My Audio Interface "Upgrade" - Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 4th Gen Comparison

[@brockercheddlie]

I think going forward, an SM57 should be a part of all comparisons since it’s the most common mic in the world. Regardless of if it’s a super relevant comparison to the specific mic being reviewed, it’s a good point of reference for almost anyone.

[@meanmr.mustard]

Fair remark.

[@Podcastage]

Great idea!

[@brockercheddlie]

@ Love the content other than that tho!! I appreciate your effort to make the reviews as scientific as possible!

[@willcarter7079]

Yes

[@image66media]

i do agree, however, the SM7B has been consistently used all along. But the transformer thing makes the two microphones entirely different. But the SM57 is almost everyone’s desert island mic.

[@Tatman2TheResQ]

"It has USB.. uhh.. printer cable" I swear that's me every time. 😂

[@mirzaangon]

I went to buy a replacement cable once for my interface at a local store. They had no idea what USB type B full size was, and was bringing me Micro B cables

[@MakesBadNoise]

I’m shocked that I can actually hear small differences in the response - thanks for doing this!

[@jason01095]

Ha, this comparison video was great, and also reminded me how crap my ears are at determining differences in the signal chain (unless it's completely obvious, which is probably more indicative of a problem or configuration issue as opposed to just being different/newer gen hardware). All good though! Happy New Year, Bandrew.

[@Podcastage]

Thanks so much Jason. I think for the vast majority of people they won't hear any significant difference either. But now I'm set for another 7 years (hopefully) and I'm stoked about that.

[@meistudiony]

Yeah, not hearing a difference. And if there is a difference its not enough to worry about. For what you get its a pretty decent deal. The digital expansion is nice if you want to increase your i/o later on.

[@hershelshochter4703]

does it even matter unless the new thing has a feature that saves you a lot of time?

[@thejasontlewis]

I got them all right until the WA723. The 18i20 sounded like it had a little more body, which isn’t necessarily an indication of one being better than the other. The v2 sounded a little softer. Just a little, but enough for me to know which one was the v4. Overall, really impressive. I’m curious about the converters, as they’re supposed to be upgraded to the same converters as the Red line? These days, workflow, channel count and features are more of a deciding factor than sound quality until you get into gear that cost multiple $1000s more. Nice work, my friend.

[@RecordingBlog]

Neither of your great interfaces will be THE ONE thing that differentiates the hit from the fail. Both are great, sonically so close (to my ears) that it's hard to spend more money on an Apollo, when knowing the Scarlett. I also own both and wont miss them - both ^^

[@homestudioacademy]

YOU UPGRADED 🔥🔥🔥 great review and comparison!

[@DjGoHamGaming]

I definitely prefer the 4th gen, new interface. The high-end was much more intelligible and less “digital” if that makes sense. The higher-end mics lowered the difference, but it was still there. Thank you for doing these comparisons!

[@HubertTheMad]

Very snazzy! Thanks for the comparison (too much of a noob to hear the difference), and looking forward to your content this year!

[@ScottGrammer]

That "USB... printer cable" is actually called USB B. Love the channel, I try never to miss a video. Oh, and hang onto that 2nd Gen, because in 20 years it will be "vintage," and highly sought after.

[@snotnosedpunk7995]

If you're doing more versus series I'd love for you to upgrade that Warm Audio to an AMS Neve or BAE 73

[@techmed-rainer]

Danke!

[@CreativeMindsAudio]

There are two things you wanna check with an interface chain: mic pre noise (which you did) and how it clips. Some interfaces will just heavily distort a few db over and others can take a beating without sounding bad. I use an Apollo x8p and those pres are incredible even when it clips I’m like this isn’t too bad and has vibe. Last i remember the focusrite stuff doesn’t have good sounding clipping. Along with a poor noisefloor as demonstrated here, but i did notice an improvement with the latest generation. Focusrite is a budget level interface that does the job on the cheap. With modern preamp and conversion tech it’s all about even there. It’s the software that really holds focusrite back in the gen 4. It’s not great and easy to use. Appreciate you doing these tests. Most of them had subtle differences and that made it difficult to know which was which, but every time i felt one sounded better/clearer so i voted for it, and it wasn’t the focusrite 😂.

[@UXXV]

7:25 whats with those harmonics on the noise test with the 2nd gen around 8k / 16k ?

[@brockmannolaf7182]

Yes. Good question.

[@Mjo742]

Sounds like environmental interference

[@UXXV]

@@Mjo742 itsnt it through a resistor?

[@Podcastage]

It's some slight EMI. I just did another test with the interface, cable, and connector further away from my desk and those harmonics disappear. New measurements are in RMS over a 10 second period 2nd gen: -82dB 4th gen: -81dB

[@caseyholford]

Lots of times with interfaces I’d say if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, but FR really has improved the preamps in the Scarlett line over the years. Good upgrade!

[@timrober75]

Unsurprisingly (to me) there's not much, if anything in the comparisons at all. Stands up perfectly with the other pre's and the UA interface. Perfectly done sir :)

[@paulloth]

From the title i hoped for an RME Interface😅

[@Jamminn555]

Great comparison video on the 4th Gen. Thanks so much!!

[@Veritonezz]

I got all of them right and I could hear a distinct difference to my ears between all of them. That being said I don’t think there was one that was better or worse. I think they all sounded great and it’s hard to go wrong these days with almost any interface.

[@DRUMFOOS]

I guessed every single blind test correctly except the UAX8 vs 4th gen while listening on mac pro speakers at 75% volume. I currently have the 3rd gen scarlett. Do you think the difference would be as noticeable between the 3rd and 4th gen?

[@johnheiser2604]

“Sound” reasoning for upgrading but staying with Scarlett. The new addition definitely is an improvement which is to be expected: who would want to go backwards?

[@kesamek8537]

As this video shows very well, simple small tonal balance differences between preamps on a single track are quite insignificant and a matter of minor eq. Further, any preference on an isolated track may even be reversed when multiple tracks are stacked. For example a nice fat warm preamp might create mud or flub if the same preamp is used on 16 or 32 or more tracks. Other differences like noise floor can be more important, here we can see the gen4 is usefully superior. Good video as always.

[@shaft9000]

Definite improvement in the mic preamps; more robust and rotund. And a good reminder of why I don't use them in my Gen2 :)

[@Podcastage]

Yeah I heard an improvement as well. I'm excited to have a more modern interface for the reviews because that's just helpful.

[@audiction4598]

Another Focusrite.... Sigh... I had a dream; mic reviews on a Motu 828. ( Perhaps because it's what I just got to upgrade from my XR18 :-b ) I undertand the choice, but... Anyways, I figure my venting counts for YT "engagement brownie points" for your algo ranking. Happy new year, health, wealth and all the best.

[@bassyey]

You can post your audio so we can hear both and how better it is.

[@SticktheFigure]

Ruh roh...I'm still running on a 1st gen 6i6 a friend lent me in like 2016. I've been eyeballing upgrades for a year now, I didn't realize how much time had passed since then.

[@techmed-rainer]

Hi Bandrew, great comparison! I didn't expect to identify each A/B comparison correctly. But I did get them all right even though listening via KZbin. Probably, it was helpful to use a decent pair of wired headphones. There was one mic where I struggled a bit, the SM7B. To be honest, I guessed more than knowing it for sure. I liked the 4th gen a little bit better than the 2nd gen. I wouldn't upgrade for this difference, though. On the other hand, I would upgrade for the improved hardware, i.e. connections, interface, gain controls, etc.

[@MikeNovelli]

😡 I am still using an 18i20 1st gen and an M-Audio Project mix.... Are you at least going to link your 2nd gen into the 4th gen?

[@kaikaminski9860]

I was able to tell the 2nd gen and 4th gen apart but liked the sound of the 4th gen preamp better over the other two. Though the Universal Audio X8 interface was even better in my ears.

[@MorganReidguitar]

I could easily tell the difference. Imo 2nd gen is a bit more muddy sounding, almost has some saturation to it in comparison to the cleaner 4th gen.

[@focusonjunta]

In the first blind test mic comparison, I picked the 4th gen correctly and, I might add easily with all 3 OF THE CONDENSER MICs (Rode and Neumann were the easiest). To my ears, the second gen sounded relatively more ‘nasal’. We are not talking night and day type levels of difference here, but easily identifiable. I had a hard time identifying the difference with the dynamic SM7B - it was a guess job (50% chance).

[@waynenakanishi971]

2:38 You knew that is the usb type-b port, right? :)

[@Podcastage]

I wanted to call it type-a but it didn't sound right to me. Good to know it's a USB-B...dang it I missed a chance to call the port my US-BeBe. That's so dumb, I'm never ever going to do that. Ok, I probably will if I remember it. Wow, we really went on a journey here didn't we? HA!

[@waynenakanishi971]

@@Podcastage I actually like the US-BeBe idea, haha! XD

[@MikeNovelli]

Type A is the normal rectangular "USB" we all have been using since the 90s. Type B is on the other end that plugs to devices. Do not call it your BeBe or a curse will be put upon you.

[@brockmannolaf7182]

Great comparison! Focusrite 4th Gen sounds perfect to my ear. A bit better than 2nd gen noisefloorwise, And easily as good as the UA.

[@MaxoticsTV]

I couldn't hear a difference. Since they start at the same noise floor (-127 dBu), but Interface 2 has a greater dynamic range (by 6.5 dBA), this means Interface 2 must have a higher maximum level before clipping. In other words, the improvement is at the loud end, not the quiet end. Might be worth looking into at some point. I can't see it making a difference in real world, maybe drumming?

[@helmanfrow]

No mention of how you split the mic output signal between two preamps.

[@Podcastage]

Radial js2.

[@helmanfrow]

@Podcastage I'm guessing you used the direct outputs and not the transformer output?

[@Podcastage]

Nope. Used isolated 1 and isolated 2 so they had the same signal path. Gave wrong model, I use JS3 (www.radialeng.com/product/js3)

[@BeatsBangcomtv]

Idk, but I'm not really hearing a major difference between any of these pres. Reminds me of the Sound On Sound article "Preamp Post-mortem" back in 2012. We're at a point now where even budget is still high quality and pretty much everything is clean. In this day and age is there really an edge or advantage in expensive gear?

[@Wizerslapski]

in my experience, the high end 500 series preamps have tonal differences but any of these sub $700 interfaces are all going to largely sound the same and they're all absolutely usable for any source and any genre.

[@bassyey]

They're competing in latency now. Focusrite still aren't topping in latency. But yeah, unless you're getting absolute trash products, preamps are decent now.

[@helmanfrow]

The only difference my ageing ears could pick out was between the external and internal preamps. The two interfaces sound identical, at least on my crappy consumer Bluetooth stereo. Maybe I'll listen again in the studio later.

[@cyberdefenseddi]

Hi!😎 I’m not hearing any differences using either both ears or left /right 😉

[@ChrisYoungNS]

Why did you record the AT2020 and the NT1 so low? I understand we don’t need to record them loud, but I thought they were relatively low. I don’t know, maybe I’m out of the loop. But seeing since your spoken word seemed monotone, there wasn’t a need to be that cautious from clipping. Wouldn’t more gain show more colour from the preamp, if used? I’m not trying to be rude, I love the your channel and information, genuinely curious.

[@Podcastage]

I set the levels on the u87 and it was nearly perfectly matched. Switching to the others I was still peaking around -18d, which is a common recording level, and then I didn’t have to adjust the gain and risk not getting it as close.

[@ChrisYoungNS]

@@PodcastageOkay I understand now. You gained staged one microphone for the two interfaces and used the same gain settings for the other mics, except for the SM7B.

[@Mheyos]

When it comes only to how does it sound, the Focusrite is really great indeed ... But it can't even compete the UADx8 in terms of conversions Unisson pres, DSP that can emulate really really really close to legendary gears... Thx for your passion ! 🎉

[@BojanBojovic]

Those are plugins. Clean preamps are the same.

[@JasonWelchMusic]

I am REALLY considering the presonus 32R for my home studio interface. 32 channels with no need for adat.

[@Wizerslapski]

would you be recording full bands live?

[@JasonWelchMusic]

@Wizerslapski on occasion, yes. But mostly, I just want a massive channel interface so that I can leave everything set up in the studio, and plugged in its own designated channel every time. That way I can set a template with all the settings exactly the same for every recording without having to plug/unplug mic cables, assigning channels to my daw, routing outputs...etc.

[@Wizerslapski]

@@JasonWelchMusic smart idea yea that makes sense then

[@serdar.saglam]

I can hear the diffirence on macbook speakers. Noticable upgrade.

[@jochipchip]

I did notice a difference in the fourth GEN sounding a little clearer on all the mics and I guess without looking at the screen until after I had already guessed. that being said, I still don’t think it was worth to upgrade it if that’s the ultimate goal is to sound better. it wasn’t that much of a difference to warrant spending any money on it.

[@gravesg]

4th gen has crazy more low end detail and less hollowness... you weren't getting full use of your equipment if the difference is this much of an improvement.

[@mattwruff]

What no Rupert Neve Design Shelford Channel i.e. Curtis Judd?

[@Podcastage]

I never picked one up and don’t have the budget for it unfortunately.

[@mattwruff]

@@Podcastage@Podcastage I was kinda just playing with you; only a recording studio needs a Neve DSC. On my @TheSeniorTec channel, I referenced your Lewitt Ray review. I asked Santa for an LCT 1040 but got the Ray (my 2nd choice)

[@MattiaTooo]

differences between 2nd gen and 4th are like 3-5% wow, identical pretty much, but every interface can run a chill guy talking, a good comparison would have been having you singing and getting louder

[@kevinw0lf]

Honestly the difference would've been just as small, if you're getting louder you probably will adjust gain, so you don't clip. Since these differences are super small, they mostly show up when recording multiple tracks, where they compound and become more audible.

[@g-r-a-e-m-e-]

I could tell the difference and liked 4th gen. That is good news - if would be disappointing if it wasn't better!

[@eranddroory9987]

4th gen has killer converters. Same as their RedLine series used by CLA etc..

[@midex1]

At least for the human voice, the difference in sound between the two is so insignificant that it's not even worth commenting on. Rather, the bonus of the fourth generation is in the levels it can handle, as well as some additional extras.

[@Dice-Gamble]

4th Gen has a fuller sound, especially in the lower end... i guessed it correct in every blind test based on the first reveal.

[@BojanBojovic]

You heard it as well? I thought I was going crazy.

[@Bloor005]

I find those chonky USB sockets to still be the best for signal as well as being securely attached. I've has B and C come loose a few times on kit and it annoys the hell out of me. In terms of audio qualities there isnt much in it to ear... spectrographs may find tiny differences in more controlled tests but really its good enough for 99% of projects. The ADDA is good, the connections are plenty, it'll get most by.

[@Pentti_Hilkuri]

USB-C is the worst of the bunch, a few hundred disconnects/connects and you're lucky to have some connection after that. And 99% of the USB-C devices are just USB 2.0 anyway.

[@bastienmartin6246]

4th gen is more airy, more mid forward and has a Little bit less bass. I did the blind test all right (after the first answer)

[@AironExTv]

Hardly a difference that mattered, until the 610 added all that harmomic junk, that I am not a fan of for speech a lot of the time. I mix U87 recordings all day, and damnit one of the studios Avalon preamps messes up as it's driven a little too hard and adds too much harmonics content. That stuff is hard to paint out.

[@yochillsmith]

I just bought the 4th gen solo to throw in my bag.

[@Mjo742]

I vastly preferred the more present, airy, and detailed sound of the 4th gen over the 2nd gen.

[@kankantandikaigorotan1496]

nice review ... just send the old one to me hehe

[@TheCatGoesRawrMusik]

Do I think I hear a difference? Yes. Can I determine it well enough to say which is which? No. Do I care as long as there isn´t any over the top noise or artifacts? NO!

[@WECB640]

I'm glad you did the blind test starting at 3:36. I hear a lot less restriction to the upper highs, perhaps 13KHz and up in the 4th generation. It would be interesting to do a sweep test (no mic, just a generator and oscilloscope) to see any measurable difference in phase / amplitude / SN on that end of the spectrum. Keep up the excellent work, and good health in 2025. 👍

[@3jahel7]

Ahh yes gen 4, love the gen 4s

[@andref3419]

No significant differences . The noise floor on the 4th gen seemed to be little bit more intense. But please, don’t care… am using headphones but am in my fifties. So : no 👂s any more 😉.

[@mjrisinsd6836]

Haven’t watched yet, but will not upgrade my 3rd gen to 4th gen because they shrinkflationed the knobs away. So bad. Also, I have been trying to buy a “vintage” interface for an old computer and realized we have been at 24 bit/96khz since the early 2000s. Audio interfaces at a giant scam, especially if you use a mixer for preamps anyways. And the bloatware that comes with these interfaces is a crime against humanity.

[@FLOODOFSINS]

It's sort of funny if you watch a video of yours from 7 years ago to a current one. You sound sort of like a chipmunk back then. I noticed this when I watch an old nt1-a video. Apparently Matthew McConaughey is a big fan of this microphone because he referenced this mic in his book greenlights when he converted his 1996 GMC Savana into a mobile audio studio. So apparently this is the microphone multi-millionaires use.

[@selman044]

I'll watch this on my pc so I can hear all the things with with my dubly-doo JBL headphone 😂❤😂

[@DTrecording]

Not me listening to this through an 18i20 gen1...

[@graysonpeddie]

If you do not have a need for a 4th gen, I would say keep the 2nd gen. No average listener is going to hear a difference at all. Why waste money if you have a perfectly-functional audio interface? I have a Behringer XR18 which is a digital mixer and it actually functions as an audio interface. Am I going to hear a difference between XR18 and Scarlett 18i20 with no processing engaged? No. Of course, I do wear hearing aids and I used my Beyerdynamic DT-797 for audio listening. Plus, I do consider myself an average listener. And actually, I do have a use-case for Behringer XR18. I wanted in-built processing for travel such as EQ, expander, and limiter. I wanted to downsize my equipment rack which includes Behringer MIC2200 Tube Mic Preamp, FBQ3102HD 31-band equalizer, and MDX2600 Composer Pro XL. Once I have it setup, it's working fine for me.

[@Oddzey]

I shit myself, is that gonna mess with the audio chain?

[@Rscanlon322]

4th gen is definitely more present

[@samphelps856]

Thank you

[@gaborb6577]

Tired of doing so good reviews, i had to watch all of them :-(🎉😂

[@Harrysound]

I got them all right….go me

[@gaborb6577]

Clearly hearable just from the first comparison🎉

[@CWU2006EOY]

Why not throw the old interface, instead of the new box, into the closet? LOL

[@klay2821]

i got da $50 dollar lineport UX2 off ebay

[@klay2821]

@@digitalpracticeroom409 👍

[@OlexanderZnaharenkoUA]

☺️😊

[@wesleyknighton6043]

Interface choice doesn’t really matter

[@razyeld6590]

Nothing noticeable

[@platypuspracticus2]

4th gen kinda seems like a downgrade, NGL. All that digital routing for the buttons on the front is gonna break on it within a couple years.

[@ernieg]

IS Anyone Really Going To Notice ? NO!!! Regualar Joe Blow Would NEVER EVER KNOW NOR CARE

[@gravesg]

smh, should have went apogee...end all be all.

[@allkindsofthings673]

no thunderbolt....no thanks

[@Freez_Izzy]

Focusrite to Focusrite.. feels like downgrade.

[@joseabony9627]

Sorry - there is NO Difference! .. and I have studio-monitors ... Hmmm.... Gear is really not that important the great sellers tell us. Thank you.

[@mycosys]

Ban, i am disappoint. So many better options in 2025

[@dinixo]

10:35

[@mycosys]

@@dinixo 11:05 He knows it isnt.

[@ronnieelliot7141]

I appreciate this review and it also makes sense to me that you chose the Focusrite because it is within the range of affordability for a bigger section of your audience. I just picked up the 18i20 3rd Gen second hand as that is within range of my budget as an occasional singer songwriter producer. It is a big jump for me as I was previously using a Focusrite 1st Gen solo. It was interesting to see the difference between the 2nd Gen and the 4th Gen. I'm just getting to grips with all the extra io but the 3rd Gen looks like it sits squarely in between the two units you are comparing. Thanks for the review.

[@mycosys]

@@ronnieelliot7141 Its overpriced compared to alternatives like the Evo and M series, the drivers arent great

[@ronnieelliot7141]

@@mycosys I can only take you word on that. I picked up my unit at a pretty low price being second hand. As such I wasn't expecting it to be the best of the best. So far it is performing well enough for my needs but I'm not driving it that hard. It should be noted that Focusrite let you register a secondhand unit and you can then download the free software package if it's of use.

[@BojanBojovic]

What a nonsensical comparison. 😃