Despite playing a crucial role in your music production, your USB audio interface is the kind of device that you tend to set up and then forget about. Yes, you might plug a few different things into it from time to time, but, for the most part, it just sits there, dutifully getting on with its job.
All of which is great - it’s one less thing to worry about, after all, and there’s definitely something to be said for taking the ‘if it ain’t broke’ approach. But there does come a time when it’s worth having a second look at your audio interface and asking if it might be holding you back. You might not require any more inputs, outputs or features, but when did you last consider an upgrade in the most important area of all: that of sound quality?
This is where Focusrite can help, as it’s now brought the award-winning quality of its Clarett Thunderbolt range to a collection of USB audio interfaces. Yes, one of these will give you low-latency performance, all the I/O you need, and the option to expand your channel count later on, but crucially, it’ll also help you to get better-quality sound in and out of your computer.
Each model comes with low-noise (-128dB EIN) mic preamps that are designed to give a clear and transparent sound. So, when you record through them, you’ll get a true representation of the original performance. There’s also 119dB dynamic range and high-quality 24-bit/192kHz A-D and D-A conversion, and all at a great price. Thanks to the Air-enabled mic pres, you can even recreate the input impedance, clarity and frequency response of Focusrite’s original ISA mic preamp.
When it comes to connectivity, you have plenty of options. The compact Clarett 2Pre USB (opens in new tab) features two mic/line/instrument inputs, four line outputs, MIDI I/O and an ADAT input, while the larger Clarett 4Pre USB (opens in new tab) and Clarett 8Pre USB (opens in new tab) add mic/line inputs, S/PDIF I/O and two headphone outputs with volume controls. The choice is yours.
So remember: while all audio interfaces might look pretty much the same, they certainly don’t sound it. Give a Focusrite Clarett USB model a try and you’ll hear the difference.