Why You Can Trust CNET The Focusrite Scarlett Solo Is a Cool Gift for the Musician in Your Life
Connect a guitar and microphone to a computer with this handy gift for aspiring musicians.
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If you're looking for the perfect gift for the musician or music lover in your life, you'll want to consider the Focusrite Scarlett Solo. Whether they're an aspiring singer, journeyman guitarist or gifted professional, the Scarlett Solo makes getting your music into your computer a breeze.
Why it's a great gift: The Scarlett Solo is a stylish USB interface for connecting audio sources to your computer for recording or just goofing around. Use the XLR jack on the front to connect a pro-level microphone (with a phantom power control) to record your vocals or sing along with karaoke videos.
The second input is a 0.25-inch jack for connecting an instrument like a guitar or bass. There's also a headphone jack with a Direct Monitor feature so you can hear the clean signal coming into the computer or the output from the computer itself. Or use the line outputs on the back to hook up your favorite speakers.
The Scarlett Solo couldn't be more simple to set up, especially if you use Focusrite's Scarlett Solo user guide, available on the company's website. Once you're hooked up, it's easy to connect it to programs like Pro Tools, GarageBand and Ableton.
I'm only still learning to play guitar, so I haven't made a ton of recordings yet, but I do get a kick out of plugging it in, firing up GarageBand and messing around with all the different guitar sounds. A bonus is that it's small so it doesn't take up a bunch of space on my desk.
What you'll pay: The Scarlett Solo is currently available for around $120 at Amazon and Focusrite, or you can pick up a refurbished model for $96.
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