Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 Audio Interface – 4th Gen

The engineer’s 18-in, 20-out interface

Scarlett 18i20 is the ultimate studio hub for demanding project studios. Fully equipped with 24 inputs and 26 outputs, including eight of Focusrite’s most detailed ultra-low-noise mic preamps, line, Hi-Z, and MIDI connections for your drums, vocals, guitars, keys, and synths. Focusrite Control 2 provides flexible routing and mixing options, allowing you to customise 18i20’s independent outputs to suit the needs of any recording session. Expand and sync your setup with ADAT, S/PDIF, and Word Clock connections.

Air mode, with Presence and Harmonic Drive, brings the sound of big studio consoles to your recordings, while Auto Gain and Clip Safe ensure you never worry about levels. Low-latency monitoring, A/B speaker switching, and a built-in talkback mic are perfect for serious project studios. The Hitmaker Expansion software bundle has all the tools you need to record, produce, and release your tracks. And the Focusrite Control 2 desktop and mobile apps enable you to remotely control your Scarlett anywhere in the studio.

Engineers. This Is Your Scarlett.

Eight of Focusrite’s most detailed, ultra-low-noise preamps.

Connect your studio to 18i20’s 4th-Generation remote-controlled preamps Scarlett’s most transparent and detailed ever. 69dB of gain range provides all of the headroom you’ll need to get the best result from the most intense multi-track recordings. Control preamp levels from anywhere in the studio using the Focusrite Control 2 apps, giving you the freedom to adjust settings remotely.

Auto Gain and Clip Safe.

Let 18i20 handle your levels. Auto Gain will set all eight microphone preamp levels instantly and Clip Safe keeps them in the sweet spot, automatically tweaking the gain if you’re in danger of clipping. You’ll never lose a take again.

All the I/O you need

Play your instruments.

Connect a guitar directly to 18i20s Hi-Z inputs for an amp-like feel, plug synths and grooveboxes into the eight line inputs, or route your favourite outboard gear through the ten line outputs.

Control MIDI devices.

Use 18i20 as a MIDI interface to receive and send data to your favourite external MIDI-controllable equipment.

Expand your studio.

Increase your channel count with S/PDIF and ADAT connections. Dual ADAT supports 16 inputs and outputs at 44.1/48kHz or eight inputs and outputs at 96kHz. The Word Clock output keeps your external gear perfectly synced.

Mix your way, with independent outputs.

Take full control of your routing and mixing preferences using the Focusrite Control 2 apps, anywhere in the studio.

Dial in the perfect headphone mix for the artist, or route the signal directly to outboard gear to put the finishing touches on your mix.

Get that big console sound with two re-engineered Air modes.

Presence mode boosts your signals high-end, bringing the sound to the front of the mix. Create intimate vocal recordings, capture every detail of acoustic guitars, and hear your drum overheads shimmer.

Presence and Harmonic Drive mode boosts mid-range harmonics in your sound, making its unique character shine through the mix. Try it on guitars, vocals, or anything else that needs a little more punch.

Huge 122dB dynamic range for incredible recordings.

Scarlett delivers incredible audio quality, with converters direct from Focusrite’s flagship RedNet interfaces as found in high-end studios around the world.

Studio Sound Anywhere.

Powerful Sound, Powerful Control.

Two custom-designed headphone amps deliver clear, powerful sound for high-impedance headphones, offering the best playback ever from a Scarlett.

A built-in talkback mic ensures seamless communication to the artists, while alt monitor switching lets you A/B your mixes between two speaker pairs.

All the software you need to make a hit record.

Once you’ve got started with Ableton Live Lite, Pro Tools Intro+, or six months of FL Studio Producer Edition recording software (all included), the Hitmaker Expansion bundle has everything you need to bring big studio sound to your songs, with an unbeatable range of record-making studio tools from the biggest names in the business.

Explore Hitmaker Expansion

• For Vocals: Get exceptional vocal tracks with Antares Auto-Tune Access, Sonnox VoxDoubler and Relabs LX480 Essentials reverb.
• For Guitar: Heat up your guitar tones with a hyper-realistic model of Marshalls Silver Jubilee 2555 brought to you by analogue-modelling experts Softube.
• Add Drums: Need drums? No problem – XLN Audios Addictive Drums 2: Studio Rock Kit has beats to get you started and the big sound of a great drum kit.
• Keys, Synths and Samples: Keys and synths? Youre well covered with the legendary MASSIVE from Native Instruments and XLN Audios Addictive Keys. You also get all the samples you need to get started, with three months of Splice Sounds on Focusrite.
• Mix, master and release: When its time to mix and master your tracks, theres an exclusive suite of Focusrite and Klevgrand plugins to quickly get you release-ready sound, and 5 free masters from Landr.

Focusrite Control 2

Focusrite Control 2 is a powerful app that easily manages Scarlett 4th Gen interfaces on Windows and macOS devices. Pair the iOS and Android app to your desktop computer to remotely control your Scarlett from anywhere in your recording space.

Easy Start

Need help getting set up? Just tell Focusrite’s Easy Start tool what you want to do and it will guide you through all the software and setup you need, with recording tips and other helpful content along the way.

Three-year warranty

Millions of music makers rely on Scarlett every day to keep the inspiration flowing. Built to the highest standards for ultra-reliable performance, every Scarlett interface comes with the peace of mind of a three-year warranty.

Award-winning, global support

If you need help at any point you can reach out to Focusrite’s award-winning global support team. Focusrite works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, so you can too if you want.

SPECIFICATIONS

Overview

• Number of Microphone Preamps: 8
• Phantom Power: Yes (Independent)
• Instrument Inputs: 2
• Line Inputs: 8
• Air Mode: Yes
• Auto Gain: Yes
• Clip Safe: Yes
• Line Outputs: 10
• Headphone Outputs: 2
• ADAT Inputs: 2 (16 channels at 44.1/48kHz and up to 8 channels at 96kHz)
• ADAT Outputs: 2 (16 channels at 44.1/48kHz and up to 8 channels at 96kHz)
• SPDIF Inputs: 1
• SPDIF Outputs: 1
• MIDI Inputs: 1
• MIDI Outputs: 1
• Talkback: Yes
• Loopback: Yes
• Connectivity: USB Type-C
• Protocol: USB 2.0
• Form Factor: Desktop / Rack Mountable (1U)
• Simultaneous I/O: 24 x 28
• A/D Resolution: 24-bit/192 kHz
• Bus Powered: No

Dimensions

• Height: 46.55mm
• Width: 442mm
• Depth: 259.73mm
• Weight: 3.304kg

Supported sample rates

• 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz

Microphone inputs

• Frequency Response: 20-20kHz 0.06dB
• Dynamic Range: 116dB (A-Weighted)
• THD+N: -100dB @ 8dB gain
• Noise EIN: -127dBu (A-Weighted)
• Maximum Input Level: 16dBu
• Gain Range: 69dB
• Impedance: 3k

Variable Line inputs

• Frequency Response: 20-20kHz 0.05dB
• Dynamic Range: 115.5dB (A-Weighted)
• THD+N: -100dB @ 8dB gain
• Maximum Input Level: 22dBu
• Gain Range: 69dB
• Impedance: 24k

Instrument inputs

• Frequency Response: 20-20kHz 0.05dB
• Dynamic Range: 113dB (A-Weighted)
• THD+N: -80dB @ 8dB gain
• Maximum Input Level: 12dBu
• Gain Range: 62dB
• Impedance: 1M

Line outputs (Balanced)

• Frequency Response: 20-20kHz 0.02dB
• Dynamic Range: 122dB (A-Weighted)
• THD+N: -112dB
• Maximum Output Level: 16dBu
• Impedance: 200

Headphone outputs

• Frequency Response: 20-20kHz 0.1dB @ 33 / 300
• Dynamic Range: 112dB @ 33 / 116dB @ 300
• THD+N: -100dB @ 33 (Minimum) / -110dB @ 300 (Minimum)
• Maximum Output Level: 5dBu into 33 / 11dBu into 300
• Maximum Output Power: 57mW into 33 / 27mW into 300
• Impedance: 11

Analogue to Digital Converter

• THD+N: -110dB
• Dynamic Range: 120dB

Digital to Analogue Converter

• THD+N: -115dB
• Dynamic Range: 130dB (A-Weighted)

Power

• External: 30W

What’s in the box

• Scarlett 18i20 audio interface
• Rack Ears
• 1.5m USB-C to USB-C cable
• USB-C to USB-A adaptor
• IEC power cable