Focusrite's long-established Scarlett series is one of the most popular lines of audio interfaces in music tech history, and a firm favourite among musicians and producers on a budget, thanks to its combination of reliability and affordability.
The Scarlett line, now on its fourth generation, isn't hard to spot in a studio: that deep red aluminium chassis, inspired by the aesthetics of Focusrite's earlier Red range, has become instantly recognizable. Today, the company has announced that its outfitting the Scarlett 2i2 interface in a new colour for the first time in recognition of Focusrite's 40th anniversary.
The Scarlett 2i2 Anniversary Edition reimagines the interface in a shade of blue inspired by the colour of the ISA 110 and 130, two modules designed for Beatles producer Sir George Martin by Focusrite founder Rupert Neve that became the company's first commercial products.
Along with the classic Focusrite logo on the top of the interface, the Anniversary Edition features graphics based on vintage schematics on its underside. Each unit arrives in a black-and-gold giftbox.
On top of the standard Scarlett software bundle, the Anniversary Edition arrives with three additional plugins that "celebrate 40 years of Focusrite's pro audio partnerships". These include Sonnox Voca, an "all-in-one toolkit" for vocal production, Acustica Audio Rust, a vintage-inspired EQ, and Softube Opto Compressor, an LA-2A emulation.
“It’s fitting that we should celebrate the 40th year of the Focusrite brand by adding a limited edition to the fourth-generation Scarlett range,” says Focusrite's Chairman and Founder Phil Dudderidge OBE.
“In its usual livery, Scarlett acknowledges the original Red Range, which brought colour to the racks of monochrome outboard. This Anniversary Edition is blue, in celebration of our original house colour. Focusrite, in either guise, has always been about bringing colour to the music!”
Released in 2023, the 2i2 is a 2-in/2-out USB audio interface with two remote-controlled mic preamps and two Hi-Z instrument/line inputs, alongside professional-grade 192kHz, 24-bit converters from Focusrite's flagship RedNet range. The 4th Gen 2i2 saw the introduction of Auto Gain, a features that monitors the incoming signal and automatically adjusts gain to the optimal level.
In our review of the Scarlett 4th Gen series, we praised the newly-updated preamps for delivering an "impressive 69dB of gain" and described the updated Scarlett line as "slicker audio interfaces with better specs and more options", concluding that they were "highly recommended".
The Scarlett 2i2 Anniversary Edition is priced at $229.99/£219.99/€210.08.
