I'll say it again, and tell you from experience that RME is the role model in driver development as well as their custom FW/USB/TB audio protocol. You may pay a bit more, but the quality drivers, converters and components are top notch. The TOTALMIX (interface software mixer) is the best on the market. I still use a FIREFACE 800 - at this point for ADAT optical ins/outs only, and I've never had a problem. I built a 8700k system for a friend last week and got him a BABYFACE PRO, again, flawless with Ableton, FL, Reaper, and Windows 10 OS. My main system's front end will always be RME for my uses. Highly recommended!!!

 

RME is The Shit all day long, yesterday as well as tomorrow.

 

To quote the guy who suggested the latest official release of the "working" driver, or even another OS...

My answer is that driver has much of the same issues (crackling, noises, latency, etc) and it didn't matter if I was using OSX or Win 7 or 10. The bottom line is that Focusrite makes nice hardware, but incredibly shitty drivers.

I'm happy with Win10 and the rest of my studio's configurations, everything except my interface which is about to get changed as soon as funds allow it. In the meantime, I am hoping that Focusrite releases a proper driver for both their Gen1 and Gen2 lines - but I'm not holding my breath.

 

usernone: I totally agree with you on all points! W10 r1803 has been rock solid here once I got around the blue screens being thrown by the shitty Focusrite drivers!

 

Well, Focusrite drivers don't have any of those issues on Win7, here. I've never had issues other than the absence of 24bit in WDM - now resolved. I've had 2i2 since it came out and Focusrite have updated the drivers throughout. The last update (W7) is Jan 2018.

W10 r1803 was released in April '18. Check Google and there is a tsunami of complaints about how it broke games, hardware, drivers, whatever. That's always going to be an issue with an evolving, non-fixed OS. I don't think that's grounds to condemn Focusrite.

Oh, and a 2i2 is $100. Babyface Pro more like $700. It's cheap. Moreover, on a MAC they need no drivers - Focusrite recommend removing drivers on MAC if you have any installed. The drivers were for old MACs.

 

I get your point, G String, but my 18i20 has has experienced a multitude of problem with all of the OS's you've mentioned over the past few years, using various drivers... and regarding Win10 v1803 - Focusrite released a beta driver in June specifically for the Spring update of Windows, and yet it still sucks. The crackling and unreal latency to remedy it was totally unacceptable.

I found the most stable driver to work for me on Win10 is V 3.2.285 API 3.0 with MixControl 1.9.64.12 (file name Scarlett MixControl-1.9b12.exe)

I just have to put up with poor latency and no 24bit WDM support until I can save up enough to get something better, with perhaps less line noise as well.

 

I would be very pissed off in such a position and would no doubt do the same ie go elsewhere. Shame to sink even more dough into it though. I suppose you tried latency mon? Changing gfx card, removing network cards, swapfile, all the usual crap?

 

I most certainly have done all of that and then some. AMD/Nvidia, startech usb 2 pci-e cards, onboard motherboard usb2 and 3, removing unnecessary audio drivers from device manager... you name it, I have done it over and over with various drivers.

The thing is, I get really excited when I notice Focusrite has released an updated driver - I say to myself, "surely they've nailed it this time around", but unfortunately this is not the case.

Like I said, I've at least got a somewhat stable system with one of their earlier beta drivers, but I'd prefer better latency at this point.

As we speak I've just noticed that MixControl has switched itself into 48 kHz mode from my usual 44.1 all on its own after a reboot. lol Just one of the quirks I have to deal with with this set up for the time being I guess...

Thanks for your input though. Perhaps all the things mentioned in this thread could be helpful to someone else who is battling issues.