Focusrite 2i2 2.Gen Review (noise and more stuff tested!)

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 13. 09. 2024

Komentáře • 86

  • @joycethomas8868
    @joycethomas8868 Před 3 lety +2

    Very thorough review. Good work. And yes, I want a red interface.

  • @davidboar6362
    @davidboar6362 Před 5 lety +5

    I've had the pleasure to work with one of these a few days ago... I totally recommend this one!

  • @chamindasenadheera4491
    @chamindasenadheera4491 Před 4 lety +1

    You are always great explainer and no a time waster. Cheers from Sri Lanka

  • @larrycoffey806
    @larrycoffey806 Před 3 lety

    Excellent review!!! I'm a former 80s radio DJ. LOUD voice. I "eat" the mic. Have SM7B. Ordered Scarlett Solo for DJ music mix voice overs. This video and earlier SM7B w & w/o FetHead explain why I DO NOT thanks to superb data and audio examples! Other videos are opinion or do not answer the Q.

  • @ghersic8161
    @ghersic8161 Před 5 lety +1

    The inclusion of quantitative measurements here is excellent.

  • @UmamiPapi
    @UmamiPapi Před 3 lety

    I bought one a couple years ago. Very good value, only interface I've ever purchased, don't see myself needing another unless I run a podcast with 4 people or something.

  • @RobertLinthicum
    @RobertLinthicum Před 5 lety +6

    Beautiful device. Wiggly knobs!

  • @DuncanEduardo
    @DuncanEduardo Před 4 lety +5

    Brilliant, thorough, efficient review. Puts others to shame, especially Americans who say a lot but actually don't tell us much

  • @JoelStephen
    @JoelStephen Před 5 lety

    Thanks for this review. I needed to hear about Scarlett with Windows 10. Appears that the new generation has more stable drivers and will be a good journey.

  • @danielbatista449
    @danielbatista449 Před 5 lety +1

    Outstanding reviews. Thanks!

  • @DRXxUziixX95
    @DRXxUziixX95 Před 3 lety +3

    It comes with terrible bugs. I've had this thing for 3 years and I've tried everything to no evale. After a period of time ~ an hour I get horrendous audio artifacting that sounds like the clock has become desynced or there's a mis match between the sample rates and I have to restart my pc

  • @julianfernandez2125
    @julianfernandez2125 Před 4 lety

    That is a Review, thanks a lot, great job. Following the measurements you have done, would you prefer the Beheringher over the Focusrite ? i've heard quite a lot here in my country (Argentina) that people think Focusrite it's more professional and better sounding devices than any Beheringher, but it doesn't feel like that with your reviews. Could you give me an opinion ?

  • @AudioBoi1
    @AudioBoi1 Před rokem

    Wow, I didn't know the preamps in it are so quiet. Nice

  • @pliedtka
    @pliedtka Před 2 lety

    Thanks, I'm more into audio measurements than recording - strange it disconnected it self and crushed Adobe. I take this into consideration.

  • @poltermouse
    @poltermouse Před 5 lety +1

    Since they were about the same price, I was on the fence between Focusrite 2i2 vs the Steinberg UR22MKII to match with my DBX 286s. Ultimately I opted for the Steinberg even though most reviews featured the Focusrite with the DBX. Reasons: 1) a lot of complaints and concerns about glitches and the Windows drivers for the Focusrite (which you encountered) and; 2) the Steinberg dropped to $116 on Amazon (vs. $150 for the Focusrite). I really like the "Mix" control on the Steinberg, which allows you to dial the input or DAW, or a blend of the two. No flakey knobs on the Steinberg, but I admit the Focusrite looks better and has those cool green/orange/red indicator lights. Of course, the DBX has all the LED lights you need to visually monitor levels. Would enjoy seeing your thorough technical review of the Steinberg, and perhaps a comparison to the Focusrite and perhaps add the Audient iD4 into the mix (another contender).

    • @JulianKrause
      @JulianKrause  Před 5 lety

      Thanks for sharing your experience with the Steinberg! And what a coincidence, I'm currently cutting the review of the UR22MKII and I also just bought an Audient iD4 which I will be reviewing soon. :)

    • @poltermouse
      @poltermouse Před 5 lety

      @@JulianKrause Great!.Would like your view on one feature. I assume the Director Monitor on-off switch on the Focusrite is the comparable control to Steinberg's Mix dial. If yes, what are the pros and cons of each approach? Also, is there any technical benefit (reduced noise, greater efficiency) to leveraging Steinberg's option to power the device outside of the signal chain via the optional 5V micro USB port?

    • @JulianKrause
      @JulianKrause  Před 5 lety

      @@poltermouse Hey, the mix dial does the same as the direct monitoring knob and more. If you turn the dial on the UR22 to input you will only hear the signal of your inputs in real time. That's the same as if you would turn on direct monitoring knob on the 2i2. When yuo turn the knob on th UR22 all the way to daw, you only hear the sound of your daw and that's the same as turning off direct monitoring on the 2i2. But the knob on the UR22 lets you turn itto positions in between. So you can hear the signals of your inputs without latency and simultanisously the audio of your daw.
      Regarding the micro USB port, I don't think this changes the noise of the device. The reason it is there, is to be compatible with iPads. As far as I know, iPads can't deliver enough power over the USB data connection, so you need to power the interface externally and that's done with the micro USB input.

    • @poltermouse
      @poltermouse Před 5 lety

      @@JulianKrause Right, I forgot the Steinberg feature enabling use with an iPad. Since electrical signals can generate noise, I was curious if there was a way to test USB power vs. direct. Regarding the ability to use the mix dial on the Steinberg vs the direct monitoring dial on the FR...do you see the no latency ability to blend signals from both sources with the Steinberg a useful benefit? Or do most people do one or the other, which would make blending a novelty?

    • @JulianKrause
      @JulianKrause  Před 5 lety

      ​@@poltermouse Hey, I just tested the Equivalent Input Noise and Dynamic Range and there is no difference between using the USB data connection to power the UR22 or an external power supply. So, there is definitely no change in noise performance.
      Just to clarify, when you enable direct monitoring, on the 2i2 you can hear the incoming signal in addition to your daw. But you don't have a direct control, how loud the direct monitoring signal is in comparsion to your daw. Let's say you are singing into the 2i2 with direct moitoring enabled and simulaniously listen to the song with your daw. What can happen is that the audio from your daw is so loud, that you cannot hear yourself. To fix that you would have to somehow lower the volume of your daw and then turn up the volume on the interface until you find a good balance. With the UR22 you simply turn the knob and adjust the balance between daw and direct signal to your liking. So, you can get the 2i2 to do the same as the UR22 but with a dedicated knob it's much easier.

  • @badmiddens
    @badmiddens Před 5 lety +3

    Anyone know for certain if the solo is the same pre and circuitry of the 2i2? I have no need for the extra inputs of the 2i2.

  • @ChuKuYu
    @ChuKuYu Před 2 lety

    from persona experience, i buy this same model the 3rd gen studio set, the mic gives too much static noise and you can read a lot of this problem. i have tried all method and still buzzing and cracking static. you eventually need to get the noise conductor which is worth more than 100usd. i would recommend getting a blue yeti or Samson mic for recording.

  • @deenulshadhir4788
    @deenulshadhir4788 Před 5 lety +1

    Hi Please make a video or suggest us on how to set the gain level before recording voice or vocals (without noise)

  • @JACKYOUTUBE
    @JACKYOUTUBE Před 4 lety +2

    Been using Focusrite for years but when I moved from Mac to PC all I've had is problems.

    • @vjcasagrande
      @vjcasagrande Před 3 lety +1

      I am considering buying one, what sort of problems did you had?

    • @pabloamil485
      @pabloamil485 Před 3 lety +1

      @@vjcasagrande do not buy one, i simply cannot record a condenser because of static noise

    • @vjcasagrande
      @vjcasagrande Před 3 lety

      @@pabloamil485 oh, that sucks... I ended up buying a SSL 2, and had no problems so far.

  • @locutz
    @locutz Před 4 lety +2

    I have the first gen one ,while I had it worked really great but recently I started getting a crackling noise from it after owing it for five years or so ,I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers ,changed the cables but the crackling noise is still present ,it seems its a focusrite issue I'm looking for a new one at the moment .

  • @sotocine99
    @sotocine99 Před 5 lety +1

    Ich habe das Ding und bin sehr zufrieden.

  • @MeMo-hs2bj
    @MeMo-hs2bj Před 4 lety +1

    Has anyone else a problem in WIN10 in standby mode? Most of the times my PC crashes with a blue screen when I try to wake it up. Never experienced a problem like this with other interfaces. Had the Behringer 1820 on the same setup and never had any issues.

  • @BangsNaughtyBits
    @BangsNaughtyBits Před 5 lety

    I would personally suggest going to the 2i4 if you will be using gain hungry mics as it and higher Scarlett interfaces have about ten decibels more gain available.
    I was sort of expecting this to be a review of the higher end Red line of Focusrite interfaces from the thumbnail.
    !

    • @JulianKrause
      @JulianKrause  Před 5 lety +1

      It might have more gain but interestingly enough, the 2i4 has an EIN of -126dBu, according to Focusrite. This would be about 2dB worse than the 2i2. So the 2i4 might not be the better choice. Maybe some day I'll test the 2i4 and then compare it against the 2i2.

    • @FocusriteHelp
      @FocusriteHelp Před 5 lety

      @@JulianKrause It's true that the Noise EIN spec is better for the 2i2 than the 2i4. As this article points out though, the likelihood of you noticing/hearing that difference is actually pretty small: www.sweetwater.com/insync/equivalent-input-noise-ein

    • @JulianKrause
      @JulianKrause  Před 5 lety

      @@FocusriteHelp You are right, the difference in preamp noise will be very small.

  • @helmanfrow
    @helmanfrow Před rokem

    I have a first-generation 18i8 and when I use it with my SM7B I have to dime the gain and there is white noise clearly audible in the signal. It's well below the level of my voice and not necessarily objectionable but it's undeniably there.
    My condenser mics, by contrast, are dead silent at equivalent gain levels. Do you know if the second- and third-gen Scarletts have lower noise preamps than the first generation Scarletts?

  • @squishmusic
    @squishmusic Před 2 lety

    Would this suffice to take my stereo signal (XLR main outs) from my analogue sub-mixer into an iPad (ios15) for recording live sessions?
    I ask as I have looked at the FS-Solo and Behrigner-UMC range, but from what I gather I would need 2x-XLR inputs rather then 1XLR and 1 line....

  • @darkmew64
    @darkmew64 Před 5 lety +1

    I used to own of these (actually, the 1st gen) and I've switched to the Behringer U-Phoria UMC 404HD. I've heard people keep on saying that the sound from this thing is "thin". But in your tests you've shown a flat frequency response. I'm not so sure why people describe it as that...

    • @JulianKrause
      @JulianKrause  Před 5 lety +2

      I think it is purely psychological. Any decent interface these days has a complete flat frequency response and very low distortion. I bet in a proper A/B test nobody could ever tell the difference between a Behringer, a Focusrite or any other brand. But this might make an interesting test...

    • @darkmew64
      @darkmew64 Před 5 lety

      Julian Krause It’ll definitely make a great test! Say like recording the same mic going both audio interfaces using an XLR splitter of some sort...

    • @masterrofl1234
      @masterrofl1234 Před 5 lety

      @@JulianKrause It seems like the only differences between the UMC202HD and the Scarlett 2i2 are ~6 dB of dynamic range and perhaps the quality of the pre-amps/direct inputs. Do you think the price difference is worth the increase in quality for the 2i2?

    • @JulianKrause
      @JulianKrause  Před 5 lety +2

      ​@@masterrofl1234 On the audio side of things, the difference between these two devices is pretty small. 6dB more dynamic range is nice but people typically don't use the whole dynamic range anyways. So, I would say that in practice the audio of the Scarlett 2i2 and the Behringer202HD will be indistinguishable. I think you mostly pay more for the 2i2 because of its design. And it feels a bit more premium compared to the 202HD. You have to decide for yourself if this is worth the higher price.

    • @qlum
      @qlum Před 5 lety +1

      @@@masterrofl1234 one thing that may be in favour of the 202hd is the pad button I use it when gaming using the pad most of the time then pressing the button for that nice overly loud clipping sound when I really need to reach someone. Of course it is not useful for everyone and it can be annoying if pressed by accident.

  • @Facuuu__2023
    @Facuuu__2023 Před 4 lety

    Thank you very much!!!

  • @eugenepangan8954
    @eugenepangan8954 Před 4 lety

    which you prefer, umc204hd or this? same price now in my country.

  • @jasonscoggins01
    @jasonscoggins01 Před 8 měsíci

    Ty

  • @shivajipatilofficial735

    How conect midi cable to focusrite scarlett 2i2

    • @JulianKrause
      @JulianKrause  Před 5 lety

      Hey, the 2i2 does not have a MIDI input. If you want to use MIDI you would need to buy an interface like the 2i4.

  • @magrosi65
    @magrosi65 Před rokem

    I don't know how good this works on windows 10, but connected to a windows 7 machine it's a pain in the @ss!

  • @psichonautas
    @psichonautas Před 5 lety

    Thank you for the video. Could you please explain, how to interpret the noise levels just from your DAW readings, not getting to deep into technicalites. For example, if one sets the gain to -12 db peak levels on his DAW and use condenser mic for that, how much of the noise floor is normal? I get around -77 db with my Scarlett 2i2 unit in this scenario. I also can test it by terminating the input with the same condenser mic of 350 ohms and setting the gain at max (without phantom power turned on). Then I get around -68 db noise floor from the preamp on my DAW readings.

    • @JulianKrause
      @JulianKrause  Před 5 lety +1

      Hey, I have a video on that topic. There I explain how you can check your recordings for noise: czcams.com/video/dZv5fp-Y9-I/video.html

    • @psichonautas
      @psichonautas Před 5 lety

      @@JulianKrause thank you for help!

  • @Popart-xh2fd
    @Popart-xh2fd Před 5 lety +1

    No Stereo monitoring!

  • @peteyabit9488
    @peteyabit9488 Před 5 lety

    this vs the 202 or 204 behringer would be cool vs the steinberg

  • @mindtheyoutubegap
    @mindtheyoutubegap Před 5 lety +2

    Compare it to the better audio interface Audient id4

    • @JulianKrause
      @JulianKrause  Před 5 lety

      I'll see if I can get my hands on an Audient iD4!

    • @mindtheyoutubegap
      @mindtheyoutubegap Před 5 lety

      @@JulianKrause If you live in Berlin I'll lend you mine : )

    • @JulianKrause
      @JulianKrause  Před 5 lety

      @@mindtheyoutubegap Zu blöd, dass ich Frankfurt wohne -.-

  • @AndrisGameDev
    @AndrisGameDev Před 4 lety +2

    I've bought its predecessor and let me tell you it was a nightmare when after 2 years they started a new-gen and drivers didn't work properly for my device anymore. Never and ever. This product might be okay at the start, but the company is terrible and customer service will leave you a bad unsupported product shortly after you buy it. Just read on the forums about gen1 how we were scammed by them.

  • @FlipXFlopl
    @FlipXFlopl Před 4 lety

    I wanted to also use it for voicechat but I get a lot of loud input noise. ( Input 1)
    But for recording Guitar or commentary it works Great (input 2)
    Not sure if you just can't use a DAW for skype or my input 1 is just broken..?

    • @ratedrsuperstarthega
      @ratedrsuperstarthega Před 4 lety

      When I use this for my guitar, I get lots of noise.
      I disconnected ALL the input cable from it's front and just connected the device to PC via usb. I selected a high gain preset on my VST plugins in DAW for guitar amp sim and still I got lots and lots of noise with no input cable plugged. Why was this?

  • @merijn9342
    @merijn9342 Před 5 lety

    Hey, I bought a Behringer U-Phoria UMC202HD and there is this high pitched noise in my recordings but also in my headphones when i direct monitor them. I like that its cheap but its just unusable..

    • @JulianKrause
      @JulianKrause  Před 5 lety

      I sadly don't have a quick solution for you, because this problem can have many sources. But there are some things to try:
      Disconnect any loudspeakers from the interface and see if the noise is stil there.
      If you use a dynamic mic, disable phantom power and see if the noise is still there.
      Maybe try another mic.
      If you have another PC, connect the interface to that and see if it makes a difference.

    • @merijn9342
      @merijn9342 Před 5 lety

      @@JulianKrause I have tried a lot of different things but the noise is always there its even in my headphones when i connect them to the interface. I'm just going to return it and try the focusrite. My SM58 of course needs more gain then a condenser but even when the preamps are on low the noise is stil there

  • @jameswallace5967
    @jameswallace5967 Před 4 lety +1

    I found this unit to be a poor interface. The sound quality is poor with no bottom end and a very compressed sound. The headphone output was weak and volume dropped when direct monitoring was engaged. Very disappointing unit.

  • @NewbArchitect
    @NewbArchitect Před 5 lety

    hmm, i thought the gain knob would be more like at 3 and 4 o clock? are you levels no more than -15db and do you boost this in post later? im curious if your recording in treated room and assume this is normal speaking voice? that is very quiet even for sm57! now i wonder if i can save money and not get fethead.

    • @JulianKrause
      @JulianKrause  Před 5 lety +1

      Don't be afraid to use the gain on your interface. The 2i2 has low noise preamps, so turn it up until you reach the desired recording level. When recording dialogue I want my peaks to be on average at -18dB. You can see this at 2:52 in the video. In post I will boost the audio a bit.
      My room is slightly treated and I was speaking with my normal voice with the SM57 about 2 inches from my mouth. (Only the part from 4:18 - 5:07 was recorded with the SM57)
      With the 2i2 you can make low noise recordings even without a Fethead. Cheers!

    • @NewbArchitect
      @NewbArchitect Před 5 lety

      @@JulianKrause thanks :) i just bought the v7 online so except next week. i will test and hope its as good as yours. if not and need to dial boost a lot, i might get fethead because i heard its not good to drive preamps that hard, right? the sm57 (-56) is a little quieter than the sm58 (-54) similar to V7...so i thought you'd drive preamp more for signal and would raise noise floor, thats why im so surprised in your video compared to many reviewers stating otherwise. thanks for your replies and appreciate you taking the time to help me. i will update you on my new toy and i hope no issues. happy thanksgiving !

    • @NewbArchitect
      @NewbArchitect Před 5 lety

      i got the mic, i dont have to boost gain as much, maybe around 2'oclock for my voice it peaks at about -18 ...the issue is i can barely hear myself on my headphones...i have to max it on the 2i2...do you know if its just my headphones that doesn't have independent volume or is it just the 2i2?

    • @JulianKrause
      @JulianKrause  Před 5 lety

      @@NewbArchitect Hey, make sure you have direct monitoring on (switch on the front). Which headphones are you using?

    • @NewbArchitect
      @NewbArchitect Před 5 lety

      @@JulianKrause i have the sennheiser hd485, old one. the switch is on but my headphones plugged in front of 2i2, the monitor knob doesn't do anything, isn't that for what is plugged in the rear of 2i2?

  • @giovcarrillo4222
    @giovcarrillo4222 Před 5 lety

    Does it sound the same as the solo version?

    • @JulianKrause
      @JulianKrause  Před 5 lety

      I haven't tested the solo, but I would argue that all interfaces sound very much the same. It is very likely the solo has a similar audio quality as the 2i2.

  • @doktachriz4782
    @doktachriz4782 Před 4 lety

    dont forget when you buy it you can get 1 of addictive keys vsts for free

  • @infectropodo
    @infectropodo Před 5 lety

    Great! Can you do Audient id44? Thank you!

  • @pabloamil485
    @pabloamil485 Před 3 lety +1

    focusrite sucks dont buy one or you will regret it,

  • @jasonscoggins01
    @jasonscoggins01 Před 8 měsíci

    Ty