A hardware switch on the front would have made for a much better experience.ġ. Apart from reliance on software, the Scarlett also has no way to choose which inputs get 48V Phantom power individually. Not only is there no way to control analogue inputs 3/4 without the app, you also need the software to choose between line/instrument inputs, and even to switch between direct monitoring and DAW output.Ģ. The Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 really pairs back on physical controls, so you have to rely on the Focusrite Control app for almost everything. Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 3 rd Gen Benefitsġ. The interface is worth it for its lookback capabilities alone. The feature allowed us to not only record the output from Mainstage, but also to control virtual plugins without latency and send it over the web. The control software to route audio is powerful if you know what you’re doing, especially with the stereo loopback channel. With 32 samples and the lowest buffer, there wasn’t any crackling or latency, and we were able to record through Antares autotune and SoundToys Effect Rack live.Ĥ. The interface can operate at low frequencies without clicking and popping, without having to dial in the buffer. The recording levels for dynamic and compression mics are decent too at 50% gain, and don’t clip before reaching 100%.ģ. The Scarlett 4i4 also handled our high impedance SM7B well paired with our Stratocaster guitar with a clear signal and plenty of gain. The preamps work as advertised and produce clean, pristine, and clear guitar as well as vocals. Plus, the AIR toggle is fun to use and cleans up our microphone signals pretty well.Ģ. They do well to both clean up the signals on our microphone, and brighten up our tracks with a high-end frequency boost similar to the Maag EQ Air Band. The AIR channels on the 4-in/4-out 24-bit/192kHz 3 rd Gen Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 are incredibly quiet. Unfortunately, it might not have the best latency, and there isn’t much of a choice in the matter either.Īt the end of the day, while it does take a lot of work to get decent sounding audio on ChromeOS, especially without the bells and whistles of a good standalone audio editing program, if a Chromebook is all you have, you can absolutely get it to work and make do!ĩ Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 3 rd Gen Benefitsġ. While USB mics are much easier to use on the platform, with enough effort, you can get XLR microphones to work as well.Īdditionally, like CoreAudio on macOS, and ASIO on Windows, ChromeOS features its own audio solution called Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA). If you’re just dipping your toe in the ChromeOS audio space, it might not be a good idea to get an XLR mic either since Chromebooks tend to be trickier than PCs/Macs and cannot support all the same hardware or software. While you might get something working, if you’re not careful, you still run the risk of glitches, stutters, and latency if your CPU can’t handle your whole audio setup. One thing to keep in mind is that unlike Mac and Windows machines, Chromebooks don’t output enough processing power for real-time music, nor do they have enough internal storage for heavy recording. However, the bundled software for most audio interfaces usually do not work well with Chromebooks, so that’s one drawback that you’ll have to live with. If you reach a stage where you need a higher quality interface, then it is a good idea to experiment since there are plenty of interfaces out there that will get the job done.Īs far as DAWs go, you can download Audacity as a Linux app, but native software such as Soundtrap, Zenbeats and Bandlab work just as well for recording/mixing tracks, and feature drum machines and other instruments as well. Cheaper interfaces such as the Behringer U-Phoria UM2 work great since they don’t need specific drivers on ChromeOS like they do on Windows and macOS. When choosing the best audio interface for Chromebooks, the first thing you need to do is find a compatible device. Since most people don’t need 100-track digital soundscapes, it is possible to get enough work done without booting into a different OS. Is there a DAW that works with Chromebook?Ĭhromebooks aren’t the easiest to record or produce music with, however, it wouldn’t be fair to outright dismiss the idea since there are DAWs you can use, and interfaces that are compatible.
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