Scarlett 2i2. Literally retuning my Solo to amazon today. Hope that helps for those wondering.
I knew I wasn't crazy. thanks for sharing
Sounds like a bunch of baloney. If it's a little quiet just turn up the gain/volume...?
Thanks man
🙏🏼🙏🏼
Thank you for sharing this I am looking into getting one.
I got the solo on accident. I was very intent on returning and exchanging it for the 2i2, but I looked into it and the Solo actually is a pretty well featured product. My main gripe is not having an independent volume knob for the hardware monitors, which is odd.
Other than this, they didn’t really cut many corners. It’s a well done product.
agreed. makes no sense to not have a seperate headphone knob
@@ilovekaiyko does the 2i2 have a knob
@@ufanisoneetze yes its the oc1 thing he didnt cover, the line out puts and headphone monitoring have independent knobs
I'm thinking of returning my solo and getting the 2i2 because i really like having the headphone knob.
Maybe it's intentional to encourage buyers to go for the higher-priced one. Sales/marketing tactic.
Wasn't sure which I needed but you just saved me a pretty penny since the Solo fits my needs at that stage perfectly. Cheers
Very helpful! I produce music and see I don’t really have to much need at the moment to have the 2i2 and that the solo is probably the best choice
I think that’s the case for most people. Glad this saved you a couple bucks
Thanks for this video. This is all the information I needed. I have an electric guitar, which I plan on plugging in directly, and a digital piano, which I normally record using Midi, but there would be nothing wrong with also using the AUX OUT line directly into the Focusrite so I don't have to waste my life looking for a good piano simulator to transfrom the midi signals back to audio.
Glad it was helpful!
@@kettnercreative I use the Focusrite solo, I just got a Shure SM7B but I’m not sure if I should get a cloudlifter? Or get a better interface and not get the cloudlifter, I’m not sure what to really do. What do you think?
I use the 2i2. If you need multiply line inputs just by a line mixer (Shure SCM 268 4 inputs) Output of the Shure mixer goes to your line level channel on the 2i2 then use the 2nd input for your mic. This setup will work great when using a midi controller / keyboard, electric guitar or any other line level instrument. This will leave one channel open for your mic on the 2i2. The 2i2 works great for my studio.
I would say the 2i2 is a perfect balance. You might later down the line to stereo record some thing. also separate Main vol and headphone.
It's hard to say. I think there is a large group of people that do VoiceOver, live streaming, video conferencing, tutorials, etc. that will never use the second input in their lifetime. They simply want to connect an NT1 or SM7B to their computer and need a quality interface for that purpose.
There's certainly a reason that the 2i2 is the most popular interface, but I do think it's overkill for a large group of people.
You do make a good point and thank you for the full in dept response. @@kettnercreative
Most concise and informative video comparing the two, thank you so much :)
that's exactly what I was looking for. Thank you
Thanks! Just what I needed to know before buying! I'm just starting a VO journey, so I'm going with their refurbished studio kit (3rd gen) on their website... gotta save that money and still get a killer setup.
The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, 18i8 and Clarett 4pre are awesome.
thank you so much!
additional info:
2i2 has an extra button for headspeaker volume control unlike solo
kardo kullanıyon mu aleti
Well, since I can record stereo recording the same instrument performance twice, I think i'm going with Solo. Thanks man
2i2 is better value for money, because it's more flexible and the cost difference isn't big.
There seems to be a problem with the solo where it clips no matter how far down the gain is. It's really annoying when recording guitars with a lot of palm muting.
Fantastic comparison with great examples for both models. Thank you!
Thank you for the video. Answered all my questions in 5 minutes.
The jack inputon the solo is actually TRS, when not in instrument mode. So you could use some converter cable to connect an XLR device.
Wow thank you! this helped me to decide what to get. at first i thought you'd need the 2i2 for a mic and a an instrument plug. I just knew the solo has an instrument plug in this video!!
likewise! glad to be saved from losing a couple of bucks thanks to this video :)
THANKS MAN! Helped a lot. Now on my way to purchase the 2i2!
Thank you i heared all i needed to know in 2 minutes
Excellent.
This is a great video, and I totally appreciate it. You gotta show the device right side up though, lol.
I'm so grateful for this video. So informative and your examples were so very helpful. Thank you.
Great video! You helped a lot in making my decision to get the Scarlett Solo
This was superb - so useful in helping me choose between the two!
My question is: will the quality of the sound be different choosing the Solo?
Same quality, same preamps
Dude. Your videos are seriously perfect.
Thank you very much. you're a lifesaver. I\ve been contemplating which one to buy for weeks, and you made me make the right decision.
Glad I could help!
Just the comparison I was looking for. Thanks for sharing!
Glad it was helpful!
This was helpful, thank you so much. One question I have in my mind though, I am going to record my electric guitar with a condenser mic. I can do that with both of the products am I correct? I am thinking of singing but I'll probably do that seperately.
Yeah you can connect a condenser mic to both devices
Absolutely superb tutorial! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
so well put together! thank you
Glad you liked it!
Only reason I wouldn't buy the solo is because the headphone don't have a volume that is not good for studio ,your opinion is great bro .... Thanks much 2i2 all the way
Which has the better sound quality for mics
I'm confused. You said Scarlett Solo can connect to microphones, but then the next minute you said it couldn't.
This video was really helpful bro, thanks.
You didn't talk about that
2i2 has mono ,stereo direct Monitoring
2i2 solo has only mono direct monitoring .
Ahh yes!
This was very helpful. Thank you!
I’m a rapper, I only use my voice no additional instruments, solo should be cool right?
Is the front 1/4" input mono or stereo, on a Scarlett Solo?
It's mono 😀
Of course mono, it's for instruments mainly.
Hey I have a big question do you personally think the MV7 microphone would work well enough with the scarlet 3rd gen solo btw the Microphone is usb and xlr.
I really need to know.
@dar lumin ok thanks man it helped a lot because I kinda wanted to use xlr on my mic I think it just sounds better than usb but I wasn’t sure if it would work.
@UmiDose should work perfectly fine
Great input! I might do an updated comparison for guitar input for desktop vs laptop.
thanks for the video!! exactly what i was looking for
preamps are identical. thank you!
Best info on this stuff!
Thank you very much!, this overview was helpful!.
Yea but with the solo the volume knob controls the volume of the headphones as well.. making it impossible to recd vocals
rekon i should get the 2i2 for this reason or any way to fix it?
@@dannylingwood4450 i went and got the solo... now i can't do shit
[Subscribed] Great video and straight to the point 👍🏼I had one question though, can I also use this as an audio interface for my phone? I want to use it for FL Studio Mobile edition to mix and master my music.
You can, I have a solo and I use it with my Android
I know that you can use Solo with your phone. But can the 2i2 do the same? I want to know if the 2i2 works with my Redmi 5.
for scarlett solo, can you plug guitar to XLR with converter ?
if yes, how does it sound ?
Thank you for this video, I think I will go for the Focusrite Scarlett solo then :)
Jordon, can i use solo for podcasting??? Please reply. Been following but i didn’t hear yet on this.
Hello, I recently bought the Solo. I’ll just be recording a mic and guitar. Is the solo good for that?
Verr useful video, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
What I was looking for, thx!
does the 2i2 have a wAY better sound card than the solo?
Perfect! Thanks!!
Very good video! Thanks a lot. Greetings from Brazil 🇧🇷
You are welcome!
Don't know about the solo but the 2i2 is SO unstable. Working great one minute, won't record the next.
In my experience, this is usually effected more by the computer/software that you're using than the actual device.
Can you use the Focusrite in place of a karaoke? How would it compare to a karaoke? I sing a lot with youtube karaoke videos or while playing the guitar. My karaoke is getting too old and I would also like to be able to record (vocals and guitar) as well so just wondering if this would be a better option for me than another karaoke. Or do I need both? If you were singing and not recording with the focusrite would you still need a DAW open?
You have taught me what I needed. I give like and subscribe
Thanks! Glad to hear it.
What cable are you using? Will i need to buy a cable to connect to my MacBook air m1? Because the MacBook air m1 is thunderbolt 3 connection
Thanks, great informative comparison - you just saved me $60 bucks!👍
Ok I’m recording just for myself should I get the solo instead or the 2i2
short and very helpful, thanks!
You make great videos and you explain things very good thanks a lot
Glad you like them!
Scarlett’s are best! Thanx for the help. Im happy
ありがとう！
めっちゃ分かりやすかったです😊
Solo, it is. Thanks, you helped me.
Very nice review!Thanks a lot!
I'm confused though about the keys recording... stereo? mono?
Can I record keys to the "solo" or do I need the 2i2?
Thanks again...
which scarlett interface would I use for recording a keyboard and vocals together? 2i2? 4i4? Didn't know if the 2i2 had enough inputs or if it would sound ok recording keyboard as mono. thanks.
Get the solo….waste of money to pay extra money for and extra mic jack that you don’t need
@@CSL_ Unless you need to double guitars, or play with a drum track, or any other reason to need volume control for headphones and monitors separately.
Hey, I´d like to connect two studio monitors with my PC. Is the sound quality of the 2i2 better than the sound quality of the solo version? I won´t connect any other devices like microphones or keyboards.
Hello sir. I have a question.. can i use the mic input on the scarlett solo to put my mp3 player as i plan to use a backing track while i use the instrument input for my violin.
Yes I would also like to know this. If I could plug a two way headphone cable in to that section and play backing tracks from RUclips etc??
I just purchased Focusrite Solo 3rd Gen and when I GO LIVE on FB (or just record in Quicktime) the sound only comes out the left side. I understand that this happens because the Focusrite Solo considers input 1 (XLR) to be the left channel and input 2 (1/4 inch) to be the right channel. Now this would be an easy fix in post with any DAW because I can process the final output in Mono however because I GO LIVE and I dont have the option to fix in post (because it is LIVE) How can I get the live audio on the left and right side of the recording when recording live?
Hi, I am planning to use a shure sm7b (with cloudlifter) Should I use a scarlett solo or 2i2?
always get the latter if u can
Hope to hear more sir,, thank u so much
Jordan, would love to have you on my podcast. What’s the best day to contact you?
Hi Mathieu,
Thank you for reaching out. At this time our content calendar is pretty set for the next couple months but we'll be looking to participate in podcasts etc. some time in late spring/early summer.
Could I connect a DJ controller with L/R XLR output to the 2i2?
I'm about to purchase an audio interface to record electric guitars, Once you get an interface, how/where do you get plugins/presets/soundbanks/"Pedalboard"??
I just want to know that which ever interface I get, I'll be able to find effects and distortions.
can i use an XLR cable from my guitar amp to the scarlett solo XLR input? or that is for mic only?
I brought Scarlett Solo thinking i can record Piano.. I am noe able to figure out how. Can somebody please help.
Can we use 2i2 with wireless mic like dji mic or rode
Can I connect the solo to a mixer for church?
Is there any difference in audio quality?
Do they give the same sound quality when it comes to recording electric guitar?
Is 2i2 scarlet enough for e-piano, e-drums and 2 voices?
Very nice video, i think you missed out when talking about the SOLO the part about the monitor wheel (most important to me).
Is there any way to detach the monitors from sounding when recording I have to turn off my monitors else the mic will pick it up when recording voice.
Well, you have to turn off your monitors before recording to prevent feedback.
@@chunkygrumpy7561 thanks Chunky... yea i came to that conclusion... shipped it back for a regular 2i2
Very helpful.. but can't you plug a dynamic mic into the 1/4" input with a XLR > 1/4" convertor, then run 2 microphones??
Depends on the mic. Since the 1/4” input is line level, you might run out of gain when powering a popular mic (SM7B, PodMic, etc.)
Would like to see also detail video about 4i4
So to connect two hs8 monitor speakers to a PC, a solo is sufficient right?
Great video!! I subbed!
Hey Jordan, with a 2i2 interface, can I use two condenser mics and switch back and forth between those inputs and use one at a time?
With multitrack i can record infinite tracks on those interfaces for example 20 tracks ?
Can I connect JBL 305P MkII 5" 2-Way Powered Studio Monitor to this? And then simply connect it to my PC?
Thanks, brother!
Can you use both these with chrome books ? And also iPhones
Was there a mention that Solo wont have a separate head phones volume control?
Super helpful! ThankYou!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the helpful video. I have a question. I have a Scarlett Solo 3rd and my guitar is heard even when the instrument potentiometer is lowered to the end. Is that normal or should an electric guitar not be heard at all?
So would I have to buy an adapter if my iMac only has the usb c ports and not usb?