I currently use M-Audio products for recording, but I'm curious about the Focusrite product line.
Anyone use a Focusrite? Pros, cons, compatibility, etc.?
 
I run Sonar X1d on a Windows 7 64 bit box.

I've pretty much had it with my Fast Track Pro too.

I'd like to see some of these responses because I seem to remember some issues with the Saffire I believe it was. I would like to see if it's all better yet.

If not then it looks as if the little lady will be walking to work for a while while I spend my nights in the dog house installing my RME.

I know she'll be just a teeny bit perturbed so I just need to figure how many nights I want to be lying with the dogs.
$1400 -
$1600 or 
$2300 worth.

Then again I can always go back to Motu.
Always solid and probably no doghouse.

Mike  

Sonar X2a ~ Scarlett 18i6 ~ Home Build DAW 
GA-Z77X-U5DH 
Intel i7 3770k 4.10GHz
32GB RAM Crucial Ballistix Elite (4x8)
Samsung 250GB SSD
1TB WD Black HDD @ 7200RPM 6Gb/s 64MB
Corsair H80i Liquid cooler
Noctua Silent Fans ~ 3x120mm ~ 1x140mm
Seasonic Platinum 760w PSU
Windows 7 Pro 64Bit.

I use both products.

On one computer I have a M-Audio firewire 410 (on a LaCie Firewire card with TI chip), and it works great. No complaints, but I know this card can be very picky on the firewire connection (that's the reason I have chosen the more expensive LaCie).

On my second computer I use a Focusrite Saffire 6 USB. I really love this interface. The pre-amps are better than those in the M-Audio, and it has enough in- and outputs to satisfy my needs. The quality of the sound is really good, and the latency can be set fairly low.

Both cards work without a problem in Sonar X1 expanded, so very little to say here.

In my opinion you can not go very wrong with the Focusrite interfaces (although I did not used all of them, so my opinion is based on the one card I use).

Saffire Pro 26 i/o here, still running 32bit but I have no compliants.

Soundcloud

Possibly I have discorporated and missed it.

I use the Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP without problems and with low latency.
With the Focusrite MixControl software at version 2.4.1, there was a delayed refresh issue in Sonar (eg Record button status very slow to change) and, on general indications from other users, I rolled back to version 2.2 and all is now OK.

I'm a guitarist, not a scientist, recording audio/midi via SONAR X2a x64.
Win7 x64, i7, Focusrite Saffire Pro40, A-500 Pro, 11GB RAM, 2.9GHz

I have an Octopre and while not an audio interface, the preamps and overall build quality can't be denied.
Focusrite make very good gear.

Mike V.   

SONAR X2a (x64) running on
STUDIO Rack Mount Win7x64 
ASUS P9X79 PRO 
INTEL i7 E3930k 
nVidia QUADRO FX 3800
32GIG DDR3 18000
JBL2300 system 
LOCATION HP DV8 18.4"
Presonus studio Live 24.4.2 
i7-720 8GIG DDR3 nVidia GT230M 2 X 500GIG SATA3 HDD
WIN7x64

I've been using the same Saffire Pro 26IO since 2007 without a single issue.

When my new DAW was built for me, Carillon (who built it) asked me to ship the unit to them, where they configured it into my system.

Latency is 5.6ms

Currently, I wouldn't swap it for anything else that wouldn't break the bank.

i7 3930, 32Gb RAM, 3 x 1Tb Internal, 3Tb External HDD's, Win 7 64 Bit, Saffire Pro 26, Saffire 6 USB, ISA One, Adam P11A, Pod Pro XT, Behringer Bass V-Amp, AT4033, Sm58's, Sm57's, SE R1 Ribbons, 
Sonar X2a, BFD2, EWQLSO Platinum Plus, T-Racks Singles, Various guitars/phones/keyboards

Saffire Pro 40 and an OctoPre MK II.  I've used both for about a year now and they have been solid.  I had to roll back from the 2.4 driver to the 2.2 driver though.

http://www.vanishingislands.com

http://soundcloud.com/vanishingislands

Now this is interesting - all but the first guy wrote good reports on Focusrite, but my older
M-Audio Delta 44 card produces a very low latency of 2.9ms, in contrast to the stated
5.6ms mentioned above!

Mmmm.

Does anyone get 2.9ms or better from Focusrite?

I bought a Saffire 6 USB for my laptop not long ago and I must say I am very satisfied for what it is. It's use is for just really quick capture and edits on the laptop. I have used it in my studio setting just out of curiosity and it performed very well. Very impressive audio! Of course you are very limited in tracking unless you are dubbing one or two tracks at the time. I have a MOTU 24i/o on my studio computer. It is hooked up to a Soundtracs Topaz for capture of 24 tracks realtime. Never had a minutes problem with it ever. 

Sonar X2a ,Sonar X1 Expanded and 8.5.3 (32 and 64 bit),  Asus i5 @ 3.2 quad, 12 gigs Ram, 1 Tb drive, 1 500 gig drive, MOTU 24io, HP Pavilion i5 @ 2.8, Saffire 6 USB for laptop, Soundtracs Topaz Project 8 mixer, Alesis Monitor 2s, Event BAS 20/20s, Roland Micro-Monitor BA-8s, and 45 years worth of collecting FX, Mics, Amps, Guitars, and Keyboards!

Saffire Pro 26 i\o here.Awesome!!!!

Intel Quad 8200,Asus P5B Deluxe,8 GIG Corsair ram,Focusrite Saffire Pro 26 i\o,Edirol PCR M50,Focusrite Liquid Mix,Sonar X1 Producer....more stuff in SStudio, Rome ,Italy. http://www.myspace.com/grooveinmind

I've had a new Scarlett 8i6 installed for about a week now - W7 Home Premium 64bit. So far so good. A definite sonic upgrade from the previous Emu 1212M ("Pro Tools" converters). A few initial pops on playback, but adjusting the ASIO timing solved that. No reason to fuss here.

Paul Baker
Baker's Jazz And More
http://www.bakersjazzandmore.com

Coreysan


Now this is interesting - all but the first guy wrote good reports on Focusrite, but my older
M-Audio Delta 44 card produces a very low latency of 2.9ms, in contrast to the stated
5.6ms mentioned above!

Mmmm.

Does anyone get 2.9ms or better from Focusrite?

I believe it's fair to say the Focusrite aren't renowned for ultra low latencies, but this might have changed with their recent crop of interfaces.


And you have to say, who cares anyway? It's the difference between listening to a Marshall stack standing 6 feet away and 3 feet away.

i7 3930, 32Gb RAM, 3 x 1Tb Internal, 3Tb External HDD's, Win 7 64 Bit, Saffire Pro 26, Saffire 6 USB, ISA One, Adam P11A, Pod Pro XT, Behringer Bass V-Amp, AT4033, Sm58's, Sm57's, SE R1 Ribbons, 
Sonar X2a, BFD2, EWQLSO Platinum Plus, T-Racks Singles, Various guitars/phones/keyboards

And you have to say, who cares anyway? It's the difference between listening to a Marshall stack standing 6 feet away and 3 feet away.

 
Now does that not put it into perspective.  Nicely said Colin.

Soundcloud

Possibly I have discorporated and missed it.

Its all good here with my Scarlett 18i6 and Focusrite software. A big improvement  having started from M-audio Mobile Pre. It was a good investment for a USB interface. Solid drivers and great sound.

Windows 7 64 bit, Sony Vaio Laptop Q740, 8 GB, Sonar Producer X1d, Focusrite Scarlett 18i, Korg Pa500, M-audio 61 Radium Keystation. Using Omnisphere, Trilian, Komplete 8, Morphestra, Orchestral Essentials, Evolve, Orange Tree Guitars, Addictive Drums, BFD2, Melodyne Editor, Studio One 2, Ozone 5, FabFilter.

i also use the Focusrite Saffire 6 USB.
its the best bang for the buck
200.00 little ones will get you the legendary focusrite pre amps and midi to boot,all in the same interface.
win 7 64,sonar expanded 64,works the bally's

Charlie Roy
http://soundcloud.com/charlie-roy/jack-it-up 
  
My Sonar X2 tutorials:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjZS61Wg-XY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruAnAPR6-hQ

Coreysan


Now this is interesting - all but the first guy wrote good reports on Focusrite, but my older
M-Audio Delta 44 card produces a very low latency of 2.9ms, in contrast to the stated
5.6ms mentioned above!

Mmmm.

Does anyone get 2.9ms or better from Focusrite?

My Fast Track gets down to the 2.9ms range but it cant play back even 16 bars of a simple drum loop.
It starts to break up, then I stop the project and restart. Lather, rinse, repeat.


For smooth playback of more then 3 or 4 tracks I need to set it to about 28ms or above.


WDM works the best. ASIO pretty much not at all.


My guitar player just bought one of the Focusrite models (Saffire Pro 26 I believe). 
I'll see if I can grab it for a few hours this weekend and test it out on X1.


Mike 

Sonar X2a ~ Scarlett 18i6 ~ Home Build DAW 
GA-Z77X-U5DH 
Intel i7 3770k 4.10GHz
32GB RAM Crucial Ballistix Elite (4x8)
Samsung 250GB SSD
1TB WD Black HDD @ 7200RPM 6Gb/s 64MB
Corsair H80i Liquid cooler
Noctua Silent Fans ~ 3x120mm ~ 1x140mm
Seasonic Platinum 760w PSU
Windows 7 Pro 64Bit.

Focusrite 18i6 here - top quality. Came up from M-Audio fast track pro. Sonar X1d W7 x64

Music found  at:
http://soundcloud.com/benny-bear
http://www.realworldremixed.com/remixer.php?remixer_id=CL0o3GJxlWJmQP4q-2Q.
 

hi Coreysan,
i use the Liquid 56 with an Octopre MK11 linked by adat.
i spent weeks trying to configure it ,especially the mix control and like Bristol Jonesy suggested,took them to my pc builder and had them configured and "quantisized" whatever that means and they`ve been absolutely bulletproof.
ps: Focusrite support were very helpful and the emulations are actually fun to play with-matching vocalists with mic`s is pretty cool. 
good luck! 

Solar Powered Sonar 2,5,7.2, 8.5.3 
Stealth Audio by Vin Curigliano              
Intel I7 2600 @3.8GHz ,P67A(rev3)8gb DDR3, 3x1tb WD ,
Mackie Onyx 1640F, Focusrite Sapphire 6,Sapphire Liquid 56 and Octopre MK11)ART S8,4x20'Viewsonic ,Alesis M1 MKII ,Shure,Rodes,Sennheiser,AKG,Fender,Gibson,Peavy,Marshall,Ampeg,Roland,Bose,,Yamaha,Rogers,Pearl,Behringer,,,,,,,,