Focusrite Saffire

 

 

The Focusrite Saffire, a new breed of Firewire interface with onboard DSP and 24-bit/192kHz processing. Saffire fuses state-of-the-art hardware with highly integrated software to take audio interfacing one giant step closer to the professional studio experience.

Four inputs (two digital) and 10 outputs (two digital) with unrivalled foldback and monitoring options ensure the engineer has all he needs to navigate through a modern recording session. Focusrite build and sound quality, intelligent front-end design and cutting-edge compression, EQ and foldback reverb software combine to guarantee an intuitive and trouble-free recording experience.

The brand new software accompanying the Saffire hardware is a revolutionary new platform from the team that produced LiquidControl and the Forte Suite. This stylish application floats comfortably over any recording software and allows extensive control over the sound of the recorded signals and the multiple (monitor and headphone) output paths.

Compression, reverb, amp modeling and EQ Saffire-powered plug-ins are included. All four are also available as a suite of plug-ins from within the recording platform in use. Up to five separate user-defined stereo mixes can be created of all incoming signals and recorded tracks from the recording platform. With such comprehensive monitoring/foldback options and onboard high quality signal processing and effects, the Saffire is truly the interface of choice for the serious recording engineer.

Features
Ultra-low latency Firewire 400 interface with onboard DSP

24-bit, 192kHz integrated A-D/D-A

Four inputs; two Focusrite preamps and SPDIF I/O

Eight balanced outputs for creating separate headphone/monitor mixes or 7.1 surround monitoring

Suite of Saffire-powered plug-ins; compression, EQ, amp modeling and monitor path reverb available on analogue inputs, for recording wet and or monitoring

Free accompanying software allows the engineer to create up to five unique stereo mixes of all incoming and recorded tracks

Plug-ins also available for use within the user's software platform

MIDI I/O

Includes Cubase LE software

Technical Info

Operating System

Windows,
XP Service Pack 2 (Home, Professional, 64bit XP or Media Centre Edition) or Windows Vista (32bit only)

Mac,
OS X Panther (10.3.3 or later) - Mac OS update may be required

Additional Info

Firewire chipsets from TI (Texas Instruments), VIA, and NEC are recommended
It is highly recommended that Saffire be run on its own Firewire bus/card
In order to use Saffire with a 4-pin IEEE1394 port you will need a 4-pin to 6-pin cable (not included) and must use the PSU (included)

MIC
Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz +/- 0.1 dB
THD+N: 0.001% (measured at 1kHz with a 20Hz/22kHz bandpass filter)
Noise: EIN > 120dB (measured at 60dB of gain with 150 Ohm termination (20Hz/22kHz bandpass filter)

LINE
Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz +/- 0.1dB
THD+N: 0.001% (measured with 0dBFS input and 22Hz/22kHz bandpass filter)
Noise: -88dBu (22Hz/22kHz bandpass filter)

INSTRUMENT
Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz +/- 0.1dB
THD+N: 0.004% (measured with 0dBu input and 20Hz/22kHz bandpass filter)
Noise: -87dBu (20Hz/22kHz bandpass filter)

DIGITAL PERFORMANCE
Clock Source: Internal clock or sync to word clock on SPDIF
A/D Dynamic Range 104dB 'A-weighted'
D/A Dynamic Range 110dB ?A-weighted'
Clock Jitter < 250 pico seconds
Sample rate 44.1 to 192kHz

WEIGHT and DIMS
1.1kg - 6.5cm x 17cm x 17cm

ANALOGUE INPUTS
Mic: 2 x XLR on front panel
Mic Gain: +13dB to + 60dB
Line: 2 x 1/4" TRS Jack
Line Gain: -10dB to +36dB
Instrument: As above, switched to Instrument
Instrument Gain: +13dB to +60dB

ANALOGUE OUTPUTS
Line level 8 x 1/4" TRS Jack
Nominal output level 0dBFS = 16dBu, electronically balanced
All outputs are useable as monitoring outputs

DIGITAL I/O
2 x SPDIF (RCA phono) on rear panel (24-bit, 96kHz) Output transformer isolated

MIDI I/O
1 in / 1 out on rear panel

FIREWIRE S400
2 ports

POWER
Either via FIREWIRE or external PSU (12v AC, 1.5A)

HEADPHONE MONITORING
2 x 1/4" TRS Jack on front panel (mirrors outputs 5-8)