Sponsor Content Created With
Focusrite at Recording Week 2026: From Scarlett to the new ISA C8X, Focusrite has your drums covered
RECORDING WEEK 2026: Drums are a tough test for any audio interface. A single kit can need eight or more microphones. The kick and snare throw out huge transients, the cymbals need delicate detail, and the room ties it all together.
But get the capture right and the mix builds itself.
For over 40 years, Focusrite has built the tools behind those moments, from the ISA preamp commissioned by Sir George Martin in 1985 to the Scarlett interfaces found in home studios worldwide.
But, for MusicRadar's Recording Week 2026, we're going to be highlighting three interfaces that put your kit within reach: ISA C8X, Scarlett 18i20, and Scarlett 18i16.
Scarlett 18i16: Big drums, minimal mics
Not every session needs eight mics and the Scarlett 18i16 has four preamps, making it ideal for classic minimal setups like the Glyn Johns method – recording your kit with a mic on the kick, snare, and a pair of overheads.
It shares the same preamp design as the 18i20 with 69dB of gain. Auto Gain and Clip Safe keep your levels in check, and two Air modes shape the signal as it gets recorded.
And as your setup grows, ADAT expansion lets you add more preamps without the need to replace your interface.
Scarlett 18i20: The whole kit, sorted
The Scarlett 18i20 gives you eight of Scarlett's transparent, ultra-low-noise preamps in a 1U rackmount chassis. That's enough for kick, snare, toms, overheads, and a room mic.
Like 18i16, it has 69dB of gain and 122dB of dynamic range from RedNet converters, so it handles everything from a ghost note to a full-force snare hit with ease.
Auto Gain sets all eight levels in seconds as you play. Clip Safe pulls the gain back before an unexpectedly hard chorus hit can ruin a take. And two distinct Air modes add shimmer to overheads or punch to kick and snare, while up to 16 channels of ADAT I/O give you room to expand.
ISA C8X: The ISA sound, evolved
Some drummers want colour in the signal from the moment they hit record. ISA C8X – the first audio interface in Focusrite's legendary ISA range – is built to supply exactly that.
At its heart are eight remote-controlled preamps with up to 79dB of gain, two of which are ISA preamps with Lundahl LL1538 transformers.
Use the ISA channels on the kick and snare microphones for weight and punch, or on your room mics with Console mode switched in. This all-analogue soft-clip circuit adds saturation and low-end, shaping tone at the source. Balanced inserts on the two ISA channels let you add outboard gear, while 430 Air mode – taken from the ISA 430 MkII – adds lift to your overheads with an inductor-based high shelf.
Six more ultra-low-noise Focusrite preamps cover the rest of the kit, each with analogue Air, variable Drive, and Auto Gain. 10 line outputs, two headphone outputs, 16 additional channels of I/O over ADAT, and Word Clock make it ready for bigger sessions.
And the ISA C8X is remotely controllable via Focusrite Control 2 for desktop and mobile, so you can dial in your levels from behind the kit, or with the unit racked out of reach.
Which is right for you?
If you're starting with a minimal setup, Scarlett 18i16 gets you there.
If you want to mic the full kit cleanly and reliably, Scarlett 18i20 is one of the most capable eight-preamp audio interfaces you can own.
And if you want ISA character and a studio hub built to grow with you, ISA C8X is the natural next step. Whichever you choose, every hit is captured exactly as it was played.
Want to find out more? Come and see us at the UK Drum Show on 24–25 October, or at one of three Focusrite-sponsored Drum Recording Masterclasses with Martina Barakoska and Ringo Skywalker in Germany, 6–8 November.
Discover more at focusrite.com