Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 3rd Gen

Firstly, the build quality is excellent, sound is quiet and clear and for this price it’s is a great option for a small home studio set up.

However I find the ‘Mix Control’ software quite confusing and very unintuitive.
I have to restart my mac or already have the Focusrite plugged in on start up, in order for the software to register that it the device connected. The layout of the Mix Control settings are also not user friendly at all.

Another con is that phantom power covers both inputs. It would’ve been nice to have the option to select between the two.

I have since upgraded to external hardware preamps and now mainly use the line inputs / outputs which work absolutely fine. ..once you get the hang of how to route everything with the Mix Control!

The Scarlett 8i6 3rd Gen has great sounding converters for abudget interface with just enough audio and midi i/o's for my downsized setup. Super sturdy build and small enough to pack-n-go when traveling without worrying about damage or integrity. My only issue is the headphone pre-amp doesn't manage the impedence on my higher end drivers. Not that big I of an issue if you have a decent cans with less impedance but you really have to crank it up when using fancier headphones. Overall I'm very happy with this interface and plan on relying on it for the next few years until I have space to expand the studio again!