Programming a mic cue

[Katharine Horowitz]

Can you program a mic cue on a Focusrite Clarett 4 Pre? If so, I'd love a step-by-step walk-through. Thanks!

[micpool]

Yes you can

In this example I am assuming you have a microphone connected to Claret input 1 and speakers (or a mixer) connected to Line outputs 1+2

I don't have a Clarett to hand, and am using an Octa-capture.. Where you see an Octa-capture in the screen shots, select your clarett instead

1. Select Interface in settings/audio/mic cues

2. Make a Mic cue. Patch it to your clarett. 

Select the number of inputs and the starting ch e.g 1 input starting at input 1

Matrix that input to Line outputs 1+2  to route to your output connections on Line output 1+2

START THE CUE

Adjust Gain Knobs on clarett (and switch on phantom power if required)  to get the meters peaking about 2 / 3 up the scale on the meters

That's it

Mic

[Katharine Horowitz]

Thank you, Mic. This achieved part of what I needed, but I'm realizing that the other part I need is probably a script (or OSC control?) to send a Mute on/off command to the mic channel in the Focusrite Control app.

[micpool]

I’m  now unclear what you want to do. If you want to use QLab microphone cues, just unmute all the mic inputs on the Focusrite, and use Mic cues and fade cues in QLab to switch the microphones on and off. The mute off states should be remembered, when the focusrite is powered  on and off. 

If what you want to do is have the microphones route internally in the focusrite, and just control them with QLab, i.e no audio from the microphones passes through QLab, then things are very  difficult with this interface. There is no direct way to control the interface or its control software through MIDI . Radu Varga has software that will enable this, but this makes for  a very complicated set up, and is probably best avoided. It may be possible to  control Focusrite Controll app  through UI Applescripting, i.e simulating button presses in the software as if they were being done by a user,  but again this is going to be an unwieldy solution.

Mic

[Katharine Horowitz]

Figured it out. The key is to mute the channel at the Focusrite app first, then proceed.

[micpool]

On Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 12:19:01 AM UTC k_hor...@comcast.net wrote:

Figured it out. The key is to mute the channel at the Focusrite app first, then proceed.

I assume you mean UNmute the channels, as in my previous reply. Or have I misunderstood?

Mic

[Katharine Horowitz]

First: Mute channel at Focusrite app.

Second: Create and program "Mic On" cue, which unmutes the Focusrite channel.

[micpool]

What type of cue is your “Mic On” cue. Mic, MIDI, or network?

Mic

[Katharine Horowitz]

Mic. If you want, I'll take another look later this afternoon at precisely how I've programmed it. But it works for me.