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GETTING STARTED

With the Third Generation, Scarlett interfaces introduce a new, faster way of getting up and running, 

using the Scarlett Quick Start tool. All you need to do is connect your Scarlett Solo to your computer. 

Once connected, you will see that the device is recognised by your PC or Mac and the Quick Start tool 

will guide you through the process from there.

IMPORTANT: The Scarlett Solo has a single USB 2.0 Type C port (on the rear panel): connect 

it  to  your  computer  using  the  USB  cable  provided.  Note  that  Scarlett  Solo  is  a  USB  2.0 

device, and thus the USB connection requires a USB 2.0+ compliant port on your computer.

Scarlett Solo gets its power from your computer via the USB connection: there is no need 

for a separate power supply. However, we do recommend that when using it with a laptop, 

the laptop should be powered using its AC adaptor, as otherwise the battery will run down 

faster than when powering the laptop alone.

Your computer will initially treat your Scarlett as a Mass Storage Device (MSD), and during its fi rst 

connection, the Scarlett will be in “MSD Mode”.

Quick Start Tool

We have tried to make registering your Scarlett Solo as simple as possible. The procedure is designed 

to  be  self  explanatory,  but  we  have  described  each  step  below,  so  you  can  see  how  they  should 

appear on either a PC or a Mac.

Mac users only:

On connecting your Scarlett Solo to your Mac, a Scarlett icon will appear on the desktop:

Summary of Contents for Scarlett Solo

Page 1: ...User Guide www focusrite com Version 1 0 ...

Page 2: ...al Registration 9 Audio Setup in your DAW 10 Examples of use 12 Connecting a microphone instrument 12 Using Direct Monitoring 13 Headphone monitoring 13 Connecting Scarlett Solo to loudspeakers 14 HARDWARE FEATURES 16 Front Panel 16 Back Panel 17 SPECIFICATIONS 18 Performance Specifications 18 Physical and Electrical Characteristics 19 TROUBLESHOOTING 20 COPYRIGHT AND LEGAL NOTICES 20 ...

Page 3: ...th balanced inputs your audio will be protected from any hum or interference Third Generation Scarlett interfaces are class compliant on macOS this means they are plug and play so no need to install a driver if you are a Mac user This User Guide provides a detailed explanation of the hardware to help you achieve a thorough understanding of the product s operational features We recommend that both ...

Page 4: ...ystem Requirements The easiest way to check that your computer s operating system OS is compatible with the Scarlett Solo is to use our online OS Checker at https customer focusrite com downloads os As new OS versions become available over time you can continue to check for further compatibility information by searching our Help Centre at https support focusrite com hc en gb ...

Page 5: ... on your computer Scarlett Solo gets its power from your computer via the USB connection there is no need for a separate power supply However we do recommend that when using it with a laptop the laptop should be powered using its AC adaptor as otherwise the battery will run down faster than when powering the laptop alone Your computer will initially treat your Scarlett as a Mass Storage Device MSD...

Page 6: ... to get the software for your Scarlett or to follow a step by step setup guide based on your choices Once you have installed the Focusrite Control software to set up and configure your interface the Scarlett will be switched out of MSD mode so that it no longer appears as a Mass Storage Device when connected to your computer Your OS should automatically switch the computer s default audio inputs a...

Page 7: ...her than D depending on what other devices you have connected to your PC Double click on the pop up message to open the dialogue box shown below Double click on Open folder to view files this will open an Explorer window Double click Click Here to Get Started This will redirect you to the Focusrite website where we recommend that you register your device ...

Page 8: ...ased on your choices Once you have installed the Focusrite Control software to set up and configure your interface the Scarlett will be switched out of MSD mode so that it no longer appears as a Mass Storage Device when connected to your computer Your OS should automatically switch the computer s default audio inputs and outputs to be the Scarlett Solo To verify this right click on the Sound icon ...

Page 9: ...our Scarlet Solo at a later date you can do so at https customer focusrite com user register You will need to enter the Serial Number manually this number can be found on the base of the interface itself and can also on the barcode label on the side of the box We recommend that you download and install our Focusrite Control application as this will disable MSD mode and unlock the full potential of...

Page 10: ...s focusrite com get started where Getting Started videos are available Operating instructions for ProTools First and Ableton Live Lite are beyond the scope of this User Guide but both applications include a full set of Help files Instructions are also available at www avid com and www ableton com respectively Please note your DAW may not automatically select the Scarlett Solo as its default I O de...

Page 11: ...tputs will appear in your DAW s Audio I O preferences Depending on your DAW you may need to enable certain inputs or outputs before use The two examples below show two Inputs and two outputs enabled in the Ableton Lite Audio Preferences Typical name Terminology may differ slightly between DAWs ...

Page 12: ...ation while monitoring the playback via headphones Scarlett Solo s inputs are on the front panel Input 1 uses a standard 3 pin XLR socket and is configured to work with microphones of most types you will probably have a male XLR connector on the end of your mic cable If you are using a studio condenser capacitor microphone designed to operate on 48 volt phantom power press the 48V button Some lowe...

Page 13: ...em Setting the front panel DIRECT MONITOR switch to ON will route your input signals directly to the Scarlett Solo s headphone and main monitor outputs This enables you to hear yourself with zero latency i e in real time along with the computer playback Your inputs will be summed to mono so both mic and instrument will appear in the centre of the stereo image Note that the input signals to your co...

Page 14: ...se the rear panel outputs should be connected to the amplifier s inputs RIGHT LEFT RIGHT LEFT The line outputs are 3 pole TRS 6 35 mm jack sockets and are electronically balanced Typical consumer Hi Fi amplifiers and small powered monitors will have unbalanced inputs either on phono RCA sockets or via a 3 5 mm 3 pole jack plug intended for direct connection to a computer In either case use a suita...

Page 15: ... cables to connect these to the outputs of the Scarlett Solo NOTE You run the risk of creating an audio feedback loop if loudspeakers are active at the same time as a microphone We recommend that you always turn off or turn down monitoring loudspeakers while recording and use headphones when overdubbing ...

Page 16: ...t Line level switch for Input 2 switches gain to suit instrument or line level signals INST illuminates red when Instrument mode is selected Note that INST mode may also be selected from Focusrite Control 7 AIR switch enabling AIR mode for the mic input AIR modifies the frequency response of the input stage to model the classic transformer based Focusrite ISA microphone preamps AIR illuminates yel...

Page 17: ...ucture if desired 13 USB 2 0 port Type C connector connect to your laptop or computer with the USB cable supplied 14 LINE OUTPUTS LEFT and RIGHT 2 x 6 35 mm TRS jack sockets 10 dBu output level variable electronically balanced Either TRS balanced connection or TS unbalanced connection jack plugs can be used ...

Page 18: ...0 002 minimum gain 1 dBFS input with 22 Hz 22 kHz bandpass filter Maximum Input Level 22 dBu at minimum gain Gain Range 56 dB Input impedance 60 kohms Instrument Input Dynamic Range 110 dB A weighted Frequency Response 20 Hz to 20 kHz 0 1 dB THD N 0 03 minimum gain 1 dBFS input with 22 Hz 22 kHz bandpass filter Maximum Input Level 12 5 dBu at minimum gain Gain Range 56 dB Input impedance 1 5 Mohms...

Page 19: ...Analogue Outputs Main outputs Balanced 2 x TRS jacks on rear panel Stereo headphone output TRS jack on front panel Output level control main and headphone On front panel Direct Monitoring Front panel switch allows zero latency monitoring of inputs Other I O USB 1 x USB 2 0 Type C connector Front Panel Indicators USB power Green LED Gain Halos Tri colour LED rings concentric with GAIN controls Phan...

Page 20: ...ease visit the Focusrite Help Centre at http support focusrite com where you will find articles covering numerous troubleshooting examples COPYRIGHT AND LEGAL NOTICES Focusrite is a registered trade mark and Scarlett Solo and Scarlett Solo Studio are trade marks of Focusrite Audio Engineering Limited All other trade marks and trade names are the property of their respective owners 2019 Focusrite A...

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