Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56

Liquid Saffire 56 includes the Focusrite plug-in suite, produced by the same team that developed Novation's nio FX rack and Saffire Pro 40 Control. They provide the perfect upgrade from your standard sequencer effects with all-new Focusrite Compression, Reverb, Gating and EQ VST/AU plug-ins, for use in the mix.

Each plug-in has a host of pre-sets that provide a reasonable starting point, delivering suitable solutions for the chosen sound source. Having selected a preset, you can then go on to finely tune these settings.

The compressor and Gate have been modeled on the Focusrite's hardware devices, using the measurement of custom optos to achieve the signature Focusrite sound. (All Focusrite optos are tuned by ear, just like in the old days of analog design, ensuring a faithful recreation of those classic vintage 1960s optical compressors.)

With the same signature as the original Focusrite EQ curves. Focusrite's R&D team used state-of-the-art numerical transform techniques to create an authentic response across the entire audible frequency spectrum for this software EQ.

The Reverb is based on classic algorithmic studio reverb designs.

Rather than creating a similar sound to vintage units, as with modelling devices, Liquid Technology samples their sonic behaviour. This is achieved through Dynamic Convolution; the application of a unique, level-dependent set of responses to an audio signal. These measured responses, sampled at numerous levels and with every possible setting combination, are applied to the input stream on a sample-by-sample basis for accurate emulation.


However, Mic-pre emulation can't be achieved with software alone. Hardware is required in addition to account for the physical interaction with the microphone. Mic-pre's have always had to connect to the source microphone, but it's an interactive system that isn't 100% efficient. Mic. pre-amps have been designed since 1920's to suit a wide variety of different types of mics.- passive carbon dynamics, then coil-based designs, then valve amplifiers, large diaphragms, phantom powered condensers etc.


Hence, different vintages and types of mic. pre-amp, will vary dramatically in terms of the way that their input has been designed. For example, the range of electronic/transformer front ends that have been used over the years exhibit a wide-ranging set of impedances, and this is why an analogue front end needs to be included. If a specific mic. is not being loaded by the analogue circuit just as it was by an original vintage device, then the sound from that microphone will be different. The is no real mic-pre standard. Take a transformer for instance. It has two coils of wire, the 1st coil generates a magnetic field, and this then passes into the 2nd coil- which in itself is not a fixed transfer mechanism, there's a lot of variation in transformers.


What impedance appears at the input of the pre is also a key factor- when you connect a mic. it has an output impedance of its own. The two sides (mic. and pre) react, and frequency-related level can vary wildly as a result. Capacitances also interact as both mic and transformer have capacitances that vary, so HF roll off may occur for example, or you may get an HF peak (The famous Focusrite 'airiness' typified by the ISA range for example,) Older mics. designed for broadcast applications often roll off at e.g. 12kHz, since before 1970 few people cared about HF matters. (Designers used to just roll off at c12kHz to filter out problems above this threshold.)


Consequently, The only way to accommodate the full range of different designs is to allow huge flexibility in the resistance and capacitance parameters in a custom analogue circuit designed specifically for that flexibility. By including a 'Liquid' pre-amp circuit containing a flexible signal path and variable impedance value, Liquid Saffire 56 can mimic that of the classic mic-pre to ensure that the interaction with the microphone is close to the original.


Hence, The Liquid pre-amp physically changes analogue circuitry as well as using dynamic convolution technology to create mic-pre emulations. Focusrite has built in the variations required to reproduce the vagaries of a range of electronic mic-pres. The capacitance and resistance are then varied in the circuit, and Dynamic Convolution technology is used to emulate the full range of electronic pre's. Tube emulation is also covered 100% - this is taken care of by the Dynamic Convolution process. Whatever artefacts were present in a classic vintage tube piece are also present in the Liquid Pre-amp. The sound of every opto, and every VCA compressor, every transformer-balanced, electronically balanced (including tube pre's) can be emulated, because each device's response has been calculated.


* IMPORTANT INFORMATION: FOCUSRITE, the FF logo, LIQUID TECHNOLOGY, SAFFIRE MIX CONTROL and the LIQUID SAFFIRE 56 logo are trademarks of Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd. DYNAMIC CONVOLUTION is a trademark of Sintefex Ltd. All other product names, trademarks, or trade names are the names of their respective owners, which are in no way associated, connected nor affiliated with Focusrite or its LIQUID SAFFIRE products and which have not endorsed Focusrite's LIQUID SAFFIRE products. These other product names, trademarks, and trade names are used solely to identify and describe the third party products the sonic behaviour of which was studied for the LIQUID SAFFIRE products, and to accurately describe the functionality of the Liquid Mix products. The Liquid Mix products are an independently engineered technology which utilises the patented process of Dynamic Convolution to actually measure examples of the sonic impact of original analogue products upon an audio stream, so as to electronically emulate the performance of the original product studied. The result of this process is subjective and may not be perceived by a user as producing the same effects as the original products studied.

Compatible with:

Windows XP - 64bit
Service Pack 2 and above only. Windows Vista
Windows XP
Service Pack 2 and above only. Mac 10.4
10.4.11 is supported on version 1.8 of Saffire Mix Control only. Mac 10.5
Mac 10.6
From version 2.0 of Saffire Mix Control, both the 32 and 64 bit kernels of 10.6 (Snow Leopard) are fully supported. Windows Vista - 64bit
Windows Windows 7
From version 2.0 of Saffire Mix Control, Windows 7 is fully supported without the need to downgrade to the Windows Legacy FireWire driver. For more information about Windows 7 FireWire Drivers, please visit the Focusrite Answerbase. Windows Windows 7 - 64bit
Although from version 2.0 of Saffire Mix Control Windows 7 is fully supported without the need to downgrade to the Windows Legacy FireWire driver, users may experience better performance on 64-bit systems while using the Legacy driver. For more information about Windows 7 FireWire Drivers, please visit the Focusrite Answerbase.
NOT Compatible with:

Mac 10.3

Focusrite has, over the past decade, built a reputation as the market leader for high quality recording equipment, with is mic-pre technology as the cornerstone of that enviable reputation. The original mic-pre, as featured in the early Focusrite Forte console, used rotary switched gain controls and high quality audio transformers. This mic-pre is still used by many of the industries greatest producers and is the sound of countless hit records. Today, Focusrite design equipment for a far greater audience, from professionals to amateur enthusiasts, all with varying budgets.


As with the Red and ISA ranges, the Mic-pre technology found in the Platinum and Saffire ranges is designed to the highest possible standards. They uphold the same wide bandwidth philosophy featured in the original forté console, back in 1989. All Focusrite mic-pres feature custom components which have undergone an intense testing and qualification process. With the facts and figures in, Focusrite designs then have to pass the essential listening stage. Any design can measure well on the test bench but only a great design can be qualified in the studio. The FET-based design in the Saffire range is no exception and ensures the same low noise and distortion performance as earlier transformer-based designs. It delivers clarity without colouration and exhibits the signature transparency for which Focusrite have become famous.