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Focusrite Scarlett Second Generation

Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 1:55 pm
by Musicmaker
Just a placeholder here , in case someone tests a Scarlett 2nd Gen on Linux.

https://global.focusrite.com/scarlett-range

Yes
- 192 KHz
- Lower latency
- MIC preamps with more even gain structure
- Improved input for electrics guitar sources.

No
- USB 3.x
- 2nd ADAT I/O ... :-( !!!

Unknown
- Works on Linux or broken now ?
- ALSA Mixer still works ?

How to identify a 1st from a 2nd generation Scarlett ? A few simple ones:
- 2nd gen has square volume LEDs instead of round ones
- 2nd gen Power button has a black border instead of red
- 2nd gen knobs have red knob indicator instead of black

Re: Focusrite Scarlett Second Generation

Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 5:14 pm
by varpa
The 18i8 and 18i20 have ADAT (but you want 2nd ADAT?)

Re: Focusrite Scarlett Second Generation

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2016 6:02 am
by Be.
It seems the new Solo, 2i2, and 2i4 are class compliant considering they do not require a driver to be installed for Mac OS X, according to Focusrite's Getting Started document. The other ones don't seem to be available for sale yet and there are no downloads on Focusrite's website for them. Whether ALSA mixer will still work for the new 6i6, 18i8, and 18i20 will have to be answered when someone gets one of the new devices.
Musicmaker wrote:USB 3.x
There would be no advantage to using USB 3.0 for any USB audio interface except those capable of using tons of channels like the RME UFX+. On the other hand, USB 3.0 requires more expensive hardware.

Re: Focusrite Scarlett Second Generation

Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2016 2:15 pm
by spid4
Hi All,

I have good news on this - I have a new 2nd-gen Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 and it seems to be working a treat. I have installed the new Qiana Studio distribution as described here: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=15747 on my thinkpad W520. It's running at 96000 Hz, buffer 128 samples, periods/buffer 3, and Cadence reports a latency of 1.3 ms. There are occasional xruns ~ seems to be when I stop and start software but I'll play around with it some more to confirm. I haven't tested MIDI yet.

Hope that helps!

Re: Focusrite Scarlett Second Generation

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 9:36 am
by idrojsnop
Does it work with Ubuntu?

More precisely, does it work with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS?

Re: Focusrite Scarlett Second Generation

Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2016 5:18 pm
by daeavelwyn
Hi here,

I also plan to buy a scarlett 18i20 and would be really intersted in comments about this interface on linux. Can someone try the mixer created by Fulup :
https://github.com/fulup-bzh/AlsaJsonGateway (demo here : http://breizhme.net/alsajson/mixers/ajg#/) As i'm really interested by the internal routing ability of this interface.

[OutOfTopic] BTW if you don't care about routing, I suggest the Berhinger UMC1820 USB. It's cheaper and I've tested the past days and works great, but can't route signal internaly, so can't create headphone mixes. So if someone passing by looks at an audio interface with no internal routing capabilities...[/OutOfTopic]

Re: Focusrite Scarlett Second Generation

Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 2:02 pm
by Musicmaker
I worked with Fulup to make the 18i20 work, So yes, it works. (for 1st Gen). Definitely easier to use than ALSAMixer (but ALSA mixer works too if you know what knobs to change) but some argue a native Linux program would have been better. As stated above, I have problems with the rev 1 18i20 on 16.04 Ubuntu. It could be me as no one else commented on that thread. Will test this again (and on 16.10) A long outstanding issue to me is that the headhpone outputs in the ALSA driver are not labeled as such but are labeled output 3-4 or so.Send an email to ALSA dev list ( a year ago or so) with a suggestion to change those, did not happen. Just added a OctroPre on ADAT but have not tested that one yet with Fulup's code.
You cannot change the sample rate and you will not see the channel volume metering as this seems something not supported in Linux (driver)
see thread: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11991&start=30

For 2nd Gen 18i20, the USB Device ID may have changed. In that case it will require to update a file (may need to clone fulup code and create a pull request) I like the 18i20 a lot and use it every day, Never had any issues., but now wish I had the 2nd gen for its low latency (if it works on Ubuntu) but worry if it does not work on Linux. Though hope FR will release an 8/16 channel expandable to 24/32 with ADAT (like the Clarett) using USB 2.0/3,0 as waiting for TB or AVB may take many years or it may even never happen for Linux. Many manufacturers have USB 16 channel expandable to 24 or 32 but only Win/Mac support. 16 channels in really limiting if you have more than a few Synths. Yamaha just released a 40 channel TF Rack version (not sure it works with Linux). End of rant.

Re: Focusrite Scarlett Second Generation

Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2016 1:46 pm
by daeavelwyn
Hi guys,

The Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 works on linux, BUT you can"t access the internal mixer. I don't know if it's an ALSA driver issue or an AlsaJsonGAteway / Mixer issue. Any helps would be really welcomed.

Here are some links about this subject :
https://focusritedevelopmentteam.wordpr ... -products/ <= see the comments at the end of the post

About AlsaJsonGateway and AlsaJsonMixer :
https://github.com/fulup-bzh/AlsaJsonMixer/issues/4
https://github.com/fulup-bzh/AlsaJsonMixer/issues/5
https://github.com/fulup-bzh/AlsaJsonGateway/issues/5

Re: Focusrite Scarlett Second Generation

Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 11:41 pm
by bjboyd
I got rid of my Scarlett 2i2, although I never used it with Linux. For a similar price I bought the Steinberg UR22 (MK 2) and it works a treat in Ardour and it also has a Hi-Z input for guitar (which the 2i2 doesn't).

Re: Focusrite Scarlett Second Generation

Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 12:57 am
by MattKingUSA
The 2i2 was fantastic with linux/ardour 3.

Re: Focusrite Scarlett Second Generation

Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 6:51 pm
by bluebell
bjboyd wrote:I got rid of my Scarlett 2i2, although I never used it with Linux. For a similar price I bought the Steinberg UR22 (MK 2) and it works a treat in Ardour and it also has a Hi-Z input for guitar (which the 2i2 doesn't).
My 2i2 works like a charm on Linux. According the tech specs it has instrument inputs with 1 MΩ. That should be High-Z enough.

Re: Focusrite Scarlett Second Generation

Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 7:46 pm
by daeavelwyn
I guess there is no internal mixer for the 2i2, does someone use a higher version ?

Re: Focusrite Scarlett Second Generation

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 8:08 am
by CrocoDuck
daeavelwyn wrote:I guess there is no internal mixer for the 2i2, does someone use a higher version ?
I have an old generation 2i4 and I think that for these few channels devices a software mixer is kinda useless. The fact is that you have physical gain knobs for the pre-amplifiers: that's your mixer, directly on the hardware. I don't know if the 2i2 and 2i4 are supposed to be controlled by a mixer app in the first place but, if that's is the case, I wouldn't be surprised if the mixer app by Focusrite was, for the 2i2 and 2i4, just multiplying numbers to the data streams without actually changing any internal gain in the device. In this case, putting non-mixer after the outputs of the soundcard would achieve exactly the same.

Re: Focusrite Scarlett Second Generation

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 10:28 am
by daeavelwyn
@CrocoDuck : I got an old 18i8 and the mixer worked with ALSA. I now have the 18i20, but can't get the internal mixer, so I'm hoping someone has newer informations :)

Re: Focusrite Scarlett Second Generation

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 2:42 pm
by bluebell
daeavelwyn wrote:I guess there is no internal mixer for the 2i2, does someone use a higher version ?
The 2i2 has no internal mixer. That's fine for me. One component less that might make trouble with Linux :)