Focusrite Clarett 4Pre USB User manual

User Guide

FFFA001256

www.focusrite.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OVERVIEW..................................................................... 3

Introduction .................................................................3

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Box Contents ................................................................4

System Requirements.........................................................4

GETTING STARTED .............................................................5

Software Installation ..........................................................5

Hardware Features ...........................................................6

Front Panel ....................................................................6

Rear Panel ....................................................................7

Connecting your Clarett 4Pre ...................................................8

Computer audio setup ...........................................................8

Audio Setup in your DAW.........................................................8

Connecting Clarett 4Pre to loudspeakers ...........................................9

Examples of Usage ..........................................................11

1. Recording a solo artist........................................................11

2. Recording a drum kit with (and without) the optical connection ......................13

3. Providing foldback while recording..............................................15

FOCUSRITE CONTROL - OVERVIEW...............................................16

CLARETT 4PRE TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS......................................17

Performance Speciﬁcations ...................................................17

Physical and Electrical Characteristics ..........................................18

TROUBLESHOOTING ...........................................................19

OVERVIEW

WARNING: Excessive sound pressure levels from earphones and headphones can cause

hearing loss.

WARNING: This equipment must only be connected to Thunderbolt™ ports.

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing this Clarett 4Pre, one of the family of Focusrite professional Thunderbolt™ audio interfaces incorporating newly-designed, high quality Clarett analogue pre-ampliﬁers with the unique AIR function. In conjunction with the Focusrite Control application, you now have a highly versatile and professional solution for routing high quality audio to and from your computer recording system, with extremely low latency.

You can also use the Clarett 4Pre as a “stand-alone” interface on-stage, bringing the beneﬁts of Focusrite’s high-quality analogue mic pres to your live performance.

This User Guide provides a detailed explanation of the hardware to help you achieve a thorough understanding of the product’s operational features. We recommend that you take the time to read through the Guide, whether you’re new to computer-based recording or a more experienced user, so that you are fully aware of all the possibilities that the Clarett 4Pre has to offer.

IMPORTANT: As well as this User Guide, you will need the Focusrite Control

Software Guide which can be downloaded from

http://www.focusrite.com/downloads after registering your product.

This contains full details of Focusrite Control, the software application that has been

designed speciﬁcally for use with the Focusrite Clarett range of interfaces.

If either of the Guides do not provide the information you need, be sure to consult

http://www.focusrite.com/answerbase, which contains a comprehensive collection of answers to

common technical support queries.

Features

The Clarett 4Pre hardware interface provides the means for connecting microphones, musical instruments, line level audio signals and digital audio signals to a computer through the computer’s Thunderbolt™ port. The signals at the physical inputs can be routed to your audio recording software / digital audio workstation (referred to throughout this user guide as the “DAW”); similarly, the outputs from the DAW can be conﬁgured to appear at the unit’s physical outputs.

Audio sources – mics, instruments, etc., can be recorded into your DAW and then played back from there through ampliﬁers and speakers, powered monitors, headphones, a mixer or any other analogue or digital audio equipment that you wish to use. Although all inputs and outputs on the Clarett 4Pre are routed directly to and from your DAW for recording and playback, you can conﬁgure the routing within your DAW, or within the Focusrite Control application, in order to meet your precise needs.

The Clarett 4Pre also has connectors for sending and receiving MIDI data; this lets you use it as a MIDI interface between your computer and other items of MIDI equipment in your system.

An important feature of the Clarett 4Pre is the new design of analogue preampliﬁer. In addition to their class-leading dynamic range and ability to provide all the gain you’re ever likely to need, the circuitry now includes an exciting new AIR function. Individually selectable on each channel, AIR subtly modiﬁes the pre-amp’s frequency response to model the impedance and resonance characteristics of Focusrite’s classic transformer-based ISA mic preamps. When recording with good quality microphones, you will notice an enhanced clarity and deﬁnition in the important mid frequency range, just where it is most needed for vocals and many acoustic instruments.

The accompanying software application, Focusrite Control, is designed to require a minimal amount of user interaction, letting you easily conﬁgure the Clarett 4Pre with signal routings appropriate for the most common recording tasks. For more complex situations, it provides extensive routing and monitoring options, as well as the ability to control global hardware settings such as sample rate and synchronisation.

All inputs on the Clarett 4Pre are routed directly to your DAW software for recording, but Focusrite Control also allows you to route these signals internally within the device to the outputs so that you can monitor the audio signals with ultra-low latency - before they arrive at your DAW, should you need to do so.

Box Contents

Along with your Clarett 4Pre you should have:

• DC power supply (AC adaptor)

• Important Information, with codes for accessing the following on-line resources:

- Drivers as required

- 1 GB of Loopmasters sounds and samples

- Focusrite Control

- Focusrite Red 2/Red 3 Plug-in Suite

- Softube Time and Tone Bundle

System Requirements

IMPORTANT – Please visit the following link for up-to-date information on computer and

operating system compatibility for all Clarett products:

www.focusrite.com/clarett/compatibility

GETTING STARTED

IMPORTANT: Please ensure that you install the Clarett 4Pre drivers before connecting

the interface to your computer.

Software Installation

All software required by the Clarett 4Pre, including several powerful and useful extras, is available for download from the Focusrite website (www.focusrite.com/register). The Important Information provided with your Clarett 4Pre contains validation codes which you will need to enter at the above web address. This procedure ensures that you will have the most up-to-date software versions.

xxxxxx-xxxxxx-xxxxxx

xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx

1. Using your usual browser, go to www.focusrite.com/register/.

2. Follow the on-screen instructions, entering the “Bundle Code” into the form where prompted. Your Bundle Code can be found on the Important Information packed with the unit.

3. You will then be able to access the “My Products” page, where the software products to which your registration entitles you are available for download, complete with activation codes where applicable.

4. Download and install the Focusrite Control software application. Follow all on-screen instructions.

5. When the installation is complete, you will be prompted to restart your computer.

6. After restart, connect the Clarett 4Pre to your computer with a Thunderbolt cable.

7. If you are having trouble getting started please watch our video guide here -

www.focusrite.com/get-started/clarett-4pre.

Hardware Features

Front Panel

3 355 3 10 6 75 43 5

The front panel includes input gain and monitoring controls as well as four of the input connectors for Mic, Line and Instrument signals.

1. INPUTS 1 to 4 – “Combo XLR” input sockets for each channel - connect microphones, instruments (e.g., guitar), or line level signals via XLR or ¼” jacks as appropriate. Either TRS (balanced) or TS (unbalanced) jack plugs can be used for instruments or line level signals.

2. 48V – two switches enabling 48 V phantom power at the XLR contacts of the Combi connectors for mic inputs 1 & 2 and 3 & 4 respectively. The switches each have an associated red LED indicating that phantom power is selected.

3. Gain 1 to 4 – four rotary controls: adjust the input gain for the signals at Inputs 1 to 4 respectively.

4. INST – two red LEDs which illuminate when INST mode is selected for the jack contacts of Inputs 1 or 2 from Focusrite Control software. When INST is selected, the gain range and input impedance are altered (relative to LINE), and the input is made unbalanced. This optimises it for the direct connection of instruments via a 2-pole (TS) jack plug. When INST is off, the inputs are suitable for the connection of line level signals. Line level signals may be connected either in balanced form via a 3-pole (TRS) jack or unbalanced, via a 2-pole (TS) jack.

5. AIR – four yellow LEDs – one per input - which illuminate when the AIR function is selected for the input from Focusrite Control. AIR modiﬁes the frequency response of the input stage to model the classic, transformer-based Focusrite ISA mic preamps.

2 1 1 11

2 8 9 9

6. (Thunderbolt active) – a green LED which illuminates when the unit has established a connection with the computer to which it is connected.

7. (Locked) – a green LED which conﬁrms clock synchronisation, either to the Clarett 4Pre’s internal clock or to an external digital input.

8. MONITOR – main monitor output level control – this control will normally control the level at the main monitor outputs on the rear panel, but can be conﬁgured in Focusrite Control to adjust the level of any of the unit’s four analogue outputs.

9. (Headphones) 1 and 2 – connect headphones here. The stereo mixes at these outputs are set up in Focusrite Control: Headphone 1 always carries the same mix as Line Outputs 3 and 4, while Headphone 2 can provide a completely independent mix by using Outputs 5 and 6 in the software. Each headphone output has its own volume control.

10. POWER – green LED conﬁrming that DC power is connected.

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