Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen

The interface that owns the home studio segment - now better

Best for: Solo podcasters and musicians wanting studio-quality recordings without the complexity of a full mixer

The Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen is Focusrite's flagship 2-in/2-out USB-C interface, now with 69 dB of mic preamp gain (up from 56 dB on Gen 3) and 120 dB of dynamic range courtesy of Cirrus Logic converters borrowed from the RedNet line. Auto Gain sets levels automatically and Clip Safe captures a safety copy at a lower level mid-take, so nothing gets clipped. It ships with Pro Tools Intro, Ableton Live Lite, and Cubase LE.

Key features

2 inputs / 2 outputs over USB-C
Mic preamps with 69 dB gain range and 120 dB dynamic range
Auto Gain automatically sets input levels in seconds
Clip Safe captures a second safety take at -18 dBFS to prevent clipping
Hi-Z input on channel 2 for direct guitar or bass
Includes Pro Tools Intro, Ableton Live Lite, and Cubase LE

Our take

Focusrite basically made the best cheap interface better and kept the price reasonable - the jump to 120 dB dynamic range is not marketing fluff, you can hear it against the Gen 3. Auto Gain and Clip Safe are legitimately useful features that save takes. The limitation is two inputs: fine for solo or dual-host, but the moment you want three mics you are buying something else. For solo podcasters, this is probably the last interface you need.