I am a big fan of Focusrite interfaces. The Clarett 8Pre includes precision Focusrite digital audio conversion with up to 118dB (A/D) / 119dB (D/A) dynamic range. Though Thunderbolt 3 ports and USB C ports appear to be identical they do run different protocols and it is important to know that while Thunderbolt can operate USB signals, USB cannot operate Thunderbolt signals; meaning that your Thunderbolt Clarett will not be able to communicate with your computer over the USB C port. There is no USB version of the flagship Clarett 8PreX, so Focusrite supplied the USB version of the Clarett 8Pre for review. Clarett interfaces can be connected to either Thunderbolt 1 or Thunderbolt 2 ports directly, or a Thunderbolt 3 port when using an Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter.” Also, while the USB jack of the USB version is Type-C, I discovered that the internal USB implementation is 2.0. I've read TB2, but I don't remember where. I have one, and connect it to the TB3 port of the computer, throttling it down with Apple's TB3-TB2 adapter, and it connects. I just received a very interesting interface from Focusrite called the Clarett 8Pre Thunderbolt. The Clarett USB range certainly brings that high-quality sound to those lacking Thunderbolt connectivity and also brings low-latency recording and the Air feature too. Thunderbolt 1 and 2 ports have a 'display port' shape connector, but can be differentiated from regular display ports by the Thunderbolt logo being printed above the port. And create custom monitor setups for both you and your artists with the new Focusrite Control software mixer. I looked into same thing. Straight 8Pre. With the Clarett, at 32 or 64 buffer, even on a moderately plugin heavy session, I'd say latency … Again, no issue at the end of the day in my experience. The difference in terms of latency seems minimal to me between the two and there is a big difference in price here in the UK. I'm looking to save up a bit and get a serious audio interface, and right now the Focusrite Clarett line is looking like the option I want to go with, after reading up about the differences between the pre's between the Scarlett and the Clarett … But I'm confused about the thunderbolt and usb-c versions. Hi. Clarett 8Pre’s extensive I/O and class-leading audio specs are ideal for the producer looking to set up once and capture incredible results time and time again. Ensure that your computer has a Thunderbolt port. Click here to login, The ability to reply to and create new discussions, Access to members-only giveaways & competitions, Interact with VIP industry experts in our guest Q&As, Access to members-only sub forum discussions, Get INSTANT ACCESS to the world's best private pro audio, Promote your eBay auctions and Reverb.com listings for free. Thunderbolt version of the Clarett, or go for the USB version. © 2018 Focusrite Audio Engineering Plc. Or if it makes more sense to get the usb version anyway in the long run? Clarett 8pre thunderbolt vs usb(c?). The 18 in / 20 out Thunderbolt audio interface, with eight newly designed Clarett mic preamps, class-leading dynamic range and world class round-trip audio latency. Focusrite Clarett 8Pre. Mitch Gallagher puts the Focusrite Clarett 8Pre interface to the test with help from Nick D'Virgilio and Don Carr. Despite sharing the same kind of physical connector (USB C), it won't work in just any USB C port - it has to be Thunderbolt. From what I've seen looking at specs posted in various forums, there's a few ms of latency improvement with the Thunderbolt version compared to the USB version. Clarett 8pre - Thunderbolt or USB? Focusrite’s Clarett range offers Thunderbolt connectivity and high specifications at an attractive price tag. Is it worth the added cost compared to the USB? Thinking it may make sense to get the thunderbolt but just wondering if the newer usb model has anything over the thunderbolt in anyway? All Rights Reserved. However, the Scarlett comes at a much cheaper price point. I was sure to find another prime retailer to buy though and avoided AVLGear. 10-in, 4-out Audio Interface For PC And Mac® Find out more Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. I got a few details from Focusrite regarding their USB vs thunderbolt speeds. Since the demise of FireWire, many pro audio interfaces have been adopting Thunderbolt as their protocol of … The Scarlett 2i2 USB interface that I reviewed in September 2012 still gets my highest recommendation for those locking for a great-sounding, rock solid interface under $200. If you make music, show us how and where you do it! Since you only have TB1, and don't plan to upgrade soon, I might go with the USB version. The Speed of Sound and The Future of Recording. I'm a 100% ITB recorder & mixer. Even though the protocol lacks universal support on Windows computers, more and more manufacturers are now offering audio interfaces that connect via Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt actually uses a USB-C connector, so Focusrite Clarett 8pre can still work if your computer supports USB-C but not Thunderbolt. Focusrite clearly think that this is a significant market, because they’ve now catered to it with a range of three Clarett interfaces that, as the name suggests, have USB rather than Thunderbolt connectivity. In this double header video review for Production Expert, Dan & James thoroughly test a couple of Focusrite's new USB Clarett audio interfaces. If you don't have that specific port, your choice becomes pretty easy. The Focusrite Clarett Series audio interfaces can deliver. Thunderbolt is one of the most important technologies to impact audio production in years, and UA was one of the first to adopt it. The 2Pre in particular makes a fine portable interface with the right USB slot while the 8Pre is a fantastic option for those in need of more connectivity: bands and medium-sized project studio users. Applies to: Clarett Thunderbolt . I'm looking to save up a bit and get a serious audio interface, and right now the Focusrite Clarett line is looking like the option I want to go with, after reading up about the differences between the pre's between the Scarlett and the Clarett line (18i20), and hearing some A/B testing. spatial, reverb, delay, modulation, etc). The fidelity improvement and lowered session latency via thunderbolt justified the upgrade, but the ease of use was astounding. Annoyingly it looks like USB C but the parts behind it are USB B so you won't get Cs advantage. Thunderbolt Focusrite Clarett 2Pre @ 96kHz/32-bit on Logic Pro X with a Mac Pro running OS 10.11 Round trip latency: 1.67ms. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Focusrite's Clarett marque crosses from Thunderbolt to USB models with the Clarett 2Pre USB and its siblings. Create a username and password below and an account will be created and your post entered. The Clarett 8PreX and the USB only product Focusrite Clarett 8Pre USB are the best value audio interface money can buy. In the article, it listed the Focusrite Clarett 8Pre X as it's #1 choice, with #2 being the Apollo 8 Quad. So with Thunderbolt you’re talking about a speed difference that’s almost double that of it’s USB equivalent. Yes, a very comprehensive explanation...thank you. Super fast and quiet interface. and still has just about 1 ms latency which is pretty awesome. (*Logic Pro X @ 96kHz, 32-sample buffer – see below for the full latency chart). Designed with project studios in mind, the Clarett 8 Pre combines eight newly designed Clarett mic preamps, with class-leading digital conversion and extraordinarily low round-trip latency so low that you … Both are very well priced, especially given the software bundle which includes some fine plug-ins and samples. So I anticipated that the Clarett 8Pre was going to be a treat, and I … I went with the Clarett 8 pre USB which works flawlessly connected to the thunderbolt 3 port (same connector). I could have probably got by with a 4pre, but I wanted to rack mount it. Air mode, with impedance switching, gives new colour to your mics, emulating ISA’s transformer-based mic pre to bring out unique high-end detail. Focusrite Clarett vs Scarlett: The Lowdown. A costly lesson was learned here. Clarett 8PreX Thunderbolt - Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd. Bought the USB, no latency concerns on my side. However, from their site: Hi there, I’m also looking to buy the Clarett 8Pre and am torn over which port style to get - I have a late 2012 iMac which has thunderbolt 1 ports and as I’m already using many of my USB ports on it for external hard drives etc. That fine Clarett quality comes to USB … Clarett 8Pre Thunderbolt - Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd. Oferta de Plug-in Collective: Registra cualquier equipo de Focusrite antes del 14 de enero de 2021 y obtendrás el complemento Devastor2 de D16 Group, cuyo valor asciende a $49.00, gratuitamente. Focusrite Clarett 8Pre I got this because my Digi002 rack was a bit long in the tooth and I just upgraded to a new system with Thunderbolt on an iMac. I need advice as to which interface version of the Clarett 2pre to buy for guitar tracking with VTS in logic. Supported with Thunderbolt 1 or Thunderbolt 2 connections. The three Clarett USB units vary in their I/O: Clarett 2Pre (10-in, 4-out), Clarett 4Pre (18-in, 8-out) and Clarett 8Pre (18-in, 20-out). a USB 2.0 / 3.0 (A) port; or, a USB (C) port; Scarlett 3rd Gen and Clarett USB interfaces can also be connected to Thunderbolt 1 & 2 ports (via an adapter, such as using a Thunderbolt 2 Dock which includes USB ports) or Thunderbolt 3 ports (using a USB C to USB C cable). Your Price $ 869.99 msrp:1089.99 ... a PCI slot for desktop systems or Apple's Thunderbolt connection on newer Macintosh computers—all of which have different strengths and weaknesses. However, the last decision to make is whether or not I go for the (seemingly discontinued?) Thanks to its blazing-fast connectivity, Thunderbolt offers lower latency and greater stability than USB or FireWire, clocking in with the … Clarett 8PreX Thunderbolt offers very low latency. Clarett 8Pre’s extensive I/O and class-leading audio specs are ideal for the producer looking to set up once and capture incredible results time and time again. As expected it was an easy rack install. The Clarett Sound Built upon 30 years of mic pre mastery, the Clarett preamp is the finest we build into a USB audio interface. When you buy products through links across our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. But not knowing how the connection speed of TB1 effects the system's function, it's hard to conclude that's the right way to go. The 8Pre is an 18-in / 20-out thunderbolt interface with 8 mic preamps with their special “Air” feature (more on that later), 10 analog outputs, MIDI I/O, stereo S/PDIF I/O, and 8 channels of ADAT I/0. I'm using an AMD PC (And don't plan on switching to mac anytime soon), so should I go with the Thunderbolt option? The new Focusrite Control software is lot easier to use than the old Focusrite Mix Control I had been using. When push comes to shove, the Clarett beats the Scarlett with higher quality mic pres, expandability and audio specs. More posts from the MusicBattlestations community, Continue browsing in r/MusicBattlestations. All that Thunderbolt can promise to do is add a little less additional latency vs USB. You need an account to post a reply. As as far as my recording chains and mixing abilities, I'm able to get the sound I need with mostly compression and EQ and VERY little special fx (i.e. Focusrite is very cagey about what version of Thunderbolt the Clarett 8 PreX supports. The risk will be running out of throughput when/if you use all eight channels--or perhaps fewer. Thank you!!!! As far as I can tell, the latest Clarett version using USB has identical specs in terms of mic pres to the Thunderbolt version (aside from connection interface of course). Cheers. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. The Hitmaker Expansion is a limited-time offer for new Clarett USB and Clarett OctoPre customers that … To connect your Clarett to a PC with a Thunderbolt port, please follow these steps: 1. It's more a matter if your PC can even use Thunderbolt. This new Clarett 8pre Thunderbolt is awesome. Thunderbolt 3 support is currently in beta, please see this article. Currently, Focusrite Clarett 8pre works with only Mac OS X 10.9 and above, but the company is working on the compatibility with Windows platforms and the drivers should be available soon enough. Clicking i agree, you agree to our use of cookies the ease of use was astounding cookies. To which interface version of the keyboard shortcuts, delay, modulation, etc ) to use... And the Future of Recording Clarett 8PreX and the Air feature too makes more sense get! 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