Professional multi-channel firewire interface (45 pages)
Summary of Contents for Focusrite Red 8Pre
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Red 8Pre 64 in / 64 out Thunderbolt™ 2 audio interface – with Pro Tools | HD and Dante™ network audio connectivity User Guide www.focusrite.com FFFA001457-01...
User Guide This user guide applies to the Red 8Pre Thunderbolt Interface. It provides information about installing and operating the unit and how it can be connected into your home or studio system. box Contents • Red 8Pre unit •...
• Dual Ethernet ports provide up to 32 x 32 channels of networked audio expansion over Dante. • BNC connectors allow Red 8Pre to sync or slave to external devices via Word Clock or Loop Sync. • Permanent 8-channel LCD meter display – selectable to show all input types.
System Block Diagram GLO AL INST S L CT Focusrite MONITO Input Function Input Select Meters Output Control & Gain Monitor Instrument Headphones Analogue 1&2 Outputs Line 3-10 Mic/Line Analogue Line 11-18 Inputs Thunderbolt Line 9-16 9-16 Host Select Pro Tools...
• The Meter button calls up the selection menu for the level meters onto the output Display. • The Monitor button assigns the output encoder to the monitor loudspeaker functions. Pressing the Meter and Monitor buttons simultaneously enters Red 8Pre’s Global configuration menu, where host, clock, power-up and network settings are assigned.
• Word Clock – output provides an output of the chosen system clock reference. • loop sync I/o sockets allow Red 8Pre to integrate with a standard Pro Tools system I/O chain. • Dual thunderbolt 2 Connection. Two ports allow either direct or chained connection to your workstation.
Red 8Pre dimensions are illustrated in the diagram above. Red 8Pre requires 1U of vertical rack space and at least 360mm of rack depth, to allow for cables. Red 8Pre weighs 5.14kg and for installations in a fixed environment (eg., a studio), the front-panel rack mountings will provide adequate support.
Inputs Red 8Pre has the capacity to accommodate sixteen analogue inputs, two independent 8-channel ADAT inputs, a 2-channel S/PDIF input plus 32 Dante input channels. (Additionally, when in Thunderbolt host mode, an internal 2-channel loopback signal can be added as an extra stereo input – see page 13 for details.)
Input Configuration The settings for an input channel – its input type and function options Type Line – are selected via the Config Menu. +48V Phase • To enter the Config Menu, press-and-hold a channel’s Select button To exit this screen, press any of the channel Select buttons (or, rotate Link the Input Encoder to the ‘Back’...
Encoder Toggle Function The Input Encoder can be programmed to toggle any one of the input Type Line functions with a single push (ie., without having to enter the Config +48V Menu screen). This can be very useful when, for example, experimenting with Phase microphone phasing.
Dante Grand Master. On a clock change, either from the front panel or Focusrite Control, both Preferred Master and External Clock are set - this does not protect a network from a deliberate clock source change affecting the whole network.
• To adjust a headphone’s volume level – or to activate Dim or Mute for that output – press one of the headphone select buttons Also see: Focusrite Control – Monitor Controls, on page 21 For Dim and Mute activation and programming, refer to the ‘Mute and Dim’...
16 analogue outputs are provided on the two DB25 female connectors on Focusrite PRIMARY PORT the rear panel. Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd LINE IN LINE OUTPUTS 11-18 Analogue outputs are at fixed gain. 0 dBFS corresponds to a signal level of +18 dBu.
Connection Confirm that Red 8Pre’s Host setting is set to ‘Thunderbolt’, see Global Host Settings on page 19. Two Thunderbolt 2 connectors are located on the rear panel. Focusrite PRIM Connect to the host or into the chain using standard Thunderbolt cables (one supplied).
* One Red 8Pre if using an HD Native system. Note that both Red 8Pre ports are Primary connectors; this means that an additional Pro Tools interface cannot be added in series – Red 8Pre does not operate in Expansion mode...
Pro tools setup • From the Pro Tools menu bar, go to: setup > Playback engine . . . • In the Playback engine menu pop- up, select: ‘HDX’ or ‘HD Native’, as appropriate for your system The following steps are optional but will simplify signal routing: •...
Thunderbolt Internal sync Monitor Selects the Red 8Pre’s sync source: Mute • Internal – internally generated. This is the default selection • Word Clock – received via the BNC Word Clock In connector • ADAT 1 – received via the rear Optical In 1-8 connector...
Please note: This manual includes information relating to Red 8Pre’s specific front panel controls and device settings. For compactness, however, the Mixing and Routing operations are not included here but are fully described in the separate ‘Focusrite Control User Manual’;...
S/PDIF Source Meter Source sync Indicator – will be illuminated if Red 8Pre is locked to a valid clock source Channel Gain – sets the input gain on analogue channels 1 – 8. Click-and-drag to change Channel Function – click to select an input function. See page 11 for Function descriptions Input type –...
ADAT inputs 5-6 are being sent to DAW channels 1–2. This means that when selecting inputs 1–2 on a track in a DAW, ADAT inputs 5-6 on the Red 8Pre will be recorded. Each DAW input channel pair can be allocated independently.
appendix 3 – air information Air is the name we give to the sonic signature of the classic transformer ISA Preamp. Our customers first coined this name as a simple description of the effect the ISA preamp added to their sound recordings.
PeRFoRManCe anD sPeCIFICatIons Microphone Inputs Gain Range 0-8 to 63 dB in 1dB steps Maximum Input Level +19 dBu Input Impedance 6.2 kΩ, electronically balanced Air Mode: 2.2 kΩ Dynamic Range 119 dB ‘A’-Weighted (typical), minimum gain Frequency Response 20 Hz – 35 kHz ±0.2dB Air Mode: 2dB boost at 10 kHz and -2 dB at 20 kHz (ref.
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Monitor outputs Maximum Output Level +18 dBu 0 dBFS Dynamic Range 120 dB ‘A’-Weighted Frequency Response 20 Hz – 35 kHz ±0.2 dB THD + N 0.0012% headphone outputs Maximum Output Level +16 dBu Dynamic Range 114 dB ‘A’-Weighted Frequency Response 20 Hz –...
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Dimensions Height 44 mm / 1.73” [1RU] Width 483 mm / 19” Depth 340 mm / 13.4” Weight Weight 5.14 kg / 11.33 lbs Power Internal, 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz, consumption 65 W...
You can contact our Customer Support team: Email: https://support.focusrite.com/hc/en-gb/requests/new Phone (UK): +44 (0)1494 462246 Phone (USA): +1 (310) 322-5500 troubleshooting If you are experiencing problems with your Red 8Pre, we recommend that in the first instance, you visit our Support Answerbase at: https://support.focusrite.com...
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