When something seems like a ridiculously good deal, I get suspicious.
For example, the Focusrite Scarlett Solo Studio Bundle.
So I wanted to do some research to see if this thing is actually good, or if it’s just cheap.
Let me just say, I’ve had such a good experience with my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface, so I’m partial to anything else Focusrite makes.
But in all honesty, their Focusrite Scarlett Solo Studio bundle looks pretty appealing.
So for that reason, I’m going to review this bundle.
I’ve never used it, so I’ll be aggregating user reviews to give you a comprehensive idea of what it’s like.
Updated December 1, 2019
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- What You Get
- What Users Say
- What You Pay
- Final Word
So let’s get to it…
What You Get
To keep things easy to read, here’s a nice little list of the things included in this bundle:
- Scarlett Solo USB audio interface (built-in pre-amp) with both a XLR and quarter-inch input
- Scarlett CM25 large diaphragm condenser mic
- 10-foot XLR mic cable
- HP60 closed-back studio headphones
- Mic stand clip
- Pro Tools | First
- Focusrite Creative Pack
- Ableton Live Lite
- Softube Time and Tone Bundle
- Focusrite’s Red Plug-in Suite
- 2GB of Loopmasters samples
- Monthly Focusrite Plug-In Collective offers
- One free XLN Addictive Keys virtual instrument plugin
Clearly, a lot of really cool things are in this bundle. But how does it all perform?
What Users Say
Now I’m going to look at what actual users are saying about this bundle. In order to avoid the extremes and focus on the more balanced reviews, we’ll look at mostly the 3- and 4-star reviews.
But I should note, 60% of the reviewers on Amazon gave it a 5-star review.
4-Star Review: The Scarlett Solo is “just simple and easy and all the knobs and plugs are in the right place. I like the halo light that indicates overload…but I can’t say Pro Tools is the most elegant editing program.”
4-Star Review: “Excellent unit. It works as intended with no pain… [but] the Direct Monitoring output is weak in terms of volume output, even when turned to max. The actual output to the PC is fine. Direct monitoring works, but the signal coming from the USB will drown it out rather easily.”
3-Star Review: “From a hardware standpoint, this audio interface is really, really nice. It provides a lot of clean gain, and its features are very enjoyable. But for me. I had a lot of issues with the drivers…”
3-Star Review: “The simple fact is that it works perfectly…for about 15 minutes at a time, after which the levels drop off dramatically. I’m not doing anything very complicated — just recording an acoustic guitar to Audacity using the Instrument input…”
2-Star Review: “Well, it’s great when it works…but y’know it’s bullsh*t when you’re making music and you get that sudden surprise [of a glitch] mid-recording.”
5-Star Review: “Overall, an excellent entry level choice for any Mac or Linux user wanting to connect a musical instrument, or for use as a general purpose high-quality audio interface.”
What You Pay
On Amazon, you can grab this bundle for under $200. Which seems like a great deal, considering you get a mic, interface, headphones, and an XLR cable for that.
But this is assuming you’re happy with the quality.
Final Word
So overall, this bundle seems like a great option for beginners, but maybe not for intermediate-to-experienced pros.
Although if you have a little more room in your budget, you could get a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface for about $150 (can you tell I like it?) and a decent $100 mic, like the AT2035 or a Shure SM58. And then, of course, you’d need to get headphones and an XLR cable.
But that’s the beauty of the Focusrite Scarlett Solo Studio bundle. You can get all that stuff for one lower price.
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