Installing Focusrite Control on your computer places the Focusrite Control icon on the dock or desktop. Click the icon to launch Focusrite Control. You should see a screen similar to below:
Note
If, instead of the above, you get a warning message stating No Hardware Connected, this means that the computer has been unable to establish communication with the hardware.
In this case, check:
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the USB cable is correctly plugged in at both ends, and that the cable or connectors are not damaged in any way.
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the Clarett⁺ interface is turned on.
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If you still see No Hardware Connected, go to No Hardware Connected or No Hardware Detected
The green Sync ‘LED’ at the screen top left should be illuminated; this confirms the Clarett⁺ device is locked to a valid clock source. See Clock Source for more information.
Note
To help you use the software, Focusrite Control provides a set of tool tips; when you hover the cursor over any of the controls, a description of what the control does appears in the status bar at the bottom of the window.
Focusrite Control has two pages – Input Settings and Output Routing. These are selected by the tabs at the top of the window. Most of the time, you’ll work on the Output Routing page.
The Output Routing page is divided into three areas:
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OUTPUTS arranged vertically to the left.
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HARDWARE INPUTS to the right, occupying the upper half of the page.
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SOFTWARE (DAW) PLAYBACK to the right, occupying the lower half of the page.
OUTPUTS has a vertical scroll bar; if your hardware interface has more outputs than can be fitted on the screen, scroll down to see the rest. Each output (or a pair of outputs if in stereo mode) has its own tab, each of which has the following features:
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Output identifier (e.g., Line Outputs 3-4) and icon – in addition to the name of the output, icons are used to aid identification: you’ll notice speaker and headphone symbols as well as jack plug, phono plug and TOSLINK™️ symbols.
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Editable name – you can click this field and enter a name – i.e., what the output’s connected to – of up to 11 characters.
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Current source – this field will display the name of the signal feeding the output. In many setups, particularly when using Focusrite Control’s presets, this defaults to, one input or a stereo pair of inputs. Clicking on the field opens a drop-down list letting you select:
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Playback (DAW) – lets you directly route any of the DAW tracks to the output (in pairs when the output is stereo).
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Hardware Input – lets you choose any of the hardware inputs to your Clarett⁺ to route directly to an output. Caution: Do not choose this option if monitoring open mic signals through your monitors as you will cause a feedback loop.
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Custom Mix – lets you create a fresh mix of all available inputs (both hardware and those from the DAW) to the selected output. Note that this option is not available if five custom mixes have already been assigned.
You’ll see as you change the source selection for an output, the right hand side of the window displays a graphic illustrating the routing. For simple one-to-one routings, the graphic looks like this:
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Fader – use this to adjust the signal level at the output. Note that all output levels are set to maximum as a default (unity gain). If the fader “knob” is green, it means control of the output level is assigned to the physical MONITOR control on the Clarett⁺’s front panel. This assignment is made on the Input Settings page; see Focusrite Control's Input Settings page.
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MUTE – click this button to mute/unmute the output.
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STEREO – assigns the output to be either one of a stereo pair or an individual mono output. In stereo mode, all output functions apply to both outputs forming the stereo pair
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Meters – A bargraph meter (two if configured for Stereo operation) is provided indicating the audio level at the output. A red audio overload icon appears when the output level clips. This icon can be cleared by clicking anywhere in the meter bar or selecting Clear all meters in the File menu.
As well as all the functions above, the Monitor Outputs also have one additional control, a DIM button. When active, the signal level is reduced by 18 dB.
The Input section is divided into two: HARDWARE INPUTS and SOFTWARE (DAW) PLAYBACK. The two halves of the Input area are where you control the inputs to your mix for the selected output.
It is important to remember you can create a different mix for each output, and you can have as many mixes as your interface’s internal mixer allows. This is useful when recording a group of musicians, as it means each musician can have his/her own mix, personalised to their requirements (assuming there are enough headphones and headphone amps to go round!) The mixer whose input channels will be displayed is selected by clicking anywhere in the relevant output tab.
Important
If you set an output to Custom Mix, the same channels will appear on every output with Custom Mix selected.
While the channels are the same; the fader levels, mutes and solos are independent to each output.
For some situations, the simple one-to-one default routing Focusrite Control sets up (as in the previous example) will be adequate. This is where the outputs on your DAW are directly routed to the hardware outputs on your interface (i.e., no internal mixing within the unit). But in many cases, you will want to set up the mix yourself. To create a new mix, click the current source button in the Output tab for the output you want the mix to be fed to, and select Custom Mix. This will clear the current fixed routing for the output and display the Input mix area (this area will be empty):
You can now “build” the mixer for the selected Output by clicking on the two ‘+’ tabs. This will open a selection box: the HARDWARE INPUTS half of the area lists all the Clarett⁺’s physical inputs (see Hardware inputs available on Clarett Devices for details), while in the SOFTWARE (DAW) PLAYBACK area, the selection box lists the available DAW tracks. You can repeat this process as many times as you like, adding channels up to the maximum capacity of your Clarett⁺ hardware. Note that you may need to resize the window or use the horizontal scroll bar when the number of channels starts to exceed the window size.
Note that in both boxes, each input is listed twice: individually (mono) and as half of a stereo pair. Selecting a stereo pair of inputs creates a stereo input channel.
In the example above, we might be doing an overdub: several DAW tracks have already been recorded, two additional tracks are going to be recorded, and we wish to create a stereo mix for one of the musicians.
Each input channel has the following features:
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Input identifier – this is the actual physical input to the channel.
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Editable name – you can click this field and enter a name – e.g., the instrument in question – of up to 11 characters.
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Fader – use this to adjust the level of the signal in the mix. Note that the default setting for all faders is 0 dB, while “fader max” is at +6 dB. Double-clicking in the fader will set the fader at 0 dB.
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Fader value – a numeric readout of the current fader position.
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M – click this button to mute/unmute the channel.
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S – Solo button. Silences all other channels sent to that output and only plays the channel with Solo enabled.
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Pan slider. This control is only available when the mix is being routed to a stereo output. Its default position is central, and the signal in the channel is then sent at equal levels to both outputs of the stereo pair. Moving the slider either way sends a higher signal level to one output than the other, thus making it possible to “position” individual instruments at a particular place in the stereo image. Double-clicking in the slider will return the control to central position.
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Signal level meter. This displays the signal level coming into the channel, i.e., pre-fade. It is scaled in dBFS units, with 0 dBFS at the top of the scale. 0 dBFS corresponds to digital clipping; levels should always be adjusted to avoid this situation. Stereo channels have two meters, one either side of the fader.
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Peak level display – a numerical readout of the maximum signal level reached. Stereo channels have two displays.
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Close – click on the cross to remove the signal from all custom mixes and the channel from the screen.
Your Clarett⁺+ interface provides a wide range of audio inputs, however the number available depends on what sample rate you are using (see Sample Rate for further details). Doubling the sample rate halves the number of ADAT channels available. The tables below provide details of what inputs are available to you when operating at different sample rates.
|
44.1 kHz - 48 kHz |
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|---|---|---|---|
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Input |
Clarett⁺+ 8Pre |
Clarett⁺+ 4Pre |
Clarett⁺+ 2Pre |
|
1 |
Analogue Input 1 |
Analogue Input 1 |
Analogue Input 1 |
|
2 |
Analogue Input 2 |
Analogue Input 2 |
Analogue Input 2 |
|
3 |
Analogue Input 3 |
Analogue Input 3 |
S/PDIF Input 1* |
|
4 |
Analogue Input 4 |
Analogue Input 4 |
S/PDIF Input 2* |
|
5 |
Analogue Input 5 |
Analogue Input 5 |
ADAT Input 1 |
|
6 |
Analogue Input 6 |
Analogue Input 6 |
ADAT Input 2 |
|
7 |
Analogue Input 7 |
Analogue Input 7 |
ADAT Input 3 |
|
8 |
Analogue Input 8 |
Analogue Input 8 |
ADAT Input 4 |
|
9 |
S/PDIF Input 1 |
S/PDIF Input 1 |
ADAT Input 5 |
|
10 |
S/PDIF Input 2 |
S/PDIF Input 2 |
ADAT Input 6 |
|
11 |
ADAT Input 1 |
ADAT Input 1 |
ADAT Input 7 |
|
12 |
ADAT Input 2 |
ADAT Input 2 |
ADAT Input 8 |
|
13 |
ADAT Input 3 |
ADAT Input 3 |
|
|
14 |
ADAT Input 4 |
ADAT Input 4 |
|
|
15 |
ADAT Input 5 |
ADAT Input 5 |
|
|
16 |
ADAT Input 6 |
ADAT Input 6 |
|
|
17 |
ADAT Input 7 |
ADAT Input 7 |
|
|
18 |
ADAT Input 8 |
ADAT Input 8 |
|
* Optical S/PDIF input on the Clarett⁺+ 2Pre.
|
88.2kHz - 96kHz |
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|---|---|---|---|
|
Input |
Clarett⁺+ 8Pre |
Clarett⁺+ 4Pre |
Clarett⁺+ 2Pre |
|
1 |
Analogue Input 1 |
Analogue Input 1 |
Analogue Input 1 |
|
2 |
Analogue Input 2 |
Analogue Input 2 |
Analogue Input 2 |
|
3 |
Analogue Input 3 |
Analogue Input 3 |
S/PDIF Input 1* |
|
4 |
Analogue Input 4 |
Analogue Input 4 |
S/PDIF Input 2* |
|
5 |
Analogue Input 5 |
Analogue Input 5 |
ADAT Input 1 |
|
6 |
Analogue Input 6 |
Analogue Input 6 |
ADAT Input 2 |
|
7 |
Analogue Input 7 |
Analogue Input 7 |
ADAT Input 3 |
|
8 |
Analogue Input 8 |
Analogue Input 8 |
ADAT Input 4 |
|
9 |
S/PDIF Input 1 |
S/PDIF Input 1 |
ADAT Input 5 |
|
10 |
S/PDIF Input 2 |
S/PDIF Input 2 |
ADAT Input 6 |
|
11 |
ADAT Input 1 |
ADAT Input 1 |
ADAT Input 7 |
|
12 |
ADAT Input 2 |
ADAT Input 2 |
ADAT Input 8 |
|
13 |
ADAT Input 3 |
ADAT Input 3 |
|
|
14 |
ADAT Input 4 |
ADAT Input 4 |
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* Optical S/PDIF input on the Clarett⁺+ 2Pre.
|
176.4kHz - 192kHz |
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|---|---|---|---|
|
Input |
Clarett⁺+ 8Pre |
Clarett⁺+ 4Pre |
Clarett⁺+ 2Pre |
|
1 |
Analogue Input 1 |
Analogue Input 1 |
Analogue Input 1 |
|
2 |
Analogue Input 2 |
Analogue Input 2 |
Analogue Input 2 |
|
3 |
Analogue Input 3 |
Analogue Input 3 |
|
|
4 |
Analogue Input 4 |
Analogue Input 4 |
|
|
5 |
Analogue Input 5 |
Analogue Input 5 |
|
|
6 |
Analogue Input 6 |
Analogue Input 6 |
|
|
7 |
Analogue Input 7 |
Analogue Input 7 |
|
|
8 |
Analogue Input 8 |
Analogue Input 8 |
|
|
9 |
S/PDIF Input 1 |
S/PDIF Input 1 |
|
|
10 |
S/PDIF Input 2 |
S/PDIF Input 2 |
|
Focusrite Control comes with some useful Presets, which have been designed to get you started on a recording task as quickly as possible. Selecting a Preset configures the mixer for you, setting up various useful combinations of input channels.
Presets are selected from the File menu; select Presets from the drop-down list. The Presets available with the Clarett⁺ 8Pre are shown below:
With complex mixing sessions, it is sometimes desirable to perform the final mix in a separate, physical mixing console. The Direct Routing Preset configures the Clarett⁺ for this task, as it routes DAW playback tracks in numerical order to all the available Clarett⁺ outputs.
|
44.1 kHz - 48 kHz |
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|---|---|---|---|
|
DAW Track |
Clarett⁺ 8Pre |
Clarett⁺ 4Pre |
Clarett⁺ 2Pre |
|
1 |
Analogue Output 1 |
Analogue Output 1 |
Analogue Output 1 |
|
2 |
Analogue Output 2 |
Analogue Output 2 |
Analogue Output 2 |
|
3 |
Analogue Output 3 |
Analogue Output 3 |
Analogue Output 3 |
|
4 |
Analogue Output 4 |
Analogue Output 4 |
Analogue Output 4 |
|
5 |
Analogue Output 5 |
Analogue Output 5 |
|
|
6 |
Analogue Output 6 |
Analogue Output 6 |
|
|
7 |
Analogue Output 7 |
S/PDIF Out 1 |
|
|
8 |
Analogue Output 8 |
S/PDIF Out 2 |
|
|
9 |
Analogue Output 9 |
||
|
10 |
Analogue Output 10 |
||
|
11 |
S/PDIF Out 1 |
||
|
12 |
S/PDIF Out 2 |
||
|
13 |
ADAT output 1 |
||
|
14 |
ADAT output 2 |
||
|
15 |
ADAT output 3 |
||
|
16 |
ADAT output 4 |
||
|
17 |
ADAT output 5 |
||
|
18 |
ADAT output 6 |
||
|
19 |
ADAT output 7 |
||
|
20 |
ADAT output 8 |
||
|
88.2kHz - 96kHz |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
DAW Track |
Clarett⁺ 8Pre |
Clarett⁺ 4Pre |
Clarett⁺ 2Pre |
|
1 |
Analogue Output 1 |
Analogue Output 1 |
Analogue Output 1 |
|
2 |
Analogue Output 2 |
Analogue Output 2 |
Analogue Output 2 |
|
3 |
Analogue Output 3 |
Analogue Output 3 |
Analogue Output 3 |
|
4 |
Analogue Output 4 |
Analogue Output 4 |
Analogue Output 4 |
|
5 |
Analogue Output 5 |
Analogue Output 5 |
|
|
6 |
Analogue Output 6 |
Analogue Output 6 |
|
|
7 |
Analogue Output 7 |
S/PDIF Out 1 |
|
|
8 |
Analogue Output 8 |
S/PDIF Out 2 |
|
|
9 |
Analogue Output 9 |
||
|
10 |
Analogue Output 10 |
||
|
11 |
S/PDIF Out 1 |
||
|
12 |
S/PDIF Out 2 |
||
|
13 |
ADAT output 1 |
||
|
14 |
ADAT output 2 |
||
|
15 |
ADAT output 3 |
||
|
16 |
ADAT output 4 |
||
|
176.4 kHz - 192 kHz |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
DAW Track |
Clarett⁺ 8Pre |
Clarett⁺ 4Pre |
Clarett⁺ 2Pre |
|
1 |
Analogue Output 1 |
Analogue Output 1 |
Analogue Output 1 |
|
2 |
Analogue Output 2 |
Analogue Output 2 |
Analogue Output 2 |
|
3 |
Analogue Output 3 |
Analogue Output 3 |
Analogue Output 3 |
|
4 |
Analogue Output 4 |
Analogue Output 4 |
Analogue Output 4 |
|
5 |
Analogue Output 5 |
Analogue Output 5 |
|
|
6 |
Analogue Output 6 |
Analogue Output 6 |
|
|
7 |
Analogue Output 7 |
S/PDIF Out 1 |
|
|
8 |
Analogue Output 8 |
S/PDIF Out 2 |
|
|
9 |
Analogue Output 9 |
||
|
10 |
Analogue Output 10 |
||
To use the Preset to its full extent with a traditional analogue console, a suitable ADAT-equipped D-to-A converter and a two-channel D-to-A converter with an S/PDIF input would be required. However, many modern digital mixers are able to accept ADAT and S/PDIF signals directly as well as analogue sources.
This is the Preset to use when using the Clarett⁺ as your analogue recording “front end”. The Preset configures the Clarett⁺’s routing with Analogue Inputs 1 and 2 available as HARDWARE INPUTS and DAW tracks 1 and 2 available as a stereo channel in the SOFTWARE (DAW) PLAYBACK section.
For example, on the Clarett⁺ 8Pre, the summed output of these input channels is routed to the Monitor Outputs 1 and 2, and also to Line Outputs 7 and 8, and 9 and 10, as a stereo pair in all cases. On this model, Headphone Outputs 1 and 2 follow Line Outputs 7/8 and 9/10 respectively, with their own front panel headphone levels controls. This setup is ideal for recording a guitarist and a vocalist to a drum track already recorded on the DAW, as it enables each to have an individual mix of the drums and each other.
All other Clarett⁺ outputs are sourced directly from the corresponding DAW playback tracks, as per the Direct Routing table.
Use this Preset as a starting point when recording a band. On the Clarett⁺ 8Pre, this Preset enables eight mixer channels, one for each of the hardware analogue inputs. DAW tracks 1 & 2 are also enabled as a stereo channel.
As with the 2 Channel Analogue Preset, the summed output of the mixer is routed to Monitor Out 1 and 2, and Line Outs 7 to 10 as a stereo pair.
All other Clarett⁺ outputs are sourced directly from the corresponding DAW playback tracks, as per the Direct Routing table.
This Preset is a useful starting point when using a separate ADAT-equipped microphone pre-amplifier such as theFocusrite Clarett⁺ OctoPre. When used with the Clarett⁺ 8Pre it enables ten digital input channels, eight sourced from the ADAT input port and two from the S/PDIF input. DAW tracks 1 and 2 are also enabled as a stereo channel. The sum of the inputs is routed to the same pairs of outputs as with the analogue presets described previously.
All other Clarett⁺ outputs are sourced directly from the corresponding DAW playback tracks, as per the Direct Routing table.
This may often be the most convenient Preset to use, as it clears the existing mixer to allow you to start building your own configuration as required.
On the Clarett⁺ 8Pre, Monitor Out 1 and 2 and Line Outs 7 to 10 (paralleled as the headphone outputs) are set to receive a custom mix; all other outputs are sourced from individual DAW tracks, as with the other Presets.
Recording a band or recording yourself is the same process as far as Focusrite Control is concerned – the only difference is the number of mixer channels you’ll have on screen.
Connect the instruments to be recorded to the Clarett⁺ interface. Each instrument or microphone will be routed to your DAW via the USB cable, and will be recorded - by default - on the track with the same number as its hardware input. Set the recording levels by adjusting the gain controls on the Clarett⁺ front panel. Your DAW allows you to alter the track assignment if you wish.
Focusrite Control lets you create a monitor mix of everything being recorded. The mix you hear in your monitors or headphones can be anything you want, and is completely independent of the signal levels being recorded.
All Focusrite Control channels start out with the fader position at zero, so you will hear a rough mix as soon as you have everything connected up. You can then tweak the mix to suit your requirements.
|
Monitor Output Mix |
Headphone Mix |
When you load any preset, the mix available at your headphone outputs will be identical to your main monitor mix. However, they are independent and are controlled separately. For example, if you want to use the headphones for a musician’s mix, you can set up a different mix.
Select the output tab for the headphones (Line Out 7-8 in the Clarett⁺ 8Pre example shown) and you can change the mix. You can create further mixes for other musicians by using additional Line Out tabs and selecting Custom Mix.
Overdubbing is the process of adding additional instruments to a multitrack recording, listening to the tracks you’ve already recorded as you do so.
As with the Tracking example, the initial mix you hear from both the Monitor Outputs and Headphone Outputs will be a “rough” mix (faders all at zero) of all the tracks you’ve already recorded. You can tweak the mix you hear in your headphones to hear more or less of the instrument you’re overdubbing, or any other pre-recorded track(s), as you wish.
Tip
Any pre-recorded tracks are likely to be sourced from the DAW main output (1-2) which on Focusrite Control is Software Playback 1-2. You can adjust the levels of pre-recorded signals for the musician either in the DAW, or - in the scenario you do not want to change the mix in the DAW - you can send channels out of separate outputs, and adjust the level in Focusrite Control.
Once the interface’s internal mixer has been configured by Focusrite Control, that configuration is retained by the hardware even after you remove the USB cable and switch the unit off. This means you can make use of the + in a live situation, without needing to connect a computer.
An example of this application would be as an on-stage keyboard mixer. Multiple keyboards can be connected to the Clarett⁺'s inputs, and mixed together to the Monitor Outputs. The relative levels of each keyboard can be adjusted from the front panel. You can then send a stereo signal to the sound engineer, rather than separate signals from multiple keyboards.
The setup shown above would configure the mixer as described above; because the Clarett⁺ retains its last configuration, the unit can then be switched off, and used at the venue as a stand-alone unit.
The mixer in your interface retains the last Focusrite Control settings at all times. However, you may wish to save your session settings – mixer layouts, fader, mute and pan settings, etc. – so you can get back to them at a later time, perhaps when working on a similar project or with a different compatible hardware device.
Focusrite Control includes a Snapshot facility for this purpose, which does just that – it takes a “snapshot” of the entire mixer and lets you save it on your computer for later recall.
To save the current mixer settings, click File > Save Snapshot.
The snapshot session file is saved with a *.ff file extension. To recall the session, click File > Load Snapshot, which opens a File Open box; go to the where you saved the file and click Open.
Your last used configuration is automatically retained in Focusrite Control and is stored on your for standalone use, or if you connect it to a different computer.