The Focusrite
Saffire PRO 24 DSP is Focusrite's latest 16 In / 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.
VRM makes
Saffire PRO 24 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.
Saffire PRO 24 DSP draws on twenty-five years of mic-pre excellence. The two Focusrite pre-
amps capture every subtle nuance of your
sound whilst ensuring low
noise and distortion. Meanwhile, high-quality
digital conversion and JetPLL
jitter elimination technology ensure pristine
audio quality as your
audio flows between the
analogue and
digital domains.
Saffire PRO 24 DSP's other
real-time DSP-powered effects also exhibit Focusrite's uncompromised approach to
audio quality.
EQ,
Compression and 'Comfort'
Reverb sonically derived from the 'Focusrite Plug-in Suite' (also included as
VST/AU plug-ins) are all integrated within the Saffire Mix Control software, providing professional latency-free tools for tracking and monitoring.
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 accurate 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 easily as possible.
Saffire PRO 24 DSP also comes with all the additional tools needed to start making music right away. These include the latest version of the Focusrite Plug-in Suite, which provides a significant upgrade from your standard
sequencer effects. The suite includes
Compression,
Reverb, Gating and
EQ VST/AU plug-ins.
Focusrite's established Xcite+ bundle is also included. The bundle features Ableton Live 7 Lite (for all your production, performance and compositional needs), Novation's
Bass Station soft synth and over 1 gig of royalty-free samples from Loopmasters and '
Mike the Drummer'.
Saffire PRO 24 DSP combines two award-winning Focusrite pre-
amps and a host of other
I/O with VRM Virtual Reference Monitoring, integrated
real-time tracking and monitoring effects, and easy-to-use mix control software. Together, they deliver the most comprehensive professional compact music-recording
interface to date.
The Focusrite Pre
Focusrite has, over the past decade, built a reputation as the market leader for high quality recording equipment, with is 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 Platinum and Saffire ranges is designed to the highest possible standards. They uphold the same wide
bandwidth philosophy featured in the original
Forte 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.
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.