Scarlett 18i8 3rd Gen Overview

Thank you for purchasing this Third Generation Scarlett 18i8 3rd Gen, one of the family of Focusrite professional audio interfaces incorporating high quality Focusrite analogue pre-amplifiers. In conjunction with the unit’s accompanying software application, Focusrite Control, you now have a compact yet highly versatile solution for routing high quality audio to and from your computer. You can also use the Scarlett 18i8 3rd Gen as a “stand-alone” interface to any other type of recording device, once you have configured it using Focusrite Control.

In developing the Third Generation series of Scarlett interfaces, we have made further improvements to both performance and features to allow you to get the best out of your recordings. Audio specifications have been upgraded throughout the unit to give you greater dynamic range and even lower noise and distortion; additionally, the mic preamp now accepts higher input levels.

An important enhancement is the inclusion of our AIR function. Individually selectable on each channel, AIR subtly modifies the preamp’s frequency response to model the sonic characteristics of our classic transformer-based ISA microphone preamps. When recording with good quality microphones, you will notice an enhanced clarity and definition in the important mid to high frequency range, just where it is most needed for vocals and many acoustic instruments.

Third Generation Scarlett interfaces are class compliant on macOS: this means they are plug-and-play, so no need to install a driver if you are a Mac user.

Your Third Generation Scarlett interface is compatible with our Focusrite Control software application: this lets you control various hardware features, set up monitor mixes and configure routings. There is a Focusrite Control installer for both Mac and Windows platforms. The Windows version of the installer contains the driver, so in either case, you only need to install Focusrite Control to get up and running.

This User Guide provides a detailed explanation of the hardware to help you achieve a thorough understanding of the product’s features. We recommend both users who are new to computer-based recording, and more experienced users, take the time to read through the User Guide so you are fully aware of all the possibilities the Scarlett 18i8 3rd Gen and accompanying software have to offer. If the main User Guide sections do not provide the information you need, be sure to consult support.focusrite.com, which contains a comprehensive collection of common technical support queries.

The Scarlett 18i8 3rd Gen audio interface provides the means for connecting microphones, musical instruments, line level audio signals and digital audio signals in both ADAT and S/PDIF formats to a computer running compatible versions of macOS or Windows.

The signals at the physical inputs can be routed to your audio recording software/digital audio workstation (referred to throughout this user guide as the “DAW”) at up to 24-bit, 192 kHz resolution; similarly, the DAW’s monitor or recorded output signals can be configured to appear at the unit’s physical outputs.

The outputs can be connected to amplifiers and speakers, powered monitors, headphones, an audio mixer or any other analogue or digital audio equipment you wish to use. Although all inputs and outputs on the Scarlett 18i8 3rd Gen are routed directly to and from your DAW for recording and playback, you can configure the routing within your DAW To meet your precise needs.

The accompanying software, Focusrite Control, provides further routing and monitoring options, as well as the ability to control global hardware settings such as sample rate and clock source.

A new feature on the Scarlett 18i8 3rd Gen is the ALT function, which provides secondary monitor speaker switching. This lets you connect a second pair of monitor loudspeakers to Line Outputs 3 and 4 and switch between the pairs to reference your mix on a different set of speakers. The ALT function is configured and selected from Focusrite Control.

All inputs on the Scarlett 18i8 3rd Gen are routed directly to your DAW software for recording, but Focusrite Control also allows you to route these signals internally within the device to the outputs so you can monitor the audio signals with ultra-low latency - before they arrive at your DAW, should you need to do so.

The Scarlett 18i8 3rd Gen also has connectors for sending and receiving MIDI data; this lets you use it as a MIDI interface between your computer’s USB port and other items of MIDI equipment in your system.

Along with your Scarlett 18i8 3rd Gen you should have:

The easiest way to check your computer’s operating system (OS) is compatible with your Scarlett is to use our Help Centre’s compatibility articles:

support.focusrite.com/hc/categories/200693655

As new OS versions become available over time, you can continue to check for further compatibility information by searching our Help Centre at support.focusrite.com.