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Upgrading from Focusrite Control to Focusrite Control 2

  • Updated

Applies to:

  • Scarlett 3rd Gen
  • Clarett⁺
  • Clarett USB
  • Scarlett 2nd Gen 6i6, 18i8, and 18i20

To enable you to continue using your interface for longer, we've added support for more interfaces in Focusrite Control 2.

Upgrading from Focusrite Control to Focusrite Control 2

Windows

Please refer to the release notes to check if Focusrite Control 2 is supported with your version of Windows: Focusrite Control 2 | Release Notes.

Uninstall Focusrite Control on Windows

To uninstall Focusrite Control on Windows, follow the video or the steps in this section.

  1. Open Add or Remove Programs:
    1. Click Start, type “add or remove”, then open Add or Remove Programs.
    2. Click Start in the taskbar and go to Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
  2. Find Focusrite Control in the list.
  3. Click the three dots next to it and select Uninstall.
  4. Click Uninstall again to confirm.
  5. When prompted for permissions, click Yes.
  6. When asked if you want to completely remove Focusrite Control, click Yes. A progress bar appears. Windows confirms when Focusrite Control has been successfully removed.

After this process, Focusrite Control no longer appears on your system.

The driver and other Focusrite installations will remain on your system.

Install Focusrite Control 2 on Windows

After you have uninstalled Focusrite Control, you can now install Focusrite Control 2.

To install Focusrite Control 2 on Windows, follow the video or the steps in this section.

To install Focusrite Control 2 on Windows:

  1. Disable any third-party anti-virus or firewall software on your system before installing Focusrite Control 2, you can reenable this once you’ve completed the installation.
  2. Go to downloads.focusrite.com. 
  3. Find your interface.
  4. The download links appear for Focusrite Control 2.
  5. Open File Explorer, go to the Downloads folder and double-click the file to start the installation.
  6. When asked if you want this app to make changes to your device, select Yes.
  7. Select your preferred language for installation.
  8. Click Install, and wait for the Focusrite Control 2 application to be installed. If necessary, the installer installs the bundled driver, which may take a little time. 
  9. Wait for the installation to complete and restart your computer if prompted to do so.

Focusrite Control 2 also installs the Focusrite audio driver, replacing any version you have already installed.

Focusrite Control 2 is now ready for you to use with supported Focusrite audio interfaces.

Focusrite Control 2 detects your device automatically. If your interface is not automatically recognised, please see our troubleshooting guide here:

Why isn't Focusrite Control 2 detecting my audio interface?

Learn how to use Focusrite Control 2

Now you've upgraded from Focusrite Control to Focusrite Control 2, it's time to learn how to use it. If you're used to Focusrite Control, it might take a little bit of getting used to, but we've made updates to our user guides to help you learn it faster. 

Read the user guides here:

Focusrite User Guides

macOS

Please refer to the release notes to check if Focusrite Control 2 is supported with your version of macOS: Focusrite Control 2 | Release Notes. Focusrite Control 2 may work with older operating systems, but we only officially support those listed in the release notes.

Uninstall Focusrite Control on macOS

Before installing Focusrite Control 2 you need to uninstall Focusrite Control.

To uninstall Focusrite Control on macOS, follow the video or the steps in this section.

  1. Make sure Focusrite Control isn’t open. If it is open, quit Focusrite Control.
  2. Open Finder.
  3. Go to Applications.
  4. Find Focusrite Control in the application list.
  5. Right-click Focusrite Control, and click Move to Trash/Move to Bin.
  6. Right-click on your Trash/Bin and Empty Trash/Bin.

After this process, Focusrite Control no longer appears on your system.

Install Focusrite Control 2 on macOS

After you have uninstalled Focusrite Control, you can now install Focusrite Control 2.

To install Focusrite Control 2 on macOS, follow the video or the steps in this section.

  1. Open your web browser and go to the Focusrite Downloads page: downloads.focusrite.com.
  2. Select your Focusrite device.
  3. Click to download Focusrite Control 2, Mac.
  4. Once downloaded, find the Focusrite Control 2 installer in your Downloads folder. 
  5. Double-click the Focusrite Control 2 installer file, and drag the app to the Applications folder. 
  6. Connect your Focusrite to your Mac and powered it on
  7. Open Focusrite Control 2 from your Applications folder. 
  8. Click Open when promoted by the Mac.

Focusrite Control 2 detects your device automatically. If your interface is not automatically recognised, please see our troubleshooting guide here:

Why isn't Focusrite Control 2 detecting my audio interface?

Learn how to use Focusrite Control 2

Now you've upgraded from Focusrite Control to Focusrite Control 2, it's time to learn how to use it. If you're used to Focusrite Control, it might take a little bit of getting used to, but we've made updates to our user guides to help you learn it faster. 

Read the user guides here:

Focusrite User Guides

Frequently asked questions

Which interfaces are compatible with Focusrite Control 2?

  • Scarlett 4th Gen
  • Scarlett 3rd Gen
  • Clarett⁺
  • Clarett USB
  • Scarlett 2nd Gen 6i6, 18i8, and 18i20
  • ISA C8X

Which interfaces are not compatible with Focusrite Control 2?

  • Scarlett 1st Gen
  • Scarlett 2nd Gen Solo, 2i2, and 2i4
  • Clarett Thunderbolt range
  • Saffire range

Which operating systems are compatible with Focusrite Control 2?

Please refer to the release notes to check if Focusrite Control 2 is supported with your operating system: Focusrite Control 2 | Release Notes. Focusrite Control 2 may work with older versions of macOS, but we only officially support those listed in the release notes.

Will I still be able to use Focusrite Control?

Yes, you can continue to use Focusrite Control if you'd prefer. However, we are no longer actively developing Focusrite Control. 

However, each time you disconnect your interface from Focusrite Control and connect to Focusrite Control 2, or vice versa, the software resets your interface to factory defaults.

Can I use Focusrite Control and Focusrite Control 2 on the same computer?

No. You need to uninstall Focusrite Control before you can use Focusrite Control 2 because having both installed causes connection issues.

If you have another Focusrite interface you need to control which isn't supported in Focusrite Control 2, we recommend you continue using Focusrite Control.

Will you be adding for support for other interface ranges?

Only the above products are compatible with Focusrite Control 2. We also offer a studio trade-in scheme for customers looking to upgrade their interface and you can find details for that here: Studio Trade-In | Focusrite.

Will I lose the settings on my device?

To use Focusrite Control 2, the software must reset your device to the default factory settings. We recommend creating a Snapshot file for important setups as a backup before installing Focusrite Control 2. To do this, see Creating Snapshots in Focusrite Control below.

You can't load Focusrite Control snapshots in Focusrite Control 2 due to differences in the software.

What does “beta support” mean?

To allow you to get the benefits Focusrite Control 2 brings as soon as possible, we haven’t done the same level of testing we would do for a full release, so there may be small issues to fix. We’re confident you’ll have a good experience, but if you have any problems please contact us. 

Will the Focusrite Control 2 mobile app work with my interface?

We’re hoping to add support in the Focusrite Control 2 mobile app in the coming months for the above products, allowing remote control of mixes and monitoring, however we don’t currently have a timescale.

Creating Snapshots in Focusrite Control

When you move an interface between Focusrite Control and Focusrite Control 2, the software resets your interface to factory defaults. We advise you make a backup of your your Input Settings and Output Routing in Focusrite Control before upgrading to Focusrite Control 2, in case you decide to revert to Focusrite Control for any reason.

To make a backup you need to use a Snapshot.

To create a Snapshot of Focusrite Control:

  1. Connect your Focusrite interface to your computer and open Focusrite Control.

  2. Go to File → Save Snapshot.

    macOS

    Windows

  3. Name and save your Snapshot somewhere you'll be able to find it if you need to use Focusrite Control again in future.

  4. If you need to load your backup Snapshot, go to File → Load Snapshot.

    macOS

    Windows

Reverting to Focusrite Control

If you want to revert to Focusrite Control after using Focusrite Control 2, you need to restore your interface to factory defaults.

Before restoring defaults, save your current configuration as a preset if you intend to use Focusrite Control 2 again in future — for example, if you're switching between computers running Focusrite Control and Focusrite Control 2. You can learn how to save and load presets here: 

Focusrite Control 2 — Presets

Then, download Focusrite Control from the Focusrite downloads page for your interface if you need to reinstall it:

Focusrite Downloads

Finally, connect your interface to your computer, open Focusrite Control, and go to File → Restore Factory Defaults.

macOS

Windows

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