User Guide FFFA001426-01 www.focusrite.
TABLE OF CONTENTS OVERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
OVERVIEW Introduction Thank you for purchasing this Second Generation Scarlett 6i6, one of the family of Focusrite professional audio interfaces incorporating high quality Focusrite analogue pre-amplifiers. In conjunction with the unit’s accompanying software application, Focusrite Control, you now have a compact yet highly versatile solution for routing high quality audio to and from your computer.
All inputs on the Scarlett 6i6 are routed directly to your DAW software for recording, but Focusrite Control also allows you to route these signals internally within the device to the outputs so that you can monitor the audio signals with ultra-low latency - before they arrive at your DAW, should you need to do so. The Scarlett 6i6 also has connectors for sending and receiving MIDI data; this lets you use it as a MIDI “hub” between your computer’s USB port and other items of MIDI equipment in your system.
GETTING STARTED IMPORTANT: PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU INSTALL FOCUSRITE CONTROL BEFORE CONNECTING THE INTERFACE TO YOUR COMPUTER. NOTE THAT THE SECOND GENERATION SCARLETT 6i6 DOES NOT REQUIRE SEPARATE USB DRIVERS TO BE INSTALLED FOR EITHER MAC OR WINDOWS. FOCUSRITE CONTROL INCLUDES THE NECESSARY DRIVERS. Software Installation All software required by the Scarlett 6i6 - and several powerful and useful extras - are available for download from the Focusrite website (www.focusrite.com/register).
HARDWARE FEATURES Front Panel 3 8 9 2 1 4 5 7 6 The Front Panel includes input connectors for Mic, Line and Instrument signals, the input gain and monitoring controls, and sockets for headphones. 1. Inputs 1 and 2 – XLR Combo type input sockets - connect microphones, instruments . (e.g., guitar), or line level signals via XLR or ¼” (6.35 mm) jacks as appropriate. Either ¼” TRS (balanced) or TS (unbalanced) jack plugs can be used for instruments or line level signals. 2.
Rear Panel 16 15 14 12 13 11 10 11 10 17 10. LINE INPUTS 3 and 4 – The inputs are balanced, on ¼” (6.35 mm) jack sockets. Connect further line level sources here, using either ¼” TRS (balanced) or TS (unbalanced) jack plugs. 11. LINE OUTPUTS 1 to 4 – four balanced analogue line outputs on ¼” (6.35 mm) jack sockets; use TRS jacks for a balanced connection or TS jacks for unbalanced.
Connecting your Scarlett 6i6 IMPORTANT: Before you connect your Scarlett 6i6 to your computer, please complete the software installation according to the instructions at page 5. This will ensure that the hardware uses the correct drivers, and will prevent unexpected behaviour. Power Your Scarlett 6i6 should be powered from an external 12 V DC, 1 A mains adaptor. A suitable adaptor is supplied with the unit. IMPORTANT: We very strongly recommend that you only use the supplied mains adaptor.
Audio Setup in your DAW The Scarlett 6i6 is compatible with any Windows-based DAW that supports ASIO or WDM or any Mac-based DAW that uses Core Audio. After installing Focusrite Control and connecting the hardware, you can start using your Scarlett 6i6 with the DAW of your choice. To allow you to get started if you do not already have a DAW application installed on your computer, both .
Once the Scarlett 6i6 is set as the preferred Audio Device* in your DAW, all six inputs and twelve outputs (this is the maximum number of DAW outputs that can route to the Focusrite Control software) will appear in your DAW’s Audio I/O preferences (note however that Ableton Live Lite is limited to a maximum of four mono input channels and four mono output channels). Depending on your DAW, you may need to enable certain inputs or outputs before use.
Example of Usage The Scarlett 6i6 is an excellent choice for several different recording and monitoring applications. Some typical configurations are shown below. Connecting microphones and instruments Digital FX device Amplifier This setup illustrates a configuration for recording two singers and a keyboard with DAW software on Mac or PC. In this case, Inputs 1 and 2 are used for the two vocalists, while Inputs 3 and 4 receive the stereo output of the keyboard.
The front panel input sockets are XLR Combo type, which accept either an XLR male connector (you will probably have one on the end of your microphone cable) or a ¼” (6.35 mm) jack plug. Note the Scarlett 6i6 has no “Mic/line” switch – the Focusrite preamplifier stage is automatically configured for a microphone when you plug an XLR into the input, and for a line or instrument when you connect a jack plug.
In the example below, each of the band members is receiving a monitor mix. Focusrite Control lets you define up to four separate mono mixes (or two stereo), and these mixes may include previously recorded DAW tracks as well the current input signals.
Connecting Scarlett 6i6 to loudspeakers The 1/4” jack outputs on the rear panel will normally be used to drive monitoring speakers. . Self-powered (active) monitors incorporate internal amplifiers, and may be connected directly. Passive loudspeakers will require a separate stereo amplifier; in this case, the rear panel outputs should be connected to the amplifier’s inputs. Amplifier Active Speakers Passive Speakers All the line output connectors are 3-pole (TRS) ¼” (6.
Using the Scarlett 6i6 as a stand-alone mixer The Scarlett 6i6 has the ability to store a mix configuration defined in Focusrite Control within the hardware. This feature lets you configure it – for example, as an on-stage sub-mixer – using your computer, and then upload the configuration to the device itself. Then you can use the Scarlett 6i6 as a simple local mixer as part of your equipment rig to control the overall mix of multiple instruments.
FOCUSRITE CONTROL Focusrite Control software allows flexible mixing and routing of all audio signals to the physical audio outputs, as well as control of output monitor levels. Sample rate selection and digital sync options are also available from Focusrite Control. NOTE: Focusrite Control is a generic product, and may be used with other Focusrite hardware interfaces.
The following table provides the channel routings when preset option “Direct Routing” is selected in Focusrite Control; see the screen image on page 16. CH NO. INPUTS OUTPUTS 1 Input 1 Output 1 2 Input 2 Output 2 3 Input 3 Output 3 4 Input 4 Output 4 5 S/PDIF 1 S/PDIF 1 6 S/PDIF 2 S/PDIF 2 Please refer to the Focusrite Control User Guide for further details.
SPECIFICATIONS Performance Specifications Configuration Inputs 6: analogue (4), S/PDIF (2) Outputs 6: analogue (4), S/PDIF (2) Mixer Fully assignable 6-in/12-out software mixer . (Focusrite Control) Digital Performance Supported sample rates 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz and 192 kHz Clock jitter <250 ps Microphone Inputs Frequency Response 20 Hz to 20 kHz, +0.5/-1.5 dB Dynamic Range 109 dB (‘A’-weighted) THD+N < 0.002% Noise EIN –127 dBu Maximum Input Level +8.
Instrument Inputs Frequency Response 20 Hz to 20 kHz, +0.5/-1.5 dB Dynamic Range 109 dB (‘A’-weighted) THD+N < 0.003% Maximum Input Level +12 dBu Gain Range 50 dB Line Outputs 1 to 4 Frequency Response 20 Hz to 20 kHz, +/-0.5 dB Dynamic Range 108 dB (‘A’-weighted) THD+N < 0.001% Maximum Output Level (0 dBFS) +16 dBu, balanced Headphone Outputs Frequency Response 20 Hz to 20 kHz, +/-0.5 dB Dynamic Range 108 dB (‘A’-weighted) THD+N < 0.
Physical and Electrical Characteristics Analogue Inputs 1 & 2 Connectors XLR Combo type: Mic/Line/Inst, on front panel Mic/Line switching Automatic Line/Instrument switching Via software from Focusrite Control Phantom power Shared +48 V phantom power switch for inputs 1 and 2 Analogue Inputs 3 & 4 Connectors 2 x balanced ¼” TRS jacks on rear panel Analogue Outputs 1 to 4 Connectors 4 x balanced ¼” TRS jacks on rear panel Stereo headphone outputs 2 x ¼” TRS jack on front panel Main monitor outp
TROUBLESHOOTING For all troubleshooting queries, please visit the Focusrite Answerbase at https://support.focusrite.com/hc/en-gb/requests/new where you will find articles covering numerous troubleshooting examples. COPYRIGHT AND LEGAL NOTICES Focusrite is a registered trade mark and Scarlett 6i6 is a trade mark of Focusrite Audio Engineering Limited. All other trade marks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. 2016 © Focusrite Audio Engineering Limited. All rights reserved.
