Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 (3rd Gen) Review & Loopback Setup

Thank You So Much. Great Help

Awesome video man! Just a quick additional tip, in case someone hasn't already posted this. 

If you're using a DAW like Logic Pro X, you may be a bit confused not seeing the inputs labeled as "Loop 1" and "Loop 2" as it was in this video. In that case, the naming convention for the Loopback inputs is as follows:
4i4 -> Inputs 5 & 6
8i6 -> Inputs 9 & 10
18i8 -> Inputs 11 & 12

Hope that saves someone the time of cycling through all the inputs

Great thanks.

Thank you so much for the tutorial. So I can hook up 4 of my instruments to this device via 1/4'' jacks and get 2 stereo outputs to headphones simultaneously, right? Cheers

I can do live through focusrite 4i4??

Finally I can watch porn in premium sound quality.

With all the inputs together will it record 2 separate stereo tracks?

Question: Wouldn’t plugging outboard gear such as a preamp/compressor into the front combo jacks be a bad idea since the signal would be colored by the focusrite’s preamps?

Can you have 2 sets of monitors running at same time? 4 speakers

Ray, I have seen issues with these 4i4 only lasting about 1 to 2 years.. seems like there a problem with USB Controller chip.. They burn out and you have to get the unit replaced... I currently experienced this problem... and have multiple friends that I have recommended the 4i4 and now worried theirs will fail too.. "Search for 4i4 no hardware connected" issue

Has anyone tested this with Ableton?

Can I have a 3 person podcast setup with the 4i4? There are only 2 XLR inputs but there are the 2 inputs on back. Could I put a mic into the line input?

2i2 has no loopback

Anyone have problems with the line outs only playing out of one speaker despite stereo signal stating it should be coming out of both?

Software controls are better. Live with it. Been using the 4i4 for several months now and it is great.

Thanks for the review! I think just because of it missing all the useful hardware buttons, i'll not get it. Instead i'm looking at a used 2i4 or a Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6 MK2.

I'm a bit late to the party, but Linux?

very nice. Sir please help, if I want to connect 4 microphones condenser type and 4 instruments to record with Ableton which Focusrite audio interface should I consider ? is any mixer will also be to connect.? I am new to setup for recording music (Vocal+instrument). I have Scarlet Solo studio 2gen with one condenser mic at the moment. your help will be very highly appreciated.

This has too much Hype! I returned this item and bought Motu M4 instead. Much better and stable.

If you dont want troubles with Windows 10 dont go with this AI.

2i2 doesn’t have PAD.

why is the backlight not working?

Good review, although it definitely comes from a podcaster's point of view. You could say (and I think you did) i'd keep the one I have. Someone looking to use it in music applications would be more positive.

The reason is the 4i4 has nice features over the 2i2 and 2i4 which would be important for musician applications, such as the additional channels, the software control which gives more flexible routing options and adding MIDI interfaces which allows capturing events for music keyboards, pads, controllers into the DAW and can be used for output of recorded data to those devices and even control lighting. Unfortunately, since a podcaster mostly doesn't really have a need for those features they are not mentioned as anything special. So, the viewer watching, which would be unfamiliar with these uses for music production, may not get a full appreciation of the device. Moving some functionality from physical switches to software may not be such a problem for musician applications, since most of the time is spent in the computer interface and other features gained make up for that loss.

Hello Ray. I'm still getting significant lag while monitoring multitrack voice input. Especially when I try live monitoring woth effects loaded on the effects rack. Ideas? I am running the 4i4 gen 3 on my i9 processor iMac with the 4i4 connected via USB-C. Shure SM7B mic.

Plz is the 4i4 cool for making beats

Focusrite labels their devices as class compliant so I’m wondering if they have a focusrite control app for iPad. Else how so u select between lime and instrument when using with an iPad ?

I agree 100% about the hardware buttons, and especially the direct monitor input/playback mix knob. I really love the hardware button/knobs layout of the 2i4 in general, but the software for this thing has just been crap for me for a LONG time now. It used to happen like once a day- I'd come back to my daw (still open from previous session) the next day and I'd get no audio and have to deselect/reselect the device. I finally upgraded drivers and now the whole driver is crashing like every 15 minutes... I can tell the driver is crashed because the device doesn't show up in OS devices when it happens. I have to unplug/replug it in.

Anyone know a good audio interface with a similar hardware layout to 1st gen 2i4, but actually stable and works without having to restart it all the time. I don't care about going cheap anymore just want something dependable!

Is the loopback coming to the 2i2 3rd gen ? Its been 2 years since this video was released thanks

Я купил четыре студийных монитора krk vxt 4.
Хочу сделать Квадро звук. Купил звуковую карту focusrite 4i4. Каково же было удивление когда одна пара мониторов орала как безумная,и ничем нельзя было убавить громкость, кроме как на самом компьютере, а вторая пара мониторов регулировалась нормально с крутилки на самом устройстве. Разочарован. Подскажите мне нормальное устройство, куда можно воткнуть сразу 4 колонки и слушать с него музыку через ноутбук/компьютер??? Мне не нужны никакие иные функции типа микрофонов и подключаемых гитар и усилков, чисто для музыки. Но чтобы была обычная работающая на все 4 монитора (идитам, разработавшим focusrite 4i4 привет)крутилка громкости и больше ничего не надо.

I apologize if I missed this, but do you have a video showing the actual steps in plugging in all the cables for remote podcasting from two locations?

Can i plug guitar to rear input?

Very interesting video, thank you

I agree about the monitor level knob. I don't understand this trend to remove buttons and knobs and make everything tiny. Software has always been unreliable. Buttons and cables rarely fail me. I can see the use in having the software as a back-up, but it's not like I want my interface to be small enough to fit in my pocket, so I don't see the point in sacrificing essentials.

Maybe it's just me, but the loss of those controls is a deal breaker.

Oh I was hoping it's like a loop-pedal :/
Or is there a way to achieve that thru the PC & software?

At Focusrite, you'll get an audio interface with outdated USB 2.0 connectivity instead of the the current USB 3.0 or USB 3.2. We could make it faster but, we just don't. You'll also get outdated plug-in suites with your purchase that you can't even use like the Focusrite Red 2 & Red 3 Plug-in Suite but in the end it really won't matter because your audio interface will soon become a brick that will not even work with your continually updated OS because... we just stop giving you the support you need and we will soon delete your interface completely off of our own website. We will try to sell you a new one soon though and we'll do the same thing to you with it.

At Focusrite we care... about pocketing your money. 👍 😉

Thanks for sharing! I am a musician and my old lexicon omega stopped working with Reaper. Was just gonna go for the 2i2 but I am thinking for a few more bucks I would benefit from the 4i4. Newbie here so I will be watching alot of your videos. Subscribed!

Thanks ray! I have a Scarlett studio, I want to change to a scarlet tha help me to conect 1 Electronic drums, 1 mic, 1 bass drum, 1 electronic guitar, 1 midi controler with digital synth . And be able to play live and record with my friends. Which do you recommend me? ( maybe 2 mic but it is no important) thank you

Losing the front panel buttons and knobs is enough to put me off this model. I’d find that really annoying to have to keep switching between software to make those adjustments.

Thank you for this video, it really helped me but I had a question; Can I make a bridge of output 3 and 4 with software for connecting to an active subwoofer? I'm a DJ and normally I do these actions with mixers and power mixers and amplifiers but for my home studio, I wanna something near like clubs. How much freedom do I have in the audio interface compared to the mixer? I know the live performance equipment is different.

So do you think i can play something like biasfx2 from my daw to skype , discord, and zoom as it is now the other person can only hear a dry signal from my guitar without effects, i have the scarlet 2i2 3rd gen on a pc. Would you have a solution where i would be able to do that so i don’t have to return my 2i2 and spend more for the 4i4 with loopback , thanks!

Can you use four speaker monitors on with this interface?

what about mic monitoring? any switch on the interface or do I need to disable microphone monitoring in that app? I don`t want to hear myself (on my headphones plugged in that card) while using mic in my discord / skype etc...

Help please. I'm planning to get this by the weekend. But can I use this with the following set-up?
2 voices with XLR mics on Line 1 and Line 2
1 piano in Line 3
1 guitar in Line 4

Will this set-up work? Can I record all of them simultaneously on separate tracks? Thanks guys!

In windows, you have to right-click the Focusrite icon down in the activity field and choose "Expose / Hide Windows Channels" and check Loopback to make it visible in apps. How do I do this on a mac? The loopback 5&6 are not showing up in my audio apps. I have routed it correctly in Focusrite Control just like in this video. I have a 4i4

I've had the 4i4 for nearly a year now, using for recording, but also for Zoom feed meetings, through my apple laptop, but today, after about an hour, the interface stopped working. It was a little hot on top. I unplugged it and tried again. First I got a couple of red lights on left gain input and instrument light. This went out straight away. I re-plugged in again and everything lit up momentarily. Several times now i"ve tried but I get either the red or all lights on, then nothing. Would I be right in thinking this could be a hardware problem? It's less than 1 year old.

Hey man. Great video. I just bought the 4i4 3rd gen. I see text on it for “air”, but no button for it. How do you activate the air feature?

If you use a dbx286s, would you want to use the line in on the back in order to bypass the Focusrite preamp? I'm wondering if that would be cleaner than using the dbx preamp and sending the dbx output into the Focusrite preamp.

Hi Ray! Will this model be able to let me plug in my piano keyboard and studio monitors at the same time? What cords do I need to plug in my keyboard? Thanks!

nice. how do you suggest I use loopback for a virtual live Dance Class? I heard it is possible with my 4i4.
It sounds fine without it but I want a better quality. I am the music accompanist working remotely for a University Dance Class.
Please advise. Pro Tools is my DAW and I use a stereo Synth and 1 vocal mic.

With 2nd gen, I plug my LP player into the 2 front xlr ports and balance the mix with the direct monitor dial. On that 3rd gen, it's nice you have the balanced inputs on the back, which seems like it would also work for lp player?

Hi Ray! Thank you so much for this awesome review ... would you be so kind if I could borrow a moment of your time to ask you a quick question? On the Focusrite Scarlett 4i4, can you plug two XLR Microphone Cables on the front and two Guitar quarter-inch cable on the back "Line Inputs"? I would truly truly greatly appreciate your response ... Thank you so much!