All Saffire Range hardware units include the Saffire plugin suite, produced by the same team that who developed the LiquidControl and the Forte Suite. Compression, reverb, amp modeling and EQ Saffire plug-ins are included in both VST and AudioUnit plugin formats, for use in the mix.

An independent review found on the Sound On Sound forum

Sound On Sound review quotes
December 2006
Paul White

"The control panel software is easy to use and makes it very straightforward to set up custom monitor mixes."

"The template mode makes it very easy for non-technical people to get good results."

"I'm really impressed by the Saffire Pro 26 I/O"

"I have to say that the Saffire Pro is going to be a very tough act to beat at anything like the same price."

To view this review, click here

Here follow some initial frequently asked questions and answers. For a growing number of up-to-date support articles relating to this product, we highly recommend you visit the Focusrite Answerbase.


Q: What is Saffire PRO?
A: Saffire PRO is the first high channel count Firewire interface from Focusrite and the third Saffire range product to be released. It is the only solution for tracking large numbers of channels of Focusrite-quality audio directly into the DAW. In addition to 8 classic Focusrite pre-amps, high performance 24-bit digital converters ensure that an exceptional standard is maintained throughout the record path. Furthermore, 2 channels of S/PDIF and 16 channels of ADAT In and Out make the total count 26, hence Saffire PRO 26 I/O.

Q: What comes in the box?
A: The Saffire hardware comes with a CD containing software (SaffireControl PRO application and AU/VST EQ, Compression, Amp Sim and Reverb plug-ins) and drivers. A Firewire cable and power supply are also supplied. The hardware bus-powers off a standard 6-pin Firewire port; the external power supply is only necessary when connected to the smaller 4-pin ports on some laptops (that cannot supply power). If using multiple Saffire PRO?s, however, it may be necessary to power the hardware using the external power supply, to reduce the demand on the Firewire bus (see the FAQ about multiple Saffire PRO usage below). The Saffire PRO User Guide pdf file is included on the accompanying Resources CD.

Q: What is the SaffireControl PRO software for?
A: The SaffireControl PRO software is designed to allow the hardware setting controls not present on the hardware itself to be accessed, as well as providing a host of different monitoring options. There is an Input Mix section where all 26 Input levels can be set, to create an Input Mix that can be blended with backing tracks from the sequencer on the four pairs of analogue outputs and the S/PDIF output. There are also controls for setting the sample rate, synchronizing the hardware to an external source and extensive level controls for all outputs. The software can be shrunk down to reduced formats and made to float over the top of the sequencer so the settings can always be viewed/edited.

Q: Is Saffire PRO cross-platform?
A: Yes. Windows XP and Mac OSX.

Q: Is Saffire PRO a USB device?
A: No, Saffire PRO is a dual port Firewire 400 device. USB can occasionally be quite unstable; Firewire 400 offers better stability. There are two Firewire ports on the Saffire PRO so that you can chain/connect additional Firewire devices (such as hard drives) to your computer, even though your computer may only have one Firewire port. You can also chain multiple Saffire PROs together using the additional Firewire port.

Q: What is the difference between Firewire 400 and 800 specifications?
A: The main difference is bandwidth. Firewire 400 is really all you need for audio applications unless you?re running 48 tracks at 192 kHz. Of course, there is a higher price associated with Firewire 800 and fewer computers support it.

Q: What are Saffire PROs system requirements?
A: Mac: OS X Panther (10.3.3 or later), G4/800MHz, 256MB RAM
PC: XP, Pentium Celeron, or Pentium compatible processor of 900MHz, 256MB RAM

Q: Does Saffire PRO have built in DSP? If not, why not?
A: No. The only member of the Saffire family with built in DSP is the original Saffire. This was designed to be an all-in-one recording solution, providing the facilities of a channel strip (input processing), small mixing console (foldback reverb and monitor mixing) and high quality audio interface all rolled into one. Saffire PRO, on the other hand, is a means for tracking the highest quality of multi-channel audio into the DAW, without the considerable extra cost of onboard DSP to provide potentially unnecessary processing.

Q: Does Saffire PRO include any plug-ins? If so, what are they?
A: Yes. The massively popular Saffire plug-in suite, consisting of EQ, compression, guitar amp simulation and reverb. These plug-ins come in VST and AU format.

Q: Quality wise, how do these plug-ins compare with other Focusrite plug-ins like d2/d3 and Forte Suite?
A: There is no distinct sonic difference between the Forte and Saffire plug-in suites; Focusrite's world famous sound quality comes through with both. Technological advancement in the area of software modelling in-house at Focusrite means that both the Forte and Saffire plug-ins are sonically impressive and always true to the original Focusrite analogue sound.

Q: Does any free recording software come with Saffire PRO?
A: No. We didn't feel that providing any additional sequencing software was worthwhile for the pro customer, whereas plug-ins are always highly appreciated!

Q: What sequencer/audio software packages have been 'qualified and tested' to perform with Saffire?
A: Saffire will work with all ASIO and Core Audio compatible software, in other words all software apart from Pro Tools. It's been tested thoroughly with Cubase, Logic, Sonar, Ableton Live, Digital Performer and Reason to name but a few. For more information on specific software apps, check with technical support at Focusrite HQ. (The list of tested software is v long!)

Q: Can I run the digital inputs & outputs with the analog inputs & outputs simultaneously?
A: Yes. All inputs and outputs can be used at the same time at 44.1/48kHz. However, as the sample rate increases the digital i/o decreases due to a lower ADAT channel count. (See the next question for details.)

Q: Does Saffire PRO's track count decrease at higher sampling rates?
A: Yes. At higher sample rates, the amount of ADAT i/o decreases. When the sample rate doubles from 44.1/48kHz to 88.2/96kHz, the ADAT i/o halves to 8 channels. Doubling again reduces the total i/o to 10 (8 Analogue and 2 S/PDIF) as the ADATs are not available at 176.4/192kHz.

Q: What is the difference between the input mix and the S/W tracks (represented by either side of the output crossfaders in SaffireControl PRO)?
A: Each pair of outputs (1/2 & 9/10) can have a unique blend of a generic mix of the inputs and audio from the recording platform/sequencer in use (e.g. Logic, Cubase etc.). The input mix is created using the eight faders at the top of SaffireControl PRO?s GUI (the function of which can be switched between different groups of inputs: analogue/SPDIF/ADAT1/ADAT2). If you just want to hear this input mix and nothing else on one of the pairs of outputs, you can set the crossfader for the output pair in the extreme left position.

Pre-recorded audio coming from the sequencer is called the PLAYBACK MIX or S/W (software) tracks. S/W tracks 1-26 in SaffireControl PRO relate to the audio routed to Saffire PRO Outputs 1-26 within the sequencer. So, S/W 1/2 normally represents the master mix as this is often routed to outputs 1/2 in the sequencer, unless more complex routing has been set up. There are switches in SaffireControl PRO to activate S/W 1/2 across all pairs of analogue outputs, so that this master mix can be heard on the headphones if doing a recording session. Alternatively, S/W tracks 1-10 can be activated across Saffire PRO outputs 1-10 if wanting to route specific tracks from the sequencer to specific outputs on Saffire PRO, when mixing or during multi-channel playback for example. (There are preset switches labeled TRACK and S/CARD in SaffireControl PRO to alternate the function of Saffire PRO between these two states: recording/tracking and mixing/soundcard mode.) If you just want to hear the S/W tracks and no inputs, you can set the crossfader for the output pair in the extreme right position.

To blend between amounts of the INPUT MIX and the S/W tracks on a stereo output pair to create a latency free mix for recording, simply set the crossfader in each output section to a central position. The further to the left/right the crossfader is set, the more inputs/SW tracks are heard.

Audio routed to Saffire PRO outputs 11-26 within the sequencer (S/W tracks 11-26) routes directly to ADAT1 (11-18) and ADAT2 (19-26).

Q: How do you select which audio tracks return to each Saffire PRO bus (meaning the S/W tracks within SaffireControl PRO) from your software (e.g. Ableton Live)?
A: When you have chosen Saffire PRO as the audio interface within the audio recording platform (Ableton), the input and output audio options that are available will relate to those within SaffireControl PRO. For example, the user can route a stereo audio track in the sequencer to S/W tracks 5/6 in SaffireControl PRO by selecting Saffire PRO Outputs 5/6 as the output choice for that track. This will then route directly to Saffire PRO analogue outputs 5/6, unless S/W 1/2 is active across that output pair in SaffireControl PRO or the crossfader is in the extreme left position where only the Input Mix is heard (see the previous question for more details).

Q: If there are only 8 analogue outputs, how come there are 5 output pairs available in the lower half of SaffireControl PRO?
A: As you can see from the symbol at the bottom of each output pair section, the last pair (9/10) is the S/PDIF Output. Also, outputs 5/6 and 7/8 are the same signals as Headphones 1 and Headphones 2 on the front panel respectively.

Q: What does FLOAT actually do?
A: The float feature allows the SaffireControl PRO window to sit permanently above all applications rather than disappearing each time the mouse clicks in another application's window. This allows the SaffireControl PRO window to be shrunk down to its reduced window format and then positioned in one corner of the screen, where the main hardware settings controls can be accessed instantly, without having to cycle through different applications or maximize windows.

Q: What is the soundcard (S/CARD) preset all about?
A: SaffireControl PRO has two preset buttons to step through the two main modes of operation; the first is the standard tracking mode (TRACK) for recording (the default mode when SaffireControl opens) and the second is for mixdown or playback (Soundcard mode: S/CARD) when you want analogue outputs 1-8 on the rear of Saffire PRO to match outputs 1-8 within the sequencer. The comprehensive monitoring capabilities of SaffireControl PRO mean that, without preset buttons, numerous settings would need adjusting in SaffireControl PRO to simply route 8 tracks from the sequencer to the corresponding Saffire PRO outputs 1-8 (Soundcard mode); all the output crossfaders and S/W switches may need adjusting. The preset switches mean that these two states can be alternated with one click of the mouse.

Q: How do you select different sample rates?
A: Simply click on the desired sample rate in the S/RATE section of SaffireControl PRO.

Q: Is there a word clock input?
A: Yes. There are two BNC connectors on the rear of Saffire PRO to allow the hardware to synchronise with external equipment by receiving or transmitting word clock. To select word clock as the source for Saffire PRO to synchronise to, you can simply click on W/CLK in the SYNC section of SaffireControl PRO.

Q: What are Saffire PRO's latency figures?
A: With Saffire PRO, latency really isn't an issue, because SaffireControl PRO (the software application that comes free with the Saffire hardware), has its own advanced latency-free monitoring facility (like TwinTrak PRO, VoiceMaster PRO, TrakMaster PRO). This removes all latency problems caused by routing audio into the recording software then back out again before monitoring. In SaffireControl PRO, the user can blend any of the 26 latency-free inputs in varying amounts with any tracks from the sequencer (S/W tracks) to create 2 headphone mixes for multiple artists BEFORE SIGNALS ARE SENT TO THE DAW.

The actual latency figures of Saffire PRO vary depending on the DAW buffer size set by the user, which depends on the power of the system. (The DAW buffer size needs to match the plug-in usage and CPU speed, e.g. setting a tiny buffer when your computer is old and slow and you're maxing out on plug-ins is going to cause problems.) For the record, the numbers are as follows:

Buffer size of 64 samples creates: 9ms @ 48k and 7ms @ 96k

Buffer size of 256 samples creates: 16.5ms @ 48k and 11ms @ 96k

Buffer size of 1024 samples creates: 47ms @ 48k and 27ms @ 96k

Q: Can I use Pro Tools with Saffire PRO?
A: No. Only Digidesign hardware is compatible with Pro Tools. However, Saffire PRO will work with all other ASIO or Core Audio compatible platforms.

Q: How can Saffire PRO hook up with other FF or Novation gear?
A: One possible option is to connect Focusrite hardware equipped with a digital output to one of Saffire PRO?s digital inputs, allowing additional classic Focusrite pre-amplification to stream directly to the DAW. The S/PDIF In could be used to receive audio from the TwinTrack PRO, whilst both of the ADATs could be receiving 8 channels from an OctoPre or OctoPre LE, providing 26 channels of Focusrite mic pre-amps into your sequencer!

Q: What if I only have 4-pin firewire?
A: The only difference between the two FW ports is that the 6-pin can supply power and the 4-pin can?t. If you only have 4-pin then simply connect up the Mains adapter that?s provided to power the Saffire PRO.

Q: What is the Dim Switch all about? And what's the difference between this and the Active Monitor pad?
A: The DIM switch is a way of temporarily reducing the level if the volume needs to be cut quickly, (e.g. if a phone rings.) The switch attenuates the digital level by 18dB when active. Using this switch means that the level can be restored to an identical volume after the interruption, without having to manually adjust any gain dials or remember values.

The Active Monitor Pad switch is the one to use in order to calibrate your speakers? volume control(s). For example, if the level is consistently too high, regardless of the volume knob position, then activating the Active Monitor Pad will cut the analogue level (after the DAC) by 18dB so that the speakers? volume control has a more suitable output level range.

Q: What are the set-up presets for?
A: To help provide a quick setup of a particular session arrangement, a series of presets have been created for SaffireControl PRO. This means that, rather than having to manually configure the sample rate, digital input activation and sync options, a table can be consulted and the matching preset loaded for instant setup. All 52 session presets are included in a folder called Sessions on the Saffire PRO Install disc. A guide to these presets is available in the Saffire PRO User Guide addendum (available online from the beginning of December 06).

Q: How did you get the ice blue front panel to look so good?
A: Saffire PRO is the first product to feature the same stylish anodizing as the Red range. It gives an extremely high quality finish that is instantly recognizable from professional recording studios the world over.

Q: Can Saffire PRO be used in standalone mode (away from a computer)?
A: Yes, Saffire PRO can be used to record or mix without a computer. The desired mode can be chosen whilst connected to SaffireControl PRO and then, when disconnected, the hardware can be powered with an external supply.

Focusrite's emulations and settings will help you to make the most of your Focusrite Liquid products. You'll find a growing library of emulations, programs and snapshots, with helpful filters and information regarding the original unit emulated.

Liquid Channel Mic Pres Emulations
Liquid Channel Compressor Emulations

WINDOWS

Operating System*
• VST, RTAS
• Min version of ProTools required - 7.0 if planning to use the included FXpansion (earlier versions will require the full Fxpansion VST wrapper.)

Computer
• Windows® XP compatible PC (Pentium© 4 2GHz or higher recommended)
• 400Mb/s IEEE1394/FireWire port (OHCI compliant recommended)
• DVD drive required for Installation

CPU/Clock
• 1.4 GHz Intel or compatible
• 2.0 GHz Pentium© 4 or Xeon recommended

Memory (RAM)
• 256MB or more
• 512MB or higher recommended


APPLE MAC

Operating System*
• AU, VST, RTAS
• Min version of Logic required - Logic 7.1, but 7.2 highly recommended
• Min version of ProTools required - 7.0 if planning to use the included FXpansion (earlier versions will require the full Fxpansion VST wrapper.)

Computer
• Apple Mac Power PC G4, G5 or Intel Mac (any)

CPU/Clock
• G4/800 MHz (minimum)
• G4/1.5GHZ or higher recommended

Memory (RAM)
• 256MB or more
• 512MB or higher recommended


*For up-to-date information about operating system compatibility, please see the OS Compatibility Checker.


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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

Sequencer compatibility

Liquid Mix 16 operates as VST, AU, or as a RTAS-wrapped VST within compatible hosts.

Cubase 4 on Intel Macs does not support VST 2.3 plugins. If you want to use Liquid Mix 16 with Cubase 4 on an Intel Mac, you must install the Liquid Mix 2.4 VST plugins available separately on the Liquid Mix downloads page.

Windows - Vista64
Windows - Windows 7
Support is currently only available on Windows 7 when using the Windows Legacy FireWire driver, as explained here. Windows - XP64
Service Pack 2 and above only. Windows - XP
Service Pack 2 and above only. Mac - 10.5
Mac - 10.6
Support is currently only for the 32-bit kernel on 10.6 (Snow Leopard). Windows - Vista
Mac - 10.4
10.4.11 and above only. Windows - Windows 7 - 64bit
Support is currently only available on Windows 7 when using the Windows Legacy FireWire driver, as explained here. Support for the Windows 7 FireWire driver should be available in the near future.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

WINDOWS

Operating System
• Windows® XP Service Pack 2 (Home, Professional, 64bit XP or Media Centre Edition) or Windows Vista (32bit and 64bit - all versions)

Computer
• Windows® XP compatible PC with 400Mb/s IEEE1394/FireWire port (OHCI compliant recommended)

CPU/Clock
• 1.4 GHz Intel or compatible (2.0 GHz Pentium© 4 or Xeon recommended for 192kHz operation)

Memory (RAM)
• 256MB or more (512MB or higher recommended)


Apple Mac

Operating System
• Mac OS X Panther (10.4 or later) - OS Version subject change

Computer
• Apple Mac Power PC G4, G5 or Intel Mac (any)

CPU/Clock
• G4/800 MHz (G4/1.5GHZ or higher recommended for 192kHz operation)

Memory (RAM)
• 256MB or more (512MB or higher recommended)

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 IEEE 1394 port you will need a 4-pin to 6-pin cable (not included) and must use the PSU (included)
• NOTE: Saffire PRO software allows input mixing at 44.1/48kHz and 88.2/96kHz(ADATS disabled). When ADATs are enabled, at 88.2/96kHz mode, the input mix functionality is no longer available. The input mix is unavailable at 192kHz.

PERFORMANCE

Microphone Inputs
• 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 Inputs
• Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz +/- 0.1dB
• THD+N: < 0.001% (measured with 0dBFS input and 22Hz/22kHz bandpass filter)
• Noise: -90dBu (22Hz/22kHz bandpass filter)

Instrument Inputs
• 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)

Weight
• 3kg
• 6.6Ibs

Dimensions
• 443mm (W) x 45mm (H) x 235mm (D)
• 13.8" (W) x 1.8" (H) x 9.3" (D)

Analogue Input Specs
• Mic: 8 x XLR on rear panel
• Mic Gain: +13dB to + 60dB
• Line 1-8: 2 x 1/4" TRS Jack (front panel)
• Line 1-8 Gain: -10dB to +36dB
• Instrument: As above, switched to Instrument (inputs 1 & 2 only)
• Instrument Gain: +13dB to +60dB

Analogue Output Specs
• Line level 8 x 1/4? TRS Jack
• Nominal output level 0dBFS = 16dBu, balanced, +22dBu globally switched with external PSU connected across all outputs
• Frequency Response: 20Hz 20kHz +/- 0.2dB
• THD+N < 0.0010% (-100dB) (measured with 0dBFS input 22Hz/22kHz bandpass filter, un-weighted)
• Software switched hardware DIM 12dB in output pairs 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
• Software Digital Volume control for all outputs
• All outputs are usable as monitoring outputs

DIGITAL I/O (Saffire PRO 26 i/o)
• 1 x SPDIF In / Out (RCA phono) on rear panel (24-bit, 192kHz) Output transformer isolated
• 2 x ADAT In / Out (44.1 / 48kHz), 16 channels
• 1 x ADAT In / Out (88.2 / 96kHz), 8 channels S-MUX
• Word clock input on BNC
• Word clock output on BNC
• Clock Sources: Internal clock, Sync to word clock on S/PDIF, Sync to word clock on BNC word clock input, Sync to word clock on ADAT1 or ADAT2 inputs
• A/D Dynamic Range 110dB 'A-weighted' (all inputs)
• D/A Dynamic Range 110dB 'A-weighted' (all outputs)
• Clock Jitter < 250 pico seconds
• Sample rate 44.1 to 192kHz

MIDI I/O
• 1 in / 1 out on rear panel

Firewire 400 (1394a)
• 2 ports

Power
• Either via Firewire (1394a) or external PSU (included)

Headphone Monitoring
• 2 x 1/4" TRS Jack on front panel (mirrors outputs 5-6 and 7-8)
• High power headphone drivers

TEC Award Nominee
Digital Converter Category
2007

Click here to complete authorising your Saffire Plug-In suite manually (Offline authorisation procedure). You will need to have created a .ilr file first.

Reviewers Pick Award
Pro Audio Review
2003

David Ryan Harris - Guitarist with John Mayer, as well as a songwriter and producer in his own right.

Derek Purkens - Producer and engineer for Stevie Wonder in the 90’s

Ronan Q - Producer with Def Leopard

Sean Spueler - Vocal monitoring with Madonna on her confessions world tour.

Brian Hubbard - FOH Engineer, working with N.E.R.D.