About to throw Scarlett 6i6 in the dumpster...

rmp5s

New member
I decided to upgrade ("upgrade") from my beloved, reliable, simple Scarlett Solo to something with more inputs and outputs. Decided to go with a 6i6.

I've been miserable ever since.

This thing is a million times more complicated than it needs to be. Why should I have to use software to mix and route everything before I...mix...and route...everything? It's so counter-intuitive! I have a DAW and ASIO for that (which hasn't worked since I got this thing...), why should I have to do it using Focusrite's software? Ugh...

Anyway...all that aside, I got it working and have been using it for a while now. I pretty much just set it up and quit touching it. Got up and did a bit of recording this morning, now, suddenly...it's dead. I see the audio levels working properly in the Windows playback device selector. It's selected as the default device, just like it always is. But...nothing comes out of the speakers, no audio shows up in the Focusrite Control software.

God I hate this thing...I really do...

Anyone have anything like this happen? Anyone have any ideas as to why this thing may have suddenly decided to stop working? Anyone wanna buy this stupid thing? lol

I'm all ears.
 
I don't have direct experience with the 6i6 but what you're describing sounds like what I have with my motu.
There is a software mixing/routing option with it but you don't have to use it. I get the feeling it'd be particularly useful for direct monitoring mixes but that doesn't interest me.

I completely ignore it and just run hardware into recording software, like I would with any other interface.

Someone else will be able to tell you better, but I'd hope the 6i6 works the same way.
 
From what I understand, the control software HAS TO BE USED to tell the thing where to route audio, initially at least. It can be saved to the thing once it's setup so you can plug it into other machines and stuff (I guess?) without needing the software, but it has to initially be setup with the software as far as I know.

When I first got this thing, I plugged it in like "Aight, sweet. Ready to roll. Let's go."

Nope. I hadn't even planned on installing the control software at all as the only reason I bought the thing was for more ins and outs, NOT this goofy, overly complicated software mixing stuff. At first, the drivers wouldn't even install (which was a HUGE pain...) and you gotta have the drivers and services running in order for the control software to work. The thing won't work at all without the drivers and services runni

Ideally, I'd just have 3 or 4 inputs with separate knobs to adjust input levels for guitars, basses, mics, etc and a few outs for my monitors and maybe a pair of headphones. That's it.

What a pain.

Thanks for the reply though, my friend. And, "No VST can emulate that smell." I lol'd.
 
I guess I'm going to try uninstalling everything and reinstalling everything since, I guess it forgot that it's an audio interface. I don't know. I DO know that I have homework to do and can't be screwing around with this stupid thing all day.

*sigh*
 
I don't know about the Focusrite stuff but some interfaces need the driver to be loaded before they're connected to the computer. Then when the device is connected and Windows detects it the driver completes the process of setting it up.
 
Yea, cleared the driver hurdle (mountain) weeks ago. It worked fine...like...6 hours ago. Now? Nothing.

I just noticed that I can hear my microphones out of the monitors, but any system sounds, DAW audio, VLC audio, YouTube, etc? Nope. Nothing.

What in the actual fck...

I'm selling this piece. I can't stand it anymore. Some people will love it. I friggin hate it.
 
Is it possible you have the monitor/blend adjusted wrong? I know on the 2i2 I can adjust what's heard live as a blend of what's being produced by the computer. Maybe a knob got adjusted or something muted(?).
 
From what I understand, the control software HAS TO BE USED to tell the thing where to route audio, initially at least. It can be saved to the thing once it's setup so you can plug it into other machines and stuff (I guess?) without needing the software, but it has to initially be setup with the software as far as I know.

When I first got this thing, I plugged it in like "Aight, sweet. Ready to roll. Let's go."

Nope. I hadn't even planned on installing the control software at all as the only reason I bought the thing was for more ins and outs, NOT this goofy, overly complicated software mixing stuff. At first, the drivers wouldn't even install (which was a HUGE pain...) and you gotta have the drivers and services running in order for the control software to work. The thing won't work at all without the drivers and services runni

Ideally, I'd just have 3 or 4 inputs with separate knobs to adjust input levels for guitars, basses, mics, etc and a few outs for my monitors and maybe a pair of headphones. That's it.

What a pain.

Thanks for the reply though, my friend. And, "No VST can emulate that smell." I lol'd.

Damn,
It does seem like an odd setup but you're the guy with the interface.
Thinking about it, my presonus FS mobile is a bit like that, but not quite.

If you want direct monitoring of the inputs you have to set that up through the software control panel and, as you describe, once done it sticks.
Direct communication with the software, though? That was always just direct. I find it really odd that any interface forces something in between the two but if that's the case then yeah...that'd piss me off.

I don't want to under-estimate your knowledge, but from what you're saying it sounds like you're successfully setting up direct monitoring with the custom software,
but failing to get communication between hardware and DAW.
How confident are you that it's all set up right? I mean, is the interface selected (within the daw) as the I/O device?

What is your DAW software? Are the input paths all identified correctly in there?
That is, if you set up a new track and try to select an input source, does it list the inputs that your 6i6 actually has?

If so and once done, are you arming the track, and does your recording software have any additional measure like input monitoring in PT or whatever?

Just want to rule out user error because I've never heard of an interface that needs​ its own software to be setup prior to DAW use.

Heh..That smell. It was meant to be about that lovely old electronics smell you get from a 60s amp or something but I've since realised that might not be clear. :p
 
I have the 18i8, and it's simple, so this is user error.

The only time you have to go into the focusrite software is to set the pad, line, or instrument. Also to set latency. Otherwise you do everything in your DAW. You just go into the daw and set the driver and bus/input to whatever preamp/line-in on focusrite and that's it. It should take about a minute total.
 
Damn,
It does seem like an odd setup but you're the guy with the interface.
Thinking about it, my presonus FS mobile is a bit like that, but not quite.

If you want direct monitoring of the inputs you have to set that up through the software control panel and, as you describe, once done it sticks.
Direct communication with the software, though? That was always just direct. I find it really odd that any interface forces something in between the two but if that's the case then yeah...that'd piss me off.

I don't want to under-estimate your knowledge, but from what you're saying it sounds like you're successfully setting up direct monitoring with the custom software,
but failing to get communication between hardware and DAW.
How confident are you that it's all set up right? I mean, is the interface selected (within the daw) as the I/O device?

What is your DAW software? Are the input paths all identified correctly in there?
That is, if you set up a new track and try to select an input source, does it list the inputs that your 6i6 actually has?

If so and once done, are you arming the track, and does your recording software have any additional measure like input monitoring in PT or whatever?

Just want to rule out user error because I've never heard of an interface that needs​ its own software to be setup prior to DAW use.

Heh..That smell. It was meant to be about that lovely old electronics smell you get from a 60s amp or something but I've since realised that might not be clear. :p

Direct monitoring is useless to me as I use VSTs (NOT for that smell, mind you) the majority of the time so direct monitoring would just let me listen to my dry guitar. Pretty pointless.

I may be wrong about this thing, but I don't know. Maybe there is a plug n play "dumb mode" for the thing but, if there is, I don't know how to do it...and I work in IT so if I can't figure it out, I feel bad for everyone else. lol

I'm 100% sure it was all set up correctly as it worked a few hours ago. I didn't just use it with my DAW (REAPER), I also used it for other audio stuff as my monitors are my computer's main speakers as well. It handled all outbound audio. It worked fine this morning, then suddenly...nothing. No one else is in the house, so I have no idea what happened to it. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers and, once it was all reinstalled and rebooted and everything, it'd bluescreen as soon as I set it as default in the Window's playback devices menu. I uninstalled all that junk. I'm tired of it.

Yup...DAW was working as it should, inputs/outputs/arming/etc were all corect, etc. It wasn't just the DAW that wasn't working. Suddenly, audio NO LONGER comes out of my speakers. None. From anything. At all. Nothing. Except for my mic...if I say something in the mic, it'll come out the monitor speakers...so I know the thing works. I think this is driver related. The driver just shit the bed on me for whatever reason. I don't know why.

I too had never heard of an interface that required software to function, but hey...like I said...if there IS a "dumb mode", I'd LOVE to hear about it! lol
 
Direct monitoring is useless to me as I use VSTs (NOT for that smell, mind you) the majority of the time so direct monitoring would just let me listen to my dry guitar. Pretty pointless.

I may be wrong about this thing, but I don't know. Maybe there is a plug n play "dumb mode" for the thing but, if there is, I don't know how to do it...and I work in IT so if I can't figure it out, I feel bad for everyone else. lol

I'm 100% sure it was all set up correctly as it worked a few hours ago. I didn't just use it with my DAW (REAPER), I also used it for other audio stuff as my monitors are my computer's main speakers as well. It handled all outbound audio. It worked fine this morning, then suddenly...nothing. No one else is in the house, so I have no idea what happened to it. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers and, once it was all reinstalled and rebooted and everything, it'd bluescreen as soon as I set it as default in the Window's playback devices menu. I uninstalled all that junk. I'm tired of it.

Yup...DAW was working as it should, inputs/outputs/arming/etc were all corect, etc. It wasn't just the DAW that wasn't working. Suddenly, audio NO LONGER comes out of my speakers. None. From anything. At all. Nothing. Except for my mic...if I say something in the mic, it'll come out the monitor speakers...so I know the thing works. I think this is driver related. The driver just shit the bed on me for whatever reason. I don't know why.

I too had never heard of an interface that required software to function, but hey...like I said...if there IS a "dumb mode", I'd LOVE to hear about it! lol

OK, yeah, there's more going on that meets the eye.
I appreciate direct monitor isn't necessarily what you want, but it's what that bundled software is doing, perhaps amongst other things.

The fact that you could talk into your mic and hear it through the speakers isn't good or, at least, isn't relevant.

I can do that with my motu or presonus software, but I choose not to. It has no effect on how the interface communicates with ProTools or Reaper, though.

With BSOD at any point, obviously something's not happy so the best advice is probably your own. Full uninstall and reinstall from butts.
I guess I'd suggest doing that and trying to get the hardware to work as your system output device first.
Once done I'd move onto making sure Reaper recognises it.

In the custom software I'd just pull down all the faders to turn direct monitoring off completely.
If I'm right (nola?) that software just controls hardware pass-through...Nothing to do with DAW recording.
 
OK, yeah, there's more going on that meets the eye.
I appreciate direct monitor isn't necessarily what you want, but it's what that bundled software is doing, perhaps amongst other things.

The fact that you could talk into your mic and hear it through the speakers isn't good or, at least, isn't relevant.

I can do that with my motu or presonus software, but I choose not to.

With BSOD at any point, obviously something's not happy so the best advice is probably your own. Full uninstall and reinstall from butts.
I guess I'd suggest doing that and trying to get the hardware to work as your system output device first.
Once done I'd move onto making sure Reaper recognises it.

In the custom software I'd just pull down all the faders to turn direct monitoring off completely. If I'm right (nola?) that software just controls hardware pass-through...Nothing to do with DAW recording.

Yea, I had to use the software to essentially mute the inputs from the outputs...if that makes sense. Such a goofy thing. I guess it could be useful for someone as it's TECHNICALLY essentially 0 latency that way.

Nope...I'm done. No more monkeying around with this thing. If it blue screens my machine and I end up having to reimage it, I'd flip the fck out. I'm going to go back to the "dumb interfaces" like the 2i2. Hopefully I can find one locally on CL today as I have things I need to do today!!

Thanks for all the chat and feedback, though. I appreciate it!!
 
Yea, I had to use the software to essentially mute the inputs from the outputs...if that makes sense.

Yeah, that sounds about right. Ok, cool.

Nope...I'm done. No more monkeying around with this thing. If it blue screens my machine and I end up having to reimage it, I'd flip the fck out. I'm going to go back to the "dumb interfaces" like the 2i2. Hopefully I can find one locally on CL today as I have things I need to do today!!

Thanks for all the chat and feedback, though. I appreciate it!!

Your call but I'd give it a day or two and cool. The thing's bound to work if there are drivers for your operating system.
If not, we have a classified adds section here, but maybe work on your sales pitch. ;)
 
Yeah, that sounds about right. Ok, cool.

Your call but I'd give it a day or two and cool. The thing's bound to work if there are drivers for your operating system.
If not, we have a classified adds section here, but maybe work on your sales pitch. ;)

rofl...yea, I didn't exactly sell the thing well here. "I FCKN HATE THIS THING!!!...but you'll probably love it." probably wouldn't lead to many sales. lol

I don't have a day or two to waste...I'm a student at Berklee Online (since it's WAY too cold in Boston...Phoenix AZ ftw. lol) and have assignments I need to record and turn in. I need hardware that is reliable and quick to get up and running...that's why this thing's got to go.

Thanks again, man.
 
Direct monitoring is useless to me as I use VSTs (NOT for that smell, mind you) the majority of the time so direct monitoring would just let me listen to my dry guitar. Pretty pointless.

I may be wrong about this thing, but I don't know. Maybe there is a plug n play "dumb mode" for the thing but, if there is, I don't know how to do it...and I work in IT so if I can't figure it out, I feel bad for everyone else. lol

I'm 100% sure it was all set up correctly as it worked a few hours ago. I didn't just use it with my DAW (REAPER), I also used it for other audio stuff as my monitors are my computer's main speakers as well. It handled all outbound audio. It worked fine this morning, then suddenly...nothing. No one else is in the house, so I have no idea what happened to it. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers and, once it was all reinstalled and rebooted and everything, it'd bluescreen as soon as I set it as default in the Window's playback devices menu. I uninstalled all that junk. I'm tired of it.

Yup...DAW was working as it should, inputs/outputs/arming/etc were all corect, etc. It wasn't just the DAW that wasn't working. Suddenly, audio NO LONGER comes out of my speakers. None. From anything. At all. Nothing. Except for my mic...if I say something in the mic, it'll come out the monitor speakers...so I know the thing works. I think this is driver related. The driver just shit the bed on me for whatever reason. I don't know why.

I too had never heard of an interface that required software to function, but hey...like I said...if there IS a "dumb mode", I'd LOVE to hear about it! lol

Since you had a 2i2, maybe you still have that driver on your system, and it's reading that one for some functions. I'd go into the program files and manually delete the old drivers and do a fresh install. Blue screen of death is almost always driver related, and since you had two drivers from the same company I'd guess it's that causing a conflict. Sometimes in the OS you have to select which device you want to use for xyz as well.

You seem to be raging about this and not interested in a solution, tho, so good luck with all that. The problem isn't the 6i6; it's you and how you set things up (barring a rare defective unit). 6i6 is much better than the 2i2 because the line-ins allow for pre-amp expansion (you can get a good preamp some day and use the 6i6 for a/d convertors only and bypass the pres via the line-in). You can't do that on the 2i2.
 
Since you had a 2i2, maybe you still have that driver on your system, and it's reading that one for some functions. I'd go into the program files and manually delete the old drivers and do a fresh install. Blue screen of death is almost always driver related, and since you had two drivers from the same company I'd guess it's that causing a conflict. Sometimes in the OS you have to select which device you want to use for xyz as well.

You seem to be raging about this and not interested in a solution, tho, so good luck with all that. The problem isn't the 6i6; it's you and how you set things up (barring a rare defective unit). 6i6 is much better than the 2i2 because the line-ins allow for pre-amp expansion (you can get a good preamp some day and use the 6i6 for a/d convertors only and bypass the pres via the line-in). You can't do that on the 2i2.

Problem solved.

Plugged in, driver installed, done.

The way it should be, rage-fest over.

I know there's nothing wrong with the 6i6. Like I said, I think it's something to do with the drivers. I have a TON of USB devices plugged into my machine (roughly a couple dozen) and an incredibly complex setup. But, regardless...if it doesn't work with my setup, it doesn't work. I have things to do. I don't have time to monkey around with that stupid thing and its needless software. It's out.
 
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