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[ashutoshp]

Hi. I recently bought a Focusrite 2i4 and wanted to use it for a 2.1 channel output via my copy of MC 20 where MC would serve as my bass management tool. I have a PC running Windows 7 64-bit with 8 GB RAM.
The Focusrite has capability of 2 stereo outputs via a pair of RCAs/TRSs (shared outputs 1 & 2) and a pair of RCAs (outputs 3 & 4). Volume on RCA outputs 1 & 2 can be adjusted from device but not for outputs 3 & 4 which are fixed. For reference, see page 12 in following link http://d3se566zfvnmhf.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/focusrite/downloads/8174/scarlett2i4-user-guide.pdf
     I want to connect a pair of the fixed RCAs to my powered subwoofer and the TRS/RCA to my power amp (Emotiva XPA-200) after which I want to use MC to manage the bass. The problem: I can never get any audio from RCA outputs 3 & 4. I tried to...
1) Install and configure the Ableton 9 Lite software that came with the device. Very confusing.
2) switching USB ports.
3) Re-installing the Focusrite drivers. 
4) Have been trying to make sense of the details on the Interact forum but still confused with "wasapi loopback" etc.
Please help this novice.
Thanks.   
 

[Matt]

As a start, pick 2.1 channels in DSP Studio > Output Format.

Does that get audio routing out more than two jacks?  Remember that the level of the subwoofer will be really attenuated since we assume a +10dB boost.  You can configure that in Room Correction.

[ashutoshp]

Thanks Matt. Tried that previously and it said "Playback could not be started using the format 44.1 kHz 16bit 6ch. This format would work: 44.1 kHz 16bit 6ch" MC asks me to change out put automatically and that puts me back to square one.

So after I posted my first post, I downloaded Asio4all which is able to see the 4 outputs. Then I made 2 separate zones using Asio4all as one driver for the subwoofer and I think, Focusrite's own Asio driver as the other driver. I linked the zones and audio came out from the subwoofer! But I cant control the volume simultaneously. 

[ashutoshp]

So I have been browsing the forum and found a thread about setting up the Steinberg UR44 as multichannel DAC.
Two of the beta team folks, starting with mwillems, said this
"Output format should be set to 2.1, which (hopefully) should work correctly with the UR44.  I say "hopefully" because 2.1 as currently setup in JRiver sends a 6 channel signal with three blank channels.  That said, I'm pretty sure the UR44 has enough logical outputs even if it doesn't have enough analog outputs, so it should work fine."

And mojave had this to say 
"Even though the UR44 has 4 outputs, it supports 6 DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) channels. This is very nice since it allows you to select 5.1 in Output Mode in JRiver's DSP Studio. You can look at the block diagram on page 35 of the UR44 manual to find this out."

Based on my understanding, there's only 4 in the Focusrite 2i4: 2 RCAs (RCA outs 3 & 4) + 2 RCA/TRS (shared RCAs 1& 2 and TRs 1 & 2) + MIDI out (legit?) + 1 headphone. I have my doubts about the headphone out as a separate output because the audio is shared & switchable between the two RCA 1+2 and 3+4. 

Is my understanding correct?
If yes, should I return the Focusrite and get the Tascam US-366 or the Behringer USB/Firepower FCA 610 or the Motu Microbook II?
Personally, I'm leaning towards the Tascam because it has and RCA out (my subwoofer only has RCA inputs) and its footprint is only 5.5 x 5.5 x 1.7" (140 x 140 x 42mm) whereas the 610 has footprint of 5.5 x 5.5 x 1.7" (140 x 140 x 42mm). The Motu is $250 and does not have RCA outs although it does have 3.5 mm stereo outs I think that I might be able to use with one of my gazillion 3.5 mm TRS to RCA cables for my headphones. 
Thanks in advance.

[mwillems]

So I have been browsing the forum and found a thread about setting up the Steinberg UR44 as multichannel DAC.
Two of the beta team folks, starting with mwillems, said this
"Output format should be set to 2.1, which (hopefully) should work correctly with the UR44.  I say "hopefully" because 2.1 as currently setup in JRiver sends a 6 channel signal with three blank channels.  That said, I'm pretty sure the UR44 has enough logical outputs even if it doesn't have enough analog outputs, so it should work fine."

And mojave had this to say 
"Even though the UR44 has 4 outputs, it supports 6 DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) channels. This is very nice since it allows you to select 5.1 in Output Mode in JRiver's DSP Studio. You can look at the block diagram on page 35 of the UR44 manual to find this out."

Based on my understanding, there's only 4 in the Focusrite 2i4: 2 RCAs (RCA outs 3 & 4) + 2 RCA/TRS (shared RCAs 1& 2 and TRs 1 & 2) + MIDI out (legit?) + 1 headphone. I have my doubts about the headphone out as a separate output because the audio is shared & switchable between the two RCA 1+2 and 3+4. 

Is my understanding correct?
If yes, should I return the Focusrite and get the Tascam US-366 or the Behringer USB/Firepower FCA 610 or the Motu Microbook II?
Personally, I'm leaning towards the Tascam because it has and RCA out (my subwoofer only has RCA inputs) and its footprint is only 5.5 x 5.5 x 1.7" (140 x 140 x 42mm) whereas the 610 has footprint of 5.5 x 5.5 x 1.7" (140 x 140 x 42mm). The Motu is $250 and does not have RCA outs although it does have 3.5 mm stereo outs I think that I might be able to use with one of my gazillion 3.5 mm TRS to RCA cables for my headphones. 
Thanks in advance.

The 2.1 setting in JRiver outputs 2.1 channels in a six channel container, so it won't work with a device that doesn't have 6 logical output channels (analog + digital outs).  You could try setting the output format to 4-channel and see if that works.  The JRSS mixing won't be correct, but it might allow you to do some manual mixing in PEQ.

[ashutoshp]

Thanks. I did try the 4 channel setting but the subwoofer was not playing anything. But Matt was saying that I may need to boost the signal which I have not tried yet. Will do that and if that fails... Well, you might hear from me again. Sorry

[ashutoshp]

mwillems. Its working!!! you and Matt just made my weekend. Thanks.
I have a Focusrite 2i4 set up via its own ASIO driver in a 2.1 stereo speakers+subwoofer set up. My MC ver is 20.0.54
I am including what i did below if anybody needs a reference
Details:
Changes made in DSP settings as follows
1) Under output format
    1. Number of channels= 4 with JRSS mixing
2) Parametric EQ in the following order:
    1. High-pass at 100 Hz (Left/right)
    2. Low-pass at 100 Hz (Center/sub)
    3. Order channels* (1 & 2 = Left/right, 3= subwoofer, 4= center). *By default, channel 4 was subwoofer.

Spot anything wrong? Possible improvements?

[ashutoshp]

The 2.1 setting in JRiver outputs 2.1 channels in a six channel container, so it won't work with a device that doesn't have 6 logical output channels (analog + digital outs).  You could try setting the output format to 4-channel and see if that works.  The JRSS mixing won't be correct, but it might allow you to do some manual mixing in PEQ.

Hi mwillems. two questions if you wouldnt mind.
1) when you say "The JRSS mixing won't be correct, but it might allow you to do some manual mixing in PEQ", would there be a difference in sound 
    quality between a 4 channel set up like the one I have, and a 'true' 2.1 setup (via the 6 channel output)? FYI, I am currently using PEQ for my bass
    management.
2) So when you say logical channels, it does not matter whether the manufacturer wired it to output the same audio signal or not? If yes, can I just opt
    for an interface with 4 or 6 "physical outputs". I am just being gadget-greedy

[mwillems]

Hi mwillems. two questions if you wouldnt mind.
1) when you say "The JRSS mixing won't be correct, but it might allow you to do some manual mixing in PEQ", would there be a difference in sound  
    quality between a 4 channel set up like the one I have, and a 'true' 2.1 setup (via the 6 channel output)? FYI, I am currently using PEQ for my bass
    management.

JRSS mixing for 4-channel output assumes that you want the four channels to be L, R, SL, and SR and mixes accordingly (4 channel output is 4.0, not 3.1).  Meaning that it a) doesn't perform bass management and b) will mix LFE channels from 5.1 or 7.1 material into all 4 channels.  If you're doing your bass management by hand, you should probably disable JRSS mixing and do the rest of your mixing by hand too.  If you don't mix the surrounds back into the mains you might lose info.  

This is where use case is an example of how a "stereo in a 4-channel container" option would be very useful, because then you could use JRSS within the constraints of your device.  You'd still need some manual mixing, but less of it.

2) So when you say logical channels, it does not matter whether the manufacturer wired it to output the same audio signal or not? If yes, can I just opt
    for an interface with 4 or 6 "physical outputs". I am just being gadget-greedy

No, that's not what I mean.  By "logical channels" I meant the number of channels that device's ASIO driver reports as being available to software.  For many devices that's the number of discrete analog outputs + the number of discrete digital outputs + (maybe) a loopback/DAW channeI or two (depending on the device or manufacturer).  But there's no guarantee that it works that way for any particular device.  Unfortunately, the only way to be sure that your device can support 6-channel output is to buy a device that a) has six discrete analog outputs or b) is known to aggregate analog and digital channels as described (most Steinberg devices do that, so do some M-audio devices, but it looks like your specific focusrite unit does not).

f the manufacturer hard-wired 2 outputs to mirror each other, that won't get you any additional channels, because in that case it's very likely that they aren't separately addressable in software. So if your device has "six" output channels but outputs 5 and 6 are driven off of a splitter from channels 3 and 4, then it's likely that the ASIO driver would only report 4-channels, which would cause any software attempting to open it for 6-channel output to error out.  I had an M-audio card like that.  It had "four" analog outputs and two digital outputs, but two of the analog outputs were mirrors of the input and were not addressable.  Because it aggregated analog and digital channels, though, it presented as a four-channel device rather than a two channel device.

[ashutoshp]

Thanks mate. Last thing I promise.
Based on the audio flow diagrams available, would you please tell me if the Tascam UH-7000 would present as a four-channel output? The link to the manual is

http://tascam.com/content/downloads/products/823/e_uh-7000_om_va.pdf

The audio flow diagrams are on page 34 onwards.     
There's a great deal on it from B&H Photo and Video and it seems to be better spec'ed than the Focusrite 2i4.

[mwillems]

Thanks mate. Last thing I promise.
Based on the audio flow diagrams available, would you please tell me if the Tascam UH-7000 would present as a four-channel output? The link to the manual is

http://tascam.com/content/downloads/products/823/e_uh-7000_om_va.pdf

The audio flow diagrams are on page 34 onwards.      
There's a great deal on it from B&H Photo and Video and it seems to be better spec'ed than the Focusrite 2i4.

That interface doesn't appear to have four line-level analog outputs, so it wouldn't work for you no matter how many logical outputs it has.  It has a stereo headphone jack, and two mono outputs on the back, so there are four theoretical analog channels, but two of them are amplified already which is a problem (double amping is undesirable and dangerous with some equipment).  Also the manual clearly says "The same signal is output from both the PHONES and ANALOG (BALANCED) OUTPUT L/R jacks."  So even if you could defeat the double amping, it looks like it's actually just a two channel output interface, you couldn't even run your sub off of it.

You should look into getting an interface with six or more analog outs, Behringer makes an 8-output interface for less than $200.  Alternatively, another user here had good look with the Steinberg UR 44 which only has four analog outs, but has more logical outputs so allowed him to set the output format to 2.1.

[ashutoshp]

Thank you.