At the 2016 NAB Show in Las Vegas, Focusrite (booth C9145) announces the launch of the Red 4Pre, the pinnacle of Focusrite’s interface range. The 58-in/64-out Thunderbolt Red 4Pre interface (shipping in May 2016 with U.S. pricing of $2,499.99) offers dual Pro Tools HD DigiLink and Dante network audio connectivity. It also offers Focusrite’s most advanced low-noise conversion.
The Red 4Pre incorporates four of Focusrite’s “Red Evolution” preamps, offering -129 dB EIN and 63 dB of gain. Software control allows recall of settings and stereo linking, plus configuration of HPF, polarity invert and individual phantom power.
The preamps include Focusrite’s “Air” effect, re-creating in the analog domain the sound of the transformer-based mic preamps in the company’s classic ISA range, ideal for bringing out the quality of a vocal or adding presence to an acoustic guitar. Red 4Pre also includes high-headroom instrument inputs, which are instantly accessible from the front panel.
The Red 4Pre’s new high-performance conversion system features “parallel path summing,” where two matched converters are run in parallel to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. They operate at up to 24-bit, 192 kHz sampling with a dynamic range of 118 (A/D)/121 dB (D/A). The Red 4Pre delivers ≤0.0009-percent THD+Noise and a stated frequency response from 20 to 35k Hz ±0.25 dB or better.
Dual Thunderbolt 2 ports connect to any DAW while allowing daisy-chaining of drives and displays. Focusrite’s lowest round-trip latency permits recording with preferred plug-ins in real-time and simplifies workflow, while dual DigiLink ports connect the Red 4Pre directly to any Pro Tools HD system.
In addition, Red 4Pre features built-in Dante network audio connectivity: use the dual Ethernet ports to connect any Dante-compatible product such as units from Focusrite’s own RedNet range, adding up to 64 channels via Ethernet.
