Saffire LE User Guide 1.0
Contents
1. A significant proportion of products returned under Warranty which are very few in number compared to numbers sold are found not to exhibit any fault at all Please check that the mains voltage is correctly set for your local supply and that your connecting cables are in good order and correctly connected If in doubt about the product functions please read the user guide and if necessary contact your dealer for advice before returning the product to the supplying dealer You can also email Focusrite at support dfocusrite com for general advice Saffire LE USER MANUAL Accuracy Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and content of this manual Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd makes no representations or warranties regarding the contents Copyright Copyright 2005 Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd All rights reserved No part of this manual may be reproduced photocopied stored on a retrieval system transmitted or passed to a third party by any means or in any form without the express prior consent of Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd E and OE Saffire LE USER MANUAL2. is the corresponding High Gain switch on the left of the SaffireControl GUI active e If seeing but not hearing a level is the slider for the monitoring pair of outputs far enough to the left towards the INPUT MIX position If over to the right in the P BACK position only the tracks from the sequencer will be heard Saffire LE USER MANUAL Troubleshooting continued No signal heard on the Monitors e Is the level of the Monitors turned up within SaffireControl LE and the Mute switch inactive e Is the MONITOR dial on the hardware set sufficiently high e Are the mix controls Input Mix faders S W Playback faders and INPUT MIX P BACK MIX slider set correctly If you are attempting to play back tracks from the sequencer and the slider is in the extreme left position just INPUT MIX then no Playback Tracks will be heard No Playback tracks heard on Monitors Headphones e Is the INPUT MIX P BACK MIX slider for the Monitors Headphones set far enough to the right towards the P BACK MIX end If not only the INPUT MIX will be heard e Do the tracks within the sequencer have sufficient level The level set by the faders on the right of the SaffireControl LE window are respective to that set within the sequencer e Are the S W faders that audio is routed to in the sequencer set correctly in SaffireControl LE If you have routed all tracks to Saffire LE Outputs 5 6 and 7 8 and S W faders 5 6 and 7 8 are down for the monitoring outp
3. Direct Audio Streaming to the Saffire LE Outputs Soundcard S CARD mode section later in the User Guide Here is a diagram of the SaffireControl LE GUI Levels of Inputs on O Ps 1 2 Monitors Stereo Link Switch Levels of Playback Tracks on 0 Ps 1 2 Monitors INPUT 2 INPUT 3 INPUT 4 PLAYBACK MI Levels of Inputs on 0 Ps 3 4 Headphones pane Analogue Software and Hardware Settings Output Level and Mixing Controls Levels of Playback Tracks on 0 Ps 3 4 Headphones Each section of SaffireControl LE is explained in greater depth in relevant sections of the User Guide Recording using a microphone mono or stereo To record a mono source like a vocalist or guitar player simply plug a microphone into the left Input 1 or right Input 2 hand XLR socket on the front of the Saffire hardware and press the 48V phantom power button if required Phantom power is only necessary if using a condenser microphone almost all dynamic microphones will be unaffected but ribbon microphones much less common and more expensive microphones may be damaged Make sure that nothing is connected to the corresponding Line Input on the front of the Saffire LE hardware as this will mean that the XLR input below is bypassed Now get the artist to play or sing and set the level of the input using the gain adjustment knob on the front panel Rotate the dial clockwise to increase the level making sure that the O L LED on the hard
4. Firewire audio interfaces from Focusrite one of the most prestigious names in the recording industry With a total of 6 Inputs and 8 Outputs the Saffire LE should satisfy all your recording and monitoring needs Four of the six inputs are analogue comprising two expertly designed Focusrite pre amps and two additional balanced inputs switchable between Line and Instrument level signal just plug in your guitar and play On the digital side unrivalled conversion and 24 bit 96kHz processing ensure professional signal quality with S PDIF connections making up the remaining stereo inputs and outputs On the rear panel are 6 analogue Outputs ideally suited to 5 1 surround mixing or playback as well as MIDI I O and a digital RCA port that can stream digital surround AC3 DTS directly from DVD playing software The hardware is accompanied by a free software application called SaffireControl LE which provides a multitiude of monitoring and setup options as well as the popular suite of Saffire VST AU plug ins for processing in the mix Having such comprehensive features readily accessible Saffire LE makes conducting a modern recording session easy and fun Saffire LE USER MANUAL Front panel facilities and controls 1 Line Instrument Gain Switches for Analogue Inputs 1 above and 2 below If a 1 4 Jack TRS or TS is connected to either of the LINE IN sockets below then these switches can be used to select an appropriate gain calib
5. PDIF Input on the rear panel The faders on top are the mix of Inputs for the Monitors Outputs 1 2 and the faders below are the mix for the Headphones Outputs 3 4 If using stereo signals activate the stereo button for the corresponding Inputs located in between the pan pots for each pair of faders which links the level of both and sets the pan pots to L and R Now use the faders to set specific levels of each Input If you are not hearing any of the Inputs on the Monitors or Headphones then make sure that the corresponding INPUT MIX P BACK MIX slider isn t in the extreme right position where no Inputs are heard Read the Blending between inputs and playback tracks on the monitors headphones section for details How to set up a playback track mix on the monitors headphones The right hand side of the SaffireControl LE GUI has two sets of four stereo faders each set representing the levels of Outputs 1 8 from the sequencer recording platform For example any stereo track within the sequencer that s routed to Saffire Outputs 5 6 will appear on the third fader from the left S W 5 6 on each set it won t go directly from the sequencer to the Saffire LE hardware Outputs unless the S CARD switch is activated or SaffireControl is correctly set up This way the pre recorded audio playback tracks can be blended with the inputs to create latency free mixes whilst recording The set of faders on top are the playback mix for the Monitor
6. that chaining equipment in this way is possible and will act as if the equipment is connected directly to the computer through separate Firewire ports 6 6 Balanced Line Outputs 4dBu TRS Jack These sockets are Saffire LE s Analogue Outputs labeled accordingly for 5 1 surround Left Right Centre LeftSurround RightSurround and LowFrequencyEffects If recording then connect Monitors to Outputs 1 and 2 and Headphones to the front panel socket Outputs 3 4 and use the software to create independent mixes for each If mixing in surround or wanting to stream multiple channels of audio directly to the hardware outputs from your sequencer then connect speakers to the relevant sockets and activate the S CARD switch in the SaffireControl LE software Focusrite Ge Saffire LE USER MANUAL The accompanying software SaffireControl LE is the means of setting up independent latency free mixes for monitors and headphones during recording sessions as well as offering a host of other routing and setting options There are two main modes of operation both with activating switches TRACK tracking recording is the default mode and the one to use when recording and creating Input Playback mixes on Outputs 1 4 and S CARD soundcard is a preset mode where Saffire LE behaves like a standard 8 out soundcard routing Outputs 1 8 in the sequencer straight to Outputs 1 8 of the Saffire LE hardware To learn more about S CARD mode read the
7. 0 ag 60006 PPPE S666 MIDI In To Mac T i i m or PC MIDI traffic MIDI Transmitting device Novation ReMOTE 25 not included Saffire LE can operate in one of two possible MIDI modes The state of the MIDI THRU switch in SaffireControl LE determines which MIDI mode will be used as follows Normal MIDI Mode switch inactive This mode should be used when wanting to send MIDI signals from a controller keyboard to the sequencer from where MIDI data can also be sent to any external devices if required This mode is necessary when the sequencer is running because it will prevent doubling of notes that occur when the same MIDI information is transmitted by both the input device and the sequencer MIDI THRU Mode switch active In this mode all MIDI data received at Saffire LE s MIDI In is routed directly to the MIDI Out This mode is designed for simply passing MIDI through Saffire LE This may be useful when no sequencer is running because you don t need to route MIDI data in and out of you Mac or PC Saffire LE USER MANUAL Saffire Plug in Suite Saffire LE comes free with the suite of Saffire plug ins provided in VST AU format for use in the mix EQ Compression Reverb and Amp Simulation are all available EQ EQ On Off switch Template Dials adjust the level EQ mode select choose illuminated when active Select slider of the four bands preset between Template and use to bypass the EQ in ea
8. DIF IN LED on the front of the Saffire LE hardware will illuminate Make sure that the sample rate of the S PDIF signal matches that in SaffireControl LE and in the session the audio is being recorded to This signal will appear as Inputs 5 and 6 within your sequencer recording application It is normally a good idea to lock Saffire LE to the S PDIF signal to synchronize devices and ensure no problems occur To do this activate the EXT switch in the bottom right of the SaffireControl LE GUI as follows External Sync Switch engage to lock to S PDIF In The LED will light and LOK will show when Saffire LE is correctly synchronized Saffire LE USER MANUAL Connecting Speakers On the rear panel are balanced TRS Jack outputs 1 6 for connecting directly to speakers or an amp depending on whether the speakers are powered or not Outputs 1 and 2 are the Monitors signal so if using a stereo pair of speakers then connect them to these sockets Now the SaffireControl LE software can be used to create a latency free mix of inputs and playback tracks using the top rows of faders in the GUI The level of the Monitors is controlled by the top dial in the centre of the SaffireControl LE software GUI and then by the MONITOR dial on the front of the Saffire LE hardware If using a Surround setup requiring analogue signals then outputs 1 6 are labeled for 5 1 surround so simply connect the relevant source to the corresponding speaker u
9. Distributor in your country of residence or business If you purchase a Focusrite product outside your country of residence or business you will not be entitled to ask your local Focusrite Distributor to honour this Limited Warranty although you may request a chargeable repair Alternatively the unit may be returned at your cost to the dealer you purchased the unit from so that they can organise a Warranty repair with their Focusrite Distributor This Warranty does not include cost of shipping to and from the authorised dealer from whom it was purchased In every case it will be necessary to provide the original invoice or store receipt to accompany the defective product to the supplying dealer This Limited Warranty is offered solely to the first purchaser of the product from an Authorised Focusrite Reseller defined as a reseller which has purchased the Product directly from Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd in the UK or its Authorised Distributors outside the U K and is not transferable This Warranty is in addition to your Statutory Rights in the country of purchase Please note A Manufacturing Defect is defined as a defect in the performance of the product which may be expected from a reasonable interpretation of the published description and performance specifications as published by Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd This does not include damage caused by post purchase transportation storage or careless handling nor damage caused by misuse
10. Focusrite Saffire LE USER MANUAL The Focusrite Sound Straight from the Box J i LINE Mone GAIN aes OQ St i Y h i p Lo NPUT oe deme Ot wy ee K PUT f SPDIF IN o Fi EN AH Saffire LE 4 LeveL IN 2 i A la L a N 48y X uU Focusrite www focusrite com Introduction Front panel facilities and controls Rear Panel Connections SaffireControl LE Recording using a microphone mono or stereo Recording line level sources mono or stereo Recording a guitar or bass directly Recording a digital S PDIF source Connecting Speakers Managing a recording session with SaffireControl LE How to set up an input mix on the monitors headphones How to set up a playback track mix on the monitors headphones Blending between inputs and playback tracks on the monitors headphones Direct Audio Streaming to the Saffire LE Outputs Soundcard S CARD mode Direct AC3 DTS streaming to the RCA Output Control and Linking of Output Levels Float and Shrink Modes Setting the Sample Rate and Synchronising to the S PDIF In Changes to GUI at 88 2 96kHz MIDI Saffire Plug in Suite EQ Compression Reverb Amp Sim Saffire Signal Flow Diagram Troubleshooting Specifications Warranty Accuracy Copyright Saffire LE USER MANUAL Introduction Saffire LE is the second addition to the now highly acclaimed range of
11. Inputs below Now make sure that the green LINE LED is illuminated in the corresponding section s at the top of the front panel Now send a signal by starting a turntable or playing the synth etc and set the level of the input s using the gain adjustment knob on the front panel Rotate the dial clockwise to increase the level making sure that the O L LED on the hardware never illuminates as this indicates that the level is exceeding the maximum level of the digital converter clipping point For an even easier indication of level observe the level of the meter below Input 1 or 2 on the left of the SaffireControl LE software GUI as shown INPUT 1 INPUT 2 INPUT 3 e Level of Input 1 Level of Input 2 Recorded level Recorded level If recording a stereo signal then make sure that the Gain dials for both Inputs on the front of the hardware are set to the same level observing the Input meters in the SaffireControl LE software shown above This signal will now appear as Saffire LE Input 1 and or Input 2 depending on which socket s the line level signal is connected to within your sequencer recording application If recording using Inputs 3 and or 4 plug 1 4 TRS balanced but TS unbalanced could be used yielding a slightly lower level Jacks into either or both of the sockets in the top left of the hardware s rear panel Now when sending a signal to the Inputs observe the O L LEDs for Inputs 3 and 4 on the front of the har
12. OdBFS 16dBu balanced e Frequency Response 20Hz 20kHz 0 2dB e THD N lt 0 0014 measured with OdBFS input 22Hz 22kHz bandpass filter e Front Panel Analogue Volume control for outputs 1 amp 2 e Software Digital Volume control for outputs 3 6 Saffire LE USER MANUAL All outputs are useable as monitoring outputs m Specifications continued DIGITAL 1 0 e 2 x SPDIF RCA phono on rear panel 24 bit 96kHz Output transformer isolated MIDI 1 0 e 1in 1 out on rear panel FIREWIRE S400 e 2 ports POWER e Either via FIREWIRE or external PSU included HEADPHONE MONITORING e 1 x 1 4 TRS Jack on front panel mirrors outputs 3 4 e High power headphone driver Saffire LE USER MANUAL m Warranty All Focusrite products are built to the highest standards and should provide reliable performance for many years subject to reasonable care use transportation and storage In the event of a Manufacturing Defect becoming evident within 12 months from date of purchase Focusrite undertakes that the product will be repaired or replaced free of charge if the product is returned to the authorised dealer from whom it was purchased In these circumstances or if you need an out of warranty repair to your Focusrite product please contact Focusrite at mick dfocusrite com and you will be advised of the correct return procedure Alternatively contact the Focusrite Reseller from which you purchased the product or the Focusrite
13. THRU switch within the SaffireControl LE GUI as follows FLAYEACE AC3 THRU switch engage to stream AC3 DTS signal to S PDIF Out Saffire LE can now be selected as the audio interface within the DVD Playing software and then used to directly stream the encoded signal to your surround setup Saffire LE USER MANUAL m Control and Linking of Output Levels The centre of the SaffireControl LE GUI features the level controls for the Analogue Outputs 1 64 as follows Mix crossfader for 0 Ps 1 2 Monitors Dim switch Level controls for 0 Ps 1 2 Mute switch Sends 0 Ps 1 2 to S PDIF Out Meters for O Ps 1 2 Mono switch Level controls for 0 Ps 5 6 Mute switch Level controls for 0 Ps 3 4 Mute switch Meters for 0 Ps 3 4 Mix crossfader for 0 Ps 3 4 Headphones In addition to Mute switches O Ps 1 2 also offer a Mono switch for making the signal Mono as well as a Dim switch for reducing the level by 12dB If you want to send the O Ps 1 2 signal to the S PDIF Out for carrying out a digital transfer then the switch labelled S PDIF below the Gain dial for O Ps 1 2 should be active If using the Saffire LE to playback or mix in surround sound using the analogue outputs where one level control is required for all activate the CTRL LINK switch in the SaffireControl LE GUI as follows CTRL LINK switch engage to link the Level controls for all Analogue Outputs in the centre of the window This will
14. ance stopping a signal from clipping and or disappearing in the mix and can also give it a whole new sonic character The Compressor window functions in two modes template mode and advanced mode When the window is first launched the Compressor will be switched off and set flat in template mode To switch to advanced mode simply press the mode button on the right of the Compressor window just to the left of the OUT fader as shown in the diagram that alternates between the two modes The LED button on the left activates bypasses the Compressor from within the plug in window Two faders at either end control the gain of the signal before and after compression In advanced mode the full range of standard compressor controls are available The first dial to set is the threshold THRESH which sets the level at which compression begins The lower this value is set the more of the signal will be compressed as the audio will compress when the threshold is reached Rotate the THRESH dial anticlockwise to lower the threshold and so increase the compression Set the RATIO next as this determines how much the signal is reduced by when it exceeds the threshold For example a ratio of 10 1 means that when the level of the uncompressed signal exceeds the threshold by 10dB the compressed signal will only increase by 1dB The higher the ratio therefore the further the dial is Saffire LE USER MANUAL Compression continued rotated in a clock
15. ates when the sample rate can t be changed as the Saffire is in use with a session This illuminates when the Saffire LE is correctly synchronised EXT sync switch engage to lock Saffire LE to its S PDIF In If wanting to synchronise to an external source via the S PDIF In signal which is normally advisable when recording a S PDIF signal then press the EXT LED which will illuminate once selected Saffire LE will only be correctly synchronised to this source if LOK is illuminated next to it If not make sure that the sample rate of the incoming S PDIF signal is the same as the one set in this window Saffire LE USER MANUAL Changes to GUI at 88 2 96kHz When working at higher sample rates the SaffireControl LE GUI has some reduced functions Only one generic Input Mix can be created for both Monitors and Headphones using the 6 Input faders on the left whilst only individual levels of S W tracks 1 2 and 3 4 can be set on the Playback Track side as follows Saffire LE USER MANUAL MIDI Saffire LE operates as a MIDI interface with one input and one output A MIDI controller keyboard or similar device can be connected to the MIDI In whilst a rack synth or multiple instruments via a MIDI splitter can be connected to the MIDI Out using standard MIDI cables as follows MIDI Out MIDI receiving device SuperNova II Rack not included novation ReMOTE 25 eee ON Ltt ea Spee D
16. button to the left of the dials has the same function as with the other plug ins to activate bypass the plug in illuminated when active Saffire LE USER MANUAL Amp Sim Amp selection slider DRIVE knob allows Amp simply click on the desired distortion to be increased simulation name Amp Simulator Analoginputl Additional output BRITISH fader to adjust Oy i level of Output AMERICAN BASS z Amp Sim On Off switch Buttons allow copying and pasting of settings to and from other Saffire Amp Sims Low Mid High Meter displays Frequency Frequency Frequency output level adjust adjust adjust The Amp Sim plug in is designed to allow high quality tracking of guitar parts without the need for a whole host of physical amplifiers The Amp Sim window has an LED button on the left to activate bypass the amp simulation When the window is first launched the button will be illuminated to show that the plug in is active click the button to bypass as required A slider is featured to allow different classic amplifier simulations to be selected Simply click on an area of the slider to select an amplifier the slider will jump to whatever area is clicked Four dials are included to allow control over the amp s settings The first is DRIVE which increases the level of distortion when rotated clockwise The next three are for adjusting the EQ of the amp sim rotating the dials clockwise increases the gain of the LOW MID a
17. ch Template Advanced modes g Fader and Meter for adjusting and viewing the level of the signal at the EQ Input EGIA BASS PIANO PERC Fader and Meter for adjusting and viewing the level of the signal at the EQ Output LOW NOISE FULLNESS Buttons allow copying and pasting of settings to and Switches select Band 1 from other Saffire i Dial sets the n as a peak notch top Dial sets the aa e resonance ilow Switches select Band compressors low shelf middle or frequency of Band 2 central pass filter or Q 4asa band pass high pass bottom filter Band 1 freq of position has no peak notch for top high shelf the high pass effect Band 4 middle or low pass filter bottom filter Equalisation of sound is an essential part of the recording process necessary to remove or boost various sections of the audible frequency spectrum The Saffire EQ is 4 band parametric with the option of shelving and high low pass on bands 1 and 4 and exhibits the same curves as the classic Focusrite EQ all that s required to sculpt sound with truly professional flair The EQ window functions in two modes template mode and advanced mode When the EQ window is first launched the EQ will be set flat in template mode To switch to advanced mode simply press the mode button on the right of the EQ window just to the left of the OUT fader as shown in the diagram that alternates between the two modes The LED button on the left act
18. com Saffire LE USER MANUAL Specifications MIC e Frequency Response 20Hz 20kHz 0 1 dB e THD N 0 001 measured at 1kHz with a 20Hz 22kHz bandpass filter e Noise EIN gt 120dB measured at 60dB of gain with 150 Ohm termination 20Hz 22kHz bandpass filter LINE e Frequency Response 20Hz 20kHz 0 1dB e THD N 0 001 measured with OdBFS input and 22Hz 22kHz bandpass filter e Noise 88dBu 22Hz 22kHz bandpass filter INSTRUMENT e Frequency Response 20Hz 20kHz 0 1dB e THD N 0 004 measured with OdBu input and 20Hz 22kHz bandpass filter e Noise 87dBu 20Hz 22kHz bandpass filter DIGITAL PERFORMANCE e Clock Source Internal clock or sync to word clock on SPDIF e A D Dynamic Range 104dB A weighted Inputs 1 2 e A D Dynamic Range 106dB A weighted Inputs 3 4 e D A Dynamic Range gt 105dB A weighted all outputs e Clock Jitter lt 250 pico seconds e Sample rate 44 1 to 96kHz WEIGHT and DIMS e 1 1kg 6 5cm x 17cm x 17cm ANALOGUE INPUTS e Mic 2 x XLR on front panel e Mic Gain 13dB to 60dB e Line 1 amp 2 2 x 1 4 TRS Jack front panel e Line 1 amp 2 Gain 10dB to 36dB e Instrument As above switched to Instrument e Instrument Gain 13dB to 60dB e Line 3 amp 4 2 x 1 4 TRS Jack rear panel e Line 3 amp 4 Gain 16dBu or 10dBV for full scale input software switchable ANALOGUE OUTPUTS e Line level 6 x 1 4 TRS Jack e Nominal output level
19. d whilst rotating and when the mouse cursor moves over the dial For those new to compression and wanting to hear its effect in the most obvious way turn the THRESH down low and the RATIO up high then set the ATTACK dial fully anti clockwise and the RELEASE to a fairly low value also Now experiment with the parameters adjusting the attack time and so on to see how this affects the sound Two buttons in the bottom right of the Compressor window allow copying and pasting of Compressor settings to and from other instances of the Saffire Compressor Saffire LE USER MANUAL Reverb Dial sets the amount Dial sets the size of the Dial sets the tone amount of reverberation reverberant space of high and low frequency of the reverberation Dial sets the absorption of the Switches allow the copying and reverberant space decreasing pasting of settings to and from when rotating clockwise other Saffire Reverbs The reverb settings are defined by three dials The first dial sets the AMOUNT of reverb whilst the second dial defines the SIZE of the reverberant space both rotating clockwise to increase The third dial labelled DIFFUSION modifies the absorption of the reverb rotating clockwise to decrease increasing the amount of reflected sound The fourth dial labelled TONE filters the reverberant sound to create more low frequency in the fully anticlockwise position and more high frequency in the fully clockwise position The smaller
20. dware If they are illuminating check that the High Gain switch es is are not activated within the SaffireControl LE software s GUI These switches should only be used if the signal is an Instrument Guitar or Bass connected directly or an extremely low line level source If the level is too loud and the High Gain switch es is are not activated turn down the level of the signal sent to Saffire LE on the sending device This signal will now appear as Saffire LE Input 3 and or Input 4 depending on which socket s the line level signal is connected to within your sequencer recording application Saffire LE USER MANUAL Recording a guitar or bass directly All four of the analogue Inputs can be used to record an Instrument such as a Guitar or Bass plugged in directly without using an amp To record using Input 1 or 2 plug a 1 4 TS Jack into either of the LINE IN sockets on the front panel left for Input 1 and right for Input 2 This will automatically bypass any microphones that may be connected to the XLR Inputs below Now make sure that the yellow INST LED is illuminated in the corresponding section at the top of the front panel Now play the Instrument and set the level of the input using the gain adjustment knob on the front panel Rotate the dial clockwise to increase the level making sure that the O L LED on the hardware never luminates as this indicates that the level is exceeding the maximum level of the digital conv
21. e for example if the connected computer only has a 4 pin Firewire port 3 S PDIF 1 0 These RCA connectors are for receiving or transmitting a consumer digital audio S PDIF signal With the AC3 THRU switch activated in SaffireControl LE the RCA Output can be used to directly stream an AC3 or DTS signal from a software DVD player to a home surround studio setup See the Direct AC3 DTS streaming to the RCA Output section for more details 4 MIDI 1 0 These standard MIDI ports allow MIDI data to be received from and transmitted to external equipment routing through your sequencer using the Saffire LE s Firewire interfacing Alternatively if the Saffire s MIDI In is connected to a es MIDI IN controller keyboard s MIDI Out and the Saffire s MIDI Out is connected to a sound al module or rack synth s MIDI In activating the MIDI Thru switch in the SaffireControl LE software will enable the MIDI data to pass from the controller keyboard to the sound module 5 2 6 pin Firewire 400 Ports These ports allow connection to the computer for streaming of data and if connected to an identical type of Firewire port rather than a smaller 4 pin port supply of power to the unit Either port can be used for this purpose leaving the additional port free for connecting to other Firewire equipment e g hard drives should the Saffire be using up the only available Firewire port on the computer The nature of Firewire connectivity means
22. erter clipping point For an even easier indication of level observe the level of the meter below Input 1 or 2 on the left of the SaffireControl LE software GUI as shown Level of Input 1 Level of Input 2 Recorded level Recorded level This signal will now appear as Saffire LE Input 1 or Input 2 depending on which socket the Instrument is connected to within your sequencer recording application If recording using Input 3 or 4 plug a 1 4 TS Jack into either of the sockets in the top left of the hardware s rear panel below for Input 3 and above for Input 4 Now activate the High Gain switch for that Input in the SaffireControl LE software s GUI as follows High Gain Switch for Input 3 engage if an Instrument is connected High Gain Switch for Input 4 engage if an Instrument is connected Now play the Instrument and observe the O L LEDs for Inputs 3 and 4 on the front of the hardware If they are illuminating turn down the level on the Instrument This signal will now appear as Saffire LE Input 3 or Input 4 depending on which socket the Instrument is connected to within your sequencer recording application Saffire LE USER MANUAL Recording a digital S PDIF source If wanting to record using some hardware with a S PDIF Out then a phono cable can be linked from the hardware to the S PDIF RCA In on the rear of the Saffire LE hardware Once a valid S PDIF signal is received the S P
23. is the slider for the monitoring pair of outputs far enough to the left towards the INPUT MIX position If over to the right in the P BACK position only the tracks from the sequencer will be heard No signal when using line inputs 1 and 2 e Is the unit powered correctly See above e Is the gain dial of the corresponding input on the hardware set sufficiently high Rotate clockwise to increase the level e Is the Line Inst switch on the hardware set correctly The LINE LED must be active e If seeing but not hearing a level is the slider for the monitoring pair of outputs far enough to the left towards the INPUT MIX position If over to the right in the P BACK position only the tracks from the sequencer will be heard No signal when plugging an instrument into line inputs 1 and 2 e Is the unit powered correctly See above e Is the gain dial of the corresponding input on the hardware set sufficiently high Rotate clockwise to increase the level e Is the Line Inst switch on the hardware set correctly The INST LED must be active e If seeing but not hearing a level is the slider for the monitoring pair of outputs far enough to the left towards the INPUT MIX position If over to the right in the P BACK position only the tracks from the sequencer will be heard No signal when using Line Inputs 3 and 4 e Is the level on the sending device or instrument high enough e If using an Instrument Guitar or Bass plugged in directly
24. ivates bypasses the EQ from within the plug in window A fader at either end controls the gain of the signal before and after EQ respectively In advanced mode all areas of the four band parametric EQ can be adjusted When the plug in is first launched the advanced mode will be loaded but set flat i e with no gain increase or decrease at any stage over the entire frequency range All four EQ bands have three dials each to adjust the frequency FREQ Saffire LE USER MANUAL EQ continued Gain and Q of the EQ band Rotating the dials clockwise will increase the value in each case the exact numerical value being displayed in a box below the dial whilst rotating and when the mouse cursor moves over it The outer two bands controlled by each set of three dials on either end of the panel can be independently set to be band pass as default high low shelf middle button or high low pass bottom button by pressing the corresponding small buttons at either end as shown in the diagram When in high low shelf mode only the GAIN and FREQ dials will be active for that band and when in high low pass mode only the FREQ and Q dial will be active to select the cut off frequency and resonance of the filter For example if wanting to set up a low shelf to increase the bass press the middle button on the left Band 1 and then rotate the GAIN dial on the first band on the left clockwise If wanting to insert a low pass filter in the signal path t
25. link the three Gain dials in the centre of the GUI so that adjusting one will modify them all providing a single method for increasing decreasing the level of all analogue outputs Saffire LE USER MANUAL Float and Shrink Modes The SHRINK switch in the SaffireControl LE GUI reduces the size of the software window to a compact format where only the central OUTPUT MIX section and SaffireControl LE settings switches are available as follows EXPAND Switch activate to return the window to normal size FLOAT Switch activate to make the window permanently visible Click again to deactivate Furthermore the FLOAT switch activates a mode where the SaffireControl LE window is always visible so that even when editing in your sequencer the interface settings can always be seen SaffireControl LE will FLOAT in normal or shrunken modes Whilst shrunken an EXPAND switch is available for returning the window to normal size as shown above Saffire LE USER MANUAL Setting the Sample Rate and Synchronising to the S PDIF In The bottom right of the SaffireControl LE GUI displays the sample rate and allows it to be selected To set a sample rate simply click on the LED beside it which will illuminate once selected If the Saffire LE is currently being used to record then a sample rate cannot be selected and IN USE will be illuminated as follows Click on LED next to value to select that sample rate This illumin
26. nd 4 the mix for which can be set using the SaffireControl LE software 7 Line Instrument TRS TS Jack Inputs for channels 1 left and 2 right These 1 4 Jack sockets allow a balanced or unbalanced Line level signal or an Instrument like a Guitar or Bass to be plugged directly into the front panel Set an appropriate gain calibration LINE or INST using the switches at the top of the fascia 8 Global Phantom Power Switch This switch can be used to apply 48V Phantom Power to a microphone connected to either of the XLR inputs below Check the Recording using a microphone section for more details on Phantom Power 9 Microphone XLR Inputs for channels 1 left and 2 right These two inputs allow up to two microphones to be plugged into the front panel for recording mono or stereo sources Saffire LE USER MANUAL Rear Panel Connections 1 Line Instrument TRS TS Jack Inputs for channels 3 below and 4 above These 1 4 Jack sockets allow a balanced or unbalanced Line level signal or an Instrument like a Guitar or Bass to be connected If plugging in an Instrument then make sure that the High Gain Switch for the corresponding Input is activated within the SaffireControl LE software See the SaffireControl LE section for more details 2 External PSU Input This socket is for powering the Saffire LE using the supplied external power supply This is only necessary if Firewire bus powering is not availabl
27. nd HIGH frequency bands respectively from left to right The levels of all dials are indicated by the blue surrounding lines with precise numerical values shown while rotating or while the mouse cursor passes each dial Two buttons in the bottom right of the Amp Sim window allow copying and pasting of Amp Sim settings to and from other intances of the Saffire Amp Sim Saffire LE USER MANUAL m Troubleshooting LEDs on the Saffire LE hardware aren t working e Does the unit have power This is supplied by the Firewire cable is one connected If connecting to a 4 pin Firewire port is the external PSU connected Saffire LE is not recognised as a valid audio interface by the recording software in use e g Ableton e Is the hardware connected to the computer over Firewire e If using a PC have the ASIO WDM drivers been correctly installed from the accompanying DVD No signal when using mic inputs e Is the unit powered correctly See above e Is the gain dial of the corresponding input on the hardware set sufficiently high Rotate clockwise to increase the level e Is something connected to the corresponding line input on the hardware This will deactivate the mic input e For microphones that require phantom power e g condenser mics is the 48V switch on the front panel engaged If you are unsure about whether your microphone requires phantom power check the user guide for your microphone e If seeing but not hearing a level
28. nding one which is set to maximum In other words the Monitors the upper row of S W playback track faders only has the S W 1 2 fader up as these faders relate to O Ps 1 2 of Saffire LE Therefore the lower row of S W faders relating to the Headphones only has the S W 3 4 fader up as these relate to O Ps 3 4 of Saffire LE Sliders in extreme right position just Playback track ljust Playback tracks Only S W 1 2 fader up only audio routed to 0 Ps 1 2 within sequencer goes to 0 Ps 1 2 of Saffire LE Only S W 3 4 fader up only audio routed to 0 Ps 3 4 within sequencer goes to 0 Ps 3 4 of Saffire LE Similarly although not visibly within the SaffireControl LE software GUI only sequencer tracks routed to Saffre LE Outputs 5 6 and 7 8 will be sent to Outputs 5 6 Analogue and Outputs 7 8 SPDIF respectively To return to recording tracking mode simply activate the TRACK switch directly below the S CARD switch within SaffireControl LE This will return to the previous session settings Saffire LE USER MANUAL Direct AC3 DTS streaming to the RCA Output If using a home surround speaker setup that requires an encoded digital signal AC3 or DTS then the S PDIF RCA Output on the rear of Saffire LE can be used to stream the digital surround signal directly from your software DVD Player Simply attach a phono cable from Saffire LE s S PDIF Out to the input of your surround decoder and then activate the AC3
29. o cut out high frequencies press the bottom button on the right Band 4 and then rotate the FREQ dial on the last band on the right to set the cut off frequency for the filter above which all frequencies will not be heard In template mode the slider is used to select a different preset EQ configuration such as one Ideally suited to recording vocals guitar percussion and so on Click on the desired slider position and the slider will jump to it These templates have configured the EQ controls for all four bands available within the advanced mode the lower controls so that the dials above control the main sonic characteristics of the source being recorded For example with the slider in the Vocal position the four knobs in template mode relate to the warmth presence harshness and breathiness respectively Rotating the knobs in a clockwise direction increases the amount of this property This does not necessarily mean just increasing the gain of that EQ band but could be both the gain and Q for instance If wanting to set up your own EQ settings starting with a particular template simply click the mode button to switch to advanced mode and adjust the controls as detailed above Two buttons in the bottom right of the EQ window allow copying and pasting of EQ settings to and from other instances of the Saffire EQ Saffire LE USER MANUAL Compression Compressor Mode Compressor On Off switch Template Defines the amount Selec
30. ration If a Guitar is plugged in then ensure that the yellow INST LED is lit or if recording the analogue output of a synthesizer or mixer for decks then make sure the green LINE LED is lit INPUT T LINE MODE LINE 2 Gain Controls for Analogue Inputs 1 above and 2 below with 0 L Overload LEDs These two knobs can be used to set the gain level of the analogue inputs tee whether recording a mic line or instrument source Whilst receiving a signal from the source by the artist singing or playing rotate the corresponding knob clockwise until a suitable level is heard Make sure that the O L LED does not illuminate as Site this means that the signal level is too high and will clip INPUT 3 0 L Overload LEDs for Inputs 3 above and 4 below PDIF It These two LEDs will illuminate if the signal for the corresponding input connected on the rear panel is too high Turn down the level on the connected device if either of these LEDs illuminates 4 S PDIF IN LED This LED indicates that a valid S PDIF connection is received at the RCA Input on the rear panel LINE IN 5 MONITOR 0 Ps 1 2 Level Control This knob provides a hardware level control for the Monitor Outputs Analogue Outputs 1 and 2 on the rear panel 6 Headphones Output with separate Gain Dial This 1 4 Jack socket allows Headphones to be connected for separate monitoring during a session This signal is the same as that sent to Analogue Outputs 3 a
31. s O Ps 1 2 and the faders below are the playback mix for the Headphones 0 Ps 3 4 When recording route the drums melodies and other backing tracks to different Saffire Outputs within the sequencer so the specific levels for the Monitors Headphones can be set accordingly here Saffire LE USER MANUAL Blending between inputs and playback tracks on the monitors headphones Once the Input Mix and Playback Mix have been created for Monitors and Headphones the sliders in the centre of the GUI can be used to blend between both mixes The top slider relates to the Monitors whilst the bottom slider is for the Headphones as follows Crossfader for Outputs 1 2 Monitors Crossfader for Outputs 3 4 Headphones Setting either slider to the extreme right position will mean only Playback tracks will be heard on that stereo pair of Outputs Then moving the slider to the left will add increasing amounts of Inputs and decrease Playback tracks until in the extreme left position only Inputs are heard Saffire LE USER MANUAL m Direct Audio Streaming to the Saffire LE Outputs Soundcard S CARD mode The S CARD switch within SaffireControl LE is a one click solution to sending audio directly from your sequencer to the Saffire LE hardware outputs Activating the switch sets both of the INPUT MIX P BACK MIX sliders to the extreme right position so that no Inputs are heard and then turns all S W faders down apart from the correspo
32. sing the names on the rear panel left right centre etc The levels of the analogue outputs can be controlled individually using the three dials in the centre of the SaffireControl LE GUI Alternatively if wanting to adjust the levels of all 6 Outputs simultaneously activate the CTRL LINK switch in SaffireControl which links all three dials in the software providing one control for all If using a surround setup requiring an encoded digital signal AC3 or DTS connect the S PDIF RCA Output on the rear panel to the input of the surround decoder then activate the AC3 THRU switch within the SaffireControl LE software The Saffire LE can now be used to directly stream the encoded signal to your surround setup For more details read the Direct AC3 DTS streaming to the RCA Output section of this Guide Saffire LE USER MANUAL Managing a recording session with SaffireControl LE SaffireControl LE allows you to create independent latency free mixes of inputs and playback tracks for the monitors and headphones so that the engineer and artist can have the specific levels they want to help the session run smoothly Be aware that if recording at 88 2 96kHz then the number of mix options is reduced see the Changes to GUI at 88 2 96kHz section for details How to set up an input mix on the monitors headphones The six faders on the left of the GUI relate to Inputs 1 6 of the Saffire LE 1 4 being the analogue Inputs and 5 6 being the S
33. t choose Fader and Meter to adjust illuminated when active select slider ofcompressionin between Advanced the level of the signal at use to bypass Compressor template mode and Template Mode the Compressor Output VOCAL ACC GUITAR BRASS WIND STRINGS 9 FLAT ELEC GUITAR BASS PIANO PERC Fader and Meter to adjust the level of the signal at the Buttons allow copying and pasting compressor input 2 of settings to and from other Saffire compressors Dial sets the Dial sets the Dial sets the Dial sets the Dial sets the Meter shows the Threshold of the Ratio ofthe Attack time of Release time Makeup Gain of amount of gain compressor compressor the compressor of the the compressor reduction caused by compressor the compressor The Saffire Compressor plug in is modelled on the legendary Focusrite hardware devices with individually tuned optos to help create the sound of vintage 1960s compression The plug in can be used to squash the dynamics of a sound in varying degrees e g remove the sudden loud bursts so that the overall level can then be turned up to make the signal as loud as possible A compressor essentially acts like an automatic volume control turning down the volume of a signal if it gets too loud This reduces variation between loud and quiet passages as it automatically reduces the gain when the signal exceeds a given volume defined as the threshold Using the Saffire Compressor helps to even out a perform
34. uts no signal will be heard Cannot set a sample rate e Is Saffire LE being used to record audio Whilst audio is being recorded IN USE will show and the sample rate cannot be selected Cannot lock to an external device e Is a valid S PDIF source connected to the S PDIF Input on the rear panel e Is Saffire LE set to the same sample rate as the digital audio received at the S PDIF In If not a Lock cannot be achieved e Are you using a Mac rather than a PC You could be experiencing a core audio driver problem Check the Apple website for core audio driver updates or consult the Focusrite online answerbase The Compressor is not working e Is the plug in active The small switch on the left of the plug in window must be illuminated e Are the compressor controls set correctly The threshold must be low enough for the signal to exceed it for the compressor to have any effect The EQ is not working e Is the plug in active The small switch on the left of the plug in window must be illuminated e Are the EQ controls in a position to have an effect on frequencies that are present in the signal For example a low pass filter working on the upper frequencies will have little effect on a bass part The Reverb is not working e Is the AMOUNT dial set sufficiently high If not no reverb will be added e Is the TONE control set to an extreme position in the plug in window For more technical support visit the online ANSWERBASE fa www focusrite
35. ware never illuminates as this indicates that the level is exceeding the maximum level of the digital converter clipping point For an even easier indication of level observe the level of the meter below Input 1 or 2 on the left of the SaffireControl LE software GUI as shown INPUT 1 INPUT Z INPUT 3 GeG Level of Input 1 Recorded level Level of Input 2 Recorded level This signal will now appear as Saffire LE Input 1 or Input 2 depending on which socket the microphone is connected to within your sequencer recording application To record using a stereo pair simply connect microphones to both Inputs 1 and 2 and set the Gain dials for both Inputs on the front of the hardware to the same level observing the Input meters in the SaffireControl LE software shown above Saffire LE USER MANUAL Recording a line level source mono or stereo All four of the analogue Inputs can be used to record a line level source such as the analogue output of a mixer or a hardware synth This means that some decks could be permanently connected to Inputs 3 and 4 on the rear panel whilst Inputs 1 and 2 where free to use for recording vocal or instrumental parts To record using Inputs 1 and or 2 plug 1 4 TRS balanced but TS unbalanced could be used yielding a slightly lower level Jacks into either or both of the LINE IN sockets on the front panel This will automatically bypass any microphones that may be connected to the XLR
36. wise direction the more heavily the signal is compressed The next dials to set are the ATTACK and RELEASE times of the compressor fastest shortest position being fully anticlockwise and slowest longest being fully clockwise The ATTACK time defines how quickly the compressor kicks in e g how fast the signal is turned down when it exceeds the threshold In other words setting a slower longer attack time by rotating the dial clockwise will mean more of the loud part of the signal gets through uncompressed which makes the signal much more punchy but also more likely to clip The RELEASE time defines how quickly the compressor stops acting on the signal after it has begun to compress Setting a quicker shorter release time by rotating the dial anticlockwise will normally make the signal louder overall however this is dependant on how often the level exceeds the threshold and how fast the attack time Is Last but not least the GAIN dial defines how much the level of the compressed signal is increased after compression This means that a heavily compressed signal can be turned up loud to give it much more presence without fear of any overload or clipping occurring The Gain Reduction GR vertical meter to the right of the plug in window indicates the amount of compression taking place which provides a visible means of determining the Compressor s effect All dials have a surrounding blue line to show their value with the exact numerical amount displaye
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