Overview
The Red 3 employs an unusual and original single-VCA design to achieve high quality and truly independent compression and limiting, without the compromise and unnecessary processing involved in traditional designs. The success of the design is attested to by the Red 3’s TEC award for Outstanding Technical Achievement in the Signal Processing Technology category
The VCA used is a proprietary Focusrite design, fully discrete and balanced, offering superb low noise and distortion, and excellent common-mode rejection. In order to separate compression and limiting, the side-chain electronics contain three VCAs in series to generate compression and limiting control voltages which drive the main VCA. The result is true compression followed by limiting, rather than the more common characteristic of compression that turns into limiting. The side-chain electronics are class A, ensuring superb transient response. Both compression and limiting therefore, offer true peak response, not averaging RMS response.
The use of such a high quality audio VCA as the only element between input and output means a very short signal path, and an ability to retain a natural, unobtrusive sound even when significant compression is being applied.
Each channel has clear and identical controls, for compressor ratio, threshold, make-up gain, attack and release, and limiter threshold. A program-dependent auto-release mode is available, and the VU meters can be switched to show levels in two ranges, or gain change. In stereo mode the lower set takes control of both channels.
The Rite Red
The Focusrite Red Range is hand-made, crafted to the highest standards. All the Red Processors are manufactured solely in the UK using machine-tooled, half-inch thick
claret red anodised aluminium. The chassis features recessed section grooves and styling motifs, (sculpted with diamond-tip cutters,) porthole windows, anoprinted silver control text, and firm-response illuminated switches.
All potentiometers are manufactured to Focusrite’s own specification by French company ‘Sfernice’, and are made from conductive plastic which gives more sensitivity and no mechanical resistance (easy to make very fine adjustments).
All Red products feature sealed relays, (gold-plated silver in an inert gas,) situated in the middle of the circuits in which they switch. The precious metals mean that all contacts are low resistance, and the gas prevents any kind of corrosion of the surface of the contacts, meaning the most perfect audio switching device ever designed - utterly passive, zero distortion caused and no FET’s required.
Red Range processors with mic pre’s feature solid-state-amplified audio transformers, which help to give the characteristic “warm, organic sound” loved by studios world-wide. Transformers are the only way of giving a truly floating and earth-free system, because there’s no galvanic connection between the input and output circuitry.
Transformers are not new in audio; they were there at the outset, but whilst others were trying to design them out to cut costs, Focusrite went after the best transformer possible, a philosophy which resulted in the transformers you find in the Red series today.
Low frequency second order distortion created by transformer saturation provides the character that many perceive as ‘warmth’. Meanwhile, a high frequency emphasis generated by the reactance of the coil resonance with the terminating impedance of the microphone or receiving device, provides the engineer with open, spacious high frequencies.
The Red Range mic transformer in particular gets its legendary “transparent yet warm” label from this process, an apparent contradiction in terms, yet a genuine characteristic – audition a unit and hear for yourself.
Specifications
Weight
• 7.3kg
• 16.1Ibs
Dimensions
• 484mm (W) x 85mm (H) x 266mm (D)
• 19" (W) x 3.5" (H) x 10.5" (D)
• 2U rackmount
Awards
TEC Award Winner
Signal Processing Tech - Hardware Category
1995
TEC Award Winner
Signal Processing Tech - Hardware Category
1995
Reviews
Studio Sound review quotes
March 1996
Dave Foister
"The Focusrite Red Range is a reviewer's dream come true."
Pro Audio Review (USA) Magazine review quotes
April 1997
J. Arif Verner
"The Red 3 is one awesome looking box. Everyone who saw it wanted one. In addition to incredible performance, this unit looks like a piece of art. It?s surface is comprised of a beautiful metallic red finish with stylish silver dials and two very distinct VU meters."
"Both compressors, (Red 3 and d3 Digidesign plug-in) gave beautiful results. Either way, software or hardware, you cannot go wrong with Focusrite."
User Thoughts
“...the Focusrite Red 3. I always put finished, stereo mixes through the Focusrite. It pulls the mix together a bit. I call that ‘kissing the Focusrite’”.
Tom Lord-Alge - Recording/Mixing Engineer –derived from an interview in Sound on Sound.
