The Focusrite Scarlett Solo (2nd Gen) is the small red box that’s probably the most common entry point into “real” audio interfaces — a two-in/two-out USB audio interface that’s bus-powered, meaning it draws everything it needs straight from the USB cable with no separate power brick to lose. On the front you get one combo XLR/quarter-inch input with Focusrite’s own mic preamp and a front-panel 48V phantom power button for running condenser mics, plus a second quarter-inch input for instruments or line-level gear. Recording resolution goes up to 24-bit/192kHz, well beyond what most home recording actually needs but nice to have in reserve.
The physical control layout is refreshingly simple: an input gain knob per channel, a big monitor knob on the front that controls both the headphone output and the main monitor outs at once, and a Direct Monitor switch that toggles zero-latency monitoring on or off — you hear your input signal directly rather than round-tripped through your computer, useful for tracking without the small delay that can throw off timing. It’s a straightforward on/off toggle on this generation rather than the blend dial you’ll find on newer Scarlett interfaces. When you do route through the computer instead, roundtrip latency has been independently measured at around 2.74ms at a 32-sample buffer and 96kHz, which is low enough that most people won’t notice any lag between playing/talking and hearing it back.
Day to day, this is the interface most people should not think about — plug in a mic, set gain, hit record. Where it starts to show its age is with low-output dynamic mics. It has a genuinely competent preamp for the price, but it doesn’t have unlimited headroom, and a mic like the SM7B will push it hard: you can get usable levels, but you’ll likely be running the gain close to its ceiling, which is where interface preamps start adding audible hiss. That’s less a knock on the Solo specifically and more a fact of life for interfaces in this price bracket — it’s exactly why boosters like the Cloudlifter exist. For condenser mics, guitars, and anything with a hotter native output, none of that applies and the Solo just works.
It’s also worth mentioning what’s in the box beyond the interface itself, since it’s a real part of the value here: the 2nd Gen bundle historically shipped with both Ableton Live Lite and Pro Tools First, plus a decent pile of extras — Focusrite’s own Red plug-in suite (modeled on their classic Red 2 EQ and Red 3 compressor hardware), a chunk of Softube’s Time and Tone bundle, XLN Audio’s Addictive Keys, and a couple gigabytes of royalty-free sample packs from Loopmasters. None of it replaces a proper DAW you already like, but for someone buying their very first interface, it’s enough to get a full session recorded and mixed without spending another dollar on software.
Pros
- Bus-powered over USB — one cable, no separate power supply to carry around or lose
- Simple, low-friction control layout: gain knobs, one monitor knob, one Direct Monitor switch
- 24-bit/192kHz recording resolution, more than enough headroom for home use
- Compact and genuinely durable metal chassis that survives being tossed in a bag
- Combo XLR/TRS input plus a separate instrument input covers mics, line gear, and guitars/basses
Cons
- Gain headroom struggles with low-output dynamic mics like the SM7B without an inline booster
- Single mic input — no simultaneous multi-mic recording without a bigger interface
- Direct Monitor is an on/off switch on this generation, not a blend control like newer Scarlett models
- USB port on this generation is a standard Type-B connector rather than the USB-C found on later interfaces
- No physical meter or display — you’re relying on your DAW’s meters to check levels