Gen 4 Focusrite Scarlett

Here's where to talk about preamps, cables, microphones, monitors, etc.

Moderator: James Steele

Forum rules
Here's where to talk about preamps, cables, microphones, monitors, etc.
User avatar
HCMarkus
Posts: 9759
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:01 am
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: Rancho Bohemia, California
Contact:

Re: Gen 4 Focusrite Scarlett

Post by HCMarkus »

mikehalloran wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 5:22 pm I have no problem with this.
Neither do I. I just have no use for it in the studio, but that's just me, so no worries!
bayswater wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 1:28 pm
HCMarkus wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 9:12 am The dynamic range 24 bits provide exceeds the S/N Ratio of bare wire @1k and higher frequencies in the analog world.
Reminds me of a conversation I had many years ago with a room full of engineers working on hardware to digitize signals for transport on fiber. They had a lab full of stuff and I asked if they had anything that ran at 32 bit. They said it was a waste of time because somewhere around 28 bits you start to get noise in the system from background cosmic radiation.
Maybe we have bit off more than we can chew...
HC Markus
M1 Mac Studio Ultra • 64GB RAM • 828es • macOS 13.6.4 • DP 11.31
User avatar
mikehalloran
Posts: 15235
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:08 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: Sillie Con Valley

Re: Gen 4 Focusrite Scarlett

Post by mikehalloran »

The problem is that proper gain staging just doesn’t work with some singers, especially elderly and those with a hearing impairment. An analog limiter in the chain helps but 32 bit float means not worrying about it.

Welcome to my world for the last 3 1/2 years.
DP 11.31; 828mkII FW, micro lite, M4, MTP/AV USB Firmware 2.0.1
2023 Mac Studio M2 8TB, 192GB RAM, OS Sonoma 14.4.1, USB4 8TB external, M-Audio AIR 192|14, Mackie ProFxv3 6/10/12; 2012 MBPs Catalina, Mojave
IK-NI-Izotope-PSP-Garritan-Antares, LogicPro X, Finale 27.4, Dorico 5.2, Notion 6, Overture 5, TwistedWave, DSP-Q 5, SmartScore64 Pro, Toast 20 Pro
User avatar
HCMarkus
Posts: 9759
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:01 am
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: Rancho Bohemia, California
Contact:

Re: Gen 4 Focusrite Scarlett

Post by HCMarkus »

mikehalloran wrote: Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:43 am The problem is that proper gain staging just doesn’t work with some singers, especially elderly and those with a hearing impairment. An analog limiter in the chain helps but 32 bit float means not worrying about it.

Welcome to my world for the last 3 1/2 years.
It is good work you do, Mike.

As is the assistance to others you offer here at MOTUNation and around the web. Thank You.
User avatar
James Steele
Site Administrator
Posts: 21250
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:01 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: San Diego, CA - U.S.A.
Contact:

Re: Gen 4 Focusrite Scarlett

Post by James Steele »

HCMarkus wrote: Fri Sep 22, 2023 8:31 am
mikehalloran wrote: Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:43 am The problem is that proper gain staging just doesn’t work with some singers, especially elderly and those with a hearing impairment. An analog limiter in the chain helps but 32 bit float means not worrying about it.

Welcome to my world for the last 3 1/2 years.
It is good work you do, Mike.

As is the assistance to others you offer here at MOTUNation and around the web. Thank You.
Seconded! Thanks, Mike! :woohoo:
JamesSteeleProject.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Mac Studio M1 Max, 64GB/2TB, MacOS 14.5 Public Beta, DP 11.31, MOTU 828es, MOTU 24Ai, MOTU MIDI Express XT, UAD-2 TB3 Satellite OCTO, Console 1 Mk2, Avid S3, NI Komplete Kontrol S88 Mk2, Red Type B, Millennia HV-3C, Warm Audio WA-2A, AudioScape 76F, Dean guitars, Marshall amps, etc., etc.!
User avatar
mhschmieder
Posts: 11288
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:01 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: Annandale VA

Re: Gen 4 Focusrite Scarlett

Post by mhschmieder »

I've been too busy to comment on this thread, but have been wondering if anyone has seen any hints that the Clarett range might get updated soon. That's the one I may use the next time I need/want an 8-channel ADAT expansion for my now down-to-two-or-four-channels desktop "big knob" interface (RME BabyFace FS) after scaling down during COVID.

Having said that, Gen 3 of Scarlett is a huge step forward and truly is good enough for most tracks in a pro session. Maybe not ideal for the most critical tracks, but better than most higher-end stuff from a few years prior, so obviously "good enough". The Gen 4 seems to have upped the game once again in terms of features and not just quality and mic pre's.
iMac 27" 2017 Quad-Core Intel i5 (3.8 GHz, 64 GB), OSX 13.6.6, MOTU DP 11.31, iZotope RX 10
RME Babyface Pro FS, Radial JDV Mk5, Hammond XK-4, Moog Voyager

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35
Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, Johhny Marr Jaguar, 57 LP, Danelectro 12
Eastman T486RB, T64/V, Ibanez PM2, D'angelico Deluxe SS Bari, EXL1
Guild Bari, 1512 12-string, M20, Martin OM28VTS, Larivee 0040MH
User avatar
bayswater
Posts: 11973
Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2007 9:06 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: Vancouver

Re: Gen 4 Focusrite Scarlett

Post by bayswater »

mhschmieder wrote: Mon Oct 02, 2023 2:45 pm I've been too busy to comment on this thread, but have been wondering if anyone has seen any hints that the Clarett range might get updated soon.
Seems unlikely given that Gen 4 was just released.
2018 Mini i7 32G 10.14.6, DP 11.3, Mixbus 9, Logic 10.5, Scarlett 18i8
User avatar
mikehalloran
Posts: 15235
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:08 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: Sillie Con Valley

Re: Gen 4 Focusrite Scarlett

Post by mikehalloran »

bayswater wrote: Mon Oct 02, 2023 5:09 pm
mhschmieder wrote: Mon Oct 02, 2023 2:45 pm I've been too busy to comment on this thread, but have been wondering if anyone has seen any hints that the Clarett range might get updated soon.
Seems unlikely given that Gen 4 was just released.
The Clarett+ has not been updated since it came out in Sept. 2021, superseding the 2015 Clarett series.
https://us.focusrite.com/clarett-plus

Interestingly, when I went looking for specs, I found only this where we are told not to worry about the numbers.
https://us.focusrite.com/articles/pure- ... f-clarett/

it also touts independent ADC and DAC converters. Ok... like the MOTU M4 (MOTU doesn't mention the ADK chip for ADC in the specs but it's visible on the board)?
DP 11.31; 828mkII FW, micro lite, M4, MTP/AV USB Firmware 2.0.1
2023 Mac Studio M2 8TB, 192GB RAM, OS Sonoma 14.4.1, USB4 8TB external, M-Audio AIR 192|14, Mackie ProFxv3 6/10/12; 2012 MBPs Catalina, Mojave
IK-NI-Izotope-PSP-Garritan-Antares, LogicPro X, Finale 27.4, Dorico 5.2, Notion 6, Overture 5, TwistedWave, DSP-Q 5, SmartScore64 Pro, Toast 20 Pro
User avatar
mhschmieder
Posts: 11288
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:01 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: Annandale VA

Re: Gen 4 Focusrite Scarlett

Post by mhschmieder »

bayswater wrote: Mon Oct 02, 2023 5:09 pm
mhschmieder wrote: Mon Oct 02, 2023 2:45 pm I've been too busy to comment on this thread, but have been wondering if anyone has seen any hints that the Clarett range might get updated soon.
Seems unlikely given that Gen 4 was just released.
Interesting; I didn't see that announcement. I thought I had checked as recently as August 2023, and only saw Claretts from a few years back as the latest models in that range.
iMac 27" 2017 Quad-Core Intel i5 (3.8 GHz, 64 GB), OSX 13.6.6, MOTU DP 11.31, iZotope RX 10
RME Babyface Pro FS, Radial JDV Mk5, Hammond XK-4, Moog Voyager

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35
Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, Johhny Marr Jaguar, 57 LP, Danelectro 12
Eastman T486RB, T64/V, Ibanez PM2, D'angelico Deluxe SS Bari, EXL1
Guild Bari, 1512 12-string, M20, Martin OM28VTS, Larivee 0040MH
User avatar
mhschmieder
Posts: 11288
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:01 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: Annandale VA

Re: Gen 4 Focusrite Scarlett

Post by mhschmieder »

mikehalloran wrote: Mon Oct 02, 2023 5:54 pm
bayswater wrote: Mon Oct 02, 2023 5:09 pm
mhschmieder wrote: Mon Oct 02, 2023 2:45 pm I've been too busy to comment on this thread, but have been wondering if anyone has seen any hints that the Clarett range might get updated soon.
Seems unlikely given that Gen 4 was just released.
The Clarett+ has not been updated since it came out in Sept. 2021, superseding the 2015 Clarett series.
https://us.focusrite.com/clarett-plus

Interestingly, when I went looking for specs, I found only this where we are told not to worry about the numbers.
https://us.focusrite.com/articles/pure- ... f-clarett/

it also touts independent ADC and DAC converters. Ok... like the MOTU M4 (MOTU doesn't mention the ADK chip for ADC in the specs but it's visible on the board)?
Ah that's more recent than I thought, but I may have downloaded the wrong user manuals to study as I thought 2016 or 2018. Focusrite probably don't update as frequently as RME anyway though.
iMac 27" 2017 Quad-Core Intel i5 (3.8 GHz, 64 GB), OSX 13.6.6, MOTU DP 11.31, iZotope RX 10
RME Babyface Pro FS, Radial JDV Mk5, Hammond XK-4, Moog Voyager

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35
Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, Johhny Marr Jaguar, 57 LP, Danelectro 12
Eastman T486RB, T64/V, Ibanez PM2, D'angelico Deluxe SS Bari, EXL1
Guild Bari, 1512 12-string, M20, Martin OM28VTS, Larivee 0040MH
Post Reply