Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 Audio Interface

The ultimate portable interface at a price that will make you double take. The Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 has 18 inputs and 8 outputs and includes 4 Focusrite mic preamps and high quality analog-digital converters which allow you to capture stellar recordings with no breakout cables and maximum simplicity. 

8 built-in analog inputs are available. Make use of 10 more inputs using the digital ADAT / S/PDIF connections and you have an USB audio interface that is small enough to take anywhere, yet powerful and flexible enough to form the centerpiece of a studio.

The Scarlett 18i8 has a no-frills control panel which allows you to set gain and volume levels quickly. "Halo" lights around the gain controls indicate whether your level is too hot. Once set, let the interface do the rest, capturing great quality audio into your recording software (Ableton Live Lite included or use any popular software package). Also included is a suite of Scarlett plugins and Novation Bass Station software synth!

Key Features

• Four award-winning Focusrite mic pres
• 18 inputs, 8 outputs
• Two headphone outputs with separate level controls
• Rugged metal unibody chassis
• High quality 24bit/96KHz audio interface for Mac, PC and iPad*
• Unique gain halos enable visual level monitoring
• Scarlett MixControl ultra low-latency DSP mixer and router
• Main monitor control with mute function
• Includes the Scarlett Plug-in Suite (Compression, Gating, EQ and Reverb for tracking and mixing), Ableton Live Lite, Loopmasters sample content and the Novation Bass Station analogue modelling synth plug-in

*(via Apple Camera Connection Kit - not included)

Here's what Focusrite say about the 18i8 Scarlett Audio Interface

The Scarlett 18i8 extends the popular Scarlett range of audio interfaces from Focusrite, each of which offers a series of high quality inputs and outputs for almost every recording requirement. The Scarlett 18i8 is the first interface from Focusrite to include four award-winning mic preamps. The Scarlett 18i8 18-in / 8-out USB 2.0 audio interface is designed for producers / recording artists / bands who require the ability to record a significant number of sources at the same time. An ADAT option allows the connection of external mic preamps such as the Focusrite OctoPre Mk II, extending the number of mic pres to 12. The Scarlett 18i8 works on Mac, PC and iPad  (via Apple Camera Connection Kit - not included).

Focusrite: 25 years of audio excellence

Focusrite was commissioned to make its first 'no-holds-barred' microphone preamps by Sir George Martin for his Air Studio facility in London. Over the following 25 years Focusrite designed some of the finest mic preamps in the music industry, and in recent years has developed a series of best-selling audio interfaces for people who really care about sound.

18 separate inputs

At the heart of the Scarlett 18i8 is a set of four Focusrite mic preamps with up to 60dB gain, designed specifically for Focusrite's computer audio interfaces. The first two offer Mic/Line/Instrument on universal XLR/TRS connectors while three and four offer Mic/Line capability on universal XLR/TRS - all four on the front panel with pads and 48v phantom power. Four more line inputs are provided on TRS connectors. An ADAT optical digital connector provides eight additional digital inputs that can also be used with external mic pres such as the Focusrite OctoPre Mk II to increase the number of microphone inputs the 18i8 can handle to 12. A stereo S/PDIF coaxial input is also included.

8 independent outputs

On the output side, there are two TRS monitor outputs, stereo S/PDIF coax, and two independent stereo headphone outputs, each with their own volume knob so artist and engineer can control their own personal monitoring. All analogue I/O have their own connectors, so no breakout cables are required, and all feature Focusrite precision 24bit/96kHz sampling A/D and D/A conversion to get the most accurate signal possible into and out of DAWs / recording applications on Windows, Mac and now iOS recording apps.

Included software

Scarlett MixControl provides a DSP mixer with flexible routing capabilities, intuitive one-click presets, and lower than 1.4 ms latency. The Scarlett 6i6 also includes the Scarlett Plug-in Suite (Compression, Gating, EQ and Reverb for tracking and mixing), Ableton Live Lite, Loopmasters sample content and the Novation Bass Station analogue modelling synth plug-in.