FOCUSRITE SAFFIRE
Quick Start

Focusrite Saffire: Getting Started Guide

Recording and monitoring a source using Saffire
This guide aims to give you a few simple instructions and tips on how to get audio in and out of your computer using Saffire and the accompanying software SaffireControl. For more detailed instructions, consult the relevant sections of the Saffire User Guide and help files at www.focusrite.com. Once the drivers have been installed, the sequencer/ recording software is up and running and the Saffire has been correctly set up as the selected audio interface, audio can be recorded. 1. First, open up the SaffireControl application and then connect 1/4 " TRS jack outputs 1 and 2 on the rear of the hardware to your amp or speakers (depending on whether they are active or not). Alternatively, just plug some headphones into the Headphones 1 socket on the front panel. 2.To record a mono source like a vocalist or guitar player, simply plug a microphone into the left hand XLR socket on the front of the Saffire hardware and press the 48V (phantom power) button if required. Phantom power is only necessary if using a condenser microphone; almost all dynamic microphones will be unaffected, but ribbon microphones will be damaged.. 3. Now get the artist to play or sing and set the level of the input using the gain adjustment knob on the front panel. Rotate the dial clockwise to increase the level, making sure that the O/L LED (top red LED) never illuminates as this indicates that the level is exceeding the maximum level of the digital converter (clipping point). For an even easier indication of level, observe the level of the meter in the top left of the SaffireControl window (as shown in the diagram). 4. Switch to tracking (recording) mode by pressing the TRACK button in the bottom right of the full SaffireControl window (not shown in the diagram). SaffireControl boots up in S/CARD (soundcard) mode, which is a preset where only the (playback) tracks from the sequencer are heard (explained later). 5.You will now hear the input source routed to your monitors and/or headphones. The recorded source should be heard on both headphones and monitors as the INPUT MIX-P/BACK MIX sliders will all be in a central position (as shown in the diagram).This means that equal amounts of the (playback) tracks from the sequencer and the incoming audio will be sent to each stereo output pair. If you wish only to monitor the audio being recorded then move this slider to the extreme left position. 6. Adjust the level of the monitors, if connected, by using the Monitor dial on the front of the hardware (providing the Hardware (H) button is illuminated in the o/ps 1 and 2 section (see diagram below)).The headphones level can also be adjusted using the headphones gain dial on the front panel (above the headphones output).

Observe level of Input 1 here

With slider in central position, Inputs and Playback are heard Level of Headphones 1 and o/ps 5 and 6 (same Hardware control button is active on o/ps 1 and 2 so the level can be controlled from the Monitor dial on the hardware DIM switch is active so level of o/ps 1 and 2 will be 12dB down signal) set here

SOUNDCARD (S/CARD) MODE SaffireControl boots up in Soundcard (S/CARD) mode, which is the mode to use if wanting to send outputs 1-8 from a sequencer straight out of analogue outputs 1-8 of the Saffire for mixing/monitoring purposes. Pressing the TRACK (tracking/recording) button on the bottom right of the SaffireControl window changes the software to recording mode, where both inputs and outputs are heard.To return to S/CARD mode, simply

press the S/CARD button in the bottom right of the SaffireControl window. This bypasses the complex monitoring and foldback options of SaffireControl and simply makes Saffire behave like a 10-output (1-8 analogue, 9-10 digital) soundcard. Pressing the S/CARD and TRACK buttons within SaffireControl and seeing/listening to the results is a good way to get to grips with the software and learn how various SaffireControl settings affect the function of the hardware.