Focusrite’s Clarett 8Pre Thunderbolt interface is the best interface in its class, bar none. With 18 inputs and 20 outputs, it delivers eight redesigned Clarett mic preamps deployed direct from the front panel, as well as premium digital conversion and millisecond-level low round-trip latency. So low, in fact, that DAW plugins can be implemented while the user monitors recordings, for instance to add reverb in the headphones for a vocalist. The fresh Clarett mic pre includes the switchable “Air” effect that reproduces the sound of Focusrite’s notorious ISA transformer-based preamps, as well as providing very low noise (EIN -128) and distortion. The Clarett 8Pre additionally supplies gain controls with a special law, making changes softer and more organic. Focusrite has been well-renowned for top-quality digital conversion for almost as long as it has been revered for its microphone preamps, and The Clarett 8Pre isn’t an exception. Featuring the latest in Focusrite precision digital conversion, 8Pre’s 192kHz/24-bit converters dispense up to 118dB (A/D from mic pre) / 119dB (D/A line out) real world dynamic range. The eight primary inputs sit on the front panel in the form of mic/instrument/line combo XLR/TRS sockets and include the innovatively reimagined Clarett mic pres; in addition, an ADAT optical input can be activated to widen the 8Pre’s input capability with eight additional digital channels. The instrument-level inputs are designed with exceptional headroom, to accept the highest output pickup without distortion.