# Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen

- Source: https://stierproducts.com/products/focusrite-scarlett-2i2-4th-gen
- Category board: https://stierproducts.com/categories/audio-interfaces
- Placement: #2 of 15 in Audio Interfaces, S tier
- Brand: Focusrite
- LP on this board: 952
- Last researched: 2026-09-23T22:47:32.949Z
- Method: https://stierproducts.com/methodology
- Dataset: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22062813 - every board at once, one dated snapshot per release, same licence, prices and photographs left out
- Reuse: Text, rankings, tier assignments, LP values and verdicts are free to quote and reuse with attribution to stierproducts and a link to the source URL (CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Product photographs are not covered: they belong to their respective owners and are reproduced to illustrate the product being reviewed. Do not redistribute them under this licence.

## Verdict

The mainstream default, and rightly so under this lens. Not the most durable brand here, but the support network and parts ubiquity are unmatched.

## For

- 4th Gen fixed the gain-range and instrument-input complaints of its ancestors
- Logically laid-out controls
- Unmatched support network and parts ubiquity
- The default recommendation for most musicians
- 4th Gen improved the converters, preamp gain and instrument input over the previous generation

## Against

- Will not outlive an RME
- Slightly behind Audient and MOTU on preamp and converter pedigree
- Slightly lower value-per-dollar compared with the top three picks
- Consumer-grade chassis
- Support not as robust as top-tier brands

## Evidence

Consolidated from 15 cited sources across 14 outlets

| Outlet | Said by | Stance | Link | Link status |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Higher Hz | Brandon Schock | S | https://higherhz.org/reviews/equipment/focusrite-scarlett-2i2/ | fetched and confirmed |
| MusicRadar | musicradar.com | B | https://www.musicradar.com/news/the-best-audio-interfaces | fetched and confirmed |
| 12NOTEZ | 12NOTEZ Music Studio | B | https://12notez.in/blog/focusrite-scarlett-4th-gen-vs-ua-volt-comparison | fetched and confirmed |
| Wayne.wav | Wayne.wav | B | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmTYFB0MPAU | fetched and confirmed |
| Stamatis Stabos | Stamatis Stabos | B | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qx2aJLv-OM | fetched and confirmed |
| Audio Lab Pro | Audio Lab Pro | B | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_kzDkirGi8 | fetched and confirmed |
| Lucky's Tech Reviews | Lucky's Tech Reviews | B | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8kn_KWERL4 | fetched and confirmed |
| soundorp | zarific | B | https://soundorp.com/focusrite-scarlett-solo-vs-2i2-which-should-you-actually-buy/ | fetched and confirmed |
| Nytimes | nytimes.com | B | https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-usb-audio-interface/?eafs_enabled=false | fetched and confirmed |
| Airgigs | blog.airgigs.com | B | https://blog.airgigs.com/2026/05/7-best-audio-interfaces-for-the-home-studio-in-2026/ | fetched and confirmed |
| Podcastsetuplab | podcastsetuplab.com | B | https://podcastsetuplab.com/best-audio-interface-for-podcasting/ | fetched and confirmed |
| Higher Hz | Brandon Schock | B | https://higherhz.org/reviews/equipment/best-budget-audio-interfaces/ | fetched and confirmed |
| Best Audio Hub | bestaudiohub.com | B | https://bestaudiohub.com/best-audio-interface-for-mac/ | fetched and confirmed |
| SYNTHO | willbettsmusic | B | https://syntho.com/2025/10/29/best-audio-interface-electronic-music/ | fetched and confirmed |
| Universityofrock | universityofrock.com | B | https://universityofrock.com/how-to-record-guitar-at-home/ | fetched and confirmed |

## Nearest alternatives on this board

| Rank | Product | Tier | Page |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | MOTU M2 | S | https://stierproducts.com/products/motu-m2 |
| 3 | RME Fireface 802 FS | A | https://stierproducts.com/products/rme-fireface-802-fs |
| 4 | Audient iD4 MkII | A | https://stierproducts.com/products/audient-id4-mkii |
| 5 | MOTU M4 | A | https://stierproducts.com/products/motu-m4 |
| 6 | Audient iD48 | B | https://stierproducts.com/products/audient-id48 |
| 7 | Solid State Logic SSL 18 | B | https://stierproducts.com/products/solid-state-logic-ssl-18 |
| 12 | Universal Audio Apollo x8p Gen 2 | D | https://stierproducts.com/products/universal-audio-apollo-x8p-gen-2 |
| 13 | Audient iD14 MkII | D | https://stierproducts.com/products/audient-id14-mkii |
| 14 | Universal Audio Apollo X4 | D | https://stierproducts.com/products/universal-audio-apollo-x4 |
| 15 | Behringer UMC204HD | F | https://stierproducts.com/products/behringer-umc204hd |

The full board is at https://stierproducts.com/categories/audio-interfaces.

## What this tier means

- S: Exceptional. Finishes top run after run; capped at 3 slots per category.

## How to read this

- Each category is researched in four independent runs, one per lens (expert consensus, value, reliability, community pulse). Every run ranks a board of candidates that deliberately includes products buyers cross-shop but should avoid. Placements score on a ranked ladder (LP), and tiers are derived from LP, so no tier is ever assigned by hand.
- LP is this product's points on its own category ladder. It is comparable within a category and not across categories.
- Link status reports what our pre-publication link check found when it fetched the cited URL. It says nothing about the quality of the review.
- A citation with no usable link is listed rather than dropped, and is excluded from the counted total above.

## Image

https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/focusrite-scarlett-2i2-4th-gen.webp

Product photographs are not covered: they belong to their respective owners and are reproduced to illustrate the product being reviewed. Do not redistribute them under this licence.