Focusrite Control 2 is the software you need to use to manage your interface. Focusrite Control 2 manages your routing, monitoring, mixer settings, and firmware updates.
macOS interface switching
If you're using your C8X on a macOS computer you can connect multiple interfaces and switch between them using the top-left tab in Focusrite Control 2.
This is useful for setting up multiple devices quickly. We don't support device aggregation.
Your C8X contains a mixer controllable from the Mixer page in Focusrite Control 2. You can use this mixer to combine and send input sources to your C8X's physical outputs using the Routing tab.
The input sources to the mixer include:
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Physical inputs
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Analogue inputs (Instrument, microphone, or line inputs)
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Digital inputs (ADAT or S/PDIF)
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Playback inputs
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Output channels from your DAW software
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Software playback from other computer software.
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Once you've created your mix, you can send this to the C8X's physical outputs to create a custom mix for your speakers, or an artist's headphone mix.
The top bar of Focusrite Control 2's Mixer shows the different Mixes you have available listed as Mix A, Mix B, etc.
Each Mix allows you to combine inputs and send the mixes to outputs for different needs. For example, you may wish to use Mix A to listen to audio through speakers and Mix B for a singer's headphone mix. The singer may want their own vocals louder in their headphones, so you can increase the volume for Mix B only.
Tip
You can have multiple Mixes active at once in Focusrite Control 2.
Each Mix works independently, so, for example, you can route Mix A to your monitors and Mix B to headphones, without affecting each other.
Click a Mix to select it. You can now route it to any Output(s). To do this:
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Click any existing Output, or the pencil icon
right of Routed to →
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Tick the destinations you want to send this Mix to.
For example, you could send Mix A to Outputs 1-2, where you may have connected your monitors, and Headphones. You could then hear the same mix in your headphones and monitors.
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Click X
to close the Mix destinations pop-up.
Above the mixer channels, you can see which Outputs your Mix is routed to. If you've not routed a Mix to an output, you'll see No outputs assigned.
Note
You can only feed each Output from one Mix. For example, you can't send Mix A and Mix B simultaneously to your headphones. When you're choosing Mix destinations, Focusrite Control 2 shows you if an output already has a feed from a different Mix. If you route the current Mix to an Output with a Mix already routed to it, it overwrites the routing to that Output.
Note
You can also change which outputs your mixes are going to in Focusrite Control 2's Routing tab, see Using the Focusrite Control 2 Routing tab for more information.
Loopback Destination
If you would like to record the specific input mix you've made, choose Loopback as a Mix destination. See Using your ISA C8X's Loopback feature.
Each mixer channel has several functions.
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Mix Channel Name
This shows the mixer input's name. To edit the name, click the text box and type. You can use your keyboard's tab key to quickly move between channels.
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Pan
Moves a mono channel's position in the stereo image from left to right, or changes a stereo channel's balance from left to right. The default is centre. Alt, option ⌥ click, or double-click, to reset.
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Fader
The Fader adjusts the level going to your Mix destination. Alt, option ⌥, or double-click to reset.
The faders have no effect on the sources you are currently recording.
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Meter
This shows you the channel's level, in dBFS. blue shows a good level, and amber means the level is very high.
You'll see two meters for stereo channels, one for each left and right side.
The meter shows the level post-fader, the fader setting will affect the meter.
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Mute and Solo
Mute - Click the Mute button
to silence the channel in the Mix. The Mute button lights blue
when enabled. You can Mute multiple channels simultaneously.
Solo - Click the Solo button
to solo the track by silencing all other channels in the Mix. The Solo button lights yellow
when enabled. Enabling Solo on multiple channels silences any channels without Solo enabled, i.e. you will hear all the Solo'd channels.
If you enable both Mute and Solo, the last clicked option takes priority.
In the Mixer tab you can make source stereo or mono to reflect the source type.
When you make a source Stereo each channel in the pair is automatically panned hard left and hard right.
By default, the hardware and ADAT inputs are all mono sources for the mixer; the Playback channels and S/PDIF inputs are stereo sources.
Mixer channels settings
To change sources between stereo and mono in Focusrite Control 2's Mixer tab:
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Go to the Mixer tab.
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Click the Channels button in the top-right corner.
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Click the Mono/Stereo button to the left of the channel names.
Tip
To the right of the channel names, you can click the eye icon so hide/show channels in the Mixer.
Hiding a channel hides it from all mixes.
The routing tab in Focusrite Control 2 lets you organise what inputs and mixes you're sending to the outputs of your ISA C8X.
When you open the Routing tab, you'll see a list with columns for Outputs, Levels, and Sources:
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The Output list refers to each output on your C8X. There are sections for: Monitor Groups, Analogue outputs (line outputs, headphones) and Digital outputs (Loopback).
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The Level control is exclusively for the analogue outputs. This lets you trim, or reduce, the output level by a set dB level, for example to level match speakers or avoid clipping external equipment.
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The Source list lets you choose what to send to the corresponding output. Sources can be hardware inputs, DAW (software) playback channels, or a combination you've created as a Mix in Focusrite Control 2's Using the Focusrite Control 2 Mixer tab.
The Routing tab in Focusrite Control 2.
To assign a source to an output, find the output in the Output list and click the corresponding Source dropdown menu. Click a Source in the list to start sending that audio to the output. The meters to the right of the row show what you're sending to the output.
You can only feed each Output from one Mix. For example, you can't send Mix A and Mix B simultaneously to your headphones. When you're choosing Mix destinations, Focusrite Control 2 shows you if an output already has a feed from a different Mix. If you route the current Mix to an Output with a Mix already routed to it, it overwrites the routing to that Output.
If you would like to record the specific input mix you've made, choose Loopback as a Mix destination. See Using your ISA C8X's Loopback feature.
In the Routing tab, you can split stereo outputs to make two mono outputs. This lets you send them completely independent sources. You might want to use this if you're sending mono channels to outboard equipment, you have a mono speaker for testing your mixes, or for your Centre and LFE channels in surround or immersive monitor formats.
To make an output pair two mono channels, click the stereo symbol in the box to the left.
The single stereo output expands to two mono outputs. Each output has its own independent Source dropdown box.
To revert to a stereo pair, click the mono symbol in the box to the left.
Presets give you a way to quickly restore settings for your C8X. You can change the settings to suit a particular session or set up and save this as a nameable preset. Next time you need to recall those settings, you can Load the preset.
Presets contain the following settings:
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Input settings per channel:
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Channel name
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Input Gain
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+48V
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Inst
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Air mode
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Console
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High-pass filter
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Insert
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Mixer settings
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Mix destination (Routed to →)
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Pan and balance
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Fader levels
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Mute and Solo states
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Mixer channel linking.
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Routing:
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Mix sources
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Output levels
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Monitor groups.
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Note
Focusrite Control 2 saves presets to the computer you're using when you save it. However, your ISA C8X keeps its settings for use with a different computer or in standalone mode.
To use Presets in Focusrite Control 2 you need to change some settings. Once you've set up Focusrite Control 2 with some settings you want to recall in future, you can save a preset. There are two ways to save a preset: saving a New Preset or Overwrite an existing preset.
Saving a New Preset
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Tweak the settings for your in Focusrite Control 2.
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Click the Presets button in the bottom left of Focusrite Control 2.
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Click the New Preset button.
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Type the preset name in the Preset Name field. Make sure the name is useful to find and reuse it later.
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Click Save Preset.
Once you've saved the preset, the preset name shows in the bottom left corner. If you change any setting while you're in that preset, the name shows an asterisk *.
When the name shows an asterisk * you can either create a new preset using the steps above, or you can overwrite the preset with the new changes.
Overwriting a Preset
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Tweak an existing preset so an asterisk * appears next to the Preset name.
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Click the Presets button in the bottom left of Focusrite Control 2.
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Hover your mouse over an existing preset and click on the three dots
to the right of the name.
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Click Overwrite.
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Before committing to overwriting a Preset, read the warning pop-up and click the Overwrite button to confirm overwriting the existing preset.
Caution
Overwriting a preset replaces the stored preset's settings with your current settings. You can't undo this change.
Loading a preset recalls a set of settings you've saved previously.
Renaming allows you to change a preset's name without changing the settings.
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Click the Presets button in the bottom left of Focusrite Control 2.
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Hover your mouse over an existing preset and click on the three dots
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Click Rename.
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Type the new name for the Preset in the Preset Name field.
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Click Rename Preset.
Caution
Deleting a Preset removes the preset from Focusrite Control 2. You cannot get it back and you can't undo this action. Deleting a Preset won't change your interface's settings.
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Click the Presets button in the bottom left of Focusrite Control 2.
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Hover your mouse over an existing preset and click on the three dots
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Click Delete.
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Before committing to deleting a Preset, read the warning pop-up and click the Delete button to confirm deleting the preset.
When you create Presets in Focusrite Control 2 they're either stored in Focusrite Control 2 or you can export the Presets to your computer. You can export these presets for many reasons, for example, as a backup, to duplicate your setup on another computer, or take them along to sessions with other artists or studios.
Once you've saved a Preset in Focusrite Control 2 (see Saving a Preset) you can Export it to your computer.
To export a Focusrite Control 2 Preset:
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Click the Presets button in the bottom left of Focusrite Control 2.
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Hover your mouse over an existing preset and click on the three dots
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Click Export.
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Choose a location to save the Preset.
By default, Focusrite Control 2 adds your presets to a Folder in your documents called Focusrite Control 2. You can choose to save it to another folder you'd like to.
To import a Focusrite Control 2 Preset:
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Click the Presets button in the bottom left of Focusrite Control 2.
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Click Import from Disk, or Import if you already have Presets.
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Find the location of the Preset you'd like to import.
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Select the preset in your file browser and click Open. You can select more than one Preset to import.
Click the ellipsis in Focusrite Control 2's top right corner and click
to open the Preferences page.
In the Preferences page, you have the tabs:
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Sample rate & clocking
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Device
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Application
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Remote Devices
Sample rate refers to the samples per second your computer is recording. The higher the value, the higher the quality; however, the higher the value, the more hard drive space your recordings take up.
Note
Some features, listed below, are not available at quad-band sample rates (176.4 and 192kHz).
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Air Presence & Drive (Air Presence still works)
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Mix Sources
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Coaxial S/PDIF
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Optical S/PDIF
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ADAT Channels
Clock source sets how your ISA synchronises in your set-up. Usually you'll set this to Internal, but if you're using another device connected to the ADAT or S/PDIF inputs on your ISA you may need to change the clock source.
The Clock Sources available are:
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Internal
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S/PDIF
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ADAT Port 1
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ADAT Port 2
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Word Clock
This section lets you configure your C8X digital ports.
For more information on channel ordering and which channels you can use simultaneously with your C8X, see the section ISA C8X Specifications.
You can change your ISA's optical port to be able to receive either ADAT or optical S/PDIF signals.
The two options available are:
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RCA (Coaxial) S/PDIF mode - use this option to use the coaxial ports with coaxial S/PDIF devices.
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At single-band sample rates, Optical In/Out 1 can receive/send eight ADAT channels while you're using coaxial S/PDIF
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At dual-band sample rates, Optical In/Out 1 can receive/send four ADAT channels while you're using coaxial S/PDIF, Optical in 2 is disabled.
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At quad-band sample rates, the Optical ports are disabled. Coaxial S/PDIF in Is also disabled.
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Optical S/PDIF mode - use this option to use Optical In/Out 2 as Optical S/PDIF ports.
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At single-band sample rates, Optical In/Out 1 can receive/send eight ADAT channels while you're using Optical In/Out 2 for optical S/PDIF.
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At dual-band sample rates, Optical In/Out 1 can receive/send four ADAT channels while you're using Optical In/Out 2 for optical S/PDIF.
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At quad-band sample rates, the Optical ports are disabled. Coaxial S/PDIF In is also disabled.
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Dual ADAT mode lets you use both ADAT ports to increase the ADAT channel count.
At single-band sample rates (44.1kHz and 48kHz) your ISA C8X can receive eight channels at each port for 16 channels of ADAT. At dual-band sample rates (88.2kHz and 96kHz) Dual ADAT mode allows each port to receive four channels for eight ADAT channels.
In Dual ADAT mode, both S/PDIF options are disabled (coaxial and optical S/PDIF).
Note
This setting does not affect the Optical ports at quad-band sample rates.
At quad-band sample rates (176.4kHz and 192kHz), the Optical ports are disabled.
The interface mode setting allows you to quickly change your interface's routing between using it as your main interface, connected to your computer, or using it as an ADAT expansion device with another interface.
You can use the C8X's ADAT expansion mode with another Focusrite interface or an interface from another brand, if it has an ADAT input.
The two interface modes available are:
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Main – In this mode, you're using your C8X as your main interface, connecting it to your computer via USB and selecting it in your recording software.
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ADAT Expansion – In this mode, you're connecting the ADAT output of your C8X to another interface. When you select ADAT expansion the Routing is locked and changed on your C8X so the Analogue inputs are automatically routed to the ADAT output.
Important
ADAT Expansion mode doesn't change any Clock Source and Sample Rate settings as these depend on other devices in your system.
Note
In ADAT expansion, the routing is locked for most outputs, but we still let you choose the Headphones 1 and 2 sources. If your main interface has an ADAT Output this means you can send channels from your main interface to your C8X and gain extra headphone mixes.
A tick box to allow your ISA C8X to remember the 48V (phantom power) status after you turn off and on your device.
To use the Talk microphone, you need to tell your C8X where you want to send your talkback microphone. To do this:
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Click the tick boxes next to the Mixes you want to send the talkback microphone to.
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In the Routing tab, assign the Mixes as a Source to the outputs you want to send them to. For example, Send Mix A and Mix B to Headphones 1 and Headphones 2, so your artists can hear the talkback mic.
For more information, see Using the Focusrite Control 2 Routing tab.
Device reset returns your ISA to its default, factory, settings. A reset erases all the current input, mixer, and sample rate settings.
To do a device reset:
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Click Reset to default settings.
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Read the “Are you sure?” pop-up to make sure you want to Reset your ISA.
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Click Reset.
Note
When you do a device reset, your presets are not deleted. So after you've factory reset your device, you reload any previous settings you've saved as a Preset.
The Mixer metering setting allows you to change how the meters in the Mixer tab behave:
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Pre-fade – The meters always show the signal level, regardless of the fader position.
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Post-fade – The meters show the level after the fader. This mode is more representative of what you hear in the mix.
The clip reset timer lets you choose how long, in seconds, the meter's clip indicators stay on before resetting.
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To accompany Focusrite Control 2 we've created the Focusrite Control 2 mobile app.
The mobile app lets you connect mobile devices on the same Wi-Fi® network as your computer to control and view Focusrite Control 2.
The remote devices tab lets you manage any phones or tablets you've previously connected to Focusrite Control 2.
The Focusrite Control 2 mobile app runs on Android and iOS, and you can download it from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store by clinking on this link or scanning the QR code on your mobile device:
fc2.focusrite.com/mobile/download
Note
The Focusrite Control 2 mobile app can only control the Focusrite Control 2 when it's running on your computer.
It's not possible to use the mobile app to control your ISA directly.
We update Focusrite Control 2 occasionally with new features and improvements to make sure you are getting the most from your ISA C8X.
There are two ways to make sure you have the latest Focusrite Control 2 version:
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Use the updater in Focusrite Control 2:
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Open Focusrite Control 2.
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There are two options in the Focusrite Control 2.
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If an update is available, a dialogue window automatically appears. Click to start the update.
Windows
macOS
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To check you are using the latest version, click the ellipses
in Focusrite Control 2's top right corner and click .
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Click (Windows) or (macOS) in the prompt that appears after you've downloaded the update.
On macOS Focusrite Control 2 restarts, and it's now up -to-date. For Windows, please see the next steps.
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Click when asked, “Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?”.
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Follow the instructions in the Focusrite Control 2 Installation window.
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Click Finish at the end of the installation. Focusrite Control 2 reopens, and it is now up-to-date.
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Install Focusrite Control 2 from our Downloads page:
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Go to the Focusrite downloads website:
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Find your ISA on the Downloads website.
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Download Focusrite Control 2 for your operating system (Windows or Mac).
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Open the Downloads folder on your computer and double-click the Focusrite Control 2 installer.
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Follow the on-screen instructions to install Focusrite Control 2.
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If it’s not already, connect your ISA interface to your computer with the USB cable.
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Open Focusrite Control 2 and it detects your automatically.
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We occasionally update your ISA C8X's firmware with new features and improvements, to make sure you are getting the most from your ISA. Focusrite Control 2 updates your ISA C8X's firmware.
To update your C8X:
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Open Focusrite Control 2.
If there is an update available, Focusrite Control 2 tells you when you open it.
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Click .
Focusrite Control 2 starts the update, do not disconnect your ISA C8X while the update is in progress.
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Click after the update has finished.
Your ISA C8X is now up-to-date, and you can continue to use it as normal.