Any Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 users?

[tubeswell]

I just got a Pro14 and I'm trying to learn how to use it with my mac. Any tips appreciated.


I'm trying to learn how to configure the MixControl. I had a little exercise in mind where i was going to digitise some of Mrs tubeswell's old cassette tapes for her using thee 3.5mm headphone out jack on her crappy cassette player and either run this into the SPDIF in/out jacks (if they are configurable to accept analog audio as stereo inputs?), or into 2 of the TS input jacks on the Pro 14.


I have an iMac intel core i5 2.5GHz with 6GB RAM and a mid 2012 macbook pro 2.5GHZ i5 with 8GB RAM, both with OSX 10.8.4 and a firewire 400-800 cable and Saffire MixControl 3.2. I've tested the Pro14 with the iMac, and everything lights up and synchs and locks as its supposed to.

Both the macs have garbageband '11 (6.0.5) which I am familiar with and which will probably suffice for the DAW for this exercise, and I also have Ableton Live Lite 8 that came with the Pro 14 (which I am only just learning how to use).

So can the SPDIF in/out ports be configured as stereo analog inputs in the MixControl?

TIA

[Steve Conner]

I very much doubt the digital inputs could be reconfigured as analog. I've owned a bunch of different audio interfaces and never seen it done before. You'll need a cable to adapt the 3.5mm jack to two 1/4" plugs.

Our bassist has the Liquid Saffire 56 in his home studio, with an Octopre for extra mic inputs. The MixControl software is mind-numbingly complex, and on his setup at least, the controls freeze every couple of hours requiring a reboot. It used to do that every couple of minutes, but we tracked it down to a poor quality FireWire cable. When it works, it sounds great and we're planning to record an album on it this summer.

For simple recording tasks you might like to try Audacity or the demo version of Reaper.

I forgot to mention that we both use Macs, he has an older iMac and I use a MacBook Pro with a M-Audio interface hooked up to a Focusrite Twin Trak. So you're not alone.

[tubeswell]

TFT Steve. I wondered if configuring the SPDIF inputs for analog inputs was a pipe dream (or a 'pipeline' dream ). I have 3.5mmTRS to 2 x 6mm TS stereo cables so I'll use that. Freezes with the 400-800 cable aye? What computer/OS he is using?

[Steve Conner]

Yes, it freezes when a 400 to 800 cable is used. How often seems to depend on the cable. The cable that caused the most trouble was a cheap looking skinny black one, ironically I think it is the one that Focusrite ships with the interface.

We reproduced the problem on two machines, the iMac and a MacBook Pro both running Snow Leopard. As an experiment we upgraded the MacBook to Mountain Lion and that made no difference whatsoever to the problem.

I can't remember if we ever tried connecting it to the imac's FireWire 400 port.

[überfuzz]

I have a Fucusrite sound card, not sure which model though. For me the out controls are a bit wacky. I never know how to get a proper setting for the line out, or monitor line out, while recording stuff. The result is that I often just mess about with the settings. The in part however is really nice. Mic, instrument, midi is easy to set up.

[tubeswell]

I've used mine a number of times to record with now and it seems to work fine as long as a good quality firewire 400-800 cable is used.

Although the Mix Control software does take a bit to get your head around it.

[überfuzz]

Mine is a saffire 6.