Applies to:
- Scarlett (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Gen)
- Clarett (+, USB, and Thunderbolt)
- Saffire
- Red
Many modern TVs, DVD players, video game consoles, and other entertainment devices have audio output options that allow them to be connected to Focusrite interfaces. Connecting these devices to your audio interface would allow you to listen or record the output of these devices. This article describes the different ways these devices can be connected to your interface.
Devices with Digital Optical Audio Outputs
If your device has a digital optical output port, you can use it to send two channels of digital audio via optical S/PDIF to the optical input of your audio interface.
In the Audio/Settings menu for your electronic device, please ensure that the format for the Optical Output is set to Linear PCM (not DTS or Dolby Digital).
After changing any of the configurations listed below, you will need to restart your interface for the settings to take effect.
4th Gen Scarlett
If you are using a 4th Gen Scarlett that features an Optical Input port (i.e. Scarlett 16i16, 18i16 or 18i20 4th Gen), please open Focusrite Control 2 Preferences, and implement the following settings in the 'Sample rate & clocking' section:
16i16 and 18i16:
- Sample Rate: 48 kHz
- Clock source: S/PDIF
- Optical port mode: S/PDIF
18i20:
- Sample Rate: 48 kHz
- Clock source: S/PDIF
- S/PDIF mode: Optical
For more detailed information on the digital I/O modes of your interface see this article: Digital I/O Modes
3rd Gen Scarlett
If you are using a 3rd Gen Scarlett that features an Optical Input port (i.e. Scarlett 18i8 3rd Gen or Scarlett 18i20 3rd Gen), please open Focusrite Control and implement the following settings in the 'Device Settings' menu (cog/gear icon):
- Digital I/O Mode: S/PDIF Optical
- Clock Source: S/PDIF
- Sample Rate: 48 kHz
For more detailed information on the digital I/O modes of your interface see this article: Digital I/O Modes
Clarett (+, USB or Thunderbolt)
If you are using a Clarett (+, USB or Thunderbolt), please open Focusrite Control and confirm the following settings in the 'Device Settings' menu (cog/gear icon):
- S/PDIF Source: Optical
- Sync Source: S/PDIF
- Sample Rate: 48 kHz
For more detailed information on the digital I/O modes of your interface see this article: Digital I/O Modes
Saffire
If you are using a Saffire with an Optical Port (i.e. Saffire Pro 24, Pro 24 DSP, Pro 26, Pro 40, or Liquid Saffire 56), please open Saffire Mix Control and use the following settings:
- Settings menu: Use ADAT inputs as Optical S/PDIF
- Sync source: S/PDIF-OPT
- Sample Rate: 48 kHz
Red
If you are using a Red interface, please open RedNet Control 2 and confirm the following settings in the 'Setup' page of the Tools menu:
- S/PDIF Source: Optical
- Clock Source: S/PDIF
- Sample Rate: 48 kHz
The sample rate can be adjusted from the 'Device Sample Rate' drop-down at the top of the Red's tab in RedNet Control 2:
An example of an optical cable:
1st or 2nd Gen Scarlett
If you are using a 1st or 2nd Gen Scarlett interface, then you will not be able to use the interface in this manner. While these Scarlett interfaces do have Optical Inputs, these can only be used for the ADAT format and will not support the S/PDIF protocol needed for this setup.
However, the 1st and 2nd Gen Scarlett 8i6, 18i8, 6i6, 18i8 and 18i20 do have a coaxial S/PDIF input. With the addition of a third-party digital optical to coaxial S/PDIF converter, you can connect your external devices to these Focusrite interfaces.
To do this, connect the optical output of your external device to the optical input of the third-party converter (using the optical cable above). Then connect the coaxial output of the converter to the S/PDIF input on the Scarlett interface (using a coaxial RCA S/PDIF cable).
If you have a 1st Gen Scarlett interface, open Scarlett Mix Control and use the following settings:
- Sync source: S/PDIF
- Sample Rate: 48 kHz
If you have a 2nd Gen Scarlett interface, open Focusrite Control and use the following settings in the Device Settings tab:
- Sync Source: S/PDIF
- Sample Rate: 48 kHz
Please be aware that you will not be able to set up 5.1 surround sound over this connection using one of our devices in either discrete PCM or surround-encoded format. S/PDIF only allows for two channels of PCM audio to be transmitted, rather than the six discrete channels needed for surround. If using a surround encoded signal such as DTS or Dolby Digital, you would need a separate decoder as our interfaces cannot decode this type of signal.
Devices with Analogue Audio Outputs:
You might also find that your electronic device has a 1/8” (3.5 mm) Jack for connecting headphones. This can be used in conjunction with a stereo splitter cable to connect your device to the Line Inputs on one of our audio interfaces. An example of the type of cable you would need to use can be found below:
The single 1/8” jack will plug into the headphone output of the device, while the two ¼” jacks will connect to any pair of Line Inputs on your audio interface. This allows you to connect your device to a Scarlett or other interface that does not support Optical S/PDIF, or Coaxial S/PDIF.
Since you would be using an analogue connection to connect the two devices instead of a digital connection, you would not need to adjust the sync settings or sample rate. Sync should be set to internal and the Sample Rate would need to match your computer or DAW setting.
From there, you would need to ensure that the analogue inputs you are using are routed to your outputs. For bus-powered Scarletts, you would need to use the Direct Monitor function set to Input. For larger Scarlett interfaces, you would need to route the inputs to your outputs through Mix Control, Focusrite Control or Focusrite Control 2, depending on the interface you have.