Have you ever wanted to have a quality home studio? It’s practically de facto that a home studio is lower quality and has fewer resources when compared with a professional establishment. However, many producers frequently start as “bedroom recorders” before moving onto bigger and better things. If you find yourself in such a spot now (or are a professional looking to get back to your roots), the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 takes the home studio up several notches.
As a eight input and six output audio interface that’s part of Focusrite’s latest line of USB audio interfaces, Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 creates superior sound quality for tracks without a studio requiring re-patching, and has all-encompassing and flexible features at an affordable price. Supporting the device’s capabilities are 25 years of mic pre excellence and two Focusrite preamps for additional I/O possibilities.
In terms of recording , what makes the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 stand out? While the audio interface creates far better sound quality than similar devices, it improves the home recording process. Specifically, the preamp offers low noise and distortion and digital conversion to capture sounds with a high level of clearness.
On the same note, USB technology improves the overall recording process. A producer or musician wanting to include multiple instruments on a track can easily do so with the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6. Two Hi-Z instrument inputs allow instruments to plug directly into the device. Going further, the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 is equipped with two virtual Loopback inputs, which allow for digital and online audio to be moved between applications.
Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 is, in fact, a multi-function device, essentially providing all of the basics of a recording studio in a single package. Along with recording capabilities, the device provides elementary mixing functions. Scarlett MixControl, an 18 x 6 DSP mixer, is included, allowing the user to put together up to six separate, simultaneous mixes with ultra-low latency. In interacting with the device’s features, MixControl can route any combination of input mix signals and sequencer outputs to any of Focusrite Scarlett 8i6’s audio interfaces. Tracking, monitoring, and mixing are additionally straightforward with MixControl’s one-click configurations feature.
Software packages with Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 assist with rounding out the recording experience. Instead of limiting the home producer or DJ looking to create remixes, Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 creates compression, reverb, gating, and EQ to any recording system with its Scarlett VST/AU/RTAS Plug-in Suite. The Xcite+ bundle provides basic recording software. While not fully up to professional level, it’s sufficient enough for an individual recording his or her own music or remixing. With Xcite+ is Ableton Live Lite, Novation’s Bass Station soft synth, and one gigabite of samples from Loopmasters.
Essentially, the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 is a high-quality, all-in-one package for the home recording artist, musician, or DJ. It’s a great upgrade for such a studio, bringing functionality, capabilities, and sound quality as close as possible to professional quality. Those striving to reach that level but weighed by limited resources should consider this device and software.
