Focusrite Pro 24 DSP Audio Interface with VRM - Now with Conclusions

[Anderton]

And now, the Living Room listening environment. The flat screen television sound – ouch! But, that’s what they sound like. I chose the music for this example because the mix is a bit “off” - a little too much midrange – and the flat screen television environment brings this out. This is a good example of how VRM can expose possible problems in a piece of music if you want it to translate to multiple environments.

 

You’ll hear the music without VRM, then turned on and different speakers selected. In a couple places, for comparison purposes VRM is turned off (by clicking the blue button toward the left). NOTE: You must listen on headphones to hear the VRM effect correctly!! And again, I need to point out that the audio quality on YouTube videos is compromised somewhat.

 

[video=youtube;_TVWDt1wytc]

[Anderton]

In addition to the three different listening environments, VRM also allows you to listen to the virtual speakers in different positions -- closer, further back, more to the right or left, etc. In this video, you'll be able to hear the different listening positions; toward the end, VRM is turned off, then on again, for comparison using the blue power button toward the left. NOTE: Remember, you must listen on headphones to hear what VRM does.

 

[video=youtube;ycN2d7o1r9s]

[Boxed]

What do you subjectively think of the Saffire preamps? Are they as good/musical as the highly respected Onyx preamps in the Mackie.

[Anderton]

What do you subjectively think of the Saffire preamps? Are they as good/musical as the highly respected Onyx preamps in the Mackie.

 

The character of the two have more similarities than differences, as they both aim for the "colorless/transparent" end of the scale. If I had to make a subjective call, I'd say that the Saffire preamps are slightly warmer than the Onyx preamps, which are slightly more transparent at high frequencies. However, as I've said before, my basic take is that there are three types of preamps - cheap, middle class, and boutique. Remember too that A/D plays a part in all this; the mic pres in an interface don't exist in isolation, as they will ultimately be recorded as digital data. Given the commonality of parts available to designers these days, within particular price points, mic pres tend to have more similarities than differences. I'd put both the Saffire and Onyx preamps in the "upper middle class" category.

 

You also might want to compare the specs I ran on Mackie's Blackjack to the specs presented here for the Saffire pres. Although specs aren't the same as a "listening test," they do show that both products are in the same ballpark. Also remember that which mic you use will matter as well.

 

I must say a lot of interfaces go through here, and whereas years ago they could be significant audible differences among different interfaces, the art of preamp design is pretty mature these days. You don't really get into deep differences until you start paying boutique prices (e.g., something like the PreSonus ADL600, which was also the subject of a Pro Review) but at that point, in many cases you're paying for a particular subjectively pleasing "character" rather than the most transparent response.

[Anderton]

We’ve pretty much covered everything there is to cover, so let’s draw some conclusions.

 

The interface market is very crowded, but there’s nothing like the Pro 24 DSP, because no other interface (at least for now) has the VRM technology. If you listened to the video demos (on headphones, like you were supposed to!), you can judge the effectiveness of the process for yourself – or at least, as much effectiveness as you can hear through the data-compressed audio, which is “close enough.”

 

No, VRM doesn’t sound exactly like sitting in front of giant monitors in a big studio with a great control room, but it comes far closer than any other option involving headphones. And it does give that more “open” feel you get from speakers, so even if you’re not mixing through VRM because you need the reality check of different listening environments, many will no doubt find it a more pleasurable listening experience than the somewhat claustrophobic quality sometimes associated with headphones.

 

Given how many people are mixing through headphones these days, one might think the Pro 24 DSP would be flying off the shelves. I have no idea what the sales figures are, but I do think that marketing a product like this would be a challenge, because a) nothing like it has existed before, so you can’t say you’re offering a new and improved version of something people already understand; and b) because you really have to hear it to understand what it does. Unlike software, there’s no way you can offer a “free trial” so people can experience the effect for themselves. While the video examples help, by their very nature they can’t convey the full experience.

 

I also think the choice of “VRM” as an acronym could be problematic. Even when spelled out as “Virtual Reference Monitoring,” what exactly does that mean? I would have preferred something more obvious, like “Studio Monitoring Simulation for Headphones” (or SMS-H). Yes, it’s a mouthful, but the most important aspect of VRM is that it works with headphones, and not having that in the acronym seems like a missed opportunity.

 

The other missed opportunity, which I’m sure will be addressed in future products, is that this is an ideal interface for laptop musicians but while reasonably compact, the Pro 24 DSP is still a full-blown interface that doesn’t really fit in a laptop bag. I could easily see a 2 x 2 interface with a single mic/instrument pre and the focus being more on monitoring/mixing through VRM than offering a complete, studio-level interface. In a way, Focusrite has already addressed this with the VRM box mentioned previously – a tiny, stylish little USB box that allows monitoring through VRM technology. (Despite this being the “conclusions” to the Pro 24 DSP review, I will be doing a brief “coda” on the VRM Box here once I get a chance to check it out in detail.) So basically, what I think would serve Focusrite well is something that occupies the space between the Pro 24 DSP interface and the VRM Box.

 

Nonetheless in big studios, the Pro 24 DSP is a fantastic alternative to having a bunch of speakers sitting around with a speaker-switching box. I often need to know what material is going to sound like on less-than-optimal systems, like TVs and computer monitor speakers. It’s far easier to just dial up VRM settings to compare and contrast rather than finding the physical space for speakers, and doing A-B comparisons.

 

The other consideration that might get lost in the attention given to VRM is that the Pro 24 DSP is a solid interface by any standards. The mic pres exhibit the usual “clean” characteristics of the Saffire range, the mixer applet software is outstanding (and looks fabulous), and also, the onboard DSP is something you’ll find on some interfaces but is by no means commonplace. For live recording, being able to control EQ and dynamics on the way in is incredibly useful...and can mean the difference between “Can we do that again? The levels were louder than during sound check” and “Great, let’s move on to the next song.” Also, while I wouldn’t consider the internal reverb to be “world-class,” it’s perfect for when you want to give the vocalist some reverb in the headphones.

 

The bottom line is that the Pro 24 DSP costs a bit more than interfaces that don’t include onboard DSP and VRM - but not that much more, considering what you get in return. I think it may take a while for VRM to catch on, because it is different, novel, and difficult to explain (the best explanation being “Here, put on these headphones, then turn on VRM”). But once people become familiar with the concept – and of course, something like a Pro Review can help considerably – I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a standard, in-demand technology that also presents some licensing opportunities for Focusrite.

 

In any event, I hope Focusrite keeps refining the VRM technology, because they’re on to something. For example, in a second-generation version, it would be cool to be able to vary the distance between you and the “virtual speakers.” It would also be helpful (albeit potentially horrifying!) to be able to hear what the music would sound like through cheapo earbuds, as well as boomboxes and car stereos.

 

This has been a really interesting review to do, because I started off skeptical but the more I used VRM, the more I was won over by what it can do, and the more I saw its potential. Unfortunately its designer, Ben Supper, while invited to join in hasn’t really participated...but having met him at last AES, I think I know why: he’s a super nice guy who also seems quite modest, and he may have felt uncomfortable talking too much about his “baby.” However, I do know he’s monitoring this thread, so if any questions remain – or if I missed out on any major features – hopefully he’ll chime in.

 

And as always, let me emphasize that just because this is a “conclusions” post, a Pro Review is never really finished as long as people have questions or additional input. If you end up getting something like a VRM Box, feel free to share your comments here – and if you have additional questions, don’t hesitate to pose them.

 

Finally, I’d like to thank Focusrite for the opportunity to do this Pro Review. I really doubt I would have been able to check into VRM this deeply otherwise, but it has been a very worthwhile trip. I’m pretty there’s going to be at least a VRM Box in my future

[Anderton]

The VRM Box is pretty much what I expected - a headphone amp with VRM technology. It's extremely compact, and ideal for laptop applications. The VRM process requires your computer's CPU, but doesn't place a lot of stress on it. You can use the VRM Box software with Windows XP SP3, Vista, 32/64 Windows 7, Mac OS X 10.5 (Intel only), and Mac OS X10.6.

 

And here's what VRM Box looks like. Cute, yes?

 

 

There are some changes in the software compared to the Pro 24 DSP version. First, there are no positioning options - you're in the center of the image, which is what I usually ended up choosing anyway with the Pro 24 DSP. Second, many speakers are now identified by their actual names and numbers. I have no idea how Focusrite was able to obtain permission from all those speaker manufacturers, but their legal department probably deserves a raise

 

The VRM Box is limited to 44.1/48kHz when connected to your computer via USB, but it can also work in conjunction with audio interfaces that include coax S/PDIF - you need to connect S/PDIF from the interface out to the VRM Box's S/PDIF input. With this type of connection, VRM Box works with any sample rate between 32 and 192kHz.

 

For those intrigued by the VRM technology but don't really need "another interface," VRM Box is the answer. At under $100 street, it provides an excellent headphone amp compared to what comes out of a typical computer's audio output. Add in the VRM, and you have a very useful accessory for mixing/moitoring with headphones.