We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-07 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a recording-first USB audio interface bundle that gets a microphone, guitar or keyboard into your computer with monitoring included, choose Focusrite Scarlett 2i2; if you need a hands-on analog drum machine with its own monitoring headphones for beat-making and teaching rhythm, choose Audiosavings Arturia DRUMBRUTE IMPACT. That is the whole split in one line. One is a front end for capturing sound. The other is a box that generates sound and lets you perform it in real time.
I write this with teachers in mind, because the two bundles solve completely different classroom problems. A music teacher running a small recording club needs inputs, preamps and clean monitoring. A teacher demonstrating rhythm, sequencing or electronic music production needs pads, patterns and a headphone out that everyone can hear. Both bundles happen to include a closed-back studio headphone, which makes the comparison more interesting than it first looks.
• Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 — biggest strength: a real recording chain. Two ultra-low-noise preamps, a 69 dB gain range, 192 kHz maximum sample rate, Air mode, Auto Gain and Clip Safe, plus loopback for routing software audio into your DAW.
• Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 — biggest trade-off: it makes no sound of its own. Without a mic, instrument or a computer running software, there is nothing to record and nothing to hear.
• Audiosavings Arturia DRUMBRUTE IMPACT — biggest strength: 10 pure analog drum voices with per-instrument Color shaping, output distortion with bypass, 64 patterns up to 64 steps, Song mode, Swing, Random, Pattern Looper and Roller.
• Audiosavings Arturia DRUMBRUTE IMPACT — biggest trade-off: it is a drum machine, not an interface for your microphone. It handles USB MIDI and sync, but it will not preamplify a vocal take for you.
• Choose Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 if you are recording vocals, guitars, keys or MIDI and need dependable input gain and monitoring.
• Choose Audiosavings Arturia DRUMBRUTE IMPACT if you are programming, performing or teaching beats and want an instrument you can play with your hands.
The Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen is the classic "first serious interface" answer, and the spec sheet explains why. The 69 dB gain range is the headline number for anyone recording a dynamic microphone or a quiet source — that range is what lets a low-output mic reach a healthy recording level without a separate preamp. Air mode is the second lever: it reshapes the tone to push the character of a lead vocal or a DI'd instrument forward in the mix. Whether you like what Air does is a taste call, but having the option on a two-input interface is genuinely useful.
The bundle itself is what makes it a sensible starter purchase: the interface, a closed-back studio headphone, and two 25-foot XLR cables. That 25-foot run is a real convenience in a classroom or a rehearsal room, where the mic is nowhere near the desk. The included software leans toward actually finishing projects — Pro Tools Artist, Ableton Live Lite, Auto-Tune Access, a Softube Marshall Silver Jubilee 2555 for guitar, Addictive Keys and Addictive Drums from XLN Audio, and Native Instruments MASSIVE.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants to make electronic drums without a computer, and anyone who already owns an interface with more inputs. If your plan is "I want to play beats right now," the 2i2 will feel like a doorway to software rather than an instrument.
Audiosavings Arturia DRUMBRUTE IMPACT: Who It's For
This bundle is an instrument plus a monitoring solution, and the pairing is the point. The DrumBrute Impact is an all-analog drum machine with 10 voices — Kick, Snares, Toms, Hats, Cymbal, Cowbell and an FM Sound — and each voice except the Cowbell gets a Color shaper that changes its character. On top of that you get output distortion with a bypass switch, which is the fastest way to make a drum part sound like it means it.
The sequencing side is where this thing earns its place in a teaching room. You get 64 patterns of up to 64 steps each, Song mode for arranging them, a separate accent per drum, polyrhythm track lengths so different instruments can run at different lengths, Swing that can be global or per instrument, Random pattern variations, Pattern Looper for beat-repeat, and Roller for live rolls. There is also a smart metronome with headphone override, which is a small feature that matters a lot when you are demonstrating a pattern and need the click in your ears but not the room's.
Physically it is compact hardware: 13.5 x 9.6 x 2.2 inches and 4 lbs (1.84 kg), corded electric, black finish. It works as a USB MIDI interface and syncs via Internal, MIDI or Clock, covering 1PPS, 2PPQ, DIN24 and DIN48, so it can sit at the center of a hardware setup or slave to something else. Outputs include Master plus optional individual outs for Kick, Snares, Hats and FM Sound, and there is a 3.5 mm headphone out on the unit itself.
The included PRO-M50 headphones are closed-back and circumaural, using 40 mm neodymium drivers with a 10 Hz–25 kHz response, 32-ohm impedance, 97 dB sensitivity, 260 mW rated and 600 mW maximum power input. Net weight with cable is 290 g. The cable is a detachable 51-inch OFC coiled cable that extends to 158 inches, terminating in a gold-plated 3.5 mm plug with a 1/4-inch adapter included, and the bundle adds a hard case and extra ear pads.
Who should skip it? Anyone whose main job is capturing acoustic sources. There are no microphone preamps here, no XLR inputs, and no DAW-facing input channel to record a vocalist. It is a beat instrument first.
• Best for recording vocals, guitar or keys → Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. Two ultra-low-noise preamps, 69 dB of gain range, XLR connectivity and a 192 kHz maximum sample rate.
• Best for making beats without a computer → Audiosavings Arturia DRUMBRUTE IMPACT. 10 pure analog voices and a self-contained sequencer.
• Best for setting levels fast → Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. Auto Gain and Clip Safe do the work; Easy Start handles setup.
• Best for live performance control → Audiosavings Arturia DRUMBRUTE IMPACT. Pattern Looper, Roller, separate accents per drum and polyrhythmic track lengths give you performance tools, not just playback.
• Best for routing software audio into a session → Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. Loopback sends stereo audio from apps into your DAW.
• Best for syncing with other hardware → Audiosavings Arturia DRUMBRUTE IMPACT. Internal, MIDI and Clock sync at 1PPS, 2PPQ, DIN24 and DIN48, plus individual outs for Kick, Snares, Hats and FM Sound.
• Best for long cable runs in a room → Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. Two 25-foot XLR cables are in the box.
• Best for comfortable long sessions on the bundled headphones → Audiosavings Arturia DRUMBRUTE IMPACT. The PRO-M50 adds a hard case, extra ear pads and a detachable coiled cable that stretches from 51 to 158 inches.
If I had to pick one for a teacher, I would buy the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 bundle. In my opinion, the 69 dB gain range, Air mode and Auto Gain make it the more broadly useful tool — it turns any room into a working recording space, and the included closed-back headphone and two 25-foot XLR cables mean you can start the same day. The DRUMBRUTE IMPACT is the better choice only when the teaching goal is rhythm, sequencing or electronic performance specifically, because its 10 analog voices, 64 patterns and performance tools are not something a recording interface can imitate. Buy the 2i2 to capture sound; buy the DrumBrute to create it.
FAQ
what are closed back studio headphones
Closed-back headphones have sealed earcups that block outside sound from reaching your ears and keep your audio from leaking out. Both bundles here include one: the 2i2 bundle pairs the interface with a closed-back studio headphone, and the DRUMBRUTE bundle pairs the drum machine with the circumaural PRO-M50.
what is closed back studio headphones
what are the best closed back studio headphones
I do not rank headphones by name, because "best" depends on what you are doing. For tracking and monitoring, look for closed-back isolation and a comfortable fit — the PRO-M50 adds a detachable coiled cable, a hard case and extra ear pads, which are practical wins for long sessions. Check compatibility with your interface's headphone output before deciding.
what is open back studio headphones
Open-back headphones have vented earcups, which typically trade isolation for a more spacious feel. That is the opposite of what you want when recording a microphone in the same room, which is why both bundles here chose closed-back models instead.
If you are weighing either bundle, the price moves around, so check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
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