Focusrite Clarett+ 2Pre 10x4 USB-C Audio Interface with Air Mode Preamps

Studio-Grade 10x4 Recording, Reimagined on USB-C

The Focusrite Clarett+ 2Pre is a 10-in, 4-out USB-C audio interface built around two of the company's cleanest mic preamps and converters rated at up to 124 dB of dynamic range. It pairs a compact desktop chassis with the sonic transparency once reserved for large rackmount systems, capturing vocals, guitars and synths with detail that survives every stage of a mix. A preamp is the circuit that boosts a quiet microphone signal up to a usable recording level, and here two of them sit behind combination XLR/TRS inputs so you can track a singer and a guitarist at once. For the home-studio producer building a first serious rig, it is a foundation that will not become the weak link as your ears and ambitions grow.

Two Clarett+ Mic Preamps with 57 dB of Gain

Each Clarett+ preamp delivers up to 57 dB of gain with an equivalent input noise (EIN) figure of around -129 dBu, meaning the circuit adds almost no hiss of its own even when you push a low-output ribbon or dynamic microphone hard. EIN measures the noise a preamp generates internally, and the lower the number, the quieter the amplifier, which is why a -129 dBu rating lets faint sources like fingerpicked acoustic guitar stay clean. Both channels supply 48V phantom power, the standard DC voltage that condenser microphones need to charge their capsules and internal electronics. A singer-songwriter recording intimate vocal takes hears the difference immediately, because the noise floor stays low enough to preserve every breath and room reflection.

All-Analogue Air Mode for Presence and Clarity

Air mode is an all-analogue circuit that switches the input impedance and adds a gentle high-frequency lift, recreating the bright, open character of the classic ISA transformer-based preamp. Engaging Air changes how the preamp interacts with the microphone rather than applying a digital EQ after the fact, so the added presence sounds musical instead of harsh. This is the tone that helps vocals and acoustic instruments cut through a dense arrangement without reaching for a plug-in. Producers chasing a modern, forward vocal sound can print that character on the way in and save mixing time later.

24-Bit / 192 kHz Conversion You Can Trust

The independent analogue-to-digital and digital-to-analogue converters run at up to 24-bit / 192 kHz with as much as 124 dB of dynamic range, the specification that describes the gap between the quietest and loudest sounds a system can reproduce. Bit depth sets that dynamic range while sample rate sets the highest frequency captured, so 24-bit resolution gives a generous window and 192 kHz preserves fine high-frequency detail for pristine mixes. Keeping the A-D and D-A paths separate stops playback coloring what you record. A mix engineer relying on accurate monitoring gets a truthful picture of the material instead of a flattering one.

Two JFET Instrument Inputs for Direct Guitar and Bass

Two high-impedance JFET instrument inputs let a guitar or bass plug straight in and keep the natural tone you would get from a real amplifier front end. High impedance matters because magnetic pickups are sensitive to what they see downstream, and a properly matched instrument input preserves the top-end sparkle and dynamics that a low-impedance line input would dull. The JFET design specifically mimics the input stage of a valve amp, adding a touch of warmth guitarists recognise. For a producer laying down DI tracks to reamp later, that clean, characterful capture is exactly what the session needs.

Expand Your Rig with ADAT and MIDI

An optical input adds up to eight extra channels over ADAT, the digital audio protocol that carries eight channels down a single optical cable at 44.1 or 48 kHz. ADAT is how a two-preamp interface grows into a multi-mic drum-tracking rig, because connecting an eight-channel preamp expands the Clarett+ 2Pre to ten simultaneous inputs. The same optical port also accepts a stereo S/PDIF signal for linking outboard converters or digital effects, and MIDI I/O ties in keyboards and drum machines. A band tracking live off the floor can start small and scale the input count as the arrangement demands, without buying a new interface.

Four Balanced Outputs and a Powerful Headphone Amp

Four balanced line outputs feed monitors and outboard gear, while a dedicated stereo headphone output drives even demanding studio cans to healthy listening levels. Balanced connections use three-conductor wiring to reject electrical interference over long cable runs, keeping the monitor path clean in an electrically busy room. Having four outputs means you can route a separate mix to a performer's headphones or send stems to an external summing setup. An engineer working with a vocalist benefits from building a custom foldback mix that keeps the singer comfortable and on pitch.

Flexible Power over USB-C or the Included Supply

Power is genuinely flexible here, because the interface can run bus-powered from a single USB-C cable when your computer supplies a full 15 W, or from the included 12V DC adapter when you want guaranteed headroom for phantom power and loud monitoring. Bus power means the unit draws everything it needs through the same cable that carries audio to the computer, which keeps a mobile rig tidy. That choice matters for a laptop-based producer who tracks on the move but wants the security of external power at the desk. Connection to Mac and Windows is class-compliant, so setup is quick and driver-light.

Everything You Need to Start Making Records

In the box you get USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A cables plus the Hitmaker software bundle, which pairs creative tools with Pro Tools Artist and Ableton Live Lite so you can record from day one. Focusrite Control handles routing and monitor mixing from the desktop, giving low-latency direct monitoring that lets performers hear themselves without the delay a computer round-trip introduces. The bundle is designed to remove the usual friction of assembling a first software toolkit. A bedroom producer or podcaster can go from unboxing to a finished take in a single evening.