Los Angeles, CA (April 3, 2026)—Film and TV composer Andrew Scott Bell has integrated a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 interface into his Los Angeles studio’s scoring workflow.
The composer keeps his production environment intentionally simple yet flexible, with the focus on creativity. Bell’s setup centers around a Mac Studio computer, professional studio monitors, a Blackmagic hard drive bay used to run session files and several additional drives dedicated to large sound libraries and virtual instruments. For I/O, Bell has been using Focusrite interfaces since moving to Los Angeles in 2015.
“Focusrite has been wonderful; it has a great sound to it,” he proclaims, noting his first interface was a Scarlett 2i4. “I kept that interface as my travel rig for years. Early on, I was mostly recording stereo violin parts or acoustic instruments for indie film projects, so two inputs were all I needed.”
As Bell’s career expanded into larger projects, including network television, his recording needs grew as well. His need to capture his own performances of violin, cello, trumpet, clarinet and several unconventional instruments he has developed or commissioned led to the adoption of the fourth-generation Scarlett 18i20 as an integral part of capturing his parts efficiently.
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“I’m really loving it,” he shares. “Some of these new features are things I’ve been wanting from the Scarlett series for years.” The move to the Scarlett 18i20 allows Bell to keep multiple microphone setups permanently connected around the studio. “I like having different mic setups ready to go,” he explains. “For example, I always keep a pair set up for a deconstructed upright piano and another pair positioned for instruments like marimba or wood percussion so I can just arm the track and hit record.”
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A favored Scarlett 18i20 feature Bell highlights is the ability to link stereo microphone pairs directly on the interface, an especially valuable tool when capturing stereo recordings of layered instrumental performances. “When I’m scoring a film, I record a lot of the instruments myself and layer them sometimes over a dozen times,” Bell explains. “Being able to link stereo inputs and control the gain together makes it easy to maintain a balanced stereo image.”