NAMM 2009: Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56 (Video)

Published 22/1/09

Audio interface with Liquid preamps

Focusrite have announced their Liquid Saffire 56, the highest-spec unit in their range of audio interfaces for PCs and Macs. It has eight analogue inputs and outputs, two banks of ADAT optical inputs and outputs, plus S/PDIF connections, all of which can be used at the same time for a simultaneous track count of 26 I/O. An internal stereo Loopback bus enables a further two ‘soft’ channels to be recorded into DAW software, from a web browser or an application such as iTunes, say.

The main selling point of the new interface is the two Liquid ‘dynamic convolution’ processors, which provide emulations of the preamp stages from ten classic studio hardware units. These include the Neve 1073, the Pultec MB1 and the Telefunken V72, and can help to add that special something to users’ tracks without the need for a rack full of pricey equipment.

The front panel has phantom power and high-pass filter switches, plus gain knobs for all eight mic preamps. Pad and phase-reverse functions are fitted to some, but not all, of the analogue inputs. A variety of monitor controls are also available, including a dim switch that attenuates the level of the signal if you need to, for example, take a phone call while leaving the track running. There are also individual volume controls for each of the two headphones outputs.

As with the Saffire Pro 40, Focusrite’s most recently released inteface (reviewed in SOS January 2009 and on-line at www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan09/articles/focusritesaffirepro40.htm), the Liquid Saffire 56 ships with a suite of plug-ins and comprehensive control software. With this, among other things, the presets of the Liquid preamps can be adjusted, and custom headphone and monitor mixes can be set up and routed to different outputs.

Also new from Focusrite are two new bundles of plug-ins: the Focusrite Plug-in Suite and the Guitar FX Plug-in Suite. Essentially VST- and Audio Units-compatible versions of the bundled effects that ship with the Saffire Pro 40 and Liquid Saffire 56, the Focusrite Plug-in Bundle offers a basic but effective set of tools for use in DAW projects.

According to the developers, the compressor and gate have been modelled on Focusrite’s own optical circuits. The equaliser has apparently been designed to have a similar sonic signature to that found in the EQ-equipped ISA products, and the reverb is “based on classic algorithmic studio reverb designs”, with simple controls that “lead you to the ideal reverb sound in seconds”.

The Guitar FX Suite is a bundle of plug-ins originally developed by Italian DSP specialists Overloud for the Novation Nio audio interface. Also in VST and Audio Units format, like the processors in the Focusrite Plug-in Suite, they will equip the user with a broad selection of useful guitar-processing tools.

Focusrite say that the two software suites will be shipping by the end of January 2009, with the Liquid Saffire 56 interface hitting the retailers some time in the first quarter of 2009. Prices for all new products were still to be announced at the time of writing.