Using Direct Monitoring; Connecting Scarlett 2I4 To Loudspeakers - Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 User Manual

If .you .are .using .a .capacitor .(condenser) .microphone, .press .the .48V .button .to .supply .phantom .power .
to .the .mic. .Don't .turn .this .on .if .you're .using .any .other .type .of .mic.
Each .channel .of .the .Scarlett .2i4 .has .a .PAD .button .on .the .front .panel; .pressing .this .reduces .the .input .
sensitivity .by .10 .dB. .You .may .find .this .useful .if .you .are .feeding .the .input .from .a .line-level .source .
when .the .output .is .particularly ."hot".

Using Direct Monitoring

You . w ill . f requently . h ear . t he . t erm . " latency" . u sed . i n . c onnection . w ith . d igital . a udio . s ystems. . I n . t he . c ase .
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, .and .back .out .again .via .your .audio .
interface. .Latency .can .be .a .problem .for .a .performer .who .wishes .to .record .while .monitoring .their .
input .signals. .
The . S carlett . 2 i4 . i s . fi tted . w ith . a . " Direct . M onitoring" . o ption, . w hich . o vercomes . t his . p roblem. . S etting . t he .
front .panel .DIRECT MONITOR .control .to .INPUT .will .route .your .input .signals .directly .to .the .Scarlett .
2i4's .headphone .and .main .monitor .outputs. .This .enables .you .to .hear .yourself .with .zero .latency .– .
i.e., .in ."real .time" .– .along .with .the .computer .playback. .The .input .signals .to .your .computer .are .not .
affected .in .any .way .by .this .setting.
DIRECT MONITOR .is .a ."mix" .control .– .it .lets .you .set .your .own .preferred .blend .of .input .signals .and .
DAW . p layback. . A s . y ou . r otate . t he . c ontrol . c lockwise, . t he . l evel . o f . D AW . p layback . i ncreases . a nd . t he . l evel .
of .your .input .signal .decreases. .At .the .12 .o'clock .position, .a .50/50 .mix .of .the .two .is .obtained.
Note .that .if .the .DIRECT MONITOR .control .is .set .anywhere .other .than .fully .anti-clockwise, .ensure .
that .your .DAW .software .is .not .set .to .route .its .input .(what .you .are .currently .recording) .to .its .output. .If .
it .is, .you .will .hear .yourself ."twice", .with .one .signal .audibly .delayed .as .an .echo.
The .Direct .Monitoring .facility .can .also .be .switched .for .mono .operation, .which .is .useful .if .you .are .
only .recording .one .instrument .or .voice. .With .the .STEREO/MONO .switch .set .to .STEREO, .Input .1 .is .
routed .to .the .left .input .channel .and .Input .2 .to .the .right, .and .this .will .be .the .correct .setting .if .you .are .
recording .a .stereo .source. .In .MONO .mode, .both .inputs .are .routed .equally .to .both .channels, .and .will .
appear .in .the .centre .of .the .stereo .image.

Connecting Scarlett 2i4 to loudspeakers

Any . of . the . Scarlett . 2i4's . outputs . may . be . used . to . connect . monitoring . speakers. . Output . channels . .
1 . and . 2 . are . provided . both . in . variable-level, . electronically . balanced . form . on . ¼" . (6.35 . mm) . 3-pole .
(TRS) .jacks .and .as .variable-level .unbalanced .signals .on .phono .(RCA) .sockets. .Outputs .3 .and .4 .are .
provided .in .fixed-level .unbalanced .form .only, .also .on .phono .(RCA) .sockets.
If . Outputs . 1 . and . 2 . are . used, . Outputs . 3 . and . 4 . are . free . to . be . used . for . another . purpose, . such . as .
connecting .to .an .additional .recording .device .or .an .additional .pair .of .monitors. .However, .please .note .
that .only .Outputs .1 .and .2 .are .affected .in .level .by .the .the .large .front .panel .MONITOR .volume .control. .
The .signals .at .Outputs .3 .and .4 .are .at .(full) .fixed .level, .and .thus .if .you .use .these .for .monitoring, .you .
will .have .to .control .the .volume .either .at .source .(within .the .DAW .itself), .or .by .adjusting .the .volume .at .
an .external .amplifier.
Self-powered . monitors . (e.g., . typical . computer . speakers) . incorporate . internal . amplifiers . with . a .
volume . c ontrol, . a nd . m ay . b e . c onnected . d irectly. . L arger, . p assive . l oudspeakers . w ill . r equire . a . s eparate .
stereo .amplifier; .in .this .case, .the .outputs .should .be .connected .to .the .amplifier's .inputs.
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