For many musicians, producers and content creators, a Scarlett interface marked their first step into music production. It’s been that way since the range launched in 2011, and with almost 7 million units now in circulation, Scarlett has become the world’s best-selling line of audio interfaces.
To mark Focusrite’s 40th anniversary, the company has released the Scarlett 2i2 Anniversary Edition, outfitting the 4th Gen hardware in a striking ISA-blue finish with visual nods to the company’s illustrious history.
The Anniversary Edition celebrates a legacy built over four decades, from legendary mic preamps, to sought-after consoles that raised the bar for pro studios, to affordable gear that powered the rise of home recording.
In 1985, Rupert Neve was commissioned by Sir George Martin to design an outstanding mic preamp and EQ for the console at Air Studios Montserrat. The result was the ISA 110, a module that set new standards for clarity, musicality, and engineering excellence.
This milestone marked the inception of Focusrite, a brand that has since become synonymous with world-class audio, and can now be found everywhere from the most exclusive top-tier studios to the humblest of bedroom set-ups.
Three years later, Focusrite unveiled the Forte recording console, an ambitious project designed to be the world’s finest studio desk. The Forte was unparalleled, but impractically expensive; only two were ever built, one installed at Master Rock Studios in London and the other at Electric Lady in New York.
Despite its limited production, the Forte inspired the development of subsequent products, including the Focusrite Studio Console. Released in 1990 and built around the trusted ISA 110 and 130 circuits, it soon earned a reputation for its warmth and transparency, with ten units produced for top studios around the world.
The Studio Console has since been used to record scores of widely beloved albums, including Green Day’s Grammy-winning 21st Century Breakdown and Tricky’s highly influential Blowback.
In 1993, Focusrite introduced the Red Range, a line of analogue processors that refined the circuits behind the ISA 110 and 130 into modern mic preamps, EQs, and dynamics processors. With eye-catching bright red panels and high-quality components, the Red Range brought the brand’s signature sound into a more accessible, studio-ready format.
Two years later, the Blue Range arrived, kitted out in the very same shade of blue as Focusrite’s Anniversary Edition 2i2. Designed specifically for mastering engineers, it provided precise and reliable EQ and dynamic control.
Smaller and more affordable units like the Green 3 Voicebox and the Platinum Range allowed musicians to access Focusrite-quality audio without investing in full consoles, while collaborations such as the M Box, designed in collaboration with Digidesign, brought the company into the home recording space with USB interfaces.
Before Scarlett became the go-to choice for thousands of musicians, many Focusrite customers cut their teeth on the company’s Saffire interfaces. Launched in the mid-’00s, the FireWire-powered Saffire interfaces brought pro-level I/O to the nascent world of digital recording, swiftly becoming a popular choice in both home studios and professional settings.
In 2012, the Scarlett series revolutionized home studio recording, combining professional-quality preamps and converters with simple USB connectivity and a compact design. Over four generations, Scarlett interfaces have continued to improve in audio performance and workflow features, making them a mainstay in bedrooms and project studios worldwide. The Scarlett 2i2 Anniversary Edition commemorates this legacy, connecting the brand’s history with the tools that define Focusrite today.
At its core, the Anniversary Edition is the 4th Gen Scarlett 2i2, a 2-in/2-out interface equipped with two ultra-low-noise mic preamps and professional-grade 192kHz/24-bit converters from Focusrite's flagship RedNet line. Auto Gain and Clip Safe features make recording simple by adjusting levels automatically, while Air mode emulates the warmth and presence of a classic Focusrite console.
What makes the limited-run Anniversary Edition truly special is the ISA-blue chassis, historic ff logo, and hidden tribute to the ISA 110 and Studio Console, details that represent 40 years of Focusrite innovation.
Alongside the interface, the Anniversary Edition includes three premium software tools: Sonnox Voca, a vocal production suite, Acustica Audio Rust, a Motown-inspired EQ, and Softube Opto Compressor, an analogue-style compressor based on legendary hardware. Paired with the existing Hitmaker Expansion, this bundle gives musicians everything they need to craft professional-sounding recordings with nothing more than a laptop, a DAW and a Scarlett interface.
In recent years, The Focusrite Group has expanded beyond recording gear to become a major player in the broader music technology landscape. In 2004, Focusrite acquired Novation, bringing acclaimed synthesizers, controllers, and Launchpad products under its umbrella, followed by Sequential, the legendary American synthesizer manufacturer founded by Dave Smith.
Further acquisitions include ADAM Audio, Martin Audio, Oberheim and Sonnox, giving Focusrite a diverse portfolio that spans electronic instruments, studio monitoring and high-quality audio software.
Forty years after the ISA 110 first set a new benchmark in studio gear, Focusrite is still pushing boundaries with the Scarlett 2i2 Anniversary Edition. This limited-edition interface offers musicians and producers a tool that is both a celebration of the past and a gateway to future creativity, delivering the performance, reliability and character that have made Focusrite a trusted name in studios worldwide.