Last Updated: January 25, 2020 (Refresh Now)
Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface with Pro Tools First
Last Updated: January 25, 2020 (Refresh Now)
8.6
SCORE
/10
Total Reviews
216
Old Reviews
0
Unverified
14
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Review Analysis - 202 recent, verified reviews
Detailed Mode
Sound Quality
52audio, sounds, sounds great, sound, scarlett
+90%
-10%
" ... Highly recommended if you're serious about audio. ... "
" ... What a great little audio to digital interface. ... "
" ... This Scarlett Solo sounds just as good in my humble opinion. ... "
" ... It takes up less room on my desk, and the sound is super. ... "
" ... I was impressed with the natural sound of the instruments that it reproduced. ... "
" ... The sound quality and construction is very good as many other reviews says. ... "
" ... Really like this thing, sound is good, very easy to setup, I mean it’s one cable to usb and the plug in what you want. ... "
" ... I feel the sound quality is acceptable, but I don’t have much to compare it to . ... "
Software Platform
39software, windows 10, protools, focusrite, best interface
+82%
-18%
" ... This interface is nice but if you can afford it go ahead and upgrade with more inputs you will need them later ... "
" ... I love this interface! ... "
" ... Overall, for $160, I’m very happy with this interface. ... "
" ... The included software is excellent. ... "
" ... Everything works perfect and I absolutely love the interface. ... "
" ... This is my first audio interface. ... "
" ... It works great for my applications. ... "
" ... Haven’t used any interface other then this one and this is great for what I need! ... "
Ease of Use
32easy to use, simple, setup, interface, super
+97%
-3%
" ... Real easy and quick to set up. ... "
" ... Knobs feel great and it is super easy to use. ... "
" ... It is so easy to use just buy download and create. ... "
" ... Super easy setup ... "
" ... Easy to use and great quality, for solo home recordings this is the way to go. ... "
" ... It is very easy, and very intuitive to use. ... "
" ... Simply and easy to use! ... "
" ... easy setup with windows 7 . ... "
Ports
27usb c, plug, interface, cable, usb c cable
+78%
-22%
" ... I bought this primarily because it was an inexpensive way to get a USB DAC connected to my PC that also had balanced audio outputs to connect studio monitors to. ... "
" ... It's too easy to use, come with a USB c to USB cable and OSX recognizes it automatically. ... "
" ... You plug in the unit, it shows up as an external drive, then you have to go to a website and download and install the drivers. ... "
" ... plug in USB to laptop, open DAW, set input to 2i2, record. ... "
" ... It supports USB-C (Thunderbolt 3) now so you can use this on a 2017 or newer Macbook Pro without an external USB hub. ... "
" ... I had a gen 1 or gen 2 of this model which used a USB Type B plug for the power/computer interface. ... After a couple years of doing this the USB interface came unsoldered from the internal board which caused the connection to become intermittent. ... "
" ... I didn't ding on the number of inputs but I would like to see a version with 4 inputs that runs off of USB power. ... "
" ... You take it out of the box, connect it to your computer via the supplied USB-C cable and it directs you step-by-step from that point on. ... "
Device Compatibility
19device, ubuntu, plugged, plug, interfaces
+79%
-21%
" ... I imagine it should work fine on at least Ubuntu 18.04 (bionic) as well. ... "
" ... It requires creating multiple accounts on platforms for downloads and digital licensing (if you're not already set up). ... "
" ... Then, fire up the laptop & plug it in. ... "
" ... I plugged it in and it was immediately recognized by my program. ... "
" ... It works great with Windows 10, no latency! ... "
" ... No compatibility issues with Windows 10, plug and play. ... "
" ... Great interface to connect audio signals with ipad. ... "
" ... compatible with windows 10 out of the box. ... "
Setup
16easy, install, software, easy to setup, simple
+94%
-6%
" ... Pick this thing up with a shock mount, blue ember, and the cable and it’s so easy to set up you’ll have great audio in no time ... "
" ... Instructions could have been better but otherwise a very good product. ... "
" ... For the price is just a great investment for home recording, easy to setup, pretty much just plug and play and record and you’re all set. ... "
" ... However, I went a different route, installing Reaper, and I can tell you it works very well with Reaper as well. ... Installation is easy, but take the time to go through all the steps. ... "
" ... Super easy setup ... "
" ... easy setup with windows 7 . ... "
" ... I think it’s a great value for a small or semi-portable recording setup. ... "
" ... Super easy setup, informative website, and superior customer support. ... "
Price
16money, interface, worth the money, worth, thing
+94%
-6%
" ... Granted, it's twice the price, but it's still a great option on the lower end of that scale. ... "
" ... I definitely would recommend this product, and the money was VERY worth it! ... "
" ... great interface for its price ... "
" ... Great product and great price for the quality. ... "
" ... This unit really packs a punch for the price, you will not be disappointed! ... "
" ... I've never seen the previous generations of this interface, but I do believe this one is worth the money. ... "
" ... In general most interfaces in this price range perform about the same. ... "
" ... For the price it's really the only thing I would consider now. ... "
Build Quality
12feels, metal, excellent, knobs, control
+92%
-8%
" ... I had the 2i4 2nd Gen before and this 3rd Gen seems lot more durable. ... "
" ... The build quality is excellent. ... "
" ... It has a nice metal exterior and smooth dials. ... "
" ... sturdy and are great to control. ... "
" ... Full metal chassis. ... You touch the knobs and they’re a pretty good size so you have to REALLY be grabbing them to touch the plate. ... "
" ... The build quality is excellent. ... "
" ... It's solidly built from metal, the preamps are good, it's plug-and-play with my computer. ... "
" ... Out of the box it feels legit. ... "
Drivers
11driver, windows, gen, scarlett, interface
+55%
-45%
" ... I downloaded the drivers and set everything up according to the get started steps. ... "
" ... Win10 recognized it almost instantaneously, no driver or installation required. ... Glad I ignored the reviews about driver issues. ... "
" ... The audio drivers are very clean and quiet. ... "
" ... Perfect piece of Art, with dedicated driver, you will get rid of the issues you will face with generic USB drivers which is used with most mixers . ... "
" ... The driver was native on my system and I'm very happy with it and the quality of audio I can capture and record. ... "
" ... External drivers are solely optional, as your specific setup might warrant them. ... "
Microphone
11recording, sounding, recordings, music, guitar
+100%
" ... This makes it a perfect device for podcasting, streaming but also for making great sounding recordings in a padded studio. ... "
" ... The driver was native on my system and I'm very happy with it and the quality of audio I can capture and record. ... "
" ... I use it to record songs and to do voice chat with my friends. ... "
" ... I've used a couple of the entry level recording interfaces and this one, in comparison to say the Behringer UMC22, is built like a tank. ... "
" ... Recording sounds great! ... "
" ... Still haven't had a chance to record microphones (only DI guitar for now) - but the outcoming sound is marvelous. ... "
" ... I created the Aggregate Device and it works great - so I am able to record on my microphone through the Scarlett Solo and listen through my headphones connected to my MacBook Pro. ... "
" ... Recording is also a breeze. ... "
Product Reliability
10months, weeks, studio, owned, heard
+30%
-70%
" ... I have owned the product for about 6 months as of writing this review. ... I cannot get it to stop with these issues. ... I have gotten it to decline in the amount as when it first started occurring it happened roughly 5 times per hour I used it. ... "
" ... Product worked great until it didn't. ... broke after 6 months of use. ... "
" ... i’m either highly unintelligent or just got a bad batch. ... "
" ... The thing is that my Scarlet 2i2 stops working after a week, one day I turned on my pc and my audio interface was not recognized by my PC, all the leds was turning on with a lot of weird colors. ... "
" ... I had it for a month and it died. ... "
" ... Apparent, Gen 3 is suffering from the expression of a severe genetic defect. ... "
" ... They fail after 2-3 years of 24x7 use, but that seems reasonable. ... "
Size
9portable, lightweight, light, easy to use, use
+100%
" ... So, really this is the best size if you are looking for something portable because it runs off of USB power. ... "
" ... It has a very small profile. ... "
" ... It was easy to use lightweight and small. ... "
" ... I take it back and forth from different locations and it’s super light weight and portable. ... "
" ... It is compact, easy to use, and works out of the box quite well, otherwise. ... "
" ... Light, portable with a great sound. ... "
" ... I use this with my iMac Pro and it looks great on the desk. ... "
" ... Perfect for travel too. ... "
Apps
7youtube, reddit, included, however, audio
+71%
-29%
" ... You see all these videos on youtube of people running virtual amps on their PC. ... "
" ... Not to mention the software you get with it free ... "
" ... It’s simple to use, however you must install the software program and remember to launch the program each time you use it ... "
" ... I have no problems at all with recording/playback (on Windows 10). ... "
" ... I have not used it enough yet with included music design apps but the audio output through external speakers as well as instrument input is excellent. ... "
Marketplace
7amazon, support, perfect
+57%
-43%
" ... Thank you Eric from Focusrite. ... "
" ... works as advertised . ... "
" ... I think this is perfect I will find out at our party on Dec 29th thank you it was what he asked for so I am so sure it will be perfect ... "
" ... Thank you very much ... "
USB
7usb c, sound, power, never, much
+71%
-29%
" ... It supports USB-C (Thunderbolt 3) now so you can use this on a 2017 or newer Macbook Pro without an external USB hub. ... "
" ... I've never had such great sound over USB C. ... "
" ... I didn't ding on the number of inputs but I would like to see a version with 4 inputs that runs off of USB power. ... "
" ... usb-c will make your live much easier . ... "
" ... There's a real good reason why this is the most popular USB interface . ... "
Design
7design, works, feels, well, studio
+100%
" ... The sleek design just makes it that much more amazing in my small home studio. ... "
" ... Lot better look. ... "
" ... The product works very well and I think it looks astounding as well. ... "
" ... It even looks badass too. ... "
" ... The design is simple and utilitarian. ... "
" ... It feels solid. ... Feels like it's built to last. ... Love the design too. ... "
Cleaning
6pre, fingerprints, amps, sound quality, sound
+83%
-17%
" ... Pre Amps extremely clean. ... "
" ... But it seems to give a clean sound with minimal coloration or distortion ... "
" ... Awesome product worth the price, great clean pre amps. ... "
" ... With a Fethead attached, I only need to raise the gain a couple of notches to get a clean signal. ... "
Comfort
6like, vocals, record, keyboard, built
+100%
" ... The Scarlett feels good in your hand. ... "
" ... Works perfectly as advertised, feels like great quality, dials are smooth and precise, and it’s super concurrent to have the headphone output on the front, not all my devices have that. ... "
" ... I record guitar and keyboard on this thing and some vocals as well. ... "
" ... It feels solid. ... Feels like it's built to last. ... "
" ... Out of the box it feels legit. ... "
Controls
5panel, nice, front, controls, buttons
+100%
" ... The air button is a nice touch to sweeten the sound. ... "
" ... I love it, I only took a star from easy to use because the controls were removed from the front panel, and it has to be done all in the software. ... "
" ... The bit depth, the knobs, the ports, the buttons, the thunderbolt, everything is perfect. ... "
" ... Really like the audio interface features and the Focusrite Control software. ... "
" ... The box and controls are well made and solid. ... "
Cables
5plug, use, usb c cable, usb c, usb
+80%
-20%
" ... USB-C cable is pretty cool. ... "
" ... Comes with a usb-c to usb-2 cable. ... "
" ... Really like this thing, sound is good, very easy to setup, I mean it’s one cable to usb and the plug in what you want. ... "
" ... True plug & play. ... "
Features
5need, features, feature
+100%
" ... Air function works like a charm. ... "
" ... Has all the features you need for a small recording set up. ... "
" ... The “Air” feature. ... "
" ... the air feature is nice . ... "
" ... The 4i4 has all the features I will need. ... "
Volume
4static, sound, room, experienced
+50%
-50%
" ... The headphone volume when touched would send static sometimes at a ear piercing decibel that I'm lucky I still have my hearing. ... "
" ... The next issue I experienced, which I read others experienced as well, was random loud static. ... "
Frequencies
4air
+100%
" ... (i'm not a pro at eq stuff) . ... "
" ... The air feature is brilliant on vocals ... "
" ... I was impressed with the natural sound of the instruments that it reproduced. ... "
Overall performance
3+100%
" ... Works very well for live performance. ... "
" ... For the price and build quality, it's a good processor worth picking up for non-professionals. ... "
" ... A lot of that depended on download speed and that I watched every video option presented. ... "
Lagging
3issue
+33%
-67%
" ... It did freeze the first time and I had to try again but really a non-issue. ... The problem is latency. ... "
Keyboard
3vocals, record, yamaha
+67%
-33%
" ... I easily record my vocals and keyboard instrument. ... "
" ... I record guitar and keyboard on this thing and some vocals as well. ... "
Headphones
3amp, solo, separate, 5mm, usb
+100%
" ... I thought I needed new speakers until I plugged this in and bypassed the headphone jack for a USB audio interface. ... "
" ... I won’t be using the headphone jack since I already have a separate headphone amp but nice to know that that’s there. ... "
" ... The solo is easy to use, has an excellent latency free headphone jack, and lets you get high quality audio from professional-grade microphones, either condenser or dynamic, into your computer. ... "
Delivery
3+100%
" ... Amazing little box. ... "
" ... Arrived just a few days after order was placed. ... "
Call quality
3use, hear, anything, record
+33%
-67%
" ... contacted them for support but didnt hear anything for 3 weeks. ... "
Network
3clean
+67%
-33%
" ... I’m just juicing an extra 5%-10% performance from my signal chain at this point. ... "
" ... With a Fethead attached, I only need to raise the gain a couple of notches to get a clean signal. ... "
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Specifications
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