Home Audio Interfaces Komplete Audio 6 vs. Scarlett 2i4 | Some Key Differences?

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Updated 1/22/19

933-word post, approx. 2 min. read

Hi there friend and Welcome aboard!!

Before we get into the Komplete Audio 6 vs. Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 comparison, grab a snack, sit back and relax because..

You’ve come to the right place!!

What I will bring you in this review

Today I will outline the Komplete Audio 6 and then compare it with the 2i4 towards the end. 🙂

  1. Ratings/Price
  2. Specifications
  3. Summary
  4. Pros
  5. Cons
  6. Video Review
  7. Who this interface benefits
  8. What it provides
  9. Thoughts from Stu’s notepad
  10. Consensus/Conclusion
  11. Similarities & Differences
  12. Final Word

Now without further ado, let’s get rolling!!

Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6

Ratings/Price

Specifications

  • Computer Connectivity: USB 2.0
  • Form Factor: Desktop
  • Simultaneous I/O: 4×4
  • A/D Resolution: 24-bit/96kHz
  • Analog Inputs: 2 x XLR Combo, 2 x Line
  • Analog Outputs: 4 x TRS. TRS vs. TS
  • Digital Inputs: 2 x S/PDIF
  • Digital Outputs: 2 x S/PDIF
  • Number of Preamps: 2
  • Phantom Power: Yes
  • MIDI I/O: In/Out
  • Bus Powered: Yes
  • Depth: 6.3″
  • Width: 4.8″
  • Height: 2″
  • Weight: 1.9 lbs.
  • Manufacturer Part Number: 21066

Summary

The main thing to know about this unit is that the drivers have been updated, so it should work fine with Windows 7 and 10 most notably.

Most of the complaints were in regards to the popping/static and hissing, but those issues should be fixed with the driver update and/or a replacement USB cable.

Overall it’s a ruggedly built unit and people love the design and functionality. Beware of bad customer support though.

Pros

  • Solid construction. Really good build. Rugged.
  • Good mic preamps.
  • MIDI capable. What is MIDI?
  • Low latency. What is Latency?
  • Comes with Guitar Rig 5.

Cons

  • Bad customer support.
  • Static/popping/hissing.
  • Does not automatically connect to the PC when you turn it on.
  • A pain to get it recognized by your computer/bad drivers. It doesn’t always start properly.
  • The headphone output unbalanced or weak and the headphone jack is defective.
  • Direct monitoring and S/PDIF unit do not work.

Video Review

Who this interface benefits?

It comes with 2 stereo outputs for playback/monitoring, and 2 stereo inputs for recording.

Good for:

  • Studio recording
  • Live recording
  • Live webcasting
  • Online DJ’s
  • listening to iTunes
  • Watching Youtube
  • Watching Netflix
  • Making music in your DAW.
  • Skype calls
  • Hobbyists

Works well with:

What it provides?

It provides 48v phantom power to supply your microphone with enough power to function. What does an audio interface do?

Thoughts from Stu’s notepad

  • Regardless of the above issue with audio distortion/hissing, etc. a new driver apparently was released 11/25/15 that contains the fix for these problems. It’s both Windows 7+ and Windows 10 certified.
  • The mic gain controls have only 36dB of range, which is a bit weak for an audio interface in this price range. For comparison’s sake, my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 has 48-50dB.
  • The DAC’s (Digital Audio Converters) are pretty good at 24/96. Find out more about how your computer processes sound: Bit depth vs. Sample Rate.
  • Another potential fix for the pops and clicks issue is that perhaps your USB cable is faulty. Ordering a new one has worked for a lot of people in remedying this issue as well.
  • A third potential fix for the popping and clicking is to make sure that all external programs are closed as to cut down on the amount of work your PC has to do to keep this stuff running.
  • The fact that it has 4 balanced 1/4″ outputs is very uncommon for interfaces.
  • It’s best to have at least 8GB of RAM and an i5 or i7 processor for an interface of this type.
  • It has XLR, MIDI, and both audio inputs/outputs plus a headphone jack. What is XLR?
  • Compatible with Linux.

Consensus/Conclusion

Extremely heavy-duty amp with incredibly low latency. Driver update should have fixed the problems mentioned above. Questionable customer support. Headphone output not as strong as expected.

Similarities & Differences

Similarities

  • They’re both USB 2.0.
  • They both have MIDI in/out.
  • They both have at least 2 channels (in/out).
  • The 2nd Gen 2i4 supports 24-bit/192kHz sample rates, which results in a DAC that has the capacity to provide better audio quality. The Komplete Audio 6 also supports 24-bit/192kHz.

Differences

  • It appears that the Komplete Audio 6 has lower latency than the 2i4.
  • The Komplete Audio 6 has 2 more analog inputs than the 2i4 (4 vs. 2).
  • The Scarlett 2i4 has an edge when it comes to overall sound quality with those award-winning preamps.

Final Word

Aside from a few things, the 2i4 and Komplete Audio 6 are very comparable audio interfaces.

Ultimately I would go with the 2nd generation 2i4 because of its slightly better preamps. It is compatible with anything Windows 7 and higher, and anything Mac OS X 10.10 and higher.

1/6/19 Update: It seems as though Generation 2 drivers will work fine with Generation 1 units. Focusrite has updated its entire website and driver download page. Thanks a lot to the fella below for the head-up.

I recently had to download a driver update for my 2i2 that did help my immediate issue (Blue Screen) on my computer, so I feel good recommending the 2i4 given how good Focusrite products are. If in doubt, just go with the 3rd gen.

 

 


Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this article on the Komplete Audio 6 vs. Scarlett 2i4.

Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!

Which of these are you more likely to go with? I would love to hear from you. Until next time..

All the best and God bless,

 

 

 

-Stu

[Xtr@Ba$eHitZ]

Be sure to check out my Reviews and Resources page for more helpful and informative articles!

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2 comments

SW April 14, 2017 - 6:32 pm

Heads up, the Gen 2 drivers work just fine with the Gen 1 Scarlett devices. Tested and worked for me under Windows 10 environment and also see this article for reference.
http://masters-of-music.com/1st-gen-focusrite-scarletts-work-with-2nd-gen-drivers-for-lower-latency/

Reply
Stu April 23, 2017 - 1:40 am

Thanks for the info! It’s much appreciated as I have the Gen 1 2i2 and was concerned.

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