Features:

  • Two natural-sounding Scarlett mic preamps with plenty of even gain; two instrument inputs. Two 1/4-inch balanced jack outputs to connect professional studio monitors; one headphones output with gain control; MIDI I/O
  • Class-leading conversion and sample rates up to 192kHz / 24 bit; super-low roundtrip latency for using your plug-ins in real time without the need for DSP
  • LIMITED TIME OFFER: FREE Venomode DeeQ, Maximal 2, and Pivot, plug-ins upon registration and download.
  • Includes Pro Tools | First Focusrite Creative Pack and Ableton Live Lite, Softube Time and Tone Bundle, Focusrite’s Red Plug-in Suite, 2GB of Loopmasters samples, Choice of one free XLN Addictive Keys virtual instrument, all available via download upon purchase and registration
  • Compatible with Windows 7 and higher, and Mac OS X 10.10 and higher. Frequency response - 20 Hz - 20 kHz ± 0.1dB. Supported Sample Rates: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz. 2-year limited warranty on manufacturing defects.
This is a workhorse for anyone with audio aspirations or experience.

It has taken me a while to fully acquire everything I would need in order to appreciate this little device to its fullest. I will start off by saying that there most certainly are other DACs out there in a similar price range that will likely perform their function a little better (in quantitative statistics), but what you lose in choosing something that is too singularly focused could cost you in the long run. Simply put. This is a workhorse for anyone with audio aspirations or experience. The level of utility I have found from this piece of equipment has brought me countless hours of enjoyment so far, and from the look/feel of it many more to come. I originally purchased this on recommendation from a friend who performs as a DJ in the evenings and I have to say it was one of the best pieces of advice I have ever been given. My primary focus was to obtain something that would improve my overall listening experience after building a new computer. I was astounded by the quality of sound I was receiving from my Klipsch Promedia 2.1 before I even thought of introducing a DAC into the equation. Fast forward months later and combine the Focusrite 2i4 with the speakers I had broken in and I was able absolutely floored by the details I had missed in songs I listened to on a daily basis. Aside from personal amusement, this actually proves to be utilitarian in regards to not only intercepting Digital data for conversion to Analog detail, but acting as an intermediary device for Analog to Digital situations. What this means is that for any gamers/streamers/bloggers out there is that if you feed your Focusrite quality audio recording equipment, then you will have audio so clear people would think you were speaking to them directly in their room. I will admit that this hidden feature took a bit of optimization on my end as a low voice does not play well with any form of audio recording device. However, the dbx286s combined with the Shure SM58 (I know, not a spoken word mic) has proven to be a golden combination that no one can complain about thus far. A few tips that would help others to maximize the hidden potential of their Focusrite 2i4. 1) If using an unbalanced connection for speakers (RCA or Auxiliary), then keep those connections in the unbalanced ports in the rear side of the device. In the case of AUX cord, purchase an AUX to RCA splitter. 2) You will encounter a lot of people complaining that Mic input through the XLR channels produce sound in either the left or right (corresponds to XLR 1 or 2 respectively) side of headphones or speakers. This is because the device records Stereo imaging through a Mono port. To fix hearing yourself in Mono, make sure the input/playback dial near the "monitor" nob is set to playback, which prevents your Focusrite from outputting any input audio like microphones and focus solely on relaying sound from your computer. Additionally, I have found that after using a XLR Y splitter cable to make a single input play through both XLR channels that my audio has improved for those listening on the other end as well as allowing me to hear myself in Stereo mode (trust me, it drives you nuts). 3) Using an AUX to Phono adapter will allow you place headphones directly into the balanced phono port on the front of the Focusrite. What this means for me is that I can mute my Promedia 2.1 system and pick up my headphones without changing any wires or messing with buttons/dials/etc. 4) Not mandatory, but for anyone looking to take their audio experience another step further I highly recommend pairing this with the iFi Purifier 2 (USB type B). This device with plug directly into your Focusrite and use the red USB type B cable that came with your Focusrite to plug directly into your Purifier 2 (sandwich style). This will insure your Focusrite is only receiving the cleanest possible signal from your computer, and from personal experience I can say that you WILL notice the difference. Update 9/25/17: After seeing the many 1 stars for feedback noise I felt it was important to provide my own experience on the matter. Feedback can be due to any number of issues and is not something that is easily corrected due to extensive trial and error. It is safe to say that the vast majority of these instances are due to ground loop interference (look it up) and possibly a combination of static electricity interfering with output sound causing extremes in +/- frequency that could set your equipment in a feedback loop in an attempt to export an audio imperfection, as this is it's job. The best course of action is to make sure that your equipment is A) grounded, B) securely outfitted with surge protection, helps as a first defense against ground loop when using utilizing a quality product, C) invest in the iFi Purifier 2, this not only helps by correcting any major frequency imbalances by offsetting them with the necessary frequency to cancel the effects altogether, but also improves the quality of your sound simultaneously.

Superb Bang-for-your-buck

This audio interface is the best bang for your buck if you're an amateur producer like myself. Obviously there are higher quality products on the market - but in terms of cost versus utility - the Scarlett 2i4 has the most bases covered for under $300. The latency is ultra-low provided one sets their computer to the correct specifications. One can reduce latency through the use of external hard drives and solid state devices - assuming your CPU is powerful enough. Real-time tracking is achievable - but the best latency I could score was around 45 ms @96000 Hz, 24-bits, and 8192 samples I/O. I dropped it to 4096 for 22 ms - but the 96kHz sample rate chopped my audio out. This was on an i5 with 8 GB ram and a 7200 rpm HDD. I still encourage you to check out this product due to the free samples and software - high quality/durability - and ease of setup

Performs as expected, works great as a DJ audio interface

After my NI Traktor Kontrol S4 Mk2's built-in audio interface became too unreliable to be trusted, I decided to opt for an external audio interface to use alongside my controller. I chose this one since it has 2 sets of outputs, which allows you to use one set for cueing, via the headphone jack on the front, and the other set as your main outputs. It works great for this purpose, and I am using one of the inputs for a microphone, as well. It isn't the cheapest option, but it is a quality piece of gear that is backed up by a reputable brand. It also comes bundled with a TON of free software and plugins, even though I couldn't seem to get a couple of them to work on my PC. Overall I would definitely recommend this interface for the budget home studio or a DJ looking for a solid soundcard.

Great start!

I am brand new to audio interfaces but this was my first choice. I like the 2 inputs and 4 outputs that this bus powered machine provides. The playback sound quality amazing and clear. All of the knobs and buttons feel well built and the labels are big enough to read from 1 foot away. I will get a microphone in the future but I'm sure this interface will perform well with that. My monitors and sub woofer have no hissing noise while being turned on and connected this interface. My laptop installed the driver with no problems and everything works fine. I also like the simple green light of indication of it being on, not too bright.

Would definitely recommend

Absolutely love this soundcard. It bypasses the need to have a mixer in the studio. Focusrite is absolutely on point with this soundcard. I am a professional audio engineer and this soundcard competes with many of my other high end ones with out a doubt! I have recommended this soundcard to other studios starting out and they love it too! This soundcard to me was a missing link! I got away from routing through a mixer and this is more plug and play using a mic knob to do the tasks a mixer normally would do! Genius Focusrite!

THE PRODUCT IS GREAT.. WHEN WORKING. but expect it to break

So this is my, wait for it, 3rd focusrite product. First I owned the scarlett solo and it worked for a few months before giving out.. bummer. So I thought, maybe the quality is bad because its not as good of a product since only one mic input and no midi. Okay so I bite and buy this one. First product I received out of the box was defective and wouldn't even turn on, so I sent it back and got a replacement from amazon.. ok cool. Fast forward now and one of the mic inputs just stopped working. No reason,, just stopped. So the product is great when it works but BOY this thing is not built to last. A true money hole. UPDATE: okay so, as I said these units are amazing when working. Super easy to use, and picks up great signals. Midi feature is also nice. So my defective unit was able to be replaced by the amazing customer support since it was still within warranty. My anger from previous review has subsided and I’m appreciative they were able to get me a new working unit. :) (this was through American music sound, not amazon as amazon warranty is only 30 days)

Doing the job-2i4 2nd gen

Sturdy construction, great pre-amps-sound, has midi connection, can run 2 line in or instrument channels that switch from line to instrument. Comes with downloadable licenses to pro tools and ableton live and several plug-ins for sound effects. Getting all the software loaded on PC windows 7 and running.....a little work but not unmanageable. Before you install them make sure Quicktime is installed so importing files works smoothly. Haven't had to use tech support yet. Looking forward to learning pro-tools.....its a very powerful software (make sure you have room on hard drive and good memory).

A great plug-and-play option for Mac users

My wife and I are classical musicians and wanted to upgrade from the all-in-one recorders (Zoom, etc.) that we had been using previously. These were my criteria while searching: - at least 2 inputs for stereo recording - low-latency - as low of a noise floor as possible (I hate additional "hum" that can get introduced in a lot of cheaper all-in-one interfaces) - Apple/Mac compatible 2 months of use later, I love it! I've used it on both my MacBook Air and iMac successfully for audition tapes, reference recordings during practice sessions, multi-tracking, lesson recordings, and more. We use it primarily for trombone, oboe, and voice (speaking), but I've also recorded acoustic/electric guitars and bass guitar – all with great results. I also like the MIDI interface option for allowing me to connect older keyboards for notation software, and it gets bonus points for it looking good next to an iMac.

Configures nicely with all my ablit

I just upgraded from an m audio interface and the difference is remarkable in the sound quality not to mention the improved latency. Configures nicely with all my software. Highly recommend . I got the 2i4 because of it's added cue mic feature.

Feels solid, sounds great. Flexible routing.

A big upgrade from the M Audio Fast Track Pro. Feels way more solid. The red/green LED indicators on the gain knobs are super helpful. For the small bump in cost from the 2i2, you get way more features like blending the input to the headphones - awesome for podcasting or for online chats/ RPGs.

Full Reviews