The Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP DSP is a 16 in and 8 out firewire audio interface featuring real-time DSP-powered tracking and mixing solutions tailor-made for the modern home studio environment. Alongside DSP-powered Compression and EQ for latency-free tracking and comfort reverb, is VRM; a Virtual Reference Monitoring technology that lets you hear your mix in different environments, through different speakers and from different positions, all just using headphones.
Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP DSP Firewire Interface Features
- VRM Virtual Reference Monitoring: Hear your mix in different environments, through different speakers and from different positions, just using headphones
- Two High Quality Award-winning Focusrite Pre-amps: The best sounding interface in its class. Focusrite's unparalleled pre-amp legacy forms the foundation of this new interface, with two award-winning Focusrite pre-amps.
- Onboard DSP-powered, latency-free tracking and mixing tools: Classic Focusrite EQ and Compression for tracking, as well as comfort reverb to place across your monitor mixes.
- High Quality 24-bit/96kHz FireWire Interface: Features high quality A-D / D-A conversion and JetPLL jitter elimination technology; pristine audio quality and reliable synchronisation are guaranteed.
- Total I/O Count of 16 Inputs and 8 Outputs: A host of I/O options are provided, including a unique loop-back facility for routing audio between software applications via Saffire Mix Control.
- Saffire Mix Control Zero-latency DSP Mixer/Router: Routing flexibility and intuitive one-click set-up solutions; Saffire Mix Control provides an 16 x 8 DSP mixer with excellent output routing and monitoring capabilities.
- Xcite+ Software Bundle: Featuring a host of royalty-free loops and samples, a full-fledged Novation soft-synth and Ableton Live 7 Lite, providing an affordable upgrade path to Ableton Live.
- Focusrite VST/AU Plug-in Suite, for use in the mix: Upgrade your standard sequencer effects and bring a touch of class to your session with all-new Focusrite Compression, Reverb, Gating and EQ VST/AU plug-ins.
- Front panel 5-LED metering: LED metering for each of the analogue inputs offers accurate viewing of levels direct from the front fascia.
- Two dedicated front-panel headphone busses: Providing two fully customised monitor mixes, with tactile level control available on the front panel.
- Bus-powered for a tidy mobile recording rig: Saffire Pro 24 DSP DSP can be powered via FireWire, or via its own power supply
Virtual Referencing Monitoring
VRM makes Saffire Pro 24 DSP DSP the only interface capable of simulating over one hundred different monitoring scenarios through your headphones. VRM overcomes the major obstacle for mixing with headphones by giving you multiple perspectives on your mix, as if you were listening through speakers. Indeed, noise levels from mixing through speakers can make it impossible for most to mix at home, especially late at night; with VRM, you can mix anytime, anywhere. Using any pair of monitoring headphones, VRM let’s you choose your mixing environment from a living room, a bedroom studio, or a professional studio. You then simply choose where you are positioned in that room and what speakers you listen through.
The Problem
VRM (Virtual Reference Monitoring) is Focusrite’s own loudspeaker and room simulator designed for headphone listening. Accurate mixing has until now, required expensive monitors and a carefully designed and treated control room. Currently, both professional music producers facing budgetary limitations and project music makers without access to such, frequently encounter mixing and auditioning difficulties.
The Solution
VRM allows you to choose from 10 pairs of industry standard nearfield and main monitors in an acoustically treated control room. You can select 6 different listening positions within that room; vary your distance from the monitors and move from left to right to check stereo imaging.
Engineers routinely A/B their mixes by burning CDs and taking them into untreated rooms to reference on consumer stereos. VRM eliminates this process by simulating two extra rooms; a large living room and a smaller bedroom. You can choose between a range of speakers including quality hi-fi, computer, cheap stereo and television speakers. As with the control room simulation, you can select between a number of listening positions to check stereo imaging and observe the effects of typical room modes on your mixes.
The Method
VRM uses standard headphones to reproduce the direct sound, together with a DSP system that is used to simulate specific monitoring scenarios. VRM's room models are mathematical models which provide greater flexibility in the possible combinations of loudspeakers and listening positions. The loudspeaker simulations are created using convolutions of impulse responses measured using the original loudspeakers. The accuracy of these simulations in different environments is taken care of by the impulse responses themselves and the way they are calculated and manipulated. Saffire Pro 24 DSP DSP takes all the processing load off your computer.
VRM - Room Models and Loudspeaker Models
Click here for complete listing.
With Saffire Pro 24 DSP, sonic integrity reigns supreme. The two Focusrite pre-amps ensure low noise and distortion, whilst quality digital conversion and JetPLL jitter elimination technology ensure pristine audio quality as your audio flows between the analogue and digital domains.
Alongside the two Focusrite pre-amps are a host of I/O options; two additional analogue inputs, six analogue outputs, ADAT inputs (for expanding the interface with, for example, Focusrite’s OctoPre), stereo SPDIF I/O and 2 virtual loopback inputs for routing digital
audio between software applications - ideal for capturing online audio. Front panel 5-LED metering for each analogue input offers detailed viewing of levels.
Saffire Mix Control, the zero-latency 16 x 8 DSP Mixer/Router software provided with Saffire Pro 24 DSP, sets a new standard at this price point for audio interface control. It features flexible output routing and monitoring, as well as intuitive one-click set-up solutions designed to help you track, monitor and mix as quickly as possible.
Focusrite’s Saffire Pro 24 DSP is designed to capture every subtle nuance of your recordings, dropped seamlessly and effortlessly into the digital domain, leaving you free to enjoy the freedom of a creative modern music making experience.
Focusrite Plug In Suite
Saffire Pro 24 DSP includes the Focusrite plugin suite, produced by the same team that who developed Novation's nio FX rack and Saffire PRO 40 Control. They provide the perfect upgrade from your standard sequencer effects with all-new Focusrite Compression, Reverb, Gating and EQ VST/AU plug-ins, for use in the mix.
Each plug-in has a host of pre-sets that provide a reasonable starting point, delivering suitable solutions for the chosen sound source. Having selected a preset, you can then go on to finely tune these settings.
The compressor and Gate have been modeled on the Focusrite's hardware devices, using the measurement of custom optos to achieve the signature Focusrite sound. (All Focusrite optos are tuned by ear, just like in the old days of analog design, ensuring a faithful recreation of those classic vintage 1960s optical compressors.)
With the same signature as the original Focusrite EQ curves. Focusrite's R&D team used state-of-the-art numerical transform techniques to create an authentic response across the entire audible frequency spectrum for this software EQ.
The Reverb is based on classic algorithmic studio reverb designs.
The Focusrite Pre
Focusrite has, over the past two decades, built a reputation as the market leader for high quality recording equipment, with its mic-pre technology as the cornerstone of that enviable reputation. The original mic-pre, as featured in the early Focusrite Forte console, used rotary switched gain controls and high quality audio transformers. This mic-pre is still used by many of the industries greatest producers and is the sound of countless hit records. Today, Focusrite design equipment for a far greater audience, from professionals to amateur enthusiasts, all with varying budgets.
As with the Red and ISA ranges, the Mic-pre technology found in the Saffire range is designed to the highest possible standards. They uphold the same wide bandwidth philosophy featured in the original forté console, back in 1989. All Focusrite mic-pres feature custom components which have undergone an intense testing and qualification process. With the facts and figures in, Focusrite designs then have to pass the essential listening stage. Any design can measure well on the test bench but only a great design can be qualified in the studio. The FET-based design in the Saffire range is no exception and ensures the same low noise and distortion performance as earlier transformer-based designs. It delivers clarity without colouration and exhibits the signature transparency for which Focusrite have become famous.
Xcite+ Pack
Xcite+ comes on a DVD-ROM filled to the brim with royalty-free loops and samples alongside some powerful applications ideal for getting the new user started, or to expand the experienced user’s creative toolbox.
Ableton Live Lite 7 forms the foundation of this collection, providing the ideal platform to create, produce and perfom. Novation’s classic bass synth, ‘Bass Station’ enables you to create bass and 303-styled patches. Alongside these comes 'Mike the Drummer'; a collection of 572 inspiring and original live drum loops ranging from 79 to 191 bpm, with loop lengths ranging from 1 beat to 4 bars, as well as extended freestyle solo sections. Individual drum hits and REX files are also available.These drum loops are however, just the beginning. An entire gigabyte of royalty-free samples, exclusively compiled by LoopMasters, provide a selection of loops and samples large enough to satisfy the appetite of even the most demanding artist.
The Xcite+ Pack bundle is Windows XP, 32 bit Vista, Mac OS X and Intel Mac compatible.
Saffire Pro 24 / 24 DSP - Differences
The main additional feature on the Pro 24 DSP (from the PRO 24) is an onboard DSP chip which powers the Virtual Reference Monitoring feature, and tracking tools such as compression, limiting and comfort reverb without any strain on your computer's CPU.
It also comes with an extra headphone output on the front of the unit so two people can reference the mix using VRM. The Pro 24 DSP also has Dim and Mute switches on the front panel.