Recording - November 2016 - 36

B Y PA U L V N U K J R .

Focusrite Red 4Pre Thunderbolt Audio Interface
A marvelous step beyond the already-fantastic Clarett Range...
British audio company Focusrite does a bangup job of
serving both the beginner and the professional. Its product
line includes starter level microphone preamps and channel
strips, often combined with audio interfaces, and reaches
all the way up to the legendary and classic ISA series. On
the interface side, Focusrite also offers models at every
level; and the Scarlett 2i2 (now in its second generation,
reviews forthcoming) is my number one recommended
interface for beginners and musicians on a budget.

A year ago, in our November 2015 issue, we looked at
Focusrite's pro interface side, reviewing the Clarett 8Pre.
This interface, part of Focusrite's first Thunderbolt series,
also included a new microphone preamp design that combined low distortion, ultra-linear preamps with an optional
"air" setting that gave said preamps a hint of ISA and vintage Focusrite Red flavor.
Now it's time to try out the a new flagship in Focusrite's
Thunderbolt line: the Red 4Pre. While not part of the
Clarett line in name, it does build firmly on the Clarett
series' successes: high-quality digital conversion, low latency, and top-flight preamp design.
Red: what's in a color?
First up, despite its name, the Red 4Pre doesn't include four
channels of the relaunched Red 1 mic preamp (reviewed in
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RECORDING NOVEMBER 2016

500 Series module format in our July 2014 issue). While that would
be amazing, it would probably add at least $3000 to the price!
The new Red 4Pre does take some cues from the original Red range
in look, feel, and color. It features the same shiny red anodized faceplate as the classic Red series, and its 4 onboard microphone preamps
aim to emulate the sound of the classic in their own modern way.
The Red 4Pre is a single-space 19" rackmount device. Unlike the
button-and-knob-laden layout of the Clarett line, which offered
direct one to one control of each mic pre channel, the Red 4Pre is
minimal by comparison. Its front panel has a beautifully symmetric
design. On the left, it has a pair of 1/4" instrument inputs, 4 buttons for mic pre selection, and a multi-function stepped control dial.
On the right side are a second dial, four buttons for selection of
metering, global controls, and sources, and a pair of 1/4" headphone jacks, each of which can have its own mix. The right-side
power button is offset by the deeply engraved "4" on the left.
LCD times three
While I did like the one physical knob per channel approach of
the Clarett, the tech-geek in me is equally if not more impressed
with the trio of matching square LCD displays in the middle of the
Red 4Pre. Each one is dedicated to a single functional area.
Mic preamps are controlled on the left with choices of individual phantom power, input choice (Instrument, Line or Mic), a high
pass filter, phase and the Air setting. The center window displays
channel I/O metering for the unit's 8 analog inputs and more,
and the right window controls the control room and headphone
output levels as well as global system settings. Settings are selected and altered by the quartet of buttons on each side (which offer
press and hold multifunction button choices), along with the two
control dials.
Connections and more connections
When it comes to connectivity, the Red 4Pre leaves no stone
unturned. While it only has 4 physical microphone preamps, it
offers a plethora of connectivity on the back for a total of 58 ins
and 64 outs. They are as follows:
~ Analog Ins: 4 XLR Mic inputs, 1 DB25 connector for 8 line inputs.
~ Analog Outs: 2 1/4" TRS balanced control room/monitor outs,
1 DB25 connector for 8 line outputs
~ Digital Ins: 1 S/PDIF , 2 Optical 8-channel ADAT
~ Digital Outs: 1 S/PDIF , 2 Optical 8-channel ADAT
~ Word Clock I/O: 2 BNC

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - November 2016