Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen vs Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen

What published reviews say about each, where the two differ, and who each one suits.

Summed up from 15 published reviews

Focusrite

Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen

The Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen is a well-priced, compact home-recording interface with clean converters, versatile inputs, and helpful gain tools, but limited software monitor mixing.

Best for: Beginners and home studio users recording vocals, guitars, or instruments.
Skip it if: You need four mic preamps or advanced software monitor mixing.

PriceToday's price on AmazonView on Amazon

What reviewers say about the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen

Focusrite

Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen

A compact, beginner-friendly interface with clean preamps, low latency, and strong bundled software for basic recording.

Best for: Solo guitarists and singer-songwriters needing clean, portable mono recording
Skip it if: You need multiple inputs, MIDI, loopback, or hardware monitor controls

PriceToday's price on AmazonView on Amazon

What reviewers say about the Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen

Affiliate link · we may earn a commission

Specs side by side

Spec	Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen	Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen
Mic inputs	2	1
Best for	Podcasts, Streaming, Music	Podcasts, Music
Max gain	–	56 dB
Loopback	Yes	No
Type	Audio interface	Audio interface
Phantom power	Yes	Yes
Guitar input	Yes	Yes
Built-in effects	No	No
USB-C	Yes	Yes
MIDI	No	No

Rows where the two differ come first.

Where only one fits

use: Scarlett 2i2 4th GenStreaming
inputs: Scarlett 2i2 4th GenTwo; Scarlett Solo 3rd GenOne
must-haves: Scarlett 2i2 4th GenLoopback

What reviewers like, and what they don't

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen

Excellent preamps and converters support clean, low-noise recordings. 1 3 4 5
Two combination inputs accept microphones, instruments, and line-level sources. 1 3 5
Two-stage Air modes add presence and optional harmonic character. 1 2 5 7
Auto Gain and Clip Safe help simplify gain staging. 1 2 4 5
Low latency supports practical live monitoring during recording. 1 2 4
Flexible DAW-return mixing is limited compared with hardware cue controls. 1 2
Clip Safe still depends on sensible initial gain settings. 2 5
Two microphone preamps limit multi-microphone recording flexibility. 1 3
Third-generation owners may find the improvements incremental. 5 6

Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen

Clean, transparent recordings with strong preamps and subtle Air voicing 1 3 4 5
Compact, bus-powered, rugged design suits portable home recording 1 3 4 5
Low latency and flexible direct monitoring support an easy workflow 1 3 4 5
Generous DAW, plugin, and virtual-instrument bundle adds immediate production value 1 2 5 6
Only one mic and one instrument input leave little room to expand 1 4 7
Missing MIDI and loopback limits controller and streaming flexibility 7 8
Monitoring lacks dedicated level and mute controls 2 6

Ranked in our guides

Guide	Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen	Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen
Best audio interfaces	#1	–

Sources

We don't test products ourselves. This page sums up 15 published reviews, read on October 21, 2026; each point above links to the reviews that make it.