My laptop battery is dead. Can I record using Focusrite Scarlett without it?

The battery from my laptop is dead.
I have the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen and my question is if there is a different way to record a song with the Focusrite besides a computer?

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If you take the battery out of your laptop it can be used the same way as a PC, so the only thing that you would need to do is make sure that you do all of your backups before turning it off and unplugging it.

That is true. But there is nothing else to record something without a computer with the Focusrite?

Looks like you could use USB C to C and connect to an Android device.
This may help but not sure what apps you would need on the device.

I’ve done recordings with a Focusrite iSolo using my iPhone and my iPad.

You would probably need to get a USB to Lightening adapter or cable for the 212.

GarageBand or most other recording apps for IOS should work with this setup.

I have an android tablet. This would be great. My laptop is slow anyway for recording.

you need to make sure the lightning adapter has usb and power. there is a specific order to connecting and powering up, see videos on youtube. Only the official Apple adapter worked for me despite other posts I read.

Third party adapter worked for me, but maybe I got lucky. Probably worth spending a little more to get the Apple adapter (though some of their prices for cables seem absurd…like charging cables that wear out in a year!).

Agree that it can be quirky to get things working initially. I find I get reasonable results with just the iPhone’s built in mic…and it’s much less hassle!

But as Roland has an Android tablet Apple products won’t be of any use. Or am I missing something ?
:confused:

The scarlett is an interface between a computer (pc mac or phone etc) and a guitar.

It wont record on its own.

If you review the message order , you’ll see that Roland only revealed this important info after my post.

In future, I’m not sure I will bother responding to posts that don’t state up front what kind of equipment the poster already owns…I see a fair number like this.

Oh well…others will probably have the same question, and some of them will be Apple owners…maybe this will help them.

This is a simple cable connection issue and nothing more. The 2i2 doesn’t differentiate between PC, Android, or Apple devices. It’s a distinction without a difference.

I’ve played around a little with n-Track Studio for Android and found it worked well with my Motu M2 but I was just browsing so to speak and this was some time ago too. The point being, it should be even better now but I can’t say one way or the other. . .

EDIT: Keep in mind that your tablet is going to be supplying power to the 2i2 so you need to make sure that your tablet is fully charged and you’ll probably want to keep an eye on it until you know how much power it will use.
The specs are quoting about 2.5 watts or 500mA maximum power usage. I’m assuming that this spec is with both channels delivering 48v phantom power. Recording a guitar signal should use much less power.

I hope this helps, and good luck!

Cheers! :beers:
Richard

One thing you may want to consider: install Linux on the laptop. It can breath new life into old computers. A good option might be something like Ubuntu Studio.

Bear in mind that installing Linux will normally wipe your existing Windows OS and all data, so take a backup of anything you want to keep.

Cheers,

Keith

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:point_up_2: This is a really good idea and I’d like to add to it if I may.

You can also give Linux a try by downloading a Live Distro. This is a sort of “demo” version of Linux that you can burn to a CD or copy to a USB drive and then use with your laptop. The nice part is that it doesn’t make any changes to your laptop whatsoever, so you can take it for a test drive without committing to it.

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Yes I had linux on the laptop but I can’t record voice and guitar separate. I only use the laptop for recording. Windows 10 is on it. Needs 4gb ram and the laptop has 4.

Why not? That’s not a Linux limitation. If you can do it in Windows you should be able to do it on Linux.

Cheers,

Keith

I don’t know. I had Linux mint on it. It works on windows but not on Linux.
I record it both at once but I can only make the voice louder on windows.

This can definitely, positively, 100% be done on Linux.

Here’s two video reviews of Focusrite Scarlett devices on Linux, one being precisely the device you have, so there’s no issue with compatibility:

What application were you using to record and edit?

With something like Ardour, you can attach each channel to a separate track in the DAW and record vocals and guitar separately from each other, either at the same time or one at a time. Either will work.

Then you can use the mixer to adjust the relative levels. Here’s a tutorial on the older version of Ardour, but still relevant:

Or you can use the Linux version of Reaper, etc.

Cheers,

Keith

ardour and audacity. I have to give it a try then.
Thank you

I would give Audacity a miss. It’s pretty basic and not ideal for multi-track recording.

My suggestion would be Ardour.

And if you have problems, ask for help here or on the Ardour forums.

Just for reference, I have used Ardour to record and mix a 16 channel/track live performance over 2 hours. 2 channels should be relatively easy.

Cheers,

Keith

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