System User Guide

www.focusrite.comFA0458-04

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS1. Readtheseinstructions.

2. Keeptheseinstructions.

3. Heedallwarnings.

4. Followallinstructions.

5. Donotusethisapparatusnearwater.

6. Cleanonlywithdrycloth.

7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’sinstructions.

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or otherapparatus(includingamplifiers)thatproduceheat.

9. Donotdefeatthesafetypurposeofthepolarizedorgrounding-typeplug.Apolarizedplughastwobladeswithonewiderthantheother.Agroundingtypeplughastwobladesandathirdgroundingprong.Thewidebladeorthethirdprongareprovidedforyoursafety.Iftheprovidedplugdoesnotfitintoyouroutlet,consultanelectricianforreplacementoftheobsoleteoutlet.

10. Protectthepowercordfrombeingwalkedonorpinchedparticularlyatplugs,conveniencereceptacles,andthepointwheretheyexitfromtheapparatus.

11. Onlyuseattachments/accessoriesspecifiedbythemanufacturer.

12. Useonlywiththecart,stand,tripod,bracket,ortablespecifiedbythemanufacturer,orsoldwiththeapparatus.Whenacartisused,usecautionwhenmovingthecart/apparatuscombinationtoavoidinjuryfromtip-over.

13. Unplugthisapparatusduringlightningstormsorwhenunusedforlongperiodsoftime.

14. Referallservicingtoqualifiedservicepersonnel.Servicingisrequiredwhentheapparatushasbeendamaged inanyway,suchaspower-supplycordorplug isdamaged, liquidhasbeenspilledorobjectshavefallenintotheapparatus,theapparatushasbeenexposedtorainormoisture,doesnotoperatenormally,orhasbeendropped.

15. Nonakedflames,suchaslightedcandles,shouldbeplacedontheapparatus.

The appliance coupler is used as the disconnect device, the disconnect device shall remain readilyoperable.

Donotuseadamagedorfrayedpowercord.

Ifthemainsplugsupplyingtheapparatusincorporatesafusethenitshouldonlybereplacedwithafuseofidenticalorlowerrupturevalue.

Theapparatusshallbeconnectedtoamainssocketoutletwithaprotectiveearthingconnection.

Laiteonliitettäväsuojamaadoituskoskettimillavarustettuumpistorasiaan

Apparatetmåtikoplesjordetstikkontakt

Apparatenskallanslutastilljordatuttag

GB

FIN

NOR

SWE

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ENVIRONMENTAL DECLARATION

For USATo the User:

1.Do not modify this unit!Thisproduct,wheninstalledasindicatedintheinstructionscontainedinthismanual,meetsFCCrequirements.ModificationsnotexpresslyapprovedbyFocusritemayvoidyourauthority,grantedbytheFCC,tousethisproduct.

2. Important:ThisproductsatisfiesFCCregulationswhenhighqualityshieldedcablesareusedtoconnectwithotherequipment.FailuretousehighqualityshieldedcablesortofollowtheinstallationinstructionswithinthismanualmaycausemagneticinterferencewithappliancessuchasradiosandtelevisionsandvoidyourFCCauthorizationtousethisproductintheUSA.

3.Note:ThisequipmenthasbeentestedandfoundtocomplywiththelimitsforaClassAdigitaldevice,pursuanttopart15oftheFCCRules.Theselimitsaredesignedtoprovidereasonableprotectionagainstharmfulinterferenceinacommercialenvironment.Thisequipmentgenerates,usesandcanradiateradiofrequencyenergyand,ifnotinstalledandusedinaccordancewiththeinstructions,maycauseharmfulinterferencetoradiocommunications.Operationofthisequipmentinaresidentialareaislikelytocauseharmfulinterferenceinwhichtheuserwillberequiredtocorrecttheinterferenceathisownexpense

For Canada

To the User:

ThisClassAdigitalapparatuscomplieswithCanadianICES-003.

CetappareilnumériquedelaclasseAestconformeàlanormeNMB-003duCanada.

Theexclamationpointwithinanequilateraltriangleisintendedtoalerttheusertothepresenceofimportantoperatingandmaintenance(servicing)instructions

intheliteratureaccompanyingtheappliance.

WARNING:TOREDUCETHERISKOFFIREORELECTRICSHOCK,DONOTEXPOSETHISAPPARATUSTORAINORMOISTUREANDOBJECTSFILLEDWITHLIQUIDS,SUCHASVASES,SHOULDNOTBEPLACEDONTHISAPPARATUS.

Thelightningflashwitharrowheadsymbol,withinequilateraltriangle,isintendedtoalert theusertothepresenceofuninsulated“dangerousvoltage”withintheproduct’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk ofelectricshocktopersons.

CAUTION:TOREDUCETHERISKOFELECTRICSHOCK,DONOTREMOVECOVER(ORBACK).NOUSER-SERVICEABLEPARTSINSIDE.REFERSERVICINGTOQUALIFIEDSERVICEPERSONNEL.

Compliance Information Statement: Declaration of Compliance procedure

ProductIdentification:FocusriteRedNet

Responsibleparty:AmericanMusicandSound

Address:4325ExecutiveDrive

Suite300

Southaven

MS38672

Telephone:800-431-2609

Thisdevicecomplieswithpart15oftheFCCRules.Operationissubjecttothefollowingtwoconditions:(1)Thisdevicemaynotcauseharmful interference,and (2) this device must acceptany interference received, including interference that may cause undesiredoperation.

RoHS Notice

FocusriteAudioEngineeringLimitedhasconformedwhereapplicable,totheEuropeanUnion’sDirective2002/95/EConRestrictions

ofHazardousSubstances(RoHS)aswellasthefollowingsectionsofCalifornialawwhichrefertoRoHS,namelysections25214.10,

25214.10.2,and58012,HealthandSafetyCode;Section42475.2,PublicResourcesCode.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5AboutthisUserGuide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

RedNetSystemComponents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

MINIMUM SYSTEM REqUIREMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8NetworkRequirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

INSTALLATION GUIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10UnitConnectionsandFeatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

GettingStarted. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

HostingRedNet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

ConstructingaRedNetsystem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

ExampleRedNetstudiosetups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

OPERATION WITH REDNET CONTROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18UsingDanteVirtualSoundcard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

UsingDanteController . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

APPENDIx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Registeringyourproduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

CustomerSupport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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INTRODUCTIONThankyouforinvestingintheFocusriteRedNetsystem.

RedNetisapowerful,lowlatency,digitalaudionetworkingsystemdesignedspecificallyformusic,recordingstudio,liveandbroadcastapplications.ItisbasedonAudinate’sDante™,awell-establishedaudionetworkingtechnologyknownforitsextremerobustness.Dante-andtheRedNetsystem-iscapableoftransportingupto512channelsofbidirectionalaudio(at48kHzsamplerate)overasingleEthernetlink.ThenumberofchannelsavailableinyourDAWwilldependonthehostmethodbeingused.

RedNetbringsDantetechnologyintothestudioandliveindustriesasthebasisofacompletesystem.RedNetisarangeofextremelyhighqualityanalogueanddigitalaudiointerfacesandcomponentsthatdoagreatdealmorethansimplyallowyoutoconnectyourdigitalstudiothroughanEthernetnetwork: they will revolutionise the way you work in other ways too. Importantly, Dante is non-proprietary;thismeansitwillworkwithanyASIO-orCoreAudio-compliantDAWsoftware,includingProTools,Logic,CubaseandNuendo.

IfyouareamusicianoranengineercurrentlyusingUSBorFireWire-basedinterfaces,RedNetwillgiveyouamorereliable,powerfulandprofessionalsysteminfrastructure.RedNetisagreatsolutioninfacilitieswherelongcablerunsareinvolvedand/orthereisarequirementtoroutinelyreconfigurethevariousroomsmakingupafacility.ItalsohastheadvantageofonlyneedingastandardnetworkcabletointerconnectalltheI/Othroughoutthesystem,minimisinginstallationtimeandimpactonabuilding.

ABOUT THIS USER GUIDEThe Guide provides a detailed explanation of the RedNet system to help you achieve a thoroughunderstandingof itscapabilities;this includestheinstallationanduseoftheRedNet PCIe/ PCIeR card, whichwillbeacentralcomponent inmanyRedNetsystems.Werecommendthatallusers,includingthosealreadyexperiencedindigitalaudionetworking,takethetimetoreadthroughthisGuidesothatyouarefullyawareofallthepossibilitiesthatRedNetanditssoftwarehastooffer.IftheGuidedoesnotprovidetheinformationyouneed,besuretoconsultwww.focusrite.com/rednet,whichcontainsacomprehensivecollectionofcommontechnicalsupportqueries.

NotethatthisSystemUserGuidedoesnotincludeadetaileddescriptionofthevariousinterfaces;aseparateUserGuidespecifictoeachinterfaceissuppliedwitheveryunit,inadditiontotheSystemUserGuide.MuchoftheinstallationandoperationofaRedNetsystemrevolvesaroundsettingupandconfiguringthesystemitself–thesearefactorswhicharecommontoallRedNetcomponents.TheexamplesusedinthisSystemUserGuidenecessarilyuseparticularRedNetunits,butyoushouldnotbeconcernedifyoursystemdoesnotincludethesameunits–theprinciplesofoperationasfarastheoverallsystemconceptisconcernedisapplicabletoallRedNethardware.

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OVERVIEWFocusrite RedNet Audio Networking - key features

• Digitalaudionetworkingdevelopedspecificallyforstudios,liveandbroadcast.

• Scalable,upto512bidirectionalaudiochannelsperlink(at48kHz)

• ChoiceofvariousanalogueanddigitalI/Ointerfaces

• Supportsasmanyinterfacesasrequired

• Pristineaudioqualitywithlowlatency

• Roundtriplatencylessthan3mswithRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcard

• BasedonDanteTM-provenreliabilityandrobustness

• 24-bit,upto192kHzsamplerate

• Verysimpletoconfigure

• RemotecontrolofallinterfacesviaincludedRedNetControlsoftware

• SupportsanyopenDAWpackage,includingProTools,LogicandNuendo

• MacandWindowscompatible

REDNET SYSTEM COMPONENTSARedNetsystemrequiresbothhardwareandsoftwarecomponents.TheRedNethardwarerangecurrentlyconsistsofvariousmodelsofI/OinterfaceandaPCIe/PCIeRdigitalaudiointerfacecardwhichisinstalledinthesystem’shostcomputer.AlltheI/Ounitscanbeconsideredas“Break-Out”(and/or“Break-In”)boxesto/fromthenetwork,andallarebuilt inmains-powered,1Uor2U19”rackmountinghousings,unlessotherwisestated.

There are three software items for installation on the host computer: RedNet Control, DanteControllerandDanteVirtualSoundcard.BothRedNetControlandDanteControllerareessentialforsystemoperation.DanteVirtualSoundcardisanoptionalsoftwarealternativetotheRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcard,andallowsthecreationofRedNetsystemswithoutadedicatedcomputerinterfacecard.SystemsbasedonDanteVirtualSoundcardhavea lowerchannelcapacityandaslightly inferiorlatencyperformancecomparedtosystemsusingthePCIe/PCIeRcard.

RedNet I/O interfacesAvarietyofaudiointerfacesareavailablefortheRedNetsystem,includingmicpreamps,analoguelinelevelI/Oandvariousinterfacescateringfordigitalprotocols.Formoreinformationpleasevisit:www.focusrite.com/rednet

FulldetailsofeachRedNet interfacecanalsobe found in theUserGuides foundon theRedNetwebste.

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RedNet PCIe/ PCIeR card

TheRedNetPCIe/PCIeR(PCIExpress)cardisanoptionalhardwareinterfacebetweentheEthernetnetwork interconnecting thevarious I/Ounits inaRedNetsystem,and thehostcomputer.Wheninstalledina4-lane(minimum)PCIecardslotineitheraPC,MacorThunderboltchassis,itallowsupto128channelstobesentto/fromtheDAWthroughitson-boardEthernetport/ports.Asystemlatencyoflessthan3msispossiblewiththePCIe/PCIeRcard,buttoachievethis,werecommendtheuseofa16-lanePCIecardslot.Notealsothatsystemlatencyinallcaseswillbedependentonbuffersize,samplerateandprocessorpower.

ThecomputerintowhichthecardisattachedwillrequireRedNetControltobeinstalled.TheEthernetport/ ports on the PCIe/ PCIeR card should be connected to the network via a Gigabit Ethernetswitch,andthehostcomputer’snativeEthernetportshouldbeconnectedtoanotherportonthissameswitch.Inthisarrangement,thePCIe/PCIeRcard’sEthernetporthandlesalltheaudioandthenativeporthandlesthecontroldatabetweenRedNetControlandtheremoteRedNetI/Ounits.

RedNet ControlRedNetControl is thesoftwareapplicationwhich lets theuserconfiguretheRedNetsystemandcontroleachindividualRedNetI/Odevice,whateveritsphysicallocation.RedNetControlversionsforbothPCandMacareavailableasdownloadsfromtheFocusritewebsite–see“InstallingRedNetControl”onpage12.

AllRedNetdevicesonthenetworkareauto-detectedbytheRedNetControlsoftware,andvisualisedon-screenalongwiththeirvariouscontrolsandsettings.

Dante ControllerDanteControllersoftwareisAudinate’sproprietarygenericaudioroutingapplicationforusewithDante digital audio networked devices. Installation of Dante Controller is automatic; it will beinstalledaspartoftheRedNetControlsoftwareinstallation.

Dante Virtual SoundcardDanteVirtualSoundcardisasoftwarealternativetotheRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcard.Itallowsuserswho do not require the extremely low latency and high channel count possible with the RedNetPCIe/PCIeRcardtoimplementaRedNetsystem.Amaximumof64channels(ineachdirection)ispossible,atatypicallatencyof7ms(buffersizeandsampleratedependent).

DanteVirtualSoundcardcanbedownloadeddirectlyfromwww.audinate.com.(On-lineregistrationisrequired.)

Using RedNet with other Dante-compatible productsAsRedNetisbasedonAudinate’sDantesystem,itiscompatiblewithDante-enableddevicesfromother manufacturers. However, note that when using RedNet devices with other Dante-enabledproducts,youmaybelimitedtosampleratesof48or96kHz,asmanyotherdevicesdonotsupportthefullrangeofsamplerateoptionsofferedbyRedNet.

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MINIMUM SYSTEM REqUIREMENTSIngeneralterms,computersrunningthefollowingoperatingsystemswillallowaRedNetsystemtodeliversatisfactoryperformance(butseeimportantnotebelow):

MacAppleMacwithOSX10.8(MountainLion)orlater.PleasenotethatRedNetisnotsupportedbyMacPPC.Min.2GBRAMDualcoreIntelProcessor(Quadcorerecommended)

PCPCrunningWindows7,Windows8orWindows10(32-or64-bit).PleasenotethatRedNetisnotsupportedbyWindowsVista.Min.2GBRAMDualCoreprocessor(Quadcorerecommended)

IMPORTANT:FocusritehaveevaluatedanumberofspecificmodelsofcomputerforusewithRedNetsystems,andrecommendtheuseofoneoftheseifhighestsystemperformanceisessential(i.e.,lowestlatencyatmaximumchannelcount).Usersshouldcheckwww.focusrite.com/rednetforthelatestinformationregardingspecificationsofsuitablecomputers.

NETWORk REqUIREMENTSTheAudinateDanteTMprotocolonwhichRedNetisbasedusesstandardEthernettechnologyforthenetwork.AlthoughRedNet trafficcanbemixedwithothernetworkdata,werecommendthat formaximumperformancetheEthernetnetworkusedforRedNetaudioshouldbeself-containedandnotusedforotherITpurposes.

Thenetworktopologyemployedwillbedictatedbyuserrequirementsandbuildinglayout.

RedNetiscompatiblewithbothCat6andCat5ecabling,thoughCat6STPispreferred.EtherCONorstandardRJ45connectorswithmetalscreensshouldbeused,withthecablescreenbondedtotheconnectorscreen.

Gbit Switch requirementsTheswitchesusedinaRedNetnetworkshouldbeofthe‘managed’type,anddesignedforusein1000 Mbps (Gigabit) systems. Un-managed switches may prevent correct RedNet networkconfiguration. A switch with an internal PSU (i.e., requiring direct connection to AC mains) isalso recommended; the external “plug-top” PSUs supplied with cheaper units may be prone tointerferencewhichcouldgenerateaudibleartefactsintheaudio.

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Numerousmakes/modelsofGigabitswitcheshavebeenfoundtooperatesatisfactorilywithDantesystems.RecommendedmanufacturersincludeLinksys,Dell,HPandCisco.WealsorecommendPower-over-Ethernet(PoE)enabledswitches,whichwillpowercertainRedNetdevicessuchastheRedNetAM2(Formoreinformation-pleaseseetheRedNetUserManuals).NotethefollowingfeaturesarerequiredwhenselectingaswitchforusewithaRedNetnetwork:

• Gigabit(1000Mbps)ports

• QualityofService(QoS)with4queues

• Diffserv(DSCP)QoS,withstrictpriority

• Amanagedswitchisalsorecommended,toprovidedetailedinformationabouttheoperationofeachnetworklink:portspeed,errorcounters,bandwidthused,etc.

Additionalinformationonswitchrequirementscanbefoundatwww.focusrite.com/rednet.

A note about LatencyNodigitalaudiosystemis“instantaneous”;theterm“latency”isusedtoexpressthetimebywhichtheaudioisdelayedintravellingthroughthesystem.Inpractice,latencyonlybecomesaproblemwhenmixingsignalsfromsystemshavingsignificantlydifferentdelays.TheDanteprotocolusedbyRedNetexhibitsverylowlatency,andyoushouldnotexperienceanyproblemsinnormalrecordingpracticewhenusingitformultichannelaudiotransportbetweenaDAWandsourcesormonitoring.

WiththeRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcardinuse,round-triplatencycanbelessthan3ms(dependingonbuffersizeandsamplerate).IfyouareusingDanteVirtualSoundcardinsteadoftheRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcard,additionalprocessingtimeisrequiredbythecomputer.However,youshouldachievethesameorderoflatencyaswithaFireWireinterface.

Thepreciselatencyofanygivensystemwillbedeterminedbyanumberoffactors, includingtheprocessingspeedofthecomputer,thenumberofswitchesinthenetwork,themake/modelofswitchusedandthenetworktopology.

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INSTALLATION GUIDE

UNIT CONNECTIONS AND FEATURESRedNet I/O interfacesFulldetailsofthefrontpanelcontrols,indicatorsandrearpanelconnectionsofthevariousRedNethardwareinterfaceswillbefoundinthedevicespecificUserGuidesontheRedNetwebsite.

RedNet PCIe/ PCIeR card

1. Primary Network Port-ConnectthistotheGigabitnetworkswitchlocaltothecomputer.TheportistheprimaryinterfaceforallthechannelsofaudioontheRedNetnetwork.ThesockethasintegralLEDswhichilluminatetoindicateconnectiontoanactivenetworkport,andnetworkactivity.

2 . Secondary Network Port - Secondary Dante network connection where two independentEthernet links are being used (Redundant) or an additional port on an integral networknetworkswitchonthePrimaryNetwork(Switched)

3 . SYS–multi-colourLEDindicatingthecard’sDantesystemstatus:

•Green–normaloperation•Orange–systemfailure

4 . CLk–multi-colourLEDindicatingthecard’ssyncstatus:

•Green(steady)–confirmscardisaDantePTPslave;thecardwillsynctotheclockembeddedintheincomingDantebitstream

•Green(blinking)–confirmscardisaDantePTPmaster;thecardisset(inDanteController)togeneratetheDanteclockwhichwillbeusedbyotherunits.

•Orange–syncfailure

5 . ERR–reservedforfutureuse.

NOTE:additionalLEDdisplaysarethus:•AllLEDsred–cardhasenteredfailsafemode.Ifthissituationoccurs,usersarerecommended

tocontactFocusriteCustomerSupport.•AllLEDsblinkinggreen–identifyfunctionhasbeenactivatedfromDanteController.

The RedNet PCIe/ PCIeR card is a standard single-width PCIe card which will fit an empty cardslot inaPC,MacorThunderboltchassis.Theslotusedmustbe“4-lane”minimum, though16-laneisnecessarytoachievemaximumperformance.Pleasecheckyourcomputer’smotherboarddocumentationifyouareunsureoftheslotspecification.

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The RedNet PCIe/ PCIeR card is powered by the computer or chassis in which it is installed. ItconformstothePCIecardsupplyvoltagestandard,andprovidedyourcomputer’sPSUisworkingnormally,youshouldexperiencenopower-relatedissueswithanycomputer.

GETTING STARTEDTheGettingStartedGuide,whichisincludedwithallRedNetdevices,providesabriefoverviewofthestepsyouneedtotaketoestablishaworkingRedNetsystem,andifyouhaven’talreadydoneso,wesuggestyoureadthroughthisdocumentnow.

RefertothedocumentationsuppliedwithyourGigabitswitch.Youwillbeabletoaccesstheswitchconfigurationonceyouhaveconnectedtheswitchtoyourcomputer’sEthernetportbyopeningyourusualInternetbrowserandenteringtheIPaddress(thiswillbegivenintheswitchdocumentation)intothebrowser’sURLfield.Mostswitcheswillbepre-configuredinasuitablestateforusewithRedNet,but it is importanttocheckthatQoS(QualityofService) isenabled.Thisstepshouldbestraightforward,butifyouhavedifficulties,pleaserefertotheAnswerbaseontheFocusritewebsite:www.focusrite.com/answerbase.

HOSTING REDNETRedNetcanbe‘hosted’(i.e.,supportedbyyoursystemcomputer)eitherwithorwithouttheRedNetPCIe/ PCIeR card. Focusrite recommends using the RedNet PCIe/ PCIeR Card to get the bestperformancefromyourRedNetsystem.Withthecard,yoursystemwillhavethelowestaudiolatencypossibleandsupportthemaximumnumberofchannels.SeenotebelowregardinguseofRedNetwithProTools|HDTMsystems.

IfyouarenotusingtheRedNetPCIe/PCIeRCard,aRedNetsystemcanbehostedonanycompatiblecomputerwithoneEthernetportusingtheDanteVirtualSoundcard.Thisisasoftwareapplicationwhichmaybedownloadedfromwww.audinate.com.PleaseconsulttheUserGuidesection“UsingDanteVirtualSoundcard”.

WiththeDanteVirtualSoundcard,systemperformanceandcapacitywillbereducedcomparedtoasystemusingtheRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcard.WithDanteVirtualSoundcard,thesystemchannelcountat thesamplingfrequency inuse(themaximumnumberofaudiochannelsavailable) ishalf thatachievablewiththeRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcard.Overallsystemlatencywillvarywiththespecificationofthehostcomputerinuse,butinmostcaseswillbesimilartothelatencyexperiencedwhenusingFocusriteFireWireinterfaces.Thisislikelytobemorethanadequateinthemajorityofsituations.

Formoreinformation:www.focusrite.com/rednet

NOTE:ProTools|HDTMuserscaninterfacetoaRedNetsystemwithoneormoreRedNet5/RedNetHD32RHDBridge.Inthiscase,RedNet5/RedNetHD32Ritselfactsasthesystemhost,andneitheraRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcardnorDanteVirtualSoundcardarerequiredtooperatetheRedNetsystem.

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CONSTRUCTING A REDNET SYSTEMNecessary equipment

• CompatibleMacorWindowsPC–seepage8forcomputerspecifications

• RedNetI/OInterfacesasrequired

• Either:•ARedNetPCIe/PCIeRCard•DanteVirtualSoundcardsoftware•Uptofive(ProTools|HDTM)orsix(ProTools|HDXTM)RedNet5/RedNetHD32RHDBridges

• GigabitEthernetSwitch–seepage8forswitchspecification

• Ethernetcables:•OnecablebetweeneachRedNetinterfaceandtheswitch,•Onecablebetweenthehostcomputerandtheswitch,and•IfaRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcardisinuse,onefurthercablebetweenthecardandtheswitch.

• RedNetControlsoftware

RedNetControlsoftwarecanbedownloadedfromwww.focusrite.com/downloads,havingregisteredtheproductusingthecodesontheProductRegistrationCardsuppliedwitheachRedNethardwareitem.Usersarerecommendedtocheckperiodicallythereaftertoensurethattheyhavethelatestversion,andupdateifnecessary.

Technical RequirementsSeepage8forsystemrequirements.Todownloadsoftware(eitherDanteVirtualSoundcardorthelatestversionofRedNetControl),anInternetconnectionwillberequired.

Installing the RedNet PCIe/ PCIeR Card

ThecomputershouldbedisconnectedfromtheACmainssupplybeforeattemptingtoinstallthePCIecard.Allowthecomputertocoolbeforestartingtheinstallation.

Anti-staticprecautionsshouldbetakenwhenhandlingthecardonceitisremovedfromitsanti-staticbag;onlyhandlethecardbygrippingthecardbyitsedgesandavoidtouchinganyofthecomponentparts.

Placethecomputeronaclean,flatsurface.Openthecomputerasnecessary,toaccessthePCIecardslots.InstalltheRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcardcarefully,ensuringthatitisfirmlyandsecurelyinplace.Closethecomputerandre-connectitspowersupply. Installing RedNet ControlAllsoftwarerequiredforaRedNetsystemisavailablefordownloadfromtheFocusritewebsite,having

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registered your purchase at www.focusrite.com/register. The Product Registration Card providedwithyourRedNetunitcontainsavalidationcodewhichyouwillneedtoenter intheRegistrationarea.Thisprocedureensuresthatyouwillhavethemostup-to-datesoftwareversions.

Can’t get started?If you have any trouble with this product

do not go back to the place of purchase.

Contact our support team on:

US:

UK &

International:

Online:

PLACE SERIAL NUMBER STICKER HERE

1-855-24-FOCUS (1-855-243-6287)

Support available Monday - Friday 8am – 6pm (PST)

+44 1494 462246

Support available Monday - Friday 9:30am – 6pm (GMT/BST)

www.focusrite.com/support

www.novationmusic.com/support

FA0736-01

Gotowww.focusrite.com/register,andfollowtheinstructionsonthecardtoregisteryourproductanddownloadRedNetControlandassociatedsoftware.

Whenalldownloadsarecomplete,installtheRedNetControlapplicationintheusualmanner.Followallon-screeninstructionsfromthispoint.

Audinate Dante ControllerThis software application is automatically installed when RedNet Control is installed. RedNetfunctionscanbecontrolledfromRedNetControlandroutingscanbebedefinedinDanteController.

DanteControllercanalsobedownloadedfromwww.audinate.com.Registerfirst,thendownloadandinstall.

Connecting your RedNet audio networkRemoveanyEthernetcablesconnectedtoyourcomputer(thesecanbereconnectedaftersettingupRedNet-eithertotheGbitswitch,ortoanyadditionalvacantEthernetportsyouhaveonyourcomputer).

ConnectavacantEthernetportonyourcomputertoaportonyourGbitSwitchwithaCat6Ethernetcable.IfyouhaveinstalledaRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcard,connectitsEthernetporttoaportontheGbitswitchwithasecondCat6Ethernetcable.

ConnecttheEthernetportsontherearofeachRedNetI/OinterfaceinthesystemtofurtherportsontheGbitswitchwithCat6Ethernetcables.

TherecommendedorderofpoweringthecomponentsinaRedNetsystemisasfollows:• PoweruptheGbitswitch;

• PowerupallRedNetunitsonthenetworksonebyone(power-onsequencetakesapprox.40sperunit)

• Bootthehostcomputer.

Whenyourcomputerhasbootedup,launchRedNetControl.

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Audio setup in your DAW with RedNet ControlWhateverDAWyouareusing,itwillprovideamethodofselectingwhichRedNetaudiochannelfeedseachtrack.PleaserefertoyourDAW’sdocumentationorHelpfilesifyouareunsureaboutthis.

The RedNet PCIe/ PCIeR card will be detected automatically by your DAW and added to the listofavailableaudiosources.DependingonyourparticularDAW,itmaybenecessarytoselectitastheactiveI/Odevicemanually;othersystemsmayset itasthedefaultdeviceondetection.FromtheAudioI/OSetup(namewilldifferbetweenDAWs),youcanselectwhichofRedNet’s128inputchannelsconstitutestheaudiosourceforeachtrackinuse.Similarlyyoucanrouteeachtracktoanyofthe128outputchannelsavailable.PleasenotetooperateRedNetPCIe/PCIeRwithProToolsTMyouwillneedtoactivate“ProToolsMode”inRedNetControlonallWindowssystems.

ExAMPLE REDNET STUDIO SETUPS – REDNET WITH A DAWSystem 1 - Simple setupRedNet 1 and RedNet 4 (record mic and playback)

GBitSwitch

Mac/PC

CAT 6EthernetCables

8 Channel Mic Pre

8 Channel AD/DA

UsingasimplesystemoftwoRedNetunits,upto16sourcescouldbesimultaneouslyrecorded,andupto8ofthemcouldbeviatheFocusritemicrophonepreamplifiersintheRedNet4.Upto8outputscouldbecreatedformonitoringordownmixpurposes.

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System 2 - Single Control Room and Live Room setup (analogue)2 x RedNet 2 (Control Room) + 2 x RedNet 4 (live room)

GBitSwitch

GBitSwitch

Mac/PC

CAT 6EthernetCables

Control Room Live Room

Analogue Mixing Desk

16 Channel AD/DA

16 Channel AD/DA

8 Channel Mic Pre

8 Channel Mic Pre

Thissmallstudiosystemwouldallowupto48sourcestoberecordedsimultaneously;16ofthesecouldbefrommicorlinesourcesintheliveroom,withanother32fromlinesourcesinthecontrolroom via the RedNet 2 units. Up to 32 outputs could also be made available via the RedNet 2’soutputs.

System 3 - Single Control Room and Live Room setup (digital)As above but RedNet 3 replaces RedNet 2 in CR for interface to digital mixer

GBitSwitch

Mac/PC

CAT 6EthernetCables

Control Room

Digital Mixing Desk

32 Digital I/O

32 Digital I/O

GBitSwitch

Live Room

8 Channel Mic Pre

8 Channel Mic Pre

This would be a suitable system when the mixing desk in use was digital rather than analogue.RedNet3replacesRedNet2inSystem2.Thiswouldprovideupto64digitalinputsintothesystemviaRedNet3’sADAT-formatinputs.Ifanaloguesourceswererequiredinthecontrolroomaswell,aRedNet1,2or4asappropriatecouldsimplybeaddedtothenetwork.

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Dante Virtual Soundcard setupRedNet 4 only, no switch, straight to host Ethernet port

CAT 6EthernetCable

8 Channel Mic Pre

ThisshowstheverysimplenetworkrequiredifyoursystemdoesnotincludeaRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcard.ThehostcomputerwouldinsteadhavetheDanteVirtualSoundcardinstalled,andasingleCat6connectionbetweenRedNet4andthehost’sresidentEthernetportwouldsuffice.Thissystemwouldbeidealforbasichigh-qualityrecordingbutwouldrequiremonitoringtobethroughanamplifier/speakersystemconnecteddirectlytothehostcomputer’sresidentaudiooutput.

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RedNet audio distribution system – no DAWRedNets 1 – 4 in different rooms, audio networking only

Inthismorecomplex,centralisedsystem,usersinanyroomwouldbeabletoaccessaudiosourcesfromanyotherroom.EachroomhasitsownlocalEthernetswitch,andeachisconnectedinturnbacktoacentralswitchinthemachineroom.Thehostcomputer–whichmayormaynotbeaDAWplatform–isconnectedtothiscentralswitch.

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OPERATION WITH REDNET CONTROLWhenRedNetControlislaunched,itinterrogatesthenetworktodiscoverwhichRedNetunitsareconnected.Thismaytakeafewmoments,afterwhichasetofvirtualfrontpanelsisdisplayed.WhenRedNetControl islaunchedforthefirsttime,thescreendisplayshouldbesimilartothatshownbelow.

EachRedNetunitonthenetworkwillhaveacorrespondingvirtual frontpanelon-screen,sothedisplayonyoursystemwillprobablydifferfromthatabove,wheretheexamplesystemhasoneeachofRedNets1,2and4.

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Virtual panel layout

Aswellasduplicatingthecontrolsandindicatorsofadevice’sphysicalfrontpanels,thevirtualfrontpanelshaveanumberoffeaturescommontoallRedNettypes.

1. MinimiseIcon-Clickthistoreducethevirtualfrontpaneltoanominalsize.Thecontrolsandindicatorsarenolongeravailablewhenthepanelisminimised.

2. UnitName-Displaysdefaultunitname.Clickingonthenameallowstheunittoberenamed.

3. IDIcon-ClickthistoflashthemeterLEDsonthephysicaldevice.TheLEDsflashfor5-10sapprox. This is a useful feature when you have multiple units of the same type. Use it toidentifyaunitandthennametheunitaccordingly(seeitem2).

4. ToolsIcon-ClickingthiswillopenamenuwithcontentsdependingontheRedNetdevicetype.Variousdevicesettingsmaybecontrolled.Moredetailsaregiven intheRedNetHardwareManuals.

5. PSUsA&B-EachilluminatesifPSUhaspowerinputandallDCoutputsarepresent.

6. Networks-Eachilluminatesifavalidconnectionisavailable.

7. Locked-Deviceissuccessfullylockedtothenetwork(changestoaredcrossifnotlocked).

8. NetworkMaster-Illuminatesindicatingthattheunitisthenetworkmaster.

9. ExternalClock-Illuminatesindicatingexternalclockstatus(SeerelevantHardwareManualsformoreinformation)

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Utility menuRight-clickingonmostareasofaRedNetdeviceinRedNetControlwillopenapop-upmenuwiththefollowingoptions:

• Get Info–opensawindowprovidingsysteminformation,includingfirmwareandsoftwareversions.

• Launch Dante Controller...-clickingthisoptionlaunchesAudinateDanteController,or,ifDanteControllerisalreadyrunning,opensitswindowontopofRedNetControl.See“UsingDanteController”onpage21.

• Upgrade Firmware...–selectthisoptionwhenyouhavedownloadedafirmwareupdatefromtheFocusritewebsite.AstandardOpenwindowopens,allowingyoutonavigatetothesaved firmware update file. Select the filename to initiate the upgrade procedure. Once afirmwareupgradehascommenced,aprogressbarwillappear.Itisveryimportantthatyoudonotinterrupttheupgradeprocess,eitherbyshuttingdownthecomputerorpoweringdownaunit,oryouriskpermanentdamagetotheunit.

Per-unit virtual front panelsPlease see the individual RedNet interface User Guides for information regarding the on-screenfeaturesandfacilitieswhicharespecifictoeachunit.

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USING DANTE VIRTUAL SOUNDCARDIfyourRedNetsystemistobebasedonDanteVirtualSoundcardinsteadofaRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcard,youwillneedtodownloadtheapplicationfromtheAudinatewebsite,www.audinate.com,andinstallit.EachRedNetI/OinterfaceissuppliedwithDanteVirtualSoundcarddownloadinstructionsandasoftwarelicense.HavingregisteredyourpurchasewithFocusrite,youwillbeabletoaccesstheactivationcodeforDanteVirtualSoundcardinthe“MyProducts”areaoftheFocusritewebsite.

AcomprehensiveUserGuideforDanteVirtualSoundcardisalsoavailablefromtheAudinatewebsite.DanteVirtualSoundcardusersarerecommendedtodownloadthisdocumentaswellandread itthoroughly.

OnceDanteVirtualSoundcardisinstalled,yourRedNetsystemwilloperateinaverysimilarmannertothatalreadydescribedforsystemsusingtheRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcard.NotethatRedNetControlwillstillneedtobeinstalledforaDanteVirtualSoundcard-basedsystem.TherewillbenodifferencesinRedNetControl’soperation.

ThefundamentaldifferencebetweenaDanteVirtualSoundcard-basedsystemandaRedNetPCIe/PCIeR card-based system is that Dante Virtual Soundcard imposes certain restrictions on thesystem’smaximumcapabilities.Themostimportantoftheseare:

• DanteVirtualSoundcardsupportsupto64x64audiochannelsat44.1/48kHz,32x32audiochannelsat88.2/96kHzand8x8audiochannelsat176.4/192kHz,

• Dante Virtual Soundcard will impose higher latency on system operation, but is a goodalternativeformobilerecording

IMPORTANT NOTE:DanteVirtualSoundcardisaproductofAudinatePtyLtd.,andisNOTaFocusriteproduct.Assuch,variationtothespecificationanddevelopmentoftheproductissubjecttochangewhichisoutofthecontrolofFocusrite.

Intending Dante Virtual Soundcard users are recommended to obtain any additional informationrequiredfromwww.audinate.com.

USING DANTE CONTROLLERAudinateDanteControllerisinstalledonyourcomputeraspartoftheRedNetControlinstallation.YoucanlaunchDanteControllereitherbynavigatingtoitsshortcut(inFinder > ApplicationsonMacsorinAll ProgramsinWindows),orbyselecting‘Launch Dante Controller...’fromtheright-clickUtilitymenuinRedNetControl.

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TheDanteControllerwindowhasfivetabs;Routing, Device Info, Clock Status, Network StatusandEvents.TheRoutingtabiswherecustomaudioroutingscanbesetup.

Theroutingpageisarrangedasamatrix,withaudioinputslistedhorizontally(‘Dante Transmitters’)andaudiooutputslistedvertically(‘Dante Receivers’).The‘+’symbolagainsteachRedNetdevicemaybeclickedtoexpandthefullsetof inputsoroutputs;Notethat in thecaseofan input-onlyinterface(e.g.,RedNet4),nooutputsarelisted.Clickingthe‘+’symbolagainstthehorizontal/verticaltitlesDante TransmittersandDante Receiverssimultaneouslyexpandsallaudio inputsandoutputsrespectively;clickingthe‘-’symbolcollapsesthem.InadditiontotheRedNetdevicesonthenetwork,all128inputsand128outputsavailablethroughtheRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcardarelisted.

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ThematrixdisplaysgraphicallyhowthephysicalinputsandoutputsontheRedNetunitsarecurrentlymappedtotheaudiochannelsoftheRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcard.ConsiderasimplesituationwhereasingleRedNet1unitisonthenetwork.

ExpandingtheRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcardinputs(verticalaxis–Dante Receivers)andtheRedNet1audioinputs(horizontalaxis–Dante Transmitters)willgiveadisplaylikethis:

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YoucanseethattheDanteControllerconfirmsthateachoftheRedNet1’sanalogueinputs1to8ismappedtotheRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcard’snetworkreceivechannels1to8,byagreentick.Similarly,expandingtheRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcardoutputs(horizontalaxis–Dante Transmitters)andtheRedNet1audiooutputs(verticalaxis–Dante Receivers)givesadisplaylikethis:

Again,DanteControllerconfirmsthateachofthenetworktransmitchannels1to8oftheRedNetPCIe/PCIeRcardismappedtoRedNet1’sanalogueoutputs1to8.

ThisbasicgraphicprincipleextendstoallRedNetunitsonthenetwork.

Other Dante Controller optionsVarious other facilities are available in Dante Controller, which are not specific to its use as thetransmissionplatformforRedNet.AfullsetofHelpfilesisinstalledwiththeapplication;ClickHelp > Contentsforfurtherinformation.

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APPENDIx

REGISTERING YOUR PRODUCTFortechnicalsupport,pleaseregisteryourproductat:www.focusrite.com/register

CUSTOMER SUPPORTYoucancontactFocusriteCustomerSupportat:Email:supportteam@focusrite.com

Phone:+44(0)1494462246

TROUBLESHOOTINGIfyouareexperiencingproblemswithyourRedNetSystem,werecommendthatinthefirstinstance,youvisitourSupportAnswerbaseat:www.focusrite.com/answerbase