Description

• Eight of the best performing mic preamps the Scarlett range has ever seen, now with switchable Air mode to give your recordings a brighter and more open sound
• High-performance converters enable you to record and mix at up to 24-bit/192kHz
• Two high-headroom instrument inputs to plug in your guitar or bass
• Four monitor outputs with anti-thump technology and speaker switching, and onboard talkback functionality with built-in, front panel talkback mic.  
• Eight balanced line inputs for connecting synthesisers, drum machine and other line-level sources

Housed in a 1U rack-mountable enclosure, the third-generation 18i20 boasts extensive simultaneous I/O comprising eight mic preamps, 18 inputs and 20 outputs in total. Take your studio to the next level with the 18i20, offering superior sound quality, talkback functionality and onboard speaker switching. Improved A-D and D-A conversion ensures your recordings and playback will sound clear and pronounced up to 24-bit/192kHz, vital to helping you perfect your mix.

The Scarlett 18i20 features eight of Focusrite’s best-ever-performing third-generation Scarlett mic preamps: with optional Air setting to reproduce the Air effect of their original ISA mic preamp, giving your vocal or acoustic recordings a brighter and more open sound. There’s also a pad on every mic preamp to accommodate higher-level signals without clipping. The two front panel high-headroom instrument inputs allow you to record guitars and basses without any clipping or unwanted distortion. 

Speaker-switching technology allows you to switch between main and alt monitors to get a new perspective on your mix, and the new built-in talkback mic lets you communicate with your recording artist at the touch of a button, helping you capture that perfect take.

A pair of virtual loopback inputs allows you to capture a stereo feed of any combination of hardware input and software playback channels – making podcasting, live streaming and sampling tasks easier. 

Scarlett 18i20 is designed to stand up to days on the road and connects straight to your Mac or PC via USB cable.

All the tools you need to start recording right, now

There’s no better way to step into studio recording – your Scarlett interface comes with some of the best loved tools in the business, including Hitmaker Expansion, with exclusive content from legendary Auto-Tune creators Antares, along with Brainworx, Softube, XLN Audio, Relab and more.

Included Software

• Ableton Live Lite
• The iconic DAW gives you everything you need to get started including instruments, effects and Live’s trademark clip and scene launching for taking ideas further or performance. 
• Three Month Avid Pro Tools Artist Subscription with Complete Plugin Bundle

A three-month subscription to Avid Pro Tools Artist and Avid Complete Plugin Bundle, with a 25% discount on Avid Pro Tools Artist after the subscription period, or a 33% discount on Avid Pro Tools Studio.

• Splice Sounds

Three months Splice Sounds membership with new Splice accounts – offering millions of high-quality, royalty-free one-shots, loops, and presets, with new releases daily.

Hitmaker Expansion

• Antares Auto-Tune Access

For everything from natural sounding, near-real-time pitch adjustment for getting the best vocal takes, to lightning-fast Hip-hop-inspired pitching for adding a whole new sound to your tracks.

• Softube Marshall Silver Jubilee 2555

The modern evolution of the iconic JCM800, brought to you by analogue-modelling experts Softube. The Silver Jubilee offers everything from warm cleans, through classic crunch, and up to modern high gain tube amp sounds. 

• Native Instruments MASSIVE

Want to add some real drama to your track? MASSIVE from Native Instruments is all about the BIG synth sounds – from huge bass to scorching leads. This high-end engine delivers stunning quality and an expansive universe of sounds to power and inspire your music. If deep-diving into synthesis is not on your radar, there’s over 1300 production-ready that you can use as is, or fine-tune to perfection. 

• Landr Studio, plus five free masters

Produce and release your best work with two-month’s access to Landr Studio, as well as five free masters you can use even when your two month’s subscription is over. Landr Studio provides everything you need to mix and master your tracks, including unlimited MP3 mastering, and unlimited distribution on streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, TikTok, and many more.

• Brainworx Bx_console Focusrite SC

The preamps that made Focusrite what we are today to your music. No other plug-in offers the unique character of the iconic large format console, with ISA 110 preamps – the origin of the famous ‘Air’ we still hear on Focusrite interfaces today. Bx_console Focusrite SC is a full channel strip, offering EQ, de-esser, compressor, limiter, gate and expander. 

• Focusrite Red 2 & 3 Plug-in Suite

Featuring a pair of meticulously captured digital models of the truly iconic EQ and Compressors which have made the Focusrite name a staple in world-class facilities across the globe. If you’ve kept up with major releases over the last 30 years, you’ve heard Red 2 and 3.

• XLN Audio Addictive Keys

Add beautifully captured piano to your tracks with the choice of one of four professional-sounding models from Steinway, Yamaha and the classic Rhodes. Plug in your MIDI controller and play; instantly be transported to a professional recording studio set up to capture one of these beautiful pianos – right from your studio.

• XLN Audio Addictive Drums 2: Studio Rock

Add the sounds of a pro drummer to your songs easily. Featuring expertly captured samples from a high-end Tama and Pearl drums, and Paiste and Sabian cymbals, recorded at Decibel Studios in Stockholm.

• Relab’s LX480 Essentials

Get four reverbs, modelled on The Hit Factory NYC’s reverb unit, and used on countless hits. LX480 Essentials gives you the sounds of a studio which has played host to names from Springsteen, the Stones and Kool and the Gang, to The Weeknd, Pharell, Katy Perry, and everyone in between.

• FAST Balancer

When you want the fast-track to a solid mix, FAST Balancer accelerates the mix process using powerful AI that listens to your instrument or vocal tracks and serves up three selectable options to enhance the track and help them shine in the mix. 

All other product names and brands cited herein are property of their respective owners. All company, product and service names used on this page are for identification purposes only. Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement.

In The Box

• Scarlett 18i20 3rd Gen. 
• 1 x USB cable (Type C-A)  
• IEC Cable (Power cable)

Warranty

Enjoy three years of warranty

Wherever you happen to be in the world, you can rely on a three-year warranty if any Focusrite hardware needs repairing or replacing due to a manufacturing fault. Focusrite will send you replacement gear in the UK and the US, and they’ll cover the shipping costs both ways. In the UK, they’ll send you a replacement before you return your hardware to them.