Focusrite Clarett 8PreX Pad
 

Hey everyone,

I just bought a Focusrite Clarett 8PreX, which so far has been great. I upgraded from a 003 Rack which has serves me well.

Was wondering if anyone might be able to help me with some questions about it.

1 - Is there anyway to pad or trim inputs so I can use a preamp with it?

2 - I've been testing it out with a U87, but it's almost as like the phantom power isn't powering the mic enough to drive it. I have to crank the gain to the very top in order to get anything out of the U87, even then it's not great. I heard these pre's were amazing. But so far i've felt quite luke warm about them.

I'm still getting used to Focusrite Control, so excuse me if i'm overlooking something.

Thanks

Re: Focusrite Clarett 8PreX Pad
 

What troubleshooting have you done?

Assuming everything is connected properly and phantom power engaged, do you get decent input level readings on the input meters?

Have you tried the mic in other inputs to make sure one of your preamps isn't bad?

Does the mic work with other preamps, like your 003?

Have you tried other input sources and do they have sufficient level?

Can you play audio through the unit and is the output level normal?

Re: Focusrite Clarett 8PreX Pad
 

Hey thanks for your reply

Yip, connected and phantom engaged.

I'm getting around -24db with gain set to around 5:00.

I've tried the mic on channels 1 thru 8, all the same.

The U87 works fine when I plug it into my SQN4s Series IV field mixer.

I've also tried it with an MKH816T, which I am getting more level out of, but still not what I would call great.

I can play audio out of the 8PreX no problem, it's calibration is out by around 0.1db between Pro Tools metering and Focusrite metering.

When I play audio from iTunes through the 8PreX (iTunes cranked up to full, which should be 0db), all of the clip light indicators turn red on the 8PreX and Focusrite Control.

Re: Focusrite Clarett 8PreX Pad
 

How old is your U87? Some of the older models had different output impedance, some had an additional pad and had less sensitivity. I don't remember the details of it, but if you search on the Neumann forms, you will find info on it.

As for using a separate preamp with this mic, you definitely could. Just look for a preamp that offers a line out, which you could run into the line in of the Focusrite. The only problem is that if your U87 is the odd man out, then you will have to try different preamps until you find one that works well with this mic.

Re: Focusrite Clarett 8PreX Pad
 

I have had the same issue with my Focusrite Clarret 2Pre and a Neumann TLM102. I have to turn the input gain WAY up to create a level.
And I am equally confused about what Mix Control is supposed to do.

Re: Focusrite Clarett 8PreX Pad
 

The Focusrite Control windows are where you set the input levels. Channels 1 and 2 can be selected to instrument, line or microphone level. Channels 3 through 8 can only be line or microphone level.

If you want to pad the input, set it to line level. If you are using a mic, but have it set to line level, you will not get the correct level.

The mic preamps have 57 dB of gain, which should be enough for condenser or dynamic mics, but maybe not ribbon mics. I have an Apogee Element which has mic gain of 75 dB. The Apogee also has mic, instrument, and two selections for line level -- either -10 or +4 -- on all the inputs. It also has a "soft limit" feature which rolls off the upper 4dB to prevent clipping.

Attached are photos of the Focusrite Control and Apogee Element setup pages. Either interface has software mixers than permit direct monitoring and individualized headphone monitoring mixes for near zero latency recording.

The output settings are also configured in the Focusrite Control window. The selections made should echo in the Pro Tools I/O setup page.