Focusrite Scarlett Solo USB Audio Interface Review
I’ve owned the Focusrite Scarlett Solo recording interface for about 2 years. It has turned out to be a good investment.
It’s very simple to use. It functions very reliably. The construction is sturdy. Overall, it has been an excellent recording tool.
I think the one I have is 2nd Gen. The 3rd Gen pictured below and available on amazon has a slightly different front panel.
However, they both perform the same basic functions.
There is an XLR with phantom power. This shows up as line 1 in Daws.
The second input, line 2, is a 1/4″ input. There is a switch to change between line and instrument levels.
Both channels have a gain knob. A led circle surrounds each knob. The led is a level indicator for the gain.
The knob on the far right is the monitor level control. There is a led indicator for USB power.
To the left of the monitor knob you find the on/off switch for the direct monitor and another 1/4″ input for headphones.
The back panel has right and left RCA line outputs, a USB output, and a Kensington security slot.
Performance Over Time
Well, over the years I’ve owned this interface I haven’t had any issues with it. It has worked reliably from day 1. It has turned out to be a reliable work horse for my home studio setup.
For my studio I have the Focusrite Scarlett Solo, my MacBook Pro running Garageband, and a pair of M-Audio Studiophile AV 40 monitors. My MacBook is an older model with only 256GB so I also have 2 Seagate external drives. Recently I’ve been using my Squier Contemporary Active Stratocaster through it.
I record my guitar direct and play mostly metal and rock. But if someone wanted to use this for recording acoustic guitar and vocals it would work. You could have a vocal mic on the XLR input and an acoustic electric going into the 1/4″ input.
Overall, I’ve been satisfied with the Focusrite Scarlett Solo. It’s been a great addition to my music recording activities.