Table of Contents
Advertisement
Advertisement
Table of Contents
Related Manuals for Focusrite Forte
Summary of Contents for Focusrite Forte
-
Page 1: User Guide
User Guide www.focusrite.com... -
Page 2: Important Safety Instructions
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 1. Read these instructions. 2. Keep these instructions. 3. Heed all warnings. 4. Follow all instructions. 5. Clean only with dry cloth. 6. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat. 7. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet. 8. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus. 9. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer. 10. -
Page 3: Environmental Declaration
ENVIRONMENTAL DECLARATION Compliance Information Statement: Declaration of Compliance procedure Product Identification: Focusrite Forte Responsible party: American Music and Sound Address: 4325 Executive Drive Suite 300 Southhaven, MS 38672 Telephone: (800) 431-2609 This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. For USA To the User: 1. Do not modify this unit! This product, when installed as indicated in the instructions contained in this manual, meets FCC requirements. Modifications not expressly approved by Focusrite may void your... -
Page 4: Table Of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 ENVIRONMENTAL DECLARATION . -
Page 5: Overview
OVERVIEW Introduction Thank you for purchasing the Focusrite Forte, one of the family of Focusrite professional computer audio interfaces incorporating high quality Focusrite analogue pre-amplifiers. You now have a professional, compact solution for routing high quality audio to and from your computer. This User Guide provides a detailed explanation of the hardware to help you achieve a thorough understanding of the product’s operational features. We recommend that both users who are new to computer recording, as well as more experienced users, take the time to read through the user guide so that you are fully aware of all the possibilities that the Focusrite Forte and accompanying software has to offer. If the main User Guide sections do not provide the information you need, be sure to consult , which contains a comprehensive collection of http://www.focusrite.com/answerbase... -
Page 6: System Requirements
System requirements Mac OS Apple Macintosh with a USB 2.0-compliant USB port OS: Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion) or 10.8 (Mountain Lion) Windows Windows compatible computer with a USB 2.0 compliant USB port OS: Windows 7 or Windows 8 (32- or 64-bit) -
Page 7: Getting Started
GETTING STARTED IMPORTANT: PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU RUN THE INSTALLER BEFORE CONNECTING THE FOCUSRITE FORTE TO YOUR COMPUTER. Software Installation All software required by the Focusrite Forte is available for download from the Focusrite website http://www.focusrite.com/register. The Software Activation card provided with Forte contains validation codes which you will need to enter in the downloads area. This procedure ensures that you will have the most up-to-date software versions. Can’t get started? If you have any trouble with this product do not go back to the place of purchase. Contact our support team on:... -
Page 8: Connecting Your Forte
IMPORTANT: We very strongly recommend that you only use the supplied power supply. Failure to use this power supply is likely to permanently damage the unit and will also invalidate your warranty. Power supplies for your Focusrite product can be purchased from your music dealer if you have lost yours. -
Page 9: Usb Connection
It will not operate correctly with USB 1.0/1.1 ports). Audio Setup in your DAW Forte is compatible with any Windows-based DAW that supports ASIO or WDM* and any Mac-based DAW that uses Core Audio. After installing the drivers and connecting the hardware, you can start using Forte with the DAW of your choice. *Only compatible with 16-bit audio under WDM. Please note - your DAW may not automatically select Forte as its default I/O device. In this case, you Forte Focusrite USB2.0 Audio Driver must manually select ‘ ’ (on Mac-based systems) or ‘ ’ (on Audio Setup PC-based systems) as the driver on your DAW’s * page. Please refer to your DAW’s documentation (or Help files) if you are unsure where to select the ASIO or Core Audio driver. Once Forte is set as the preferred Audio Device* in your DAW, Inputs 1 & 2 and Outputs 1 to 4 will appear in your DAW’s Audio I/O preferences. Depending on your DAW, you may need to enable... -
Page 10: Hardware Features
Hardware Features OLED screen – multi-function display providing signal level metering and various menu options. MODE ICONS – touch-sensitive icons for selecting the Forte’s primary operating modes and menu navigation. ROTARY CONTROL – for menu navigation and parameter control; incorporates a “push” function for use with the menus. The rotary control can also be used as the main input gain and output level control. HEADPHONE SOCKET – plug your stereo headphones in here (¼” TRS jack). KENSINGTON LOCK – for securing your Forte. DC POWER IN – for connection of the supplied 5 V PSU only. Use this socket if you are intending to use capacitor microphones requiring phantom power. -
Page 11: Example Application
Example Application The Focusrite Forte is ideal for a variety of recording and monitoring applications. A typical configuration is shown below. Forte as a recording interface This setup illustrates the most typical configuration for recording with DAW software on your Mac or PC. In this case, you might record guitar through Input 1 and vocals through Input 2 into your DAW, while monitoring the playback from the DAW via headphones or loudspeakers. Forte is supplied with an input loom, which “breaks out” the multipin input connector to two XLR female sockets (Mic 1 and Mic 2) and two ¼” TRS jack sockets (Line/Inst 1 and Line/Inst 2). You can record two inputs at once, and these may be two microphones, two line or instrument inputs, or one of each. The XLR inputs are intended only for use with microphones. All four inputs are balanced. -
Page 12: Using Direct Monitoring
Connect Forte to your computer with the supplied USB cable and run the Forte Control application. Click the icons at the top of the input faders to select the type of input for each channel. • Microphone – select this if you want to use a microphone as the input source. If you are using a capacitor (condenser) microphone, click the 48V button to supply phantom power to the mic. Don’t turn this on if you’re using any other type of mic. Only use a capacitor mic if Forte is powered via its external PSU, not via USB. • Instrument – select this if you want to connect an instrument (such as a guitar) • Line – select this if you are connecting a line-level source, such as a synth module. 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. Forte uses “Direct Monitoring”, which overcomes this problem. This is because Forte’s inputs have their own channels in the two monitoring mixers, and Forte Control will thus route your input signals directly to the headphone and main monitor outputs. This enables you to hear yourself with near zero latency – i.e., in “real time” – along with the DAW playback. The input signals to your computer are not affected in any way by this setting. See “Using Forte Control” on page 14 for more information. -
Page 13: Connecting Forte To Loudspeakers
Connecting Forte to loudspeakers Forte has two stereo outputs, one for headphones at the front of the controller, the other for connection to a studio monitoring system or mixing console. You can use either or both of these, and derive separate mixes of inputs and DAW outputs for each. The mixes are defined in Forte Control. Forte’s rear outputs may be used to connect monitoring speakers. These are provided in variable- level, electronically balanced form on ¼” (6.35 mm) 3-pole (TRS) jacks. Active monitors (i.e., modern studio monitor speakers) incorporate internal amplifiers with a volume control, and may be connected directly. Passive loudspeakers will require a separate stereo amplifier; in this case, the outputs should be connected to the amplifier’s inputs. -
Page 14: Using Forte Control
Using Forte Control Forte Control is the application that lets you control all of Forte’s features from a single, convenient GUI. 5 6 7 11 12 13 Input Channels 1. Input Select – select mic, instrument or line setting for each of the two inputs. 2. 48V – applies 48 V phantom power to the mic inputs only (XLRs), provided that Forte is powered by the supplied external PSU. 3. Signal level – each input channel has a bargraph meter to indicate relative signal levels, with a numerical readout of instantaneous peak level at the top of the meter. The bargraph segment corresponding to peak level will stay lit for 1 second (time is user-adjustable, see “Settings” on page 16). The top segments of the meter are coloured red, and signal levels this high should be avoided. The top of the scale corresponds to 0 dBFS, and digital clipping is indicated by the red segments of the bargraph illuminating and the numerical field displaying OVR for 1 second (time is user-adjustable, see “Settings” on page 16). 4. Input gain – a rotary control operated by the mouse. This parameter may also be controlled from the Forte hardware controller. -
Page 15: Outputs
Outputs The two stereo output channels are identical; the left-hand one controls the rear panel main outputs and the right-hand the front panel headphones output. Note: Powering Forte via the USB port will place the unit in “USB Low-Power mode”. In this mode, the maximum output levels available from the main and headphone outputs are limited. If higher output levels are required (e.g., for headphones) then use the 5 V DC power supply provided. 9. Signal level - the output meters are identical to those used for input signal metering. 10. Output level – rotary controls adjusted with the mouse. Double-clicking the controls sets a fixed output level of -30 dBFS. This parameter may also be controlled from the Forte hardware controller. Note that if powered by USB the maximum output level is limited to -18 dBFS. 11. Dim – reduces the output level by 12 dB. This parameter may also be controlled from the Forte hardware controller. 12. Mute – mutes the output channel. This parameter may also be controlled from the Forte hardware controller. -
Page 16: Settings
14. Channel faders – control the amount of the relevant signal (input or DAW output pair) in the output mix. Note that double-clicking the faders sets them to 0 dB. 15. Signal level - the monitor mixer channel meters are identical to those used for input signal metering. 16. Mutes – each of the six inputs can be individually muted with the red ‘M’ button. 17. Solos – each of the six inputs may be individually soloed with the green ‘S’ button. Soloing a channel has the effect of muting all other channels, so that only the selected channel is heard. More than one channel may be soloed if wished. Note that soloing a mixer channel does not stop any input signals from being fed to the DAW. 18. Stereo linking – the two channels in each pair may be linked for stereo operation. This commons the functions of gain, mute and solo. 19. Pan controls – it is possible to position the signal in any of the six channels anywhere in the stereo image. When Stereo linking is On, the pan controls become stereo balance controls. Settings File > Settings Settings Clicking on opens the... -
Page 17: Saving And Loading Presets
Saving and Loading Presets If you want, you can store all the mixer parameters as a preset and reload it at a later time. You can File > Save As… Save As store as many presets as you wish. Click on to open a standard (Windows) Save a snapshot file (Mac) dialogue box. Navigate to a suitable location and Save in the usual *.forte manner. The Preset files have the filename extension File > Open Loading a previously-saved Preset is the reverse procedure; click on , navigate to the Open required file and click Restore Factory Defaults Clicking on File > Restore Factory Defaults resets all Forte Control parameters to default values. This sets the input levels at minimum, output levels at -30 dBFS and all Digital Monitor Mixer levels at unity gain. See “Appendix” on page 24 for full list of factory default settings. -
Page 18: Hardware Operation
Hardware Operation Many of Forte’s main operating features may also be controlled from the hardware controller itself. The rotary control, colour OLED display and touch icons provide a simple interface which does not require continuous access to the on-screen Forte Control application. The default display on the OLED is a bargraph representation, with input channels on the left, main outputs in the centre and headphones output on the right. Selecting any of the three main modes via the touch icons – Input, Main and Headphones - cause the bargraph display to temporarily compress to show additional textual information: with a compressed display, the two wide bargraphs are always those showing the signal level relevant to the selected Mode; i.e., if you select Main Output Mode, the inputs and Headphone outputs will continue to be represented, but as thin bargraphs at the sides of the display. OLED and Mode icons 1. OLED – colour multi-function display, showing metering and textual information, depending on user actions. - Page 19 2. Input Mode – gives you control of input functions. A short touch will allow Input 1 Gain to be adjusted with the rotary control, while a second short touch will switch control to Input 2. (Inputs 1 and 2 “toggle” with successive short touches.) A “long” touch opens a menu, offering additional input-related functions (see “Input Mode Menu” on page 21), but note that Input 1’s options will be presented if Input 1’s gain was the last to be accessed, and Input 2’s options if Input 2’s gain was last accessed. Input Controls Note that if the input loom is not connected to the Forte, an error message will be displayed: 3. Main Output Mode – gives you control of main output functions. A short touch will allow Main Output Level to be adjusted with the rotary control. A “long” touch opens a menu, offering additional output-related functions (see “Main Output Mode Menu” on page 22).
- Page 20 4. Headphones Mode - gives you control of headphone functions. A short touch will allow the headphones volume to be adjusted with the rotary control. A “long” touch opens a menu, offering additional headphone-related functions. Headphone Controls 5. DAW Mode – lets you send commands from the Forte controller to your DAW to control certain functions. Default commands are PLAY and Horizontal zoom, but these may be re- defined. Keyboard shortcuts must be enabled in your DAW for this mode to work. See “DAW Mode Menu” on page 23.
-
Page 21: Input Mode Menu
Input Mode Menu Seven menu options per input are available; use the rotary control to highlight the required option, and press the rotary control to change the state (all options except TYPE are “switch” functions). Input Mode Menu TYPE – selects Mic, Line or Inst as the source for the currently selected input (1 or 2). 48V – duplicates the function of the on-screen 48V button in Forte Control. Note that this option is “greyed-out” if Forte is being powered via the USB connection; an external PSU is necessary for phantom power. HPF - duplicates the function of the on-screen button. PHASE REV - duplicates the function of the on-screen button. PAD - duplicates the function of the on-screen Pad button. LINK – this duplicates the function of the on-screen Link button for the input channels. CLEAR METER & EXIT- this returns the Forte display to the initial gain/metering page, and clears any “held” bargraph meter segments on both the Forte OLED and the Forte Control GUI. -
Page 22: Main Output Mode Menu
Main Output Mode Menu Four menu options are available; use the rotary control to highlight the required option, and press the rotary control to change the state (all options are “switch” functions). Main Ouput Menu MUTE- duplicates the function of the on-screen Mute button for the main output channel in Forte Control. DIM - duplicates the function of the on-screen Dim button for the main output channel. MONO– this duplicates the function of the on-screen Mono button for the main output channel. CLEAR METER & EXIT- this returns the Forte display to the initial gain/metering page, and clears any “held” bargraph meter segments. Headphone Output Mode Menu Headphone Menu This menu operates in an identical manner to the Main Output Mode Menu. -
Page 23: Daw Mode Menu
The default commands sent in DAW Control Mode are: • PLAY/STOP (Press) • HORIZONTAL ZOOM (Rotate) However, it is possible to access additional commands to the Press and Rotate functions. To re- assign commands, proceed as follows: 1. Press and hold the DAW Icon on the Forte hardware (i.e., a “long” touch) to enter the Mode Menu. The OLED will show 2 columns, one for Rotate and one for Press. 2. Use the control knob to scroll through the available options in the first column. 3. Select the required option by pressing the control knob. The cursor now moves to the second column, where the procedure may be repeated. 4. Press the DAW icon again to leave the menu. 5. The alternative DAW commands will now be available for use. Note - For DAW Control Mode to function correctly, please ensure your DAW’s Keyboard Shortcuts are enabled. If no DAW is detected, an error message will be displayed: For a full list of supported DAWs and the commands available with each, please see: www.focusrite.com/downloads?product=forte... -
Page 24: Appendix
Appendix Forte Control – Factory default settings Input channels 1 & 2 Source Line Gain 0 dB 48 V Phase Normal Stereo link Output channels – main and headphones Level -30 dB Mute Unmuted Mono Digital Monitor Mixer – Speaker Mix and Headphone Mix Inputs 1 & 2 levels 0 dB DAW 1 - 4 levels... - Page 25 Maximum Input Level for 0 dBFS +12 ± 0.5 dBu at minimum gain; R = 150 ohms, pad off Minimum Input Level for 0 dBFS -63 ± 0.5 dBu at maximum gain; R = 150 ohms, pad off Signal-to-Noise ratio 117 dB (A-weighted; R = 150 ohms) Frequency Response 50 Hz to 42 kHz ±0.1 dB; -0.5 dB @ 20 Hz. (R = 150 ohms) THD+N @ -1 dBFS 0.0007% (@ 1 kHz, +11 dBu input, min. gain, 20 Hz – 22 kHz) Pad attenuation 10 dB Noise EIN -128 dBu (60 dB gain, R = 150 ohms, 20 Hz – 22 kHz) Phantom power 48 V; only with external PSU, switchable per channel Line Inputs Gain Range -12 to +42 dB Maximum Input Level for 0 dBFS +20 ± 0.5 dBu at minimum gain; pad off Minimum Input Level for 0 dBFS -34 ± 0.5 dBu at maximum gain; pad off Signal-to-Noise ratio 116 dB (A-weighted) Frequency Response 20 Hz to 20 kHz ±0.2 dB THD+N @ -1 dBFS <0.003% (@ 1 kHz, +19 dBu input, min. gain, 20 Hz – 22 kHz) Instrument Inputs Gain Range +14 to +68 dB Maximum Input Level for 0 dBFS +10 ± 0.5 dBu at minimum gain Minimum Input Level for 0 dBFS -44 ± 0.5 dBu at maximum gain...
-
Page 26: Physical And Electrical Characteristics
Physical and Electrical Characteristics Analogue Inputs Connectors 2 x XLR3F (mic); 2 x TRS ¼” jack (line/inst) Mic/Line/Inst switching via software Analogue Outputs Main outputs 2 x ¼” TRS jacks; electronically balanced Headphone outputs 1 x ¼” TRS jack; stereo headphone Other I/O 1 x USB 2.0 Type B connector Ext DC in 5 V @ 1 A (via supplied PSU only) Weight and Dimensions W x H x D 115 x 345 x 171 mm (without connectors) Weight Approx 487 g Troubleshooting For all troubleshooting queries, please visit the Focusrite Answerbase at http://www.focusrite.com/answerbase where you will find articles covering numerous trouble- shooting examples.