# Audio Interfaces || USB 2.0 vs Firewire (Scarlett vs. Saffire)



## AgileButt (Jun 14, 2014)

Hey there everybody. I'm currently looking for a quality audio interface on a budget (roughly 200$ or so). I've heard good things about Focusrite interfaces, and especially for my price range. So I've sparked a lot of interest in some of the Scarlett and Saffire models. Specifically, the 6i6 and Saffire Pro 14 (I need midi and s/pdif). Their specs seem to be very similar. The big differences are that the 6i6 has more instrument inputs, 2 headphone jacks, a power on/off switch, and is USB 2.0 rather than Firewire. 

Based on the looks, specs, and reviews, I'm definitely leaning towards the Scarlett 6i6. Especially since I've seen quite a few for $190-200, while the Saffire is typically $250. I use a Macbook Pro as my computer, Presonus Studio One 2.0 as my DAW, and would use the interface mostly for DI and Guitar recordings. I'd only really need 2 instrument inputs, but all the 2-input interfaces that I've seen don't have s/pdif or midi. Is the extra $50 worth it for the Firewire connection? I know that many Mac users prefer Firewire to USB, but with the improvement of USB 2.0, will the Firewire make a noticeable difference of any sort?

I'd appreciate any and all the feedback that I can get. I'm also open to other suggestions as well. These 2 just seemed like good fits based on my needs and what I've read about them.


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## Fretless (Jun 14, 2014)

I use an 18i20, and I can say I honestly have no discernible latency. I know it's there when I reamp, but with my recording method you don't feel it while playing.


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## NickLAudio (Jun 14, 2014)

Focusrite makes very good HIGH END interfaces. The Scarlett line is not one of them. (although the more expensive Scarletts like 18i20 are nice). Some work awesome, but most have problems. There has been so many complaints about them that I wouldn't recomend it. The "Saffire" line and up, on the other hand, are very reliable and are top quality interfaces/pres. I would save the extra money and skip the Scarlett.

Firewire is slightly faster and more stable than USB but is getting less popular/less supported. You won't notice a difference between the two just recording single tracks. You would notice if you're recording 8+ mics into an interface simultaneously were Firewire would have less latency. But for your situation, USB would work perfectly.

Why skimp on your most important piece of gear? Save up a little more and buy something nice!


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## Rook (Jun 15, 2014)

There are currently absolutely no known issues with the Scarlett range of interfaces, and going from the 2i2 to the 18i20, they don't get 'better' you just get more and more complex IO and the addition of Scarlett MixControl. The quality remains the same all the way up the line.

The reasons why you would chose FireWire/Thunderbolt over USB are:
- High IO count - if you were recording an entire drum kit, two guitars and a bass, you'll feel the benefit
- Taking your audio interface off the same bus as any storage media. If you use an external drive to save all your stems while working on your projects, using an interface AND a USB HDD will slow both down, so you'd either use a FireWire/Thunderbolt hard drive - which gets really expensive really quickly - or put your interface on that bus.

FireWire isn't getting 'less supported' as such, it uses the same protocol as ThunderBolt in many ways, so Saffires can be used with ThunderBolt, which isn't going anywhere.


The Focusrire Scarlett range is one of the best selling ranges of interface ever, if they were as flawed as ^this guy's making out I feel that'd be rather more publicised and people just wouldn't buy them.


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## GoldDragon (Jun 15, 2014)

In the less expensive interfaces, I would go with Firewire. The latency comes down to driver performance and USB drivers typically underperform Firewire. The only manufacturer with USB drivers on par with their Firewire is RME. If you have 500-600 to spend, check out their Babyface. The big advantage of USB is forward compatibilty. Most notebooks dont have firewire ports anymore. USB is here to stay.

Latency is a big deal, especially if you are tracking using plug-ins (like Revalver or other VSTis) or have a high plug-in count. If you are monitoring direct, its not as big a deal because you can always bump up the buffer size to avoid drop outs.


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## NickLAudio (Jun 15, 2014)

Rook said:


> There are currently absolutely no known issues with the Scarlett range of interfaces



Really? Input clipping problems? Input noise depending on OS? Just do the research...it's all there. Sure a DI box will help but why have to buy more gear for it to work properly? And sure a pad was added to the non baseline models but that acts as a "work-around" and doesn't fix the actual input gain problem.




Rook said:


> The Focusrire Scarlett range is one of the best selling ranges of interface ever, if they were as flawed as ^this guy's making out I feel that'd be rather more publicised and people just wouldn't buy them.



It is publicized, people just don't do the research to find out. They buy it, then make threads on this forum and other forums asking "why is my scarlett having problems?" I read a new one every week


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## Rook (Jun 15, 2014)

I need to clarify first an foremost, I work for the company and am *not* here to push that fact, nor promote the product. That's not my in my interests, nor is it my job.

I would however be keen to stay on top of the _facts_. I'm not going to tell you Focusrite interfaces are better or worse than other brands, but comments on reliability I feel I have something to say about...

First, they don't have 'input clipping problems' as such, but they don't have the headroom for a hot set of pickups particularly, it's not a problem as such, but it is a pain _in the design_. By that I mean it isn't broken, the design just didn't account for that sadly.

As for reliability, there are currently over 70,000 lower end Scarletts registered in the world (and you don't have to register them), more than any other single range - partly because some other brands don't use as wide 'ranges' as we do - it'd be a surprise if there weren't a few that people have trouble with, but 99% of them never have a single issue - no more than any other interface in their price band. Most of the issues I read about Scarletts stem from the kind of customer they attract and the problem is usually a set up issue, which can be resolved with some help rather than being a huge issue with the product itself. It's that kind of product, it attracts that kind of buyer and so on. That's not to shift all the blame for every Scarlett issue ever onto the buyer, far from, of course some units have their moments, but in my experience we can usually help people through their problem without having to replace hardware etc.

I hope none of what I've said here classes as promoting the brand, I absolutely don't want that to be the case. As I say, I have no interest in trying to 'shift a few boxes' through this forum, it's not necessary and I just wanna be a member here. If a mod has a problem with anything I've said PLEASE let me know and I'll wipe it out.


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## ThePhilosopher (Jun 15, 2014)

I've always preferred FW to USB for my interface - it's always been a better fit for me I/O-wise on my PCs. I will say that having audio loopback is a huge feature for me so the Saffire range was a good upgrade over my M-Audio unit.


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## ascl (Jun 16, 2014)

FWIW I have both FW and USB Saffire interfaces (14 pro and USB 6) from Focusrite and had an issue with the FW device until a firmware update cleared it up. Aside from that both devices have worked flawlessly.

YMMV of course. If you are just recording a couple of guitars I am sure either USB or FW will work fine, just make sure it has the ins/outs you want (S/PDIF for eg).


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## cwhitey2 (Jun 16, 2014)

I have a usb 6 and that thing is awesome. No problems what so ever.


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## jasonsansburn (Jun 16, 2014)

I have the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 for over a year now and I can honestly say that I've never had one problem with it and I'm extremely happy I bought it. However I've never tried a Saffire interface so I can't say one is better than the other.


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## mcleanab (Aug 6, 2014)

Hijack!

I have a similar question relating to the USB or Firewire thoughts... I currently have a Peavey PV8 USB mixer that I record with. Been going strong for several years without a hitch. It seems that it is 24 bit 44.1kHz which still sounds great to my ears.

I'm thinking of getting this for two reasons:
Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 | Sweetwater.com

One, I'd love to "upgrade" to the 96kHz... I'm certain that one can hear the difference between 44.1 and 96? (I'm a totally noob about specs, so forgive me).

Two, I'd love to have it as my mixer so I could monitor live or just play in the room when I'm not recording...

My concern is latency. With the Peavey Mixer, there's no latency because it's a mixer... if there is latency going down to Reaper, it's compensated for between the computer, Reaper and the Peavey.

With the Focusrite, would it actually function well as a live monitor? (Live being in the room, not playing out). Has anyone had latency issues when monitoring?

As with the previous posts, I don't think I'll be recording with more than two inputs at a time, but as I currently use the Peavey, I have my Theta running into my Lexicon MPX-1 (two XLR in) and MXP-G2 (two XLR in). I switch it out for just the XLR out on the Theta and sometimes the ADA GCS-2 XLR out. But, I'm tired of plugging and unplugging and want something that functions like a live mixer -where I could plug in the Theta, ADA GCS-2, and both Lexicons and maybe another two XLR from another unit (if I get it) - and function as a killer audio interface that I don't have to plug and unplug when recording guitars or drum machines or keys...

Any and all thoughts appreciated! Thanks!


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## Icecold (Aug 6, 2014)

I own the Pro40 and I absolutely love it. I've had it for about 2 years, done live drum tracking and all of my own stuff with it. I have never had any latency issues(Recording and Monitoring) with the Pro40.


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## mcleanab (Aug 6, 2014)

Icecold said:


> I own the Pro40 and I absolutely love it. I've had it for about 2 years, done live drum tracking and all of my own stuff with it. I have never had any latency issues(Recording and Monitoring) with the Pro40.



That's good news! So you think it will function fine as a stand alone mixer (just me wailing away in my office)? And function fine as a top notch interface?


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## Promit (Aug 6, 2014)

Firewire is dead, guys, at least for all practical purposes. I wouldn't want to invest serious money in it now.


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## 7stg (Aug 6, 2014)

Thunderbolt is the new top dog, super fast and low latency. There are just a few interfaces with true thunderbolt yet and most are expensive. A few more that have an internal bridge which adds none of the advantages but increases the cost. There are not many USB3 options either which is in the #2 spot.
Lynx Studio Technology Aurora 8 with LT-TB - A/D + D/A Converters - Converters - Computer Audio - Vintage King Audio


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## Icecold (Aug 6, 2014)

mcleanab said:


> That's good news! So you think it will function fine as a stand alone mixer (just me wailing away in my office)? And function fine as a top notch interface?



It's got my vote!


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## mcleanab (Aug 6, 2014)

The Focusrite seems to have FireWire to Thunderbolt adapters ...

Seems it's fine for the moment since my Mac Mini has both!!!


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## 7stg (Aug 6, 2014)

mcleanab said:


> The Focusrite seems to have FireWire to Thunderbolt adapters ...
> 
> Seems it's fine for the moment since my Mac Mini has both!!!



Any adapter will add latency, and may not operate as fast as the FireWire alone in this case.


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## PlumbTheDerps (Aug 6, 2014)

Rook said:


> There are currently absolutely no known issues with the Scarlett range of interfaces



lol, I've seen more complaints about the Scarlett interfaces than any others on the market. I had a 2i2 myself with standard active EMGs and it clipped by default because the thing has a retardedly high default input level, something like +10db. I know lots of people have the Saffire and above, but I've still heard of problems with even those, though they seem to be less frequent.


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## mcleanab (Aug 6, 2014)

Any other suggestions then?


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## 7stg (Aug 6, 2014)

Roland quad capture?


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## mcleanab (Aug 7, 2014)

I'm seriously considering the Mackie Blackbird...


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## RunawayThumbtack (Aug 7, 2014)

I've used a bunch of different Scarletts (2i2, 2i4, and 18i8), and I've never had a problem with any of them. I've tracked guitars (passive pups), bass (active), drums, vocals...I just can't see a reason that I'd ever stop using my 18i8 unless I got into doing really intense drum recording and needed more inputs, but like I said, it hasn't done anything wrong for me.


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## Rook (Aug 7, 2014)

A few points.

- the FireWire to thunderbolt adapter should not make a FireWire interface run noticeably slower. FireWire as a protocol on new computers is becoming less frequent but that doesn't make existing FireWire interfaces any less efficient - and still moreso than USB - and the connectivity to Thunderbolt is seamless. Thunderbolt specific interfaces will cost you an awful lot more, too.

EDIT: I remember hearing non-Apple adapters don't work or affect performance, if anybody wants info on that I can find out. Upshot is you have to use the Apple adapter to avoid problems.

- As I said before, the Scarlett's, including the 2i2, have an incredibly low failure rate, there are just a lot more of them in the market than other units. I'm not surprised you've seen more complaints, but sadly people aren't quite so ready to publicise how many of those complaints we resolve. People will have problems with all interfaces, but naturally you'll see fewer complaints about units that haven't sold as many, even if the failure rate is higher.

- USB 2.0 devices are compatible with USB 3.0, it just doesn't use the USB 3.0 speed - kinda like the FireWire to Thunderbolt adaptation. Some Windows users will have trouble using USB 2.0 devices (any) with USB 3.0 because there's some internal setting that has to be changed, I forget the details. It's worth being aware of if you buy a USB 2.0 device and seem to have some trouble with a recent windows 8 machine and a USB 3.0 port.


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## mcleanab (Aug 7, 2014)

Thanks for the info!

I think I'm gonna pull the trigger on the Mackie Blackbird... not much difference that I can tell from the Focusrite Pro 40 other than looks!


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## mcleanab (Aug 7, 2014)

Just pulled the trigger!

Blackbird on the way... several reviews praising the unit used as a stand alone mixer in a live setting... 

We shall see!

Thanks for all of the information!


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## Jacksonluvr636 (Aug 13, 2014)

I know you've bought something already but I've heard from a lot of people Apogee has some of the best pres and interfaces. Is that incorrect? Surprised it wasn't mentioned.


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## 7stg (Aug 14, 2014)

Jacksonluvr636 said:


> I know you've bought something already but I've heard from a lot of people Apogee has some of the best pres and interfaces. Is that incorrect? Surprised it wasn't mentioned.



They make nice interfaces, not the absolute best but very nice. Their symphony is very well respected professional gear, and their duet is good for personal use.

They are Mac only  which can be a problem for some.


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