[LAU] Focusrite Scarlett 18i8

Jeremy Jongepier jeremy at autostatic.com
Wed Jan 8 08:40:47 UTC 2014


On 08-01-14 05:05, Robin Gareus wrote:
> 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,
>>

Hello Fons,

It will probably work with a RPi since it has a USB2.0 host controller
and there's a 3.10 kernel available. But you'll probably run into
bandwidth issues, the USB implementation of the RPi is not that good.

> 
> 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

Thanks for the info Robin, I was about to acquire a Scarlett 2i4 but I
guess I need to look for other options.

Best,

Jeremy


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