The Best Audio Interface On The Market?!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ส.ค. 2018
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At Cosmic Audio, we use the Focusrite Clarett 8PreX for supreme input and monitoring quality and reliability. Find out WHY the 8PreX blows all the competition out the water.
www.cosmic-audio.co.uk - เพลง
Just an exellent overview. Very clear, and lots of common sense. Thank you Mr. for doing this videos!!
Fantastic review and really appreciate the insight and testimony to the sound quality.
This was very useful information, thank you for taking the time.
Thank you Jason!
Had mine for a little over a year and it's great have not had any issues with it. Sounds great no doubt and it just works all the time
Nice review, i bought this a few months back (about 10 months to be exact lol) and having bought a house in the meantime, my music has been on the back burner so havnt really tried it out until last couple weeks, Has awesome sound for sure. Just have to finish converting my garage into a studio to really appreciate the sound. Cheers !
Really great video brother! Very useful information! I might be sold!
Great commentary and very informative. Got me convinced, it’s a “must have” product.
did you get it? and is it really that good?
Yep. Purchased two..😉
Thank you so much for your excellent honest review.
Thanks for watching Vladimir!
@@CosmicAudio do you think they changed it and made the converters alot more “lower value” then they were in 2018 compared to 2021? Or is it all same parts same sound
We use the ‘Air’ mostly on vocals before an outboard 1176 which helps to round it off and give it an edge, so the source cuts through a dense mix.
Awesome! Thank you!
The reason the gain pots have a condensed level at near maximum is that they are LOG pots and are common for audio rather than linear. Log pots are supposed to replicate the way the human ear works but I can see that maybe linear (evenly spaced) pots may work better.
We went with the USB 8x version Clarett. It's so good, we then got a 'satellite' 4-banger for a mobil setup. Great pres, converters, comprehensive routing. It's just really a joy to work with. I'm so glad we went with the Clarett series. Best routing app too... Super easy to set custom mixes for each of it's outputs.
Thank you Focusrite!
Nice one Hue! We still haven’t found anything to beat ours yet
Hue Morris I’m considering buying one. When you say custom mixes for each output, that includes custom headphone mixes for multiple band members? And can you put EQ, compression and reverb on those before sending them out to separate ear mixes?
@@samchoate1719 I haven't done anything to that extent, but the matrix allows for 10 outputs for whatever track/input/both that you wish to send them. Without chasing down all the variables, as long as you have those plugins and your DAW allows input monitoring, there shouldn't be an issue doing that. It may make your head spin a little setting up the routes, but I can see the benefits to it, and once you get it routed, you can just save it. Cheers. 😷
I bought the clarett4pre and was blown away by the output, sounded great through my Neumaan monitors. The clarret pre range all use the same converters. The more expensive models have more functions. I agree thunderbolt daisy chain option would be amazing for mk2. In the future I will definitely be investing in clarettpreX.
Hey Taharka, glad you're also blown away by the Clarett, and it's good to know the smaller models have the same convertors, thanks for the info!
Excellent video!
so far, the best review...
fantastic...
Thank you, I hope it was useful!
man your channel is lit. You should be having wayy more subscribers!!!!!
He moved over to an other channel with a bit more subs. It's called present day production.
@@Elaiden yeah man! I am a Subscriber of that too now.
@@BrijeshSarin Haha good! I'm glad. Knew it was an old comment but just had to make sure you had found your way over there!
Thanks, specially interesting to hear about the imaging which is crucial in live and acoustic recordings.
Thanks JB! Yeah the imaging is astounding. I've used Lavry blue convertors for mastering and, while the difference is more subtle than between the Clarett and similarly priced 'prosumer' units it's still there, and the Clarett, to my ears anyway, still wins the race. I've really learned something from A/Bing this unit - I thought all converters in 2018 would sound pretty much identical at a given price, but I was wrong, and I have yet to find one that beats the Focusrite
@@CosmicAudio Amazing that a multi-input interface in this price range could compete with a dedicated Lavry converter. This has me thinking, since I'm just now considering a Prism A/D for my hybrid mix/mastering chain. So far, I've really liked the 8preX mic pres on drums. As a monitor controller it isn't perhaps the last word.
@@JayBeBerg Yeah it's not the best monitor controller in the world! And a big negative for me is having to dive into the software control for certain functions (and it's not the last word in software control either!). I'd like to hear it next to Prism convertors - if you get a chance to hear them side by side then please let us know your findings!
Hi guys! I really like your videos, I'm a focusrite "fan" and since we bought the red-series back in time theres nothing else I use except for 1073 for vocals sometimes. I running my recording studio in Sweden and using the Focusrite red8 pre x2. Love the sound and sold my old Apogees conveters 8000 series. Now, I just love to know how the Clarett 8pre compares soundwise to my Focusrite red8 pre!? Preamps and converters? That whould be a interesting test! Take care from Dynamicrecordings Studio.
I swear I thought David Gilmour was giving the demonstration
Damn, my secret identity is revealed!
🤣
Just to update the Clarett 2 usb (with 8 channel adat in!) has the same quality!!! Total bargain Also loved your presentation!!
Very good video. You think the converters on this are better than the new clarett +?
Thank you!
Thanks for watching Santiago!
I agree with everything said on this video. I love my 8 PreX !
Hi. ! how long have you been using ? how many inputs can i have at a time without the Octo pre ?
I have had my Clarrette 8pre x for over two years. I seldom have used kore than 3 to 4 inputs thus far as I am just producing my own recordings, not a full band. I replaces a persons 192 USB. with the Clarrette The main difference i hear in it is separation from instruments , vocals etc. Easy to make everything stand out in a recorded mix .
Dave Miley ...thanks for you reply !
I do agree, It is really really good . The DAC on the interface is amazing.
No need to apologise man, you are also right and I should have elaborated more. The akm chip handles the multiple outputs except for outputs 1 and 2, which use the cirrus logic DAC. There's a whole thread on it on gearslutz. They confirmed this when they opened up the 8pre and 8pre x. Those 2 have the exceptionally nice cirrus logic DAC assigned to monitor outs 1 and 2. The same cirrus logic chip is also used as the primary DAC in the prism sound Orpheus, and apogee symphony.
Biggest draw back with Focusrite interfaces is the lack of longevity driver support. Their drivers were never thier strongest point. It seems to be a trend that Focusrite would discontinue products after a few years as the Clarett thunderbolt range is now discontinued and no long make drivers for them anymore which means you are screwed. RmE and Motu has a much longer development life cycle and still support and make drivers for devices that are 10 to 15+ years old. I have a Motu 828ES on the which is no comparison that uses a 32bit ESS Sabre DAC that's also found in the Apogee symphony. Its dynamic range measures at 123 db.
@@eman0828 Yeah I feel ya on that one. I had some issues for a day when I got the 8pre installed initially. Can't imagine what a nightmare the thunderbolt version is. I'm running the USB. lol. No way in hell I'd buy a thunderbolt. Thunderbolt is next decade's firewire lol. Apple's reason?"F** you we're Apple. that's why. Buy a dongle for 90$ if you want compatibility on your next computer. In all seriousness, I really wanted an 828ES and was close to buying one through Zzounds, but I re-purchased an 8pre for 650 on ebay (long story as to why I went without one for several months). Regarding Motu, I've dealt with their support and can vouch for their drivers. Superb. It blows my mind that there's not someone on youtube hailing it like Cosmic Audio is hailing the 8pre on this one lol. If I had the extra cash I'd have splurged for an 828es, as I've also heard from a few sources that their stereo imaging and overal clarity and depth is on another level. Maybe I'll rock a M4 for a few weeks and do a review and send it back to sweetwater when I'm done ha! Would love to hear the Sabre32
@@MajorOSC Yeah If it wasn't for driver support and better RTL performance I would stick with Focusrite. Don't get me wrong though Focusrite does make some phenomenal hardware a brand trusted in commercial million dollar studios around the world a company that was started by no other than Rupert Neve although he has nothing to do with the modern Focusrite. I still think they make some of the best mic pres on the planet which is really what they are known. Thats what I will still buy is their mic pres. I do still have the Focusrite Forte USB interface and it def stands up against my 828ES in terms of digital conversion which competes with the Apogee Duet II. Luckily the drivers works on Windows 10 as they stopped making drivers for it back 2015.
@@MajorOSC I also think the Clarett range has a design flaw since I use the own the Clarett 8pre thunderbolt as they don't have any kind of ventilation. I've message Focusrite about the design flaw and suggest them to add ventilation holes on thier next generation because those boxes gets pretty hot. Electronics in a hot enclosed metal box is not good because there is no heat to decapitate softening its life span. They also should add a talk back feature on the next generation one.
I have now Clarrett+ 8pre …luv it ❤
I just bought one yesterday. So it is great to hear this review. Can you upload some audio comparison between the different interfaces?
Glad you picked one up, they're so good for the money! I couldn't really find a reliable way to provide a downloadable comparison, I guess I could run audio out and back in to every interface and upload the files, but I sold all the other interfaces we had and now solely use the Clarett. You made a good choice!
here is a good shootout video....th-cam.com/video/ZGgSXYletkg/w-d-xo.html
Your channel is awnsome!! Super good informations! Can you tell me if the preamps of the Clarett 8Pre and Clarett 8PreX are the exactky the same? Thanks in advance, greetings from France.
Clarett 8preX vs clarett 4pre usb
How do the converters on this compare to the ua apollo twin?
How does this compare to Slate Digitals VR8 ? Was really eager to get a pair of VR8s, but for some reason you can't link 2 of them for the 16 channels on windows. They are working on it tho. Including the ML1 and ML2 mics for the huge "ultra expensive" mic selection just gotta be awesome. Any thoughts ?
Thanks for the positive review. I am the lucky owner of one.
Great review, no wishy washy uncommitted hedging in the hopes of being blessed by other manufacturers and this is refreshing. Wondering if Focusright got back to you about the converters on the others?
Hey Trevor, thanks for your kind words. Yes, all the others in the Claret range share the same converter circuitry
@@CosmicAudio Thanks for the reply, about to invest, humming and ahhing between the two.
@@CosmicAudio Just got the Clarett octopre
I thought the very same with the "AIR"... it's a bit random and I can't see what it would add to anyone... so not sure what they were thinking with that
Hi! Thinking about going back to Focusrite after 5 years with UAD Apollo. This interface seems to have everything I want, but I'm worried that being discontinued it won't be updated to be used with Apple M1 new processors. What about the Clarett+? Is the AD/DA conversion at least closer to this? Thank you, wonderful channel!
What's wrong with the Apollo?
Is there any major difference between this and the new model clarett+ 8 pre?
Nicely done, thanks! I have a gen 1 Scarlett 18i20; I wonder how the converters compare to the ones in the Clarett range.
I just got a Clarett and upgraded from a Scarlett, not even comparable, the converters are audibly better even when not listening critically, and the greater dynamic range is way better for piano (which is what I mainly record )
@@nerdsunscripted624 good to know, thanks!
Nice video! Very very tempted by this interface. Coming from a 2nd Gen Scarlett 18i20, I'm thinking this will be a worthwhile upgrade.
Hi Chris - yeah, we've used a Scarlett in the past and the Clarett range is definitely a worthwhile upgrade. I've yet to find anything that beats it for twice the price. Thanks for your comment!
Just like me ,I ve sold my scarlett 18i20 2nd gen today and i am so curious about clarett sound. I am not decided yet if i should go to clarett or presonus quantum. Great review through.
I put Air on my drum over heads. nothing else except if i am individually micing a hihat or something. it sounds very good on some guitar tones and obviously voices.
Hello just deciding between this unit and presonus quantum 26x32, which has better ad conversion? And the air function is it so spectacular. ? Thanks for your advice and great review.
Would all claretts have the exact same converter?
Are there any smaller interfaces that have converters as good as this?
Are these the same converters as the 2i2 third gen???
the first night I got this interface in our control I spent hours longer in the studio than I should have just listening to tracks on it. ridiculous conversion.
Hi, love to know why you dislike the ADAT optical? Having used the actual machines I understand - and shudder at the memory of using them - I’ve had nothing but solid performance from converters connected up. Granted I’d not spilt an overhead or stereo pair across different units, but all mine have been fine up to 48kHz.
@Zack Darce don't know - only assume its the memory of the machines (shudders -though I still have one for posterity...) I've never had an issue with the optical format.
agreed. its 8ch over a tiny little cable and reliable. Never had a single issue. ADAT Optical is not to be confused with ADAT DAT Machines. The protocol is solid. I do wish you could do longer runs though.
I’d imagine it’s down to the horrible ports and connectors. The little plastic tabs that snap off if a mouse so much as breathes on them, and the cables that fall out at the slightest movement. Is there some reason they can’t make connectors that clip in? 🤯 That aside I’ve not had any issues with ADAT.
Is the new 2022 model as good ? Or dis they lower the quality ? Especially re high grade output ..
I Liked the review..I owned one way back..Ended up on a Metric Halo
thank you for this very helpful review! what is the difference in sound to the clarett 8pre without the x? Does it compare to this? thank you :)
Thanks for your comment! The sound between the x and not x are identical as they use the same chipset and electronics surrounding it. We also just did another interface review on our new channel, so be sure to check that out! th-cam.com/video/YziM7TNwmqc/w-d-xo.html
Just looked on eBay, loads of the new 8pre, none of this one. People keeping hold of things always gd sign
I has an RME fireface before getting this red box, I had the same reaction ! this this is magic ! (and I am not paid by focusrite)
Hi Thibaut, thanks so much for your comment. I have a friend who uses the RME so didn't have a chance to perform a direct comparison until recently but you're right - the RME is another interface on the list that is blown away by the Focusrite. They really nailed this one! Thanks so much for watching and taking time to comment :-)
@@CosmicAudio I agree, when I recorded at home with the rme, the preamps sounded dead to me (no treble, no life). Cool channel btw !
I have a Clarett and an RME UCX, I'm not sure anything blows anything else out of the water in the way described here. One major failing with the Clarett is the console software is nowhere near as flexible as the previous versions on the Saffire56, and it's even further away from the RME software; the matrix routing functions are piss-poor in comparison.
If this unit really blew everything else away, UA would go out of business. Last time I looked, they weren't.
If anybody being biased not me this unit distroyz the appogee As well
@@derekchapman5167 it kills the appogee and the uad mk2 now just check thair Scarlett 3rd gen even better
Thanks for the informative video and stressing the point about sound quality, because after all, that is one of the most crucial aspects for a studio audio interface. The internals also looks better built than units like Presonus Quantum. I am currently researching a new usb-c/thunderbolt interface and wondered if you ever run plugins for comfort reverb etc when tracking and do you ever encounter latency problems?
I have both the Quantum and the Clarett right now but im returning the Quantum. IMO the Clarett sounds way better and its not subtile.
@@jeansebtremblay what quantum did you have?
The Preamps sound better or the concerters sound better?
You had the 8prex?
@@levijessegonzalez3629 Hi , It was the Presonus Quantum 26x32. I now have a 8prex and before i had a 4pre. I use the card mostly with synths and FX processors so i dont really need the preamps. Its a question of preference i guess but to me the Clarret sounds better. Im not sure if its the converters but i had the opportunity to compare both of theme. At first i had the 4pre so i ordered the Presonus Quantum for more outputs and inputs via adat. I did return the Presonus and lost 200$can in the process (penalty fees for return ) and ordered the 8prex. Maybe the Presonus is more transparent ? I dont know but i really really like the Clarett.
@@jeansebtremblay Just so you know, the Clarett Thunderbolt line is discontinued. I gotten rid of my Clarett 8Pre because drivers has been adandoned. There hasn't been any new drivers released since 2016 thats still stuck in beta which is not good. I switched to MOTU and it was night and day. Drivers are far better, great converters. MOTU still even make drivers for its early 2000s products that are over 15+ years old similar to RME.
@@eman0828 I was thinking about getting one of these because Motu is no longer updating drivers for me 2 - 896HD’s I have. Focusrite told me they would support the Clarett 8pre X indefinitely. Which Motus do you have? You think they sound better than the Clarett 8prex?
someone said in the comments section that Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56 is better than this one now which one of the 2 is better and has better dac?
I'm late to the party. I need to know which is better 8 pre or 8 prex.
I'm getting one of them. I don't need all channels. I will most use midi to record drums. Home studio.
Thanks
How does this compare to the Presonus 24R, in terms of latency and sound quality (Let's ignore the "air" circuit)?
Also, what if you don't have a thunderbolt input? Will it work with USB?
Hi, do you feel its sound quality is better than MOTU, RME, UAD or Antelope?
Clarett 8Pre here and I've got the AIR mode on when recording guitars directly into the interface. I use Neural DSP where it doesn't matter that much, but for less sophisticated plugins like Guitar Rig or the Ableton built-in stuff, it comes kinda handy as it takes away some of the muddiness. However, would I pay extra for it? Nope.
Hello, I really liked your explanation about this device. I have a question , and if you don't mind I'd be great if you can guide me a little bit. I already have the Clarette 8prex, and now I'm about to buy a mixing console. My question is: in order to use the Clarette 8prex only as an A/D converter, what would be the signal routing? Should I run a cable frome the monitor output from my mixing console to the in of two preamps ? what would you recomend me to do that??? Thank you so much
Hi Xavier, thanks for your question! If your mixer has group outputs then I would connect those to the line inputs of the 8PreX, not the mic inputs. That will give you the cleanest signal into the DAW. If you want to use the mixer for mixing, then run the 8 individual line outputs into 8 spare channels of the mixer (or the tape returns if it’s an in-line design). I hope that makes sense!
We’ve got a new TH-cam channel with much more content on this sort of thing, head over and check it out:
th-cam.com/users/PresentDayProduction
Thank you so much for your prompt response. I will definitely subscribe to your new channel!! It’s a great source of information. Thanks a lot!!
Actually this is the new console I’m going to get . In case you want to add more specific information. Thanks again
th-cam.com/video/Y7RuTlBeG58/w-d-xo.html
Is there a Focusrite factory reset?
Hello ! A little help.... Ive heard some youtube videos of this... really interested in it. Following are some questions :
1. Is thunderbolt still relevant ? if yes, why do you think Focusrite has dropped thunderbolt and went to usb.
2. after 4 years of release - is this still good ?
3. At a time how many stereo instruments can i plug in at a time ( without the Octopre ).
4. Hows your experience with Focusrite service repairs etc.
Thanks
Hi there, thanks for your comment! Thunderbolt is still relevant if, like me, you still have a computer that features thunderbolt and have no plans to upgrade. But bear in mind of course that this interface has now been discontinued as thunderbolt is no longer supported by new computers without having to have a cacophony of adaptors. So whether TB is still relevant is really only for you to decide.
After 4 years of release I have yet to find something that beats it for transparency and sound quality.
You can plug in up to four stereo devices at once using the 8 line inputs.
I’ve never had to deal with Focusrite for service or repairs, so can’t answer that, but their customer service has been second to none on the odd occasion I’ve had to use it. I hope that helps!
Cosmic Audio ...thanks a lot! Really appreciate your reply....I was looking at your recordings on the site...really superb stuff !
Newbie question...can I plug in analog synth outs ( Moog mother 32 , DFAM, Arturia micro key, Roland vocoder and Korg Volca etc? ) into mic inputs too . . . ?
Do you think this is better then the newest UA Apollo MKII Quad?
In my opinion no. But depends on your preferences.
Have the Focusrite Clarett+ 4Pre and its great, tried the focusrite scarlett but the headphone output was to low for my headphones, just a headup for those who is going to buy a focusrite but both are great the Clarett+ has a bit better converters.
Using a 48 kHz sample rate and a 24 bit depth, is it possible to connect 2 Focusrite Clarett OctoPre to 1 Foscurite Clarett 8PreX and have 8+8+8 = 24 channels?
Yes.
is the quality of converters/output will be the same on Focusrite Clarett 8Pre USB 18x20? TNX!
samprock It would be better of course! This is like a Premium version of this Audio Interface.
Nice unit! I don’t need all the IO The Apogee Symphony Desktop 👌🏾👌🏾😎 The Warmth and ADDA Flagship for 35 years” but I thought about the REDNET but Apogee Symphony took the Cake in sound and specs. Great video and it’s a great Interface for someone who wants good Pro sound & you don’t want to spend 5 to 9K$ on a Symphony IO MK2 fully loaded Dante ect ect.
is the same stereo out converters in the 4pre?
Yes they are. Our studio has em both and there's absolutely no difference other than the 'puts. Lovely interface.
Any advice between the clarett 4pre vs an audient id44..this is out of my budget
For your price range my current audio interface is your best option IMHO. Thats the Steinberg UR28m. The functionality in this interface is INSANE. 4 Ins, 6 Outs, Dim, Mono, mute, Source Select Mix 1-3, Switch thru 3 pairs of monitors A,B,C, The preamps are crisp and clear and by fair the best converters in this price range (Best interface under $1,000, You'd need an apollo twin to beat this kind of quality). Plus this interface allows ipad connectivity if thats your thing. This interface basically has a built in monitor controller ALL in one. So if you're familiar with the big knob or the Nero desktop monitor, you don't need those with this interface. So you save money. And as a add bonus you save space on your desk. Best part is you can find them at guitar center for UNDER $300 ;)
www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Steinberg/UR28M-Audio-Interface-117129298.gc?cntry=us&source=4WWRWXGP&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6ZOIBhDdARIsAMf8YyGaiE78nfTAkumsA7pQO98kKxWjxWdPglQccm-sTVxeZBgebeJl_joaAo7JEALw_wcB
Help !!.. esta interfaz funciona con Windows?.. solomwnte funciona creo que con mac verdad ?.. windonw tiene puerto c. Y puerto usb standar...
Excellent box, but use the Air sparingly or you saturate that part of the spectrum.
Hey, thanks for the review ! I'm interested in the smaller 8pre USB. Do you know if the converters are the same ? Thanks a lot !
They are, I believe. I have got that one and it's really really good.
@@lucaverheyden Thanks !
Do you know how it compares with Arturia's AuduiFuse 8 pre ? More gain is desirable in classical music recording
@@francesco_v I don't have any experience with Arturia but the Clarett does have a shit ton of gain to offer. Noise floor also only becomes noticable at around 95% gain or even higher.
@@lucaverheyden Thanks for the info. I need indeed a lot of gain. My old digimax gives only 54dB and it's far from enough. I worked with the Audient asp800 that gives 70dB and it's much better !! The clarett has "only" 57dB. But i might be only specs on paper, different from real-life usage ;)
@@francesco_v there not the same.
And update to this video for 2021?
Or 2023 🙂
Would love to know if this is still the best value for money.
Hi Mark, I was just looking generally at audio interfaces and watched your excellent review of the Focusrite Claret. The only audio interface I have used to date with my Windows system is an Edirol UA-25, very basic with L/R mic/jack connectors etc. I'm sure you must be familiar with it. Could I ask you what would be a greater quality interface or step up from this product, not that it hasn't served me well and is easy to use! Would a Focusrite interface be a big audio win for me? The unit in your review looks amazing but is probably beyond my needs, lustworthy that it is! Thanks in advance for the kindness of your time.
Hi Andy, thanks for your comment! I’d recommend the smaller Claret interfaces as they sound just as good as the 8prex. Other worthy contenders would be anything from Audient, and the new SSL desktop interfaces which are apparently superb, although I haven’t tried one yet myself. Hope that helps, and thanks again!
@@CosmicAudio That's so helpful to me, huge thanks Mark. So do you think the converters in the smaller Clarets are of the same quality then, because what I get from your review is that its this aspect that is so important.
Andy Martin Yeah the smaller clarets sound just as good. They’d be a big step up from the Edirol 👍
@@CosmicAudio i couldn't find any reference re' the UA25's dynamic range but its possibly around 104dB with the Focusrite in your review delivering 15dB more?
Andy Martin Yeah 119db on the Claret
As a mobile device useless, gigantic box with nice red color. How dors this routing software looks like ? Zero latency monitoring to those Line-outs ?
air switch is great for darker mics like a ribbon or a M88
It's interesting this interface was discontinued, with no real replacement....the synic in me wonders that because it is so good, it put the Red series at risk, and those sales were in danger once it was obvious how good the 8 Pre x was?....I have one, and it's amazing.....
I dont have thunderbolt port on my pc, so I am using newer model of clarett with USB. Do you think its worth to connect the 8PreX to the new clarett for added channel via ADAT ?
That's exactly why they discontinued it. They over engineered the unit...mistake probably. You basically got a red interface for 1k instead of 3k.
@@tecno8335 That is correct. All the so called replace by Focusrite only have one ADAT port; so you need two ADAT pres or the 4-5K Rednet to get 24 channels!
how does this compare to the apogee ensemble?
go the apogee!!!!!
Knee on the front, not phase. The ADAT interfaces are physically weak and often loose on this box - I've had to change them. The Clarett Octopre ADAT connectors are tougher (bolted to the chassis) , but still use the silly flappy door style ADAT ports. FTLOG Focusrite, if we are to keep using ADAT, change the sockets to use the solid ones without the doors and separate covers. FYI: The TB2 chaining never worked well - TB3 has continued this trend.
yup, by-passable preamps and TB daisy chaining and I would've bought in for sure... I think the Motu 828 ES is prob the closest competition atm.
Interesting you say that, Im absolutely stuck!! on which one of those two to buy. The 828 is newer, but I think its just got too much stuff I don't need in it, The Clarett looks a little old school, like a tank, but all in all, Im more concerned with which mic pres are better????
I have the the 828ES and I will tell you the digital conversion is def up there with Apogee, Lynx etc. They have a 32bit DAC which is the same ESS Sabre 32 DAC in the Apogees. I still have the Clarett Thunderbolt but I turned it into Octropre to use as a external ADAT mic pre amp. The 828ES is more on the high end professional level that you can use outboard gear with. The Claretts are more of a mid level prosumer product. Since Focusrite discontinued the Clarett Thunderbolt range, they no longer support and make drivers for it anymore making it obsolete. I also still have the Focusrite Forte that I compared my 828ES to and it def stacks up very well in terms of conversion but Motu has far better drivers with much lower latency and they support their products like RME that still even make drivers roe units that are 15+ years old.
Well, I don't have 800 Pounds. I'm sure it's good but I'm extremely happy with the Behringer U-Phoria UMC1820. In the day when I had access to different interfaces with different AD converters, the sound differences were minor - not better or worse, just different. For example, I got the best recordings ever going through an old PC soundcard (the best in its day, a noisy Mackie VLZ and an old Pentium III processor. The sounds may not have been pristine clear but the overall tone could be described as analog. Not sure whether the Mackie mixer added "warmth" during mixdown but the recordings then sound better than today's mixes although my last couple of interfaces s#*t all over the old PCI slot interface. Go figure.
This unit is discontinued now. I wonder how comparable is to the current Clarett 8pre USB. Do you have any idea on that? Would you buy a used 8preX or a brand new 8pre USB? Someone is selling me a Clarett 8preX bundled with a Clarett Octopre (both in great conditions) for $1,350 USD and I don't know if it's a good idea and/or a good deal.
I was thinking the same thing. I guess we'll never know?
Unfortunately Absolutely the 8PRE USB is Basically The Same With only with Only One ADAT Port....So Sadly Goodbye 16 channels at 96k....Probably to Diversify the market & Protect the Launch of and Sales of the more Seriously Industry Focused Units...and more importantly Focusrites move into the more Seriously Industry Focused market segment where units start at £1500 - £3200..... Which is pretty crazy as they almost had the 8PRE X market segment to themselves in terms of Price and Quality.....
@@chrisbatten8 Thanks Chris. Do you think the converters in the 8 pre USB will be as good as they are claiming they were in this unit? I think that's USP that would sell the unit.
@@grahamtaylor6883 no.
Do you know if this interface is better for recording audio than my Scarlett focusrite solo 2nd gen?... Like will my audio sound better using this with the same microphone that I use now compared to my solo 2nd gen? or is it just more expensive because it has more inputs?
The Scarlett interface is absolute trash. And the one being advertised will capture the sound better not just more inputs (as with many other interfaces)
@@Karll541 Ok thanks.
Sounds like the budget pots are linear and not log eh?
So can I take it that not all Clarett line are equal, meaning not all of the lower models have the same IO converters that the 8PreX has?
Yes, although focusrite says there the same but thats not true.
@@tecno8335 explain further? Are 8pre and 8prex the same converters?
How about the converters from Antelope Discrete or Audient id44? Are those better, same level or worst compared to Clarett 8preX? I am still in doubts if I should buy the Clarett...
Thanks.
Hey Christian, I’ve compared the Focusrite with the Audient and the difference is negligible. I can still hear a difference, and the Focusrite wins, but this is on £30k worth of monitoring. On headphones or near fields it’s much harder to pick between them. Moving a mic an inch would have far more difference! So I’d pick what you need based on feature set and budget. I’ve heard the antelope Goliath (which is great) but not the Discrete, so can’t comment on that
@@CosmicAudio thanks for feedback. I think I will give Clarett 8pre X a try.
Antelope has a bad reupation for hardware failure. Sweetwater dropped them due to reliablity problems.
A head engineer from Roland Japan once told me, that when a high end audio company decides to take on the budget/home studio market they will not, (and don't need to) re-invest into R&D for budget components (and risk their reputation) ....he told me at that time "this new Roland sampler for only this price $xx is the very same as our top of the line that costs many times more, we just made it cosmetically different and limited some of the functions..." No doubt the Claret has the Red series converter, and don't bother asking the people at Focusrite because they will never admit that it has the same converter.... just enjoy the benefits that you/we get from their need to reach the "budget" / home studio market. (Based on that conversation years ago, I have discovered some gems like this Claret and at times I have to get my tech to replace a couple of components to achieve a Class A unit). Thanks for being to our attention, warm regards, David
I have a Clarett 2-Pre and LOVE it!
I have a Clarett 2Pre too and it has the same dynamic range according to the specs and tests, so they probably do use the same components.
How does Clarett compare to Babyface Pro FS?
I want to know this also, anyone?
I havent used the babyface but the converters in 8preX are insane. Hes right they did make mistake and high end converters in the unit. There using the cirrus logic converters which are used in prism sound which costs 4k. Im not surprised this unit is dicontinued they goofed up.
Haters gonna hate, all hail focusrite 🇬🇧
Does Focusrite still make these? Struggling to find it online.
discontinued
They discontinued them, they probably realised they were to good of a deal for the money.
would you choose the 2pre or ssl2?
Just about to do a shootout on the SSL2 and Audient ID14 on our new channel, so head over and subscribe to that to hear the latest! th-cam.com/users/presentdayproduction
Does Fcousrite 8 pre usb sounds the same??
Nope. Completely new components.
Mate are you aware that the Apogee mk3 2x6 se exist???
What do you think of having Clarett preX in 2021? or should I go for the newer scarlet model ?
no no scarlet! Clarett is 100 times better!
@@freesongsmusic Thanks for the reply, should it choose newer clarett or choose Clarett preX ?
@@EumirBethbeder if you can get the 8preX trust me get the 8preX
@@tecno8335 I dont have thunderbolt port on my pc, so I am using newer model of interface with USB. Do you think its worth to connect the 8PreX to other interface for added channel via ADAT ?
How does the preamp sound compared to dedicated transparent preamps like Milennia etc
A/D and D/A convertor wise, how does it fares against The Prism, Lynx, Merging Anubis, RME ADI-2 Pro FS etc super end convertors and interfaces
You know what... after trying SO much gear over the years I’d say it really really really doesn’t f***ing matter.... just write a damn good song. Nothing else matters. Any hang ups on gear is just procrastination keeping you from concentrating on what really matters. Did I choose not to listen to any Queen because they didn’t use API preamps on the shaker? No. I’d didn’t give a shit. And neither does anyone else... I’m not being rude, but, just don’t worry about it! Life’s too short. Write some great music ❤️
@@CosmicAudio Absolutely absolutely agree with your words.. I loved that you spoke from your heart. :)
Actually i am setting up a new studio, your this video came in thumbnail. I want a transparent and most detailed capture and conversion of sound with no added coloration in a budget till 2500-3000$.
So looking on gear recommendations only..
Rest love your words. :)
Abhishek Srivastava We’re just doing a budget audio interface comparison for our new channel (link below) and I’ve compared an Audient ID14 and SSL2 by running audio out of them and back in again 500 times. 500 times!! 500 trips through the converters. The results are astounding. The video won’t be out until next week, but please subscribe and have a watch - you’ll be amazed at how transparent even interfaces that come in at 10% of your budget can sound!
th-cam.com/users/presentdayproduction
@@CosmicAudio Subscribed. :)
So you suggest not to go anything above Clarett regarding my 1st post ?
I will seriously take it for deciding about new studio equipment list..
Abhishek Srivastava My advice to anyone wanting to get the best results possible out of their recordings would be to spend money on treating your room really well, then get ATC monitors. That will make far more difference than preamps, converters, summing boxes etc etc. I’d happily master music through my ATCs using either the Claret, or the SSL, or the Audient, or Lavry Gold. The differences between them are tiny. Take my monitors away and give me NS10s in a poor sounding room however, and I’m screwed!
I hope up to this day you can reply to me. There's one of this thing on the market here with our country. But I am on hesitance to buy since I am using a windows laptop without thunderbolt on it. The price is very very bargain. I knew that the Clarett 8preX is an outstanding workhorse interface to be the core of the studio. is there anyway I can make thisnwork on my laptop via USB 3.0? Using adapter? Apple Thunderbolt 2 Mini DP to Thunderbolt 3 USB-C > USB C USB 3.0 adapter to PC/Laptop. Will this work? If yes, I'll buy this thing right away.
It seems to work on our new Mac M1 using a Thunderbolt adapter, so I can only imagine it will work with a USB adapter - contact Focusrite support and they'll be able to tell you for sure.
hi , has the Focusrite Clarett 4Pre got the same converters as the Focusrite Clarett 8PreX ,,,thanks
Hi Stephen, we’ve been in touch with Focusrite and apparently the whole range share the same converters. Thanks for watching! Mark
@@CosmicAudio that sounds great ,,, I have a elements apogee 24 for a long time and only working in the box , iv got a small home studio , iv always wanted to get a hardware compressor for going in a little and on the master chain and wanting to print the stereo master going back in but iv always needed another stereo in for this ,do you think the Focusrite Clarett 4Pre would do this job im only mastering for myself as iv watched your mastering video and your right about another set of ears and a big speaker system and stuff , but id like to have fun trying , enjoyed your videos. I got a new mic today think you maybe like , it sounds great a Aston Spirit. ,thanks bro
Sorry to break it to you but the Clarett range was never designed to be used with outboard gear. The pre amps are non bypassble according what Focusrite has told me as it would color the sound. I oped for a Motu 828ES which is made for that mind of application with Analog Line Input/Outputs. It's got sends and returns on the back of the unit and a dual BNC input/output that I can use with a Master word clock. So if you want to use outboard gear would would have to spend a bit more money on a proper converter.
Eman 08 Hi Eman, thanks for your comment. Have you heard one? The 8preX was specifically designed to interface with outboard gear, which is why it has 8 separate line inputs on the back panel, leaving the mic inputs free, and is a 2U rack unit. The idea being, from Focusrite themselves, that you can permanently connect outboard and patch and route it digitally. And this indeed does work very well. This was the only unit in the Claret range that had this feature. We originally bought the unit for the small bit of mobile recording that we might need to do, as well as for plumbing in the odd bit of hardware for mixing. But it turned out to be so good that I’ve now nabbed it for my mastering suite! Tests we performed running various test tones out of and back in to the unit resulted in almost complete cancellation when the files were perfectly lined up and the phase reversed, and none of our experienced engineers were able to reliably or repeatably tell which was coming straight from the DAW and which had been fed out of and back into the interface in blind tests. And that’s good enough for me! My main job at the studio is mastering, and I work on some pretty big profile projects and master the entire output for a handful of labels, and I still have yet to find something that beats the transparent quality of this unit, at any price. And I’ll stick by that unless someone can send me a set of converters that will change my mind! With the other brands of interface we have in the studio, and my previous converters, running out to hardware and back again resulted in a slight loss of something somewhere. Not so with this. Any mojo or magic imparted by a hardware device is translated perfectly back into the digital domain with this unit. And I love it. And you’d have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands now Focusrite have discontinued it. Thanks again, Mark
@@CosmicAudio I sold my Clarett 8pre for a real ISA outboard pre amp thats much better than the Clarett stock pres. The Motu AVB interface I have uses the same 32bit ESS Sabre DAC chips found in Apogees products plus much better RTL driver peformance compared to all the previous Focusrite interfaces. Focusrite abandoned support for its drivers so if I upgrade my OS, I'm pretty much screwed with a obsolete product. RME, Lynx and Motu still supports and makes drivers for its products even if they are over 10 or 15 years old. Focusrite development life cycle is rather short that are notorious for abandon its products and takes forever to release drivers many of them still stuck in beta. If you go to Focusrite website you see they have gutted majority of their line up leaving just only the Scarlett and Clarett USB. Focusrite had went through some changes as they moved all thier high end top tier products over to the Pro division that offer much better product support. The only Focusrite products I would buy is their outboard Microphone Pre amps like the ISA since Focusrite is mostly known for thier Pre amps from what Rupert Neve left behind before he sold the company.
I'm debating this vs an apogee. How much difference is there STRICTLY SPEAKING with the Preamps / sound quality?
don't know....but I'm commenting so if you know...I will know too
If you're a mac user choose Apogee. No other interface sounds better on a mac imho. Focusrite's are excellent, but Apogee is on another level. If you can afford it get both. I'd use the focusrite for instruments (electric guitar/drums) and the Apogee for all vocals or anything really. But that's me. Currently using an Apogee ensemble and a nice collection of outboard preamps and compressors.
@@grantos You would prefer the focusrite for instruments, over the apogee? And are we talking about the Apogee Element 88? Because that seems to really be the competitor against the clarret pre8
@@KramGamesOfficial I'd choose Apogee over everything if I only could have one. But ideally I'd have both because I love the sound I get from focurites on instruments. It's not that the apogee doesn't sound great on everything, but to my ears the focurite has some different characteristics on instruments.
@@grantos I really just cant decide between those two or the Antelope Audio Discrete 8 Synergy Core
Satisfied Clarett 2 pre thunderbolt over here. (mainly using it for vocals with , of course, the quality mic to go with it being a lewitt 640 TS). On mac os, perfect, windows....latency….probably my fault, not knowing how to properly configure asio for all, but in mac ====> perfect. Only the volume differs a lot between mac os and windows . If only I could get the monitoring volume I get in windows with the as good as zero latency in mac...
Does it have 8 outputs cause i have mpc 5000?
Do not use the ASIO4ALL drivers, they are generic drivers. Use the one SPECIFICALLY for your audio interface, the latency will be greatly reduced.
I believe the converters in the 8PreX are the same that they have in their Red line...which is why they discontinued them. It was a mistake.
Theres a new clarett+ 8 pre. Any idea about the difference? Which one is better. Thinking of getting a second hand of this or maybe the new model
I had the Clarett 8Pre thunderbolt but the problem with these interfaces is that they are discontinued already. That's my biggest issue with Focusrite is their driver and software life cycle is way too short. RME and Motu still make drivers for thier devices that are 10+ years old and have some of the lowest latency peformance drivers in the game. I have a Motu 828ES on the way that blows the competition away that has the 32bit ESS Sabre DAC which is the same DAC found in the Apogee symphony with a dynamic range of 123 db priced at $995. It's really designed that you can use with outboard gear like a AD DA as I read that the Clarett pre amps aren't bypassble that could color the sound. I sold my Clarett 8pre for a real ISA outboard pre amp.
Hi. One thing i worry about is Mac OS upgrade to the drivers... since the 7 years of my Saffire Pro I fear upgrading automatically to the latest Mac OS considering the beautiful status quo.... penny for your thoughts on this ?
@@neoaureus Yeah Focusrite doesn't make drivers for Saffires anymore. The Clarett would be your next option but Focusrite likes discontinue its products very early with each time they come out with a New revised version of thier hardware which is why I stopped buying Focusrite interfaces. The only thing I would buy from Focusrite is their outboard microphone preamps from their Professional division. Firewire is also an obsolete technology as none of the newer Macs and PCS come with them anymore. I would def look else where such as Motu or RME. Motu is a lot like RME and Lynx that still supports and makes drivers for its products for 10 to 15+ years.
Eman 08 ...hmmm thanks ...that's a tough call. As a business that's extremely strange...
Eman, how was the transition to the Motu828ES? I saw the specs and was intrigued but I read a few user reviews that said while the gain was good with low noise, there was an inherently different sound to them, described as much more sterile and cold and perhaps not as much depth. would like to hear your thoughts. I find it hard to fathom that a new 32 bit Dac wouldn't outperform a 10+ year old 24 bit dac, but that's apparently what I've been reading more and more of now that the ES series from motu (and other interfaces that use the sabre) has been out a while and now.
@@MajorOSC It was a big step up in quality forsure. I don't use the pre amps as I use my 828ES as an AD to DA converter with my outboard gear. I have tested the Pre amps and they sounded similar to the Clarett I gotten rid of. The DA is side is light years ahead of the game for the price. I have an Apogee Quartet for a short while and I can safely say, there wasn't much difference to justify the higher Apogee price tag. The difference was very subtle. Both share similar sonic characteristics such as tigher bottom end and more clarity in the mids. Both sound very dynamic but the Apogee has a slightly more hyped top end. Midrange converters are getting closer and closer to high end as the gap closes. I still have thr Focusrite Forte an Apogee competitor that I plan on replacing with the Motu M4. It sounded much thinner in the midrange frequencies compared to my Motu 828ES and Apogee. The bottom end was a bit rolled off too. Def a brigher sound.
I know you can aggregate the Red 8Pre’s, as we do it with ours via thunderbolt- is that what you mean by daisychaining?
Hey Andrew, yeah that’s exactly what I meant, I’d be interested to see if that would work with these.
Cosmic Audio - As long as the device works with Console, or another modern software driver and application, on the Mac you can create an “Aggregate Device” using the “Midi Manager” software utility, which the computer will the treat as a virtually combine unified device (i.e. it looks like you have one big, aggregated device in your DAW with sequential inputs and outputs), where the total I/O capabilities becomes the combined total. On the Windows PC I believe there is something called ASIO4All (and there may be new alternatives), but I don’t use the PC for studio work, so I am not as familiar.
Anyway, I created an Aggregate device that combines some Focusrite 8Pre’s, with an Apollo TWIN and an Apollo 8P, so that my DAW has simultaneous use of all of them, as if it was just one big device. As long as they are all reasonably low latency, which most Pro Thunderbolt and USB gear is (and most Firewire too), you just define the one you want to supply the Master clock source, and you set the others as slaves, which is just a matter of clicking a few check boxes. They need to be set to use the same sample rate too (e.g. 44.1KHz, 88.2, 96K, etc).
Again, this OS level “Aggregate Device” function is on the Mac OS, and it’s really easy to setup- you just need two or more devices that connect to the Mac with some combination of fast Thunderbolt, USB 3, Firewire or other interfaces.
i hope this is useful, and makes sense, here is some related info: support.apple.com/en-us/HT202000
Andrew Denis that’s amazing info, thanks so much for sharing!
@@amdenis Aggregate audio devices have NEVER worked for me on my Mac. So much so I think they should remove the feature. MAYBE I would use it for a once-off attempt at something weird. But I'd never use it as a permanent thing. Latency and reliability issues every time for me. I use Mac too.
I thought this interface looked exquisite. Nearly bought it. Found out it was discontinued and noped outta there real quick. Don’t want to be dead in the water with lack of driver support in no time, so I went RME.
It quite recently got updated for M1 Mac support, with both driver and firmware updates, so us 8PreX users are not really dead in the water. :)
@@MikaelNitscheDrums That's great to hear! I'm a windows user though. I had a smaller focusrite interface for a while and wasn't super impressed for a few specific reasons. Not super important unless you're curious. But I appreciate the info! It seems like a great interface and I hope you get many, many years of use out of it!
@@samchoate1719 RME are arguably very dedicated to bringing even their older, discontinued interfaces updated drivers. Focusrite has had a bad reputation for theirs during the Saffie-line but it seems like they are at least doing some kind of effort to rectify that. :) Hope your RME is serving you well!
Prism !
Still waiting for the 8 PRE X Mk II ): why would @Focusrite discontinue their best interface ever?! 😭🥺
AUROA LYNX!!!