[LAU] Focusrite Scarlett 18i8

[Robin Gareus]

On 01/07/2014 04:10 PM, Fons Adriaensen wrote:
> Hello all,
> 
> AFAIK the Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 USB interface works on Linux.
> 
> * Can anyone confirm this ? 
> * Should it work with a Raspberry Pi ?
> 
> TIA,
>

Hi Fons,

I can't confirm neither directly. But I think it works these days:

http://focusritedevelopmentteam.wordpress.com/2012/04/23/linux-and-focusrite-novation-products/#comment-104

I have a Focusrite 18i6. It required a quirks-entry in the
alsa-kernel-module. That went upstream in linux-3.8. Note that the
mixer-interface is proprietary. I reverse engineered it a year ago and
wrote the driver for it, but then lost interest - others are carrying on
that work now (see above forum).


The reason I lost interest is that I think the device is crap.

The volume dials don't latch. I set a gain on the Focusrite 18i6 and a
minute later it's off by +-1dB.

Compared to the other two USB audio-device that I have, the [preamps of
the] Focursite 18i6 is the noisiest.  Measured with a 200 Ohm
termination and jnoisemeter: ~-72dBFS (Flat, RMS) -- the Edirol UA-25 is
at -81dBFS and the Presonus 1818VSL at -84dBFS.

That make we wonder which award those 'award winning' preamps of
Focusrite actually won :)

It has gain labels from 0..10 -= other comparably priced devices have
latched dials properly labeled and calibrated with dB.


I don't know if the same applies to the 18i8 -- Alexandre Prokoudine
reported similar findings with a Focusrite 2i4, though.


best,
robin