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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 1. Read these instructions. 2. Keep these instructions. 3. Heed all warnings. 4. Follow all instructions. 5. Do not use this apparatus near water 6. Clean only with dry cloth. 7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions 8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL. The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
ENVIRONMENTAL DECLARATION Compliance Information Statement: Declaration of Compliance procedure Product Identification: Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 Responsible party: American Music and Sound Address: 4325 Executive Drive Suite 300 Southaven MS 38672 Telephone: 800-431-2609 This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules.
TABLE OF CONTENTS IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 OVERVIEW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
OVERVIEW Introduction Thank you for purchasing this Scarlett 18i20, one of the family of Focusrite professional computer audio interfaces incorporating high quality Focusrite analogue pre-amplifiers. You now have a compact yet highly versatile solution for routing high quality audio to and from your computer. You can also use the Scarlett 18i20 as a “stand-alone” interface to any other type of recording device, once you have configured it using Scarlett MixControl software.
Box Contents Along with your Scarlett 18i20 you should have: • AC mains cable with IEC connector • USB cable • Getting Started Guide • Software Activation card, with codes for accessing the following on-line resources: - Scarlett MixControl – includes Mac/Windows USB drivers - Scarlett Plug-in Suite for Mac and Windows - Ableton Live Lite - LoopMasters sample library - Novation Bass Station System requirements Mac OS Apple Macintosh with a high-speed USB 2.0-compliant USB port OS: Mac OS X 10.7, OS X 10.
GETTING STARTED IMPORTANT: PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU INSTALL THE SCARLETT 18i20 DRIVERS BEFORE CONNECTING THE INTERFACE TO YOUR COMPUTER. Software Installation All software required by the Scarlett 18i20 - and several powerful and useful extras - is available for download from the Focusrite website (www.focusrite.com/register). The Software Activation card provided with your Scarlett 18i20 contains validation codes which you will need to enter at the above web address.
HARDWARE FEATURES Front Panel 1 14 2 3 4 5 6 4 5 7 8 10 9 11 12 13 14 The front panel includes all the input gain and monitoring controls as well as two of the input connectors for Mic, Line and Instrument signals. 1. MIC-LINE-INST 01 & 02 – Neutrik Combo® input sockets - connect microphones, instruments (e.g., guitar), or line level signals via XLR or ¼” (6.35 mm) jacks as appropriate. Either ¼” TRS (balanced) or TS (unbalanced) jack plugs can be used for instruments or line level signals.
the level at the main monitor outputs on the rear panel, but can be configured in Scarlett MixControl to adjust the level at any of the unit’s ten analogue outputs. 11. DIM and MUTE – two switches controlling the 18i20’s monitor outputs; DIM reduces the output levels by 18 dB, while MUTE turns the outputs off. By default, these switches affect the main monitor outputs 1 and 2, but may be configured in Scarlett MixControl to act on any of the analogue outputs.
Rear Panel 9 4 8 7 6 3 2 1 5 1. MIC/LINE INPUTS 3 to 8 - Neutrik Combo® input sockets - connect further microphones or line level signals via XLR or ¼” (6.35 mm) jacks as appropriate. Either ¼” TRS (balanced) or TS (unbalanced) jack plugs can be used for line level signals. 2. LINE OUTPUTS 3 to 10 – eight balanced analogue line outputs on ¼” (6.35 mm) jack sockets; use TRS jacks for a balanced connection or TS jacks for unbalanced.
Connecting your Scarlett 18i20 IMPORTANT: Before you connect the Scarlett 18i20 to your computer, please complete the software installation according to the instructions on page 8. This will ensure that the hardware uses the correct drivers, and will prevent unexpected behaviour. The Scarlett 18i20 should be connected to AC mains with the supplied AC power cable. Plug the IEC connector into the rear panel IEC receptacle and turn the unit on with the front panel power switch.
Please note - your DAW may not automatically select the Scarlett 18i20 as its default I/O device. In this case, you must manually select the driver on your DAW’s Audio Setup* page (select “Scarlett 18i20” driver for Mac or “Focusrite USB 2.0” driver for Windows). Please refer to your DAW’s documentation (or Help files) if you are unsure where to select the ASIO/ Core Audio driver. The example below shows the correct configuration in the Ableton Live Lite Preferences panel (Mac version shown).
Example of Usage The Scarlett 18i20 is an excellent choice for numerous recording and monitoring applications. Some typical configurations are shown below. 1. Recording a band Microphone Guitar Engineers Headphones (Front Panel) (Rear Panel) DI Box 25SL MkII DI Box Stereo Keys Musicians Individual feedback mixes This setup illustrates a typical configuration for multitrack recording with DAW software on your Mac or PC.
Using Direct Monitoring You will frequently hear the term “latency” used in connection with digital audio systems. In the case of the simple DAW recording application described above, latency will be the time it takes for your input signals to pass through your computer and audio software. Latency can be a problem for a performer who wishes to record while monitoring their input signals. The Scarlett 18i20, in conjunction with Scarlett MixControl, allows “Direct Monitoring”, which overcomes this problem.
2. Connecting Scarlett 18i20 to loudspeakers The 1/4” jack MONITOR outputs on the rear panel (Line Outputs 1 and 2) will normally be used to drive monitoring speakers. Self-powered monitors (e.g., typical computer speakers) incorporate internal amplifiers, and may be connected directly. Passive loudspeakers will require a separate stereo amplifier; in this case, the rear panel outputs should be connected to the amplifier’s inputs. All the line output connectors are 3-pole (TRS) ¼” (6.
Working with surround sound Because the Scarlett 18i20 is equipped with ten line outputs, it is ideally suited for use when working in multichannel sound formats – LCRS, 5.1 surround or 7.1 surround, for example. Scarlett MixControl’s Monitor section is pre-configured for several multichannel formats, and resetting the monitor routing can be achieved with a few mouse clicks. The example below shows how you would connect the six loudspeakers in a 5.1 surround monitoring arrangement.
3. Using the ADAT connections In addition to the eight analogue inputs, the Scarlett 18i20 has an optical ADAT input port which can provide an additional eight audio inputs at 44.1/48 kHz sample rate or four at 88.2/96 kHz. Using a separate 8-channel microphone preamplifier equipped with an ADAT output – such as the Focusrite OctoPre MkII – provides a simple and excellent method of expanding the Scarlett 18i20’s input capability.
4. Using the Scarlett 18i20 as a stand-alone mixer The Scarlett 18i20 has the ability to store a mix configuration defined in Scarlett MixControl within the hardware. This feature lets you configure it – for example, as an on-stage keyboard mixer – using your computer, and then upload the configuration to the device itself. Then you can use the Scarlett 18i20 as a simple, rack-mounting mixer as part of your keyboard rig to control the overall mix of multiple keyboards.
Scarlett MixControl Scarlett MixControl software allows flexible mixing and routing of all audio signals to the physical audio outputs, as well as control of output monitor levels. All sample rate selection, digital syncing and buffer size settings (Windows only) are available from Scarlett MixControl. Note: Scarlett MixControl is a generic product, and may be used with other hardware interfaces in the Focusrite Scarlett range.
Mixer Scarlett MixControl lets you create up to - mono or ) stereo mixes, each of which may have up to 18 input channels. A combination of mono and stereo mixes, up to the maximum of - mono-equivalent, is also permissible. Each mix may be formed from any of the 18 of the Scarlett 18i20’s inputs and/or any of the 20 DAW outputs, and each mix may be sent to any number of outputs. All mixer controls are independent for each mix. The Mixer Section is used to create mixes for monitoring and foldback purposes.
Input Channel Two mixer input channels are shown below. The controls available on the input channels are as follows: Audio source select This is the button at the top of the channel strip; when no source is selected to the channel, it will display Off. Clicking the button offers two lists: Inputs and DAW; selecting Inputs opens a list of all the available Scarlett 18i20 inputs, and selecting DAW opens a list of all the available DAW outputs. Any input not available is greyed-out (e.g.
Input Channel Pan Control Pan Control Fader Fader Meter Meter Stereo PFL Mute Solo PFL Channel Name Mute Solo Pan Control If the mix has been defined as a stereo one (see “Output Channel” on page 25), the Pan control (in the form of a slider) positions the channel signal in the stereo image, i.e., the signal is faded between two audio outputs such as monitor L and R. In the case of a stereo channel, setting the Pan control fully left mutes the right channel, and viceversa.
Clip light The meter is colour coded; if the red portion at the top illuminates, the signal level is too high and digital clipping may occur. This can sound very unpleasant and should be avoided at all times! You will need to reduce the signal level either at source in the case of DAW tracks or external digital inputs, or by adjusting the GAIN controls on the Scarlett 18i20 in the case of the analogue inputs.
Output Channel All the input channels are mixed together and routed to the output channel of the mixer. The output channel lets you control the overall level of the entire mix. (Remember there is a separate output channel for each.) An output channel is mono by default; stereo operation may be selected by clicking its Stereo button. When the output channel is stereo, you will note that the tab for the mix doubles in size.
Routing Section The routing section is where you to determine how the various audio sources available in both Scarlett 18i20 and Scarlett MixControl are to be routed to the Scarlett 18i20’s physical outputs. Every physical output on the Scarlett 18i20 is listed, and the audio signal to be sent to that output may be selected from the drop-down menu which appears when the button to the left of that output is clicked.
Remember that the signal available at the front panel ‘Headphones 1’ output jack will always be the signal currently routed to Line Outputs 7 and 8. The ‘Headphones 2’ output follows Line Outputs 9 and 10 in a similar manner. Note: ADAT SMUX - When working at sample rates of 88.2 kHz or 96 kHz, the total number of ADAT channels available drops from eight (at 44.1/48 kHz) to four. At these sample rates, ADAT channels 5-8 are greyed out.
TIP: If you are using a stereo mix, the left output channel will be routed to all odd-numbered outputs and the right channel to all even-numbered outputs. With mono mixes, odd-numbered mixes go to odd-numbered outputs and even-numbered mixes to even-numbered outputs. Mixing The Mixing preset can be used during the mixing stage. DAW tracks are routed to the line output of the same number, e.g., DAW tracks 1-10 are routed to Monitor Outputs 1-2 and Line outputs 3-10 respectively.
Monitor control enable buttons (1 to 10) These buttons select which line outputs of the Scarlett 18i20 are affected by the other GUI monitor section controls, and also the front panel monitor controls. Depending on your monitoring set-up, you can control no speakers, just a single pair of speakers, or up to 10 speakers simultaneously. Note: the levels at all the digital outputs on the Scarlett 18i20 are unaffected by Scarlett MixControl’s monitor section controls.
Monitor Presets dropdown menu A range of preset monitoring configurations is provided; click on the Monitor Preset… button to open a drop-down list. These presets allow simple selection of common monitoring configurations. For the monitor presets to work correctly, you must have your speakers connected to the line outputs as shown in the table on page 17. The Monitor Presets function as follows: • • Off – all monitor control buttons disabled; all analogue outputs are off.
Monitor level control knob Set the output level of all selected outputs with this control, using the mouse. The numeric display below shows the current monitor output level. Hardware control button Clicking this button transfers control of overall monitoring level between the Scarlett MixControl and the Scarlett 18i20’s front panel VOLUME MONITOR control. When enabled, the button shows blue and the on-screen knob is disabled.
20 dB Pad If using active (powered) monitors for your primary monitoring, you may find that normal listening levels require the monitor volume knob to be set quite low. In this case, click the -20 dB Pad button to reduce the level at Line Outputs 1 and 2 (Monitor Outputs 1 and 2) by this amount. This will allow the Volume knob to operate over a wider range. Device Status section The Device Status section displays information about the sample rate, synchronisation and driver status of the Scarlett 18i20.
USB. If Disconnected is displayed, please check the USB connections and that the unit is switched on. If it continues to show Disconnected, restart the computer and re-launch Scarlett MixControl. Settings Menu The Settings... button is only available on the Windows version of Scarlett MixControl. It allows you set the size of the ASIO buffer. This option lets you set the buffer size of your ASIO driver. A small buffer size will in result in lower latency, but at the expense of increased CPU usage.
File Menu The File menus differ slightly between Mac and Windows versions of Scarlett MixControl. • • • • • Open - opens a File Open dialogue box, allowing selection of any previously saved Scarlett MixControl mix data. Save - opens a File Save dialogue box, allowing selection of a location to which your Scarlett MixControl mix data can be saved. Subsequent Saves overwrite the original file. Save As - opens a File Save As dialogue box.
Scarlett 18i20 Performance Specifications Configuration Inputs 18: analogue (8), S/PDIF (2), ADAT (8) Outputs 20: analogue (10), S/PDIF (2), ADAT (8) Mixer Fully assignable 18-in/16-out mixer Digital Performance A-D Dynamic Range 105 dB CCIR-RMS (all inputs) D-A Dynamic Range 103 dB CCIR-RMS (line outputs) Supported sample rates 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz & 96 kHz Clock jitter <250 ps Microphone Inputs Frequency Response 20 Hz ± 0.5 dB, 20 kHz ± 0.1 dB (min. gain) THD+N 0.
Physical and Electrical Characteristics Analogue Inputs Inputs 1 & 2 Connectors Neutrik XLR Combo: Mic/Line/Inst, on front panel Mic/Line switching Automatic Line/Instrument switching 2 x front panel switches Phantom power Shared +48 V phantom power switch for inputs 1 to 4 Analogue Inputs 3 to 8 Connectors Neutrik XLR Combo: Mic/Line, on rear panel Mic/Line switching Automatic Phantom power Shared +48 V phantom power switch for inputs 1 to 4 and 5 to 8 Analogue Outputs Main outputs 10 x bala
Troubleshooting For all troubleshooting queries, please visit the Focusrite Answerbase at www.focusrite.com/answerbase where you will find articles covering numerous troubleshooting examples. COPYRIGHT AND LEGAL NOTICES Focusrite is a registered trade mark and Scarlett 18i20 is a trade mark of Focusrite Audio Engineering Limited. All other trade marks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. 2013 © Focusrite Audio Engineering Limited. All rights reserved.
