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I have a Clarett 2Pre USB that I am suspecting may be malfunctioning.

My setup:

  • Electric guitar w/ passive pickups -> Radial J48 -> Clarett 2Pre USB input (1 or 2, doesn't matter).
  • 48V button is pressed on Clarett 2Pre USB (although I've tried both states on both inputs).
  • On both inputs, I have tried all states for Line/Input/Air enabled/disabled. None work properly.

I noticed while testing the J48 phantom supply from the Clarett, the J48 LED did not light up. So, I used a DMM to measure between pins 1-3 and 1-2 on Clarett's input 1.

  • Pins 1-3 showed a consistent 42V supply and ~400uA of current.
  • Pins 1-2 showed a variable supply typically around 2V or so. No consistent reading on current...it is typically low.

Other issues have been happening with this Clarett:

2 audio out channels in the back do not work properly unless cable is only plugged partially in, and at that point the sound is not correct).

When changing sample rate, occasionally (~50% of the time) the input signal sounds corrupted. If I switch to another rate, then back to the same rate, the input signal quality switches to a different sound than the first attempt ant swtching.

Is this just a defective unit? Are these voltages and current measured via DMM incorrect? I'm past the 2 year warranty. At this point I may scrap this Clarett and go with another interface...possibly Audient id44.

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  • This isn't a sound design issue, it's an equipment issue you need to take up with Focusrite. Notes: 1. Why the J48 anyway? The Clarett is designed to not dip the top end on guitar inputs, and a passive pickup is nowhere near powerful enough to warrant the J48's 7v handling capacity. 2. The Clarett's o/p jacks are also balanced. Needs TRS.
    – Tetsujin
    Jun 2 at 9:16
  • I was under the impression audio recording was merged with sound design stackexchange. My main question is whether phantom power voltage and current are behaving as expected. The J48 I’m experimenting with, as I’ve heard a passive pickups with an active DI might help with overall signal quality. Outputs, I am using TRS.
    – schumacher574
    Jun 2 at 15:12
  • Sounds like the phantom power issue might be with the cable or the J48, not the clarett at all. Do you have a different XLR cable you can try? The J48 is really solid and I’d be surprised if it failed but that 42V reading seems right to me.
    – Todd Wilcox
    Jun 4 at 18:59
  • @Tetsujin I prefer using a J48 with passive pickups over going straight into a mic pre. And of course I much prefer a JDI for active sources rather than straight in. The Radial DIs sound better than the raw op-amps in most interfaces to my ears.
    – Todd Wilcox
    Jun 4 at 19:01
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    I did contact the manufacturer and based on the symptoms they do think it is malfunctioning hardware, so I don't think there's any further solution to discuss on this post. But thank you for the feedback!
    – schumacher574
    Jun 6 at 4:36

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