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Input 1 Gain Control and Gain Halo - The Gain control sets the input level and the Gain Halo shows you the input and preamp gain levels for either the jack or XLR Mic input 1.
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Input 1 Neutrik® Combo XLR and 6.35mm (1/4") jack connector. Accepts XLR mic-level inputs, or unbalanced mono (TS) and balanced Mono (TRS) 1/4" jack cables at line or instrument-level.
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Input 2 Gain Control and Gain Halo - The Gain control sets the input level and the Gain Halo shows you the input and preamp gain levels for either the jack or XLR Mic input 2.
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Input 2 Neutrik® Combo XLR and 6.35mm (1/4") jack connector. Accepts XLR mic-level inputs, or unbalanced mono (TS) and balanced Mono (TRS) 1/4" jack cables at line or instrument-level.
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Select button - Press to move the selection to the next preamp. The other buttons change to control the input you select. The currently selected channel's number lights green.
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48V button - Press to turn on 48V phantom power at the XLR mic input to power condenser microphones.
You can set 48V independently per preamp channel.
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Air button - Press to turn on AIR mode (see AIR).
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Inst button - Press to toggle the selected 6.35mm (1/4") input between Line or Instrument level.
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Auto button - Press to start the Auto Gain feature (see Auto Gain).
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Safe button - Press to turn on the Clip Safe feature for your input (see Safe).
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Main Speaker Output Control and Output Level meter - Controls the level going to Outputs 1 and 2. The meter shows you the level being sent out.
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USB LED - Lights green when your computer recognises your Scarlett, and white if it is disconnected from your computer (in standalone mode).
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Headphone Level Control - Control the level sent to your headphones.
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- Kensington Lock, use a lock to secure your Scarlett and deter theft.
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5V DC - an optional USB-C connector to supply power to your Scarlett 4i4 if your computer can't supply 1.5A USB-C power to your Scarlett 4i4
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USB - USB-C connector to connect your Scarlett to your computer.
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MIDI Out and In - standard 5-pin DIN sockets for external MIDI equipment. The Scarlett 4i4 acts as a MIDI interface, allowing MIDI data to/from your computer.
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Line Outputs 1, 2, 3 & 4 - 1/4" jack (TS or TRS) sockets to connect your Scarlett to line-level inputs on devices such as monitor speakers, amplifiers, mixers or external processors. Use 1/4" TRS jack cables for balanced connections where possible.
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Inputs 3 and 4 - Neutrik® 6.35mm (1/4”) jack sockets. Accepts both unbalanced mono (TS) and balanced Mono (TRS) 1/4" jack cables at line-level.
This section covers all the features on your Scarlett 4i4's front panel, what they do, how you might use them, and how they work in Focusrite Control 2.
The preamp input gain controls how much signal you are sending into your computer and recording software.
It's essential to set a good level for the preamp input gain so you get the best quality recording. If the preamp input gain is too low, your signal will be too quiet and when you try to boost its level later you may hear noise in the recording; if the preamp input gain is too high you might 'clip' the input and hear harsh distortion in your recording.
To increase the input gain, turn the gain control clockwise. As you move the gain control, the Gain Halo gradually lights clockwise to show you the gain level. This diagram shows the gain at various levels:
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No input gain
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25% input gain
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50% input gain
-
75% input gain
-
100% input gain
When you adjust your input gain while you send a signal into your preamp, the ring lights the same way as above but a colour, green, amber or red, shows how much level is going into your computer. Shortly after you stop adjusting the gain the meters revert to input meters (see Input Metering).
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Gain at 40%, signal good.
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Gain at 40%, signal pre-clip.
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Gain at 40%, signal clipping.
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Green shows your signal level is good.
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Amber shows your signal is pre-clip, any higher and you are likely to clip the input
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Red shows your signal has clipped, you should reduce the gain.
You can also control the preamp gain remotely using Focusrite Control 2.
To adjust the preamp gain in Focusrite Control 2:
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Click the virtual knob for the channel you'd like to adjust or use the tab key to select the preamp gain control.
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Move your mouse up and down or use the arrow keys to increase or decrease the gain (in ±1dB increments).
The following images show the preamp gain at minimum, medium and maximum gain.
|
No input gain |
50% Gain |
100% Gain |
When you're not moving the input gain control the input metering uses the entire Gain Halo. As the incoming signal gets louder (for example with a higher input gain setting) the Gain Halo lights from green through to amber before the entire Gain Halo flashes red to show you the input has clipped.
This diagram shows the meters at different levels to show the input signal level:
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No input signal
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-42 dBFS
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-36 dBFS
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-24 dBFS
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-18 dBFS
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-12 dBFS
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-6 dBFS
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0 dBFS, clipping - turn down the input gain to avoid distortion and clipping.
Tip
If your signal clips the clip indicator at the top of the meter lights red. If this happens, select that channel and reduce the gain.
In the same way as the input meters on your Scarlett 4i4's front panel, you can see the incoming signal on the meters in Focusrite Control 2 to set the correct preamp gain.
As the signal gets louder, the meter in Focusrite Control 2 lights from green to amber (pre-clip).
The indicator above the meter shows you the peak level (in -dBFS), the highest level on this track since you started monitoring the input. When you hover over the Peak level meter, you can click to the value.
Tip
When you're recording, it's a good idea to aim for a -12dBFS peak level. This ensures you have enough headroom when you've recorded all your tracks.
|
Waiting for an input signal. |
The input signal has reached -18dB. |
Click to the Peak Level meter. |
When you overload the preamp, with too much input signal, or by adding too much gain, the Peak Level Meter lights red. Hover over the Peak Level Meter and click to the value.
|
The Input has clipped. |
Click to the Peak Level Meter after clipping. |
The 3-pin XLR Input connectors are designed to accept at microphone level signals.
You can control your microphone level using the corresponding input gain control on the front panel. 48V phantom power is also available if you are using a condenser mic, you can enable phantom power using the front panel 48V button.
You can enable 48V phantom power on a per-channel basis.
Many front panel controls on your Scarlett 4i4 are shared across the preamp inputs. The Select button moves the preamp controls to different inputs.
At least one preamp is always selected, to change which preamp(s) the controls are affecting, press the Select button. When you do this, the newly selected preamp's number lights green and the preamp setting lights change to match the new preamp.
When you turn on your Scarlett 4i4 the last selected preamp before you turned it off remains the selected preamp.
Linking preamps allows you to control two preamps simultaneously using one set of preamp controls. You can match gain controls for two preamps and enable other preamp controls. This is useful for stereo recording, for example, a microphone pair, stereo synthesiser, or keyboard.
To link preamps:
When you've made the Preamp Link :
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Both preamp numbers light green and the Gain Halos light temporarily to their preamp level.
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The preamp gain level is set to the lowest value of the newly linked pair.
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The preamp settings are inherited from the currently selected preamp, e.g. preamp 1 is selected, therefore Preamp 2 inherits, Air, Safe and Inst settings from Preamp 1.
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Changing any preamp setting changes the state for both preamps.
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Adjusting either gain control changes the gain level for both preamps and is shown on both Gain Halos.
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48V disables for both preamps.
Note
You can only link adjacent preamps with the left channel set as odd-numbered input channels, e.g. you can link input channels 1 and 2, or 3 and 4, but not 2 and 3.
You can also only link mic preamps, the fixed level line inputs on the back of your Scarlett 4i4 don't have any preamp controls.
To unlink preamps, hold the Select button for one second. When you unlink a pair:
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The first preamp of the previously linked pair becomes selected and lights green.
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Gain levels and preamp settings stay the same, but you can now change them independently.
To link preamps from Focusrite Control 2, click the link icon at the top of the channel strip .
When you link two preamps, the link icon turns green , one set of preamp controls disappears, and the meters for each channel merge to form a stereo meter.
|
Two unlinked channels. |
Linked channels with merged preamp controls. |
To unlink preamps from Focusrite Control 2 and control them independently again, click the green link icon at the top of the channel strip.
When you unlink two preamps, the link icon returns to black/white , two sets of preamp controls appear, and the meters split again for each separate channel.
When you unlink preamps:
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The first preamp of the previously linked pair becomes selected and lights green.
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Gain levels and preamp settings stay the same, but you can now change them independently.
48V, also commonly referred to as 'Phantom Power', sends 48 Volts from your interface's XLR connector to devices needing power to work. The most common use is sending power to condenser microphones, but you may also need 48V for inline mic preamps, active dynamic microphones and active DI boxes.
To turn on 48V:
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Connect your microphone, or another powered device, to an XLR input on your interface using an XLR cable. 48V is not sent to the 6.35mm (1/4") jack inputs.
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Select the correct input channel.
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Press the 48V button (or the corresponding software button)
The 48V icon lights green to show it is enabled.
48V phantom power is now being sent to the selected XLR input and to any devices connected to the XLR input.
To enable 48V (Phantom Power) from Focusrite Control 2 click the button for the input you want to enable it on. This is the same as pressing the 48V button on the Scarlett 4i4 hardware.
|
Phantom Power off |
Phantom Power on |
Important
If you accidentally send 48V phantom power to the wrong input, most modern microphones of other types, e.g., dynamic or ribbon, will not be damaged, but some older microphones may be. If you're unsure, please check your microphone's user guide to ensure it is safe to use with 48V phantom power.
Inst, or instrument, changes the impedance and input level of the 6.35mm (1/4") jack inputs on your Scarlett so the inputs sound their best for either an instrument or line-level source. We list the input impedance values in the Specifications section. If you don't turn on Inst and connect an electric guitar, the resulting sound can be muddy and quiet compared to with Inst on.
The Inst (Instrument) button only affects the 6.35mm (1/4") line input for the selected channel, either input 1 or input 2. It changes it from an input suitable for line-level devices to an input better suited for instrument-level devices.
To enable, or disable, instrument mode for the 6.35mm (1/4") jack input, select the channel and press the Inst button once. Green shows Inst is enabled, and white shows Inst is disabled. When you enable Inst and connect a jack to your Scarlett, the minimum gain for the input is changed to +7dB.
Note
When the Inst light is white, the 6.35mm jack input is at line level.
When Inst is enabled (green) you can connect instrument-level devices to the 1/4" inputs such as, but not limited to:
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Electric or electro-acoustic guitars directly and via effects pedals.
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Electric basses
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Acoustic instruments with pick-ups such as violins, double basses etc.
When Inst is disabled (white) you can connect line-level devices to the 6.35mm (1/4") inputs such as, but not limited to:
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Synthesisers
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Keyboards
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Drum Machines
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External Microphone Preamps
Note
The XLR and 6.35mm (1/4") jack inputs 1 and 2 on the front panel of your Scarlett 4i4 take priority over the corresponding mic/line inputs on the back panel.
If you have no signal from something connected to rear inputs 1 and 2, check if you have something connected to front inputs 1 and 2.
If you activate 48V for inputs 1 or 2 then plug a 6.35mm (1/4”) jack into the line-level or instrument input on the front panel, your Scarlett 4i4 automatically disables 48V for the corresponding rear microphone input.
To change inputs 1 or 2 between instrument and line from Focusrite Control 2 click the Inst button once.
|
Line |
Instrument |
Note
When you switch between Inst and Line, the gain stays at the last level you set.
Auto Gain allows you to send a signal into your Scarlett 4i4 (for example singing or playing your instrument) for 10 seconds and let the Scarlett set a good level for your preamps. If you find the levels aren't right, you can adjust the gain controls manually to fine-tune the levels before recording.
To use Auto Gain:
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Press the Select button to move your preamp controls to the correct preamp.
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Press the white Auto button on your Scarlett, or the corresponding software button.
The Auto icon lights green for ten seconds. The corresponding Gain Halo turns into a ten-second countdown timer.
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Speak or sing into the microphone, or play your instrument during the Auto Gain countdown. Perform as you would while you're recording to make sure Auto Gain sets a good level.
If the Auto Gain was successful, the Gain Halo lights green before the gain value is shown on the Gain Halo for a second. The gain is now set at a good level for your recording.
If Auto Gain fails, the Gain Halo lights red. Please see the section, The Gain Halo turned Red, for more information.
Note
Scarlett's Auto Gain makes sure your levels are set right not only using the input signal but also factors in:
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The preamp's noise floor.
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Digital silence.
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Inter-channel crosstalk.
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Unwanted knocks or bumps on your microphones.
To use Auto Gain in Focusrite Control 2:
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Click the Auto Gain button in Focusrite Control 2.
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Speak or sing into the microphone, or play your instrument during the Auto Gain countdown. Perform as you would while you're recording to make sure Auto Gain sets a good level.
The Auto Gain process starts and the software Gain halo turns into a countdown timer.
If the Auto Gain was successful, the Gain Halo lights green before the gain value is shown on the Gain Halo for a second. The gain is now set at a good level for your recording.
If the input signal is unsuitable for Auto Gain (for example there's no signal detected), after ten seconds, Auto Gain stops and the Gain Halo lights red for a second. The gain returns to the value you set before starting Auto Gain.
|
Hardware Gain Halo |
Focusrite Control 2 Auto Gain unsuccessful |
Before running Auto Gain again, make sure your input has something connected to it correctly, if you're using a condenser microphone, 48V is on, and you are making sound while Auto Gain runs.
Auto Gain allows you to send a signal into your Scarlett 4i4 (for example singing or playing your instrument) for 10 seconds and let the Scarlett set a good level for your preamps. If you find the levels aren't right, you can adjust the gain controls manually to fine-tune the levels before recording.
Multichannel Auto Gain starts the Auto Gain process for all the preamp channels on your interface. This is particularly useful for quickly setting levels for situations where you are using multiple channels simultaneously, for example:
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Setting levels for yourself if you're playing guitar and singing simultaneously.
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Setting levels for a drummer when you have multiple microphones on the drum kit.
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Setting levels for a band recording 'live' together.
To start the multichannel Auto Gain process:
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Hold the Auto button for two seconds.
The Auto icon fades between off and Green for ten seconds, and the Gain Halos for all channels turn into ten-second countdown timers.
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Speak or sing into the microphone, or play your instrument during the Auto Gain countdown. Perform as you would while you're recording to make sure Auto Gain sets a good level.
If the Auto Gain was successful, the Gain Halos light green before the gain value is shown on the Gain Halos for a second. The gain is now set at a good level for your recording.
Note
To cancel Auto Gain, press the Auto Gain button again at any time during the process. The gain returns to the value you set before starting Auto Gain.
You can also run multichannel Auto Gain from within Focusrite Control 2. To do this:
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Open Focusrite Control 2 and go to the Inputs tab.
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Click the dropdown arrow to the right of the usual Auto Gain button.
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Choose .
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Auto Gain both starts running Auto Gain for all the channels on your Scarlett 4i4.
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Once Auto Gain has finished, Focusrite Control 2 shows the channels that have been set and their new gain levels:
Multichannel Auto Gain might fail during the process for one, multiple, or all channels.
You can either:
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Click and all Auto Gain runs again for all the channels you ran Auto Gain for, even the successful channels.
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Click close and run Auto Gain for any failed channels.
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Click close and manually adjust the gain for any failed channels.
The Safe button applies Clip Safe, which automatically adjusts your preamp gain if you're at risk of clipping.
Clipping happens when your gain is set too high for the sound being recorded and your input overloads the preamp. A clipping symptom is preamp distortion, which is often unpleasant and can ruin a recording. Clip Safe helps you avoid this so if your input gets near to clipping, Clip Safe reduces the preamp gain, so you won't have to re-record your take.
Note
Clip Safe is only available at up to 96kHz, you cannot use it at quad-band (176.4kHz and 192 kHz) sample rates. The Safe LED lights red to show when it's unavailable.
To enable Clip Safe:
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Press the Select button to move your preamp controls to the correct preamp.
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Press the Safe button on the interface or the corresponding software button.
When you enable Safe, the Safe icon lights green.
When you have two inputs selected using Preamp Link, Safe is applied to both preamps.
Tip
When you enable Clip Safe, your Scarlett continuously monitors your input signals, up to 96,000 times a second, and through a combination of analogue preamp adjustment and DSP, Clip Safe significantly reduces the risk of clipping.
Air lets you change your Scarlett's preamp sound with two different modes; Air Presence or Air Presence and Harmonic Drive.
Air affects the mic, line, and instrument inputs.
To enable Air, select your input, press the Air button once for Air Presence, again for Air Presence and Harmonic Drive and again to turn off. The Air LED changes colour to show which mode you have selected:
|
Mode |
Description |
AIR LED |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Off |
The preamp is clean |
White |
|
|
Air Presence |
An analogue circuit gives a presence boost to your sources. |
Green |
|
|
Air Presence and Harmonic Drive |
Adds harmonics, in addition to the analogue Air circuit. |
Amber |
Only available at up to 96kHz |
To enable AIR from Focusrite Control 2 click the button. This is the same as pressing the button on the Scarlett 4i4 hardware.
|
Air Off |
Air Presence selected |
Air Presence and Drive selected |
When you click Focusrite Control 2's Air button, the last selected Air mode becomes activated. To change the selected Air mode (Presence or Presence and Drive) click the arrow to show the dropdown menu.
|
Air Presence selected |
Air Presence and Drive selected |
Note
Air Presence & Drive is only available at up to 96kHz, you cannot use it at quad-band (176.4kHz and 192 kHz) sample rates.
The Output control and Output level meter are related to the signals going to Outputs 1 and 2 on the back of your Scarlett 4i4, the outputs you'd most often connect to monitor speakers.
The Output control sets the level at the outputs from nothing (fully anti-clockwise) to full-scale output (fully clockwise).
The Output Level meter around the Output level control is a pre-fade meter (it is not affected by the control's position) showing you the signal level coming from your computer.
On the right-hand side of Focusrite Control 2 the Output section is a visual representation of the Output control and level meters.
The dial in Focusrite Control 2 is a software representation of the Output control on your Scarlett 4i4's front panel. When you change the control on the hardware, the software updates, when you move the control on the front panel, the dial in Focusrite Control 2 updates.
The Output section allows you to control the Alt, or speaker switching, function. Click or to switch between your Main or Alt monitors.
For more information, see Speaker Switching (Alt).
The headphone output is a 6.35mm (¼”) TRS jack. Many headphones have a 3.5mm TRS jack, to connect them to your Scarlett 4i4 you must use a TRS 6.35mm to 3.5mm adaptor.
The control above the headphone output controls the level going to your headphones.
Some higher impedance headphones may be quiet using them with a Scarlett 4i4, we recommend using headphones with an impedance up to 300Ω.
Note
Some headphones and jack adaptors may have TS or TRRS connectors, for example, if they have a microphone or volume control built into the cable. It's unlikely these headphones will work properly. If you're having issues, use headphones and a jack adaptor with TRS jack connectors.
The headphone output can be assigned a combination of hardware inputs (direct monitoring) and software playback channels.
For more information on creating a mix for your headphone output, see Using the Focusrite Control 2 Mixer tab.
The Scarlett 4i4 headphones output is independent of the line outputs 1/2 and 3/4 giving you a completely independent headphone mix.
This section covers all the features on your Scarlett 4i4's back panel, what they do, how you might use them and how they work in Focusrite Control 2.
USB Port
The USB Type-C port labelled USB is to connect your Scarlett to your computer.
The connection to your computer provides USB power, two-way audio communication, and a connection to Focusrite Control 2.
5V DC Port
The Scarlett 4i4 consumes a large amount of power. In some high-power situations, such as playing headphones at a high volume, some computers' USB ports may not be able to provide enough power and your Scarlett 4i4 may disconnect or the USB icon flashes red.
If you experience this behaviour, we recommend you use a mains PSU to power your Scarlett via the 5V DC port.
The USB Icon Flashes Red
If the USB icon flashes red, this means your Scarlett 4i4 isn't getting enough power.
To resolve this issue:
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Disconnect both USB cables. In this order: connect the power supply to the Power USB port then connect the USB cable to the USB port on the Scarlett.
-
Make sure you are using the original USB power supply.
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Test a different USB port on your computer, make sure you're connecting directly to your computer and not via a USB hub.
The Scarlett 4i4 MIDI In and Out ports allow you to use your Scarlett as a USB MIDI interface. MIDI IN receives MIDI signals from keyboards or controllers; MIDI OUT sends MIDI information to Synths, Drum machines or MIDI-controllable equipment.
Important
When you first receive your Scarlett 4i4, MIDI is disabled because it is in Easy Start mode. To enable MIDI, install and open Focusrite Control 2.
The MIDI IO doesn't require any setup for you to use your Scarlett 4i4 as a USB MIDI interface. The Scarlett 4i4's MIDI ports appear in your MIDI-enabled software, and you can either send or receive MIDI data between your computer and MIDI hardware via the Scarlett's 5-pin DIN MIDI ports.
Note
The MIDI Out port on your Scarlett 4i4 cannot function as a MIDI Thru port.
Outputs 1 and 2 are line-level outputs to connect your Scarlett 4i4 to an amplifier or active monitors. The outputs are balanced 1/4" TRS jack outputs, you can use them with either unbalanced TS or balanced TRS jack cables and connect to speakers with 1/4" jack, RCA or XLR inputs.
Your Scarlett 4i4's front panel Output dial controls the level sent to Outputs 1 and 2.
Note
It is possible to use unbalanced connections, like TS 6.35mm jacks or jack to RCA cables– but we wouldn't recommend it. Using unbalanced connections, may mean you hear interference through your monitors.
If you hear a static, crackling or any other noise in your monitors, even when sounds not playing, make sure you're using balanced connections where you can.
Line Outputs 3-4 have identical electrical characteristics to the Monitor line Outputs 1 to 2 but aren't controlled by the Output control.
You can set the signals available at these outputs using Focusrite Control 2, and use the outputs to drive additional speakers in a multichannel monitoring system, such as a subwoofer or to send signals to outboard effects processors.