Focusrite Announces Clarett Range of Thunderbolt Interfaces

January 26 2015, 03:00

During the 2015 NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, Focusrite surprised with an expansion of its range of affordable audio interfaces, this time with Thunderbolt connectivity. The new Clarett units are said to be the “fastest Thunderbolt interfaces in the world” by the British manufacturer.

Focusrite expanded its range of audio interfaces into the world of Thunderbolt with the new Clarett range, introduced at the 2015 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show. The new range of audio interfaces combine a new preamp design with the very latest in Thunderbolt technology, to offer exceptional sound quality with a latency of under 1 ms.

Focusrite’s Clarett interfaces offer clear conversion to 24-bit, 192-kHz audio with high dynamic range (116-dB AD and 118-dB DA) and feature new Clarett mic preamps that replicate the impedance and transformer resonance of the original Focusrite ISA preamplifiers—the signature sound for which Focusrite has become famous.

The range is made up of four devices; the 2Pre (10 In/4 Out), 4Pre (18 In/8 Out), 8Pre (18 In/20 Out) and 8Pre X (26 In/28 Out), all expandable via ADAT. The larger 2U interface has been designed with the permanent racked studio install in mind, featuring extended ADAT I/O, and separate rear panel inputs for microphone, line, and instrument, as well as dedicated phantom power, phase reverse and high pass filters on every channel.

According to Focusrite, “comprehensive attention to sound quality, combined with unmatched Thunderbolt latency performance that unlocks the real-time processing power of your DAW, makes the new Focusrite Clarett range the best-sounding, lowest latency interfaces.”

The new Clarett range also ships with the new 64-bit AAX, AU and VST compatible Red 2 and Red 3 Plug-in Suite, features detailed metering and includes MIDI I/O. All units are expected to be available Spring/Summer 2015, with the following US MAP prices:
Clarett 2Pre - $499.99