Focusrite Saffire 6 USB Distortion

E

EETFUK

Member
Oct 21, 2009
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Kulmbach, Germany
I posted this in a different board already but no reply so far. Maybe you guys can help me out...

I recently bought myself a "Focusrite Saffire 6" USB audio interface and I have some questions:

1. When I plug in one of my guitars and flipping the "Instruments/Hi-Z"-switch the signals are way too loud. I can lower the signal about 10db with another switch but even then I have to turn the preamps all the way down. Then the peaks are at about -2db which is still too much as I read that -6db is a good input level.

2. Hi-Z and -10db are now active and when I'm now hitting the guitar really hard I hear distortion but nor is the clipping LED on the Interface flashing neither shows the DAW that the signal comes close to 0db... wtf?!

Take a listen: (first guitar is my custom explorer with emg81; second gutiar is Ibanez RG270 with Dimarzio Steve's Special)

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8656454/saffire6usb.mp3

Is there a bigger problem with this unit?

3. Focusrite claims that this interface has super fast ASIO drivers but the lowest latency ein can configure is 3.4ms In and 4.5ms out (in Reaper) which makes a total latency of 7.9ms.
Thats not very impressive! On my laptop I even have to use a setting with almost 25ms which is simply not usable anymore.
Even with my cheap behringer intaface I can use my laptop (1,6ghz single core) with 4ms (2ms with some artifacts here and there) by using ASIO4All...

What am i making wrong? Im really considering to send this unit back...
 
1) and 2)
same problem here with the PRO24, which has no pad-switch. talked to the focusrite-support, they won`t give instructions to modify the preamp-gain.
finnaly, i built a simple opamp-buffer with a attenuator (-6dB), which is enough in my case, no more clipping when preamp-gain at zero.

focusrite told me to build a simple pad-cable for my guitar, something similar to xlr-pad-cables. but they doesent believe me that this will load down the guitar-resonance...
i can post the mails here if someone want, just f*cking ridiculous...

hope they will change that in future!!

regards, markus
 
I'd say in your case, your DI's sound fine. The saffire would sound a lot nastier if it was really clipping, but you could get away with your DI's being that loud. If you're still worried about it being too loud you can use a DI box in front of it and it'll solve the problem indefinitely.
 
Ok, here's my deal.


Fuck this interface. Fuck it all to hell.


1) the fucking thing wont get below 3-4ms on the settings, just as you describe...which renders it unusable to tracking w/ amp sims. This is on my new win7 asus i7 laptop. My old POS dell worked fine with latency set all the way down. However, there might be a fix. I just found this today. http://www.focusrite.com/answerbase/en/article.php?id=1128
Haven't tried anything yet.

2) Fucking clipping. My guitar clips LIKE CRAZY through the DI input. Even with the PAD on it audibly clips.
Even when the clip light doesn't come on it clips! I can record some strumming and see that the waveform in reaper is most definitely clipped! All of this is heard through direct monitoring as well as through a DAW.

I have talked to tech support multiple times and got no help.

The worst part is I just got it back from their service shop a few days ago and the fucking services guy says "no distortion could be heard. the unit is fully functional."



FFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU



Is he fucking deaf?

GOD DAMN THIS THING
 
deLuther said:
According to specifications:
Instrument Inputs, ...Maximum Input Level for 0 dBFS (minimum gain, with pad): +7 dBu
http://www.focusrite.com/products/saffire/saffire_6_usb/Performance/#Performance
It`s to little for most pickups, maybe it`s OK only for singles...
Maximum input level should be twice as much to be safe and even more (like +20/22 dbu).
DI sample indicates preamp clipping.
Click to expand...


Makes sense for why this is happening.

Fucking thing can't even handle my single coiled guitar.

I wish focusrite would just PLUG IN A GODDAMN GUITAR to the interface and tell me it clips with guitars! Instead they just act like my guitars/cables are broken, and that they can't find any distortion. Gimme a break huh...:bah:
 
if you are using EMGs (which I read in the first post you are) they clip internally so they are supposed to sound like that.
 
But in case of EMGs, with such input specification there can be additional clipping due to interface.
Specification of peak level EMG 81/85 (at least according to some sources) is 1.75 V which is almost exactly +7 dbu :)
 
This is not an EMG issue.

My passive Ducan JBs clip, and the OP's Dimarzio Steves Special clips the saffire.


This is a all-guitars issue.


It appears the Saffire 6 DI instrument input FAILS HARD as a DI instrument input.....which makes me none too happy.



Does anyone know the db output of a standard humbucker like a JB? I tried googling but it is hard to find.
 
It sucks that you guys are having so many problems with this thing. I bought one not long ago and haven't had any issues with my DIs clipping using an emg 81, however the latency still sucks. It seems their quality assurance dept. needs to step it up.
 
Hey masque, did you click that link I posed above?


It illustrates the problem I was having.

On my old PC, latency was no problem. Even the lowest setting worked on my POS dell. On my new PC, I cant get below 3-4ms on the saffire settings without it crapping all over itself. This apparently has to do with the USB root hub.

I ordered that adaptor they recommend. When it arrives I'll test it out and report back.


Give it a read if you havn't. You can look in device manager to see if yours is connecting incorrectly.
 
kass said:
Hey masque, did you click that link I posed above?


It illustrates the problem I was having.

On my old PC, latency was no problem. Even the lowest setting worked on my POS dell. On my new PC, I cant get below 3-4ms on the saffire settings without it crapping all over itself. This apparently has to do with the USB root hub.

I ordered that adaptor they recommend. When it arrives I'll test it out and report back.


Give it a read if you havn't. You can look in device manager to see if yours is connecting incorrectly.
Click to expand...

Awesome. I guess I missed that. It seems that might very well be the issue.
 
kass, I didn`t have JB, but have DIs recorded with it and gear having +12 dbV (+14.2 dbu) maximum input, there is some slight clipping (depends on picking).
From my experience passive pickups can have much larger peaks than actives, i.e. with same pre gain I`m can have -13 dbFS for EMG 85 (which is corresponding to +7 dbu, my interface have +20 dbu input level), -9 dbFS for AHB-1b and around -2/-3 dbFS for passive Caparison PH-R, which is somewhat similar to JB.
 
Ok so i bought the usb3 express adaptor that they said will work.

I got it in today.

Not only did it not help, it works worse than before. It now pops and clicks on all latency settings.

Fan fucking tastic.
 
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