Focusrite SAFFIRE-PRO-26 User manual

Safﬁre PRO 26

User Guide

FFFA001036-01

Important Safety Instructions

1. Read these instructions

2. Keep these instructions

3. Heed all warnings

4. Follow all instructions

5. Do not use this apparatus near water

6. Clean only with dry cloth

7. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including ampliﬁers) that produce heat

8. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not ﬁt into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet

9. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus

10. The socket-outlet shall be installed near the equipment and shall be easily accessible

11. Only use attachments/accessories speciﬁed by the manufacturer

12. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table speciﬁed by the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus When a

cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over

13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time

14. Refer all servicing to qualiﬁed service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped

15. No naked ﬂames, such as lighted candles, should be placed on the apparatus

WARNING: excessive sound pressure levels from earphones and headphones can cause hearing loss

Instructions de sécurité importantes

1. Lisez ces instructions

2. Conservez ces instructions

3. Tenez compte de tous les avertissements

4. Suivez toutes les instructions

5. N’utilisez pas cet appareil avec de l’eau à proximité

6. Nettoyez-le uniquement avec un chiffon doux

7. Ne bloquez aucune ouverture de ventilation. Installez-le conformément aux instructions du fabricant

8. Ne l’installez pas près d’une source de chaleur de type radiateur, bouche de chaleur, poêle ou autre appareil (dont des ampliﬁcateurs) qui produit de la chaleur

9. Ne supprimez pas le dispositif de sécurité que représente la ﬁche polarisée ou de terre. Une ﬁche polarisée a deux lames dont une plus large que l’autre. Une ﬁche de terre a deux bornes et une troisième pour la terre. La lame large ou la borne de terre servent à votre sécurité. Si la ﬁche fournie ne rentre pas dans votre prise, consultez un électricien pour le remplacement de la prise obsolète

10. Évitez que le cordon d’alimentation ne soit piétiné ou pincé, particulièrement au niveau des ﬁches, des multiprises et de la sortie de l’appareil

11. N’utilisez que des ﬁxations/accessoires spéciﬁés par le fabricant

12. N’utilisez qu’un chariot, stand, trépied, ﬁxation ou table spéciﬁé par le fabricant, ou vendu avec l’appareil. Si vous

utilisez un chariot, prenez garde lors du déplacement de l’ensemble chariot/appareil à ne pas être blessé par un renversement

13. Débranchez cet appareil durant les orages ou en cas de non utilisation prolongée

14. Conﬁez toute réparation à un personnel de maintenance qualiﬁé. Une réparation est nécessaire si l’appareil a été endommagé de quelque façon que ce soit, notamment si le cordon d’alimentation ou sa ﬁche sont endommagés, si du liquide a été renversé sur l’appareil ou si des objets sont tombés à l’intérieur, si l’appareil est exposé à la pluie ou à l’humidité, ne fonctionne pas normalement ou est tombé

AVERTISSEMENT: des niveaux de pression sonore excessifs au casque et dans des écouteurs peuvent entraîner une perte auditive

Important Safety Precautions

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR

BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

ATTENTION: POUR RÉDUIRE LE RISQUE DE CHOC ÉLECTRIQUE, NE RETIREZ PAS LE CAPOT (NI LE DOS). AUCUNE PIÈCE N’EST RÉPARABLE PAR L’UTILISATEUR À L’INTÉRIEUR. CONFIEZ TOUTE RÉPARATION À DU PERSONNEL DE MAINTENANCE QUALIFIÉ.

The lightning ﬂash with arrowhead symbol, within equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufﬁcient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

Le symbole d’éclair à pointe de ﬂèche dans un triangle équilatéral est destiné à alerter l’utilisateur de la présence d’une “tension dangereuse” non isolée dans l’enceinte du produit, tension d’amplitude sufﬁsante pour constituer un risque d’électrocution pour les personnes.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.

Le point d’exclamation dans un triangle équilatéral est destiné à alerter l’utilisateur de la présence d’instructions importantes de fonctionnement et de maintenance (réparation) dans la documentation accompagnant l’appareil.

WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLICANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE

AND OBJECTS FILLED WITH LIQUIDS, SUCH AS VASES, SHOULD NOT BE PLACED ON THIS APPARATUS.

AVERTISSEMENT : POUR PRÉVENIR TOUT DANGER D’INCENDIE OU DE CHOC, N’EXPOSEZ PAS CET APPAREIL À LA

PLUIE NI À L’HUMIDITÉ.

Environmental Declaration

Compliance Information Statement: Declaration of Compliance procedure

Product Identiﬁcation: Responsible party: Address:

Telephone:

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

For USA - to the User:

1. Do not modify this unit! This product, when installed as indicated in the instructions contained in this manual, meets FCC

requirements. Modiﬁcations not expressly approved by Focusrite may void your authority, granted by the FCC, to use this product.

2. Important: This product satisﬁes FCC regulations when high quality shielded cables are used to connect with other equipment.

Failure to use high quality shielded cables or to follow the installation instructions within this manual may cause magnetic interference with appliances such as radios and televisions and void your FCC authorization to use this product in the USA.

3. Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the

FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help

Focusrite Safﬁre Pro26 American Music and Sound 4325 Executive Drive Suite 300 Southaven MS 38672 800-431-2609

For Canada - to the User:

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003 Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

RoHS Notice

Focusrite Audio Engineering Limited has conformed and this product conforms, where applicable, to the European Union’s Directive 2011/65/EU on Restrictions of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) as well as the following sections of California law which refer to RoHS, namely sections 25214.10, 25214.10.2, and 58012, Health and Safety Code; Section 42475.2, Public Resources Code.

Contents

Important Safety Instructions .................................................................................. 2

Instructions de sécurité importantes ....................................................................... 2

Important Safety Precautions .................................................................................. 3

Environmental Declaration ...................................................................................... 4

Compliance Information Statement: Declaration of Compliance procedure............. 4

Introduction ............................................................................................................ 6

Basics ..................................................................................................................... 6

Box Contents ........................................................................................................... 6

System requirements .............................................................................................. 7

Mac OS ............................................................................................................. 7

Windows .......................................................................................................... 7

Getting Started ......................................................................................................... 7

Software installation........................................................................................ 8

Hardware .................................................................................................................. 9

Rear Panel ............................................................................................................... 9

Front Panel ..................................................................................................... 10

Installation ..............................................................................................................11

Audio set-up in your DAW ................................................................................11

Example of Usage ...................................................................................................13

Recording from microphones and instruments ...............................................13

Connecting Safﬁre PRO 26 to loudspeakers ................................................... 14

Using the ADAT connection ............................................................................ 15

Using the Safﬁre PRO 26 in stand-alone mode ................................................16

Safﬁre MixControl ...................................................................................................17

1. Mixer ........................................................................................................... 18

2. Mixer Tab .................................................................................................... 18

3. Mixer Input Channel ....................................................................................19

4. Mixer Output Channel ................................................................................. 21

5. Routing Section........................................................................................... 22

6. Monitor Section .......................................................................................... 25

7. Device Status Section .................................................................................. 28

Safﬁre PRO 26 Speciﬁcations ................................................................................. 32

Troubleshooting ............................................................................................. 33

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing this Safﬁre PRO 26, one of the Focusrite family of professional, multi-channel FireWire interfaces incorporating high quality Focusrite analogue pre-ampliﬁers. You now have a complete solution for routing high quality audio to and from your computer. You can also use the Safﬁre PRO 26 as a “stand-alone” interface to any other type of recording device, once you have conﬁgured it using Safﬁre MixControl software.

This Guide provides a detailed explanation of both the hardware and its accompanying Safﬁre MixControl software to help you achieve a thorough understanding of the product’s operational features. We recommend that both users who are new to computer recording, as well as more experienced users, take the time to read through the user guide so that you are fully aware of all the possibilities that the Safﬁre PRO 26 and accompanying software has to offer.

If the main User Guide sections do not provide the information you need, be sure to consult http://www.focusrite.com/answerbase, which contains a comprehensive list of common technical support queries regarding the product to date.

Basics

The Safﬁre PRO 26 hardware interface provides the means for connecting microphones, musical instruments, line level signals and digital audio signals to your computer via FireWire, which are then routed to your audio recording software/digital audio workstation (referred to throughout this user guide as the “DAW”) at up to 24-bit, 96 kHz resolution.

All audio signals connected to the inputs, plus the audio output from your DAW and other audio software applications can be routed to the Safﬁre PRO 26’s physical outputs, for you to connect to an ampliﬁer and speakers, or powered monitors, headphones, analogue or digital mixer, and any other studio equipment that you wish to use.

The Safﬁre PRO 26 is also ﬁtted with MIDI connectors; this lets you use it as a MIDI “hub” between your computer’s FireWire port and other items of MIDI equipment in your system.

The accompanying software application, Safﬁre MixControl provides an extensive set of recording, routing and monitoring options, as well as allowing global hardware setup options such as sample rate and synchronisation source. Safﬁre MixControl provides mixing and routing to and from the DAW, allowing control over how the signals from each track are routed to the physical outputs. All the inputs on the Safﬁre PRO 26 are routed directly to your DAW software for recording, but Safﬁre MixControl also allows you to route these signals to your monitors so that you can listen to the audio you’re recording with near-zero latency - before it arrives at your DAW.

Box Contents

Along with your Safﬁre PRO 26 you should have:

• 12 V AC adaptor (PSU)

• 1.6 m 6-pin to 9-pin FireWire cable (also known as a IEEE1394 cable)

• A5 Getting Started booklet

• Important Safety Information document

• Product Registration card, allowing download of the following software:

• Safﬁre MixControl

• Ableton Live Lite

• Novation Bass Station Plug-in

• Focusrite Scarlett Plug-in Suite

• 1GB of Loopmasters Sample Content

System requirements

Mac OS

Apple Macintosh with a high-speed FireWire or Thunderbolt™ port. (Macs using a Thunderbolt™ port will require a FireWire to Thunderbolt adaptor.) OS: Mac OSX 10.8 (Mountain Lion), OSX10.9 (Mavericks), or later.

Windows

Windows compatible computer with a high-speed FireWire or Thunderbolt™ port. OS: Windows 7 (all versions) or Windows 8 (excluding Windows 8 RT).

Getting Started

Before you connect the Safﬁre PRO 26 to your computer, please download the latest version of Safﬁre MixControl from our website.

The Safﬁre PRO 26 has a 6-pin FireWire port on the rear panel, and will work with any of the current FireWire speed and connectivity standards: FireWire 400 (6 pin or 4 pin connector), or FireWire 800 (9-pin connector). It is also compatible with the older 4-pin FireWire 400 standard, but see below re DC power.

Power to the Safﬁre PRO 26 will generally be supplied via the FireWire connection, but in some circumstances (see below) the supplied external AC adaptor may be required.

The Safﬁre PRO 26 is supplied with a 6-pin to 9-pin FireWire cable (FireWire 400-800). If your computer has a 6-pin FireWire 400 connector, you will need to purchase a 6-pin to 6-pin FireWire 400 cable. On some PC laptops the FireWire port may be a 4-pin connector; if this is the case, you will need to purchase a 6-pin to 4-pin cable. If your computer has a 4-pin FireWire 400 connector, note that these do not supply DC power to external devices, and the AC adaptor must be used to power the Safﬁre PRO 26.

Recent Apple® Mac computers will be ﬁtted with a Thunderbolt port. In this case, you will need to obtain an Apple FireWire-toThunderbolt adaptor. This can be used with the cable supplied.

FireWire considerations

Most computers will generally have a single internal FireWire bus. You may have multiple FireWire ports (connectors) on your computer, but these will all be connected to the same physical chip which controls the bus.

The FireWire chip has a data bandwidth limitation, so the more FireWire devices there are connected, the more data the bus needs to handle, and there is a greater chance of data overload. The Safﬁre PRO 26 should be able to work alongside other devices connected to the same FireWire bus. However, this can depend on what other FireWire devices are connected, and what they are doing. For example, a FireWire disk used for backup, or a digital camera should not cause any problems; but a FireWire hard disk continuously streaming audio may generate more data than the FireWire chip can handle. This can result in audio drop-outs, or reduced performance in either the Safﬁre PRO 26 or the other connected FireWire devices.

We therefore recommend that you use a separate FireWire bus for each FireWire device. This can be provided by a PCI/PCIe card (in a desktop computer), or a PCMCIA or Express card (in a Laptop).

Note on FireWire Connection and Disconnection

All Safﬁre units adhere to the IEEE1394 (FireWire) standard, however it may be the case that the FireWire port on your computer motherboard or FireWire card does not. Device connection and disconnection from a FireWire port that is not compliant to the IEEE1394 standard may result in permanent damage to both the Safﬁre and your computer.

To prevent permanent damage, we recommend that the sequence below is always followed:

Connecting your unit(s):

• Ensure that your computer is turned OFF

• Connect the Safﬁre to your computer

• Attach the power supply if necessary

• Turn ON your Safﬁre

• Turn ON your computer

• Turn ON your monitor speakers

Disconnecting your unit(s):

• Shut down Safﬁre MixControl

• Turn OFF your monitor speakers

• Turn OFF your computer

Software installation

All software required by the Safﬁre PRO 26 - and several powerful and useful extras - are available for download from the Focusrite website (www.focusrite.com/register). The Software Activation card provided with your Safﬁre PRO 26 contains a registration code which you will need to enter at the above web address. This procedure ensures that you will have the most up-to-date software version.

Can’t get started?

If you have any trouble with this product do not go back to the place of purchase. Contact our support team on:

US:

1-855-24-FOCUS (1-855-243-6287)

Support available Monday - Friday 8am – 6pm (PST)

UK &

+44 1494 462246

International:

Support available Monday - Friday 9:30am – 6pm (GMT/BST)

Online:

www.focusrite.com/support

www.novationmusic.com/support

PLACE SERIAL NUMBER STICKER HERE

FA0736-01

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

2. Follow the on-screen instructions, entering the “Product Bundle Code” into the form where prompted. Your “Product Bundle

Code” can be found on the Software Download Card 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 Safﬁre MixControl. Follow all on-screen instructions.

5. When the installation is complete, shut down your computer, and connect your Safﬁre PRO 26, carefully following the

instructions above - Connecting your unit(s).

Hardware

Rear Panel

The rear panel carries most of the Safﬁre PRO26’s input and output connections

12364810 95

1. MIC INPUTS 1 and 2 – two standard 3-pin XLR sockets for connecting microphones to Channels 1 and 2. These sockets will be

operational when no jack plug is inserted in the corresponding front panel Line/Inst input (see “Front Panel” on page 10).

2. MIC/LINE INPUTS 3 and 4 - two Combo input sockets for Channels 3 and 4. These connectors can accept either a male

XLR plug, ¼” TRS (balanced) jack plugs or ¼” TS (unbalanced) jack plugs. Channel sensitivity is switched automatically to microphone level when an XLR is inserted, and to line level when a jack plug is inserted.

3. LINE INPUTS 5 and 6 – two ¼” TRS (balanced) jack sockets for the connection of line level sources.

4. OPTICAL INPUT - TOSLINK connector able to carry eight channels of digital audio in ADAT format at 44.1/48 kHz sample rate or

four channels at 88.2/96 kHz. These are simply additional inputs (11 to 18) to the Safﬁre PRO 26.

5. S/PDIF OUT – this phono (RCA) socket provides a two-channel digital audio output from the interface. The signal present at this

connector is freely assignable in Safﬁre MixControl to follow any two-channel audio source within the mixer.

6. LINE OUTPUTS 1 to 6 – six ¼” TRS (balanced) jack sockets. Outputs 1 and 2 will normally be used as the primary stereo monitor

outputs, but it is possible to re-allocate all the outputs in Safﬁre MixControl in any manner to suit the method of working.

7. S/PDIF IN – this phono (RCA) socket allows a two-channel digital audio source to be connected to the Safﬁre PRO 26. These

signals appear to Safﬁre MixControl as two further inputs (7 & 8).

8. FIREWIRE – IEEE 1394-compliant FireWire 400 port. Connect this to your computer’s FireWire port (see “Getting Started”).

9. MIDI IN and MIDI OUT – standard 5-pin DIN sockets for connection of external MIDI equipment. The Safﬁre PRO 26 acts as a

“Break-out (and Break-in) Box”, allowing MIDI data to/from your computer to be distributed to additional MIDI devices.

10. Power supply input – connect the supplied AC adaptor here to power the Safﬁre PRO 26 if your computer cannot supply DC

power via FireWire for any reason, or if you using the Safﬁre PRO 26 as a “stand-alone” device.

Front Panel

1 3 5 8 1096

2 24 4 7

1. Line/Inst INPUTs 1 and 2 – two ¼” TRS (balanced) jack sockets for the connection of instruments or line level sources. The inputs can accept either balanced (TRS) or unbalanced (TS) jacks. Inserting a jack into these sockets overrides the corresponding MIC INPUT XLR on the rear panel (see [1] on page 9).

2. Inst – separate switches for Channels 1 and 2; when pressed optimise the sensitivity and impedance of the Line/Inst inputs for use with electric instruments. Use this setting when you plug a guitar into either of the front panel inputs. When not pressed, the inputs are suitable for line level signals. The switches each have associated LEDs which illuminate when Instrument mode is selected.

3. MIC 48V - two switches enabling 48 V phantom power at the rear panel XLR MIC INPUTS for Channels 1 and 2 (1-2) and the XLR contacts (mic inputs) of the Combo connectors for Channels 3 and 4 (3-4). The switches each have associated LEDs which illuminate when phantom power is selected.

4. Pad – separate pad switches for Channels 1 and 2; when pressed, the input signal is reduced by 8 dB. The pad increases the headroom of the input stage, and should be used to reduce signal levels that are ‘too hot’. The associated LEDs illuminate when Pad is selected. The pad may be used with all types of input – Mic, Line or Instrument.

5. GAIN 1 to 4 – use these controls to adjust the input signal level in Channels 1 to 4 respectively.

6. Meters – six ﬁve-segment LED bargraph meters monitoring the six analogue Line Inputs (1 -6). Levels should always be

adjusted such that the highest (0 dB) LED NEVER illuminates – if it does, digital clipping is occurring, which can sound very unpleasant.

7. FW and LKD LEDs – these two LEDs monitor the status of the FireWire connection: FW illuminates when the Safﬁre PRO 26 is correctly connected to a FireWire port on your computer, and LKD Indicates that the hardware is locked to a digital clock source. When in normal use with a computer, both LEDs should be on.

8. Volume MONITOR, Dim and Mute – the Volume control sets the level at the Line Outputs that have been assigned to the Monitoring section in Safﬁre MixControl. Default setting is for Line Outputs 1 and 2 (normal stereo monitoring). Monitor Dim and Mute buttons are also provided, which act on the assigned outputs. Dim reduces the monitor level by 18 dB. Each button has an associated LED.

9. HEADPHONES and Volume – the Safﬁre PRO 26 provides two front panel stereo headphone outputs; by default HEADPHONES 1 follows Outputs 3 & 4 and HEADPHONES 2 follows Outputs 5 & 6, but the sources are re-assignable from Safﬁre MixControl.

10. Power switch and LED – the switch turns the unit on and off. It is operational regardless of the method of powering. The LED conﬁrms power is applied to the unit, and also illuminates regardless of the source of DC power.

Installation

Once the software installation has been completed as described on page 8, your computer’s Operating System should automatically select its default audio outputs to be routed via the Safﬁre PRO 26. To conﬁrm that this is the case:

On Windows 7, go to Start > Control Panel > Sound;

set Default Playback and Recording to Safre Audio.

On Windows 8, go to Start > Control Panel > Sound;

set Default Playback and Recording to Safre Audio.

On Mac OS X, go to System Preferences > Sound ;

set the input and output to Safre.

NOTE: For more detailed setup options on a Mac, go to Applications > Utilities > Audio Midi Set-up.

Audio set-up in your DAW

The Safﬁre PRO 26 is compatible with any DAW that uses ASIO drivers on Windows PCs, and any DAW that uses Core Audio on Mac.

Your DAW software may not automatically select the Safﬁre PRO 26 as the input/output device. Check that it is selected as the ASIO driver (Windows) or Core Audio (Mac) driver on your DAW’s audio set-up page*. Please refer to your DAW’s documentation if you are unsure where to select the ASIO/Core Audio driver.

Ableton Live Lite:

To allow you to get started if you do not already have a DAW application installed on your computer, Ableton Live Lite is available to you as a free download once you’ve registered your Safﬁre PRO 26 on-line. To install Ableton Live Lite, download and save the Ableton installer ﬁle from your registered Focusrite “My Products” page as described in the section “Software Installation”, and then run it, following all on-screen instructions.

Operating instructions for Ableton Live Lite are beyond the scope of this User Guide, but the application includes a full set of Help ﬁles.

The screenshot below shows how Ableton Live Lite’s Preferences page (Mac version shown) should be conﬁgured to work correctly with the Safﬁre PRO 26.

*Typical name. Terminology may differ slightly between DAWs.

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