RedNet Focusrite User manual

Getting Started Guide
FFFA001047-02

2
Thank you for purchasing a RedNet Dante interface. Setting up a Dante network is
simple – in fact it’s very likely that an existing network installation is already suitable
for high-quality, low latency Dante audio use. This guide is intended to help get the
system running as quickly as possible. For more comprehensive operation manuals,
please refer to the documentation available online at www.focusrite.com/rednet.
Introduction
For full details please find more information online. Basic requirements are
outlined below.
Network switch
Dante systems will almost always require at least one network switch. Complex
systems may require multiple switches. Quality of Service is an important feature
and function of the switch which will need to be set up for complex systems. It is
recommended that managed switches are used as they offer the greatest levels of
configuration and monitoring. Please view full details of this, including switch setup
guides and examples online.
A suitable switch shall:
• be Rated for Gigabit Ethernet
• be Non-blocking
• have Quality of Service (QoS) with at least four queues
• have Diffserv (DSCP) QoS with strict priority
• have EEE (Energy efficient ethernet) switched off
For detailed information on setting up a switch, please refer to the manufacturer’s
documentation.
System requirements

3
Network cabling
Category 5e or higher cabling is required. Cat 6 is preferred. The cable length between
any Dante unit and a switch must be less than 100m (328 ft).
To span wider areas, network switches can be fitted with fibre optic modules, allowing
you to greatly increase the physical size of the network.
RedNet Control, Dante Controller and DVS
These three software applications are key to the RedNet interfaces and Dante systems.
RedNet Control
RedNet Control acts as a remote control and routing centre for all RedNet products.
RedNet Control also acts as the ASIO control panel for RedNet PCIe when run in a
Windows computer. The following key components are installed:
• RedNet Control application
• RedNet PCIe ASIO/Core Audio driver
• Dante Controller
• Dante runtime support services
RedNet Control can be downloaded from: www.focusrite.com/downloads
Dante Controller
Dante Controller offers more routing flexibility than RedNet Control and also provides
the provision for control of third-party Dante products. This will be necessary for
advanced network setups.
Dante Controller is installed with RedNet Control, but can also be downloaded
separately from www.audinate.com
Please note that Dante Controller is developed and distributed by Audinate

4
Dante Virtual Soundcard (DVS)
DVS is a software application which allows a Mac or Windows PC’s onboard
Ethernet port to act as a Dante soundcard. This software is not a requirement for all
Dante systems, but is a very useful tool. It is provided free-of-charge with
many RedNet products.
To download DVS, please register your RedNet product at www.focusrite.com/register
using the bundle code found in the box. After registration, a link will be provided with
details of how to obtain DVS.
Computer
A computer is required to run RedNet Control and Dante Controller software
to establish routing and control of units, and if the system is to use RedNet PCIe
or Dante Virtual Soundcard (DVS). Both Mac and Windows PCs are supported.
Full details of supported systems can be found online at www.focusrite.com/rednet.
Getting audio in and out of a computer
There are three methods of getting Dante audio in and out of a computer:
• RedNet PCIe – for ASIO (Windows) or Core Audio (Mac) based applications;
• RedNet 5 – for Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools|HD Native or Pro Tools|HDX based
systems;
• DVS – for ASIO (Windows), WDM (Windows) or Core Audio (Mac) based
applications – turning your onboard Ethernet port into a virtual soundcard.
Please note that Dante Virtual Soundcard does not support wireless
network adapters.
Computer requirements, benchmarks and further product information can be
found online.
System requirements (continued)

5
A suitable Ethernet cable should be connected between each Dante interface and
the switch. In addition, a computer’s onboard network port should be connected to
the primary network (see “Units with two network ports”) to allow RedNet Control
and Dante Controller software to communicate with the network. If a redundant
network is in use, a second network connection can be made to a second Ethernet
port on the computer. Please note, when using RedNet PCIe, this additional network
connection is still necessary as RedNet PCIe does not pass control data.
Use the supplied moulded IEC power cord to connect the units to a suitable mains
power source.
For details on other connections on the unit, such as audio I/O, word clock connections
or connecting RedNet 5 to Pro Tools HD, please see the dedicated user manual for
each unit.
Units with two network ports
Where a Dante device has two network ports, one will be labelled Primary and the
other Secondary. These units can be switched via Dante Controller to operate in one of
two ways: Redundant or Switched. In Redundant mode, the two network ports must be
connected to two separate networks to provide redundancy. All units must have their
Primary ports connected to the same network, and their Secondary ports connected to
the other. In Switched mode, the units can be daisy chained which can reduce cabling
complexities.
Where redundant and non-redundant devices are used on the same network, the
non-redundant devices must be connected to the primary network. For an example,
please see the diagram on the following page.
If a unit’s secondary port is accidentally plugged into a primary network, or vice versa,
the unit will not function properly. In this situation Dante Controller will display the
unit’s name in red text, indicating a fault.
Connecting the equipment

6
Example network setup:
Mixing redundant and non-redundant devices
CABLE KEY
SWITCH
(PRIMARY)
LAPTOP WITH DVS
REDNET 1
REDNET D16 AES
REDNET D16 AES
(PRIMARY)
SWITCH
(SECONDARY)
(SECONDARY)
(PRIMARY) (SECONDARY)
CAT6
Network Setup

7
(SECONDARY)
When first launching RedNet Control, there are a few settings to be aware of which may need
to be altered:
Network Interface
Click: Settings>Select Network Interface and select the network adapter which is connected
to the Dante network
Host Mode
Click: Settings>Host Mode
There are various options: RedNet PCIe/DVS and RedNet 5. If using RedNet 5 to connect to
Pro Tools|HD, select “RedNet 5”. If using RedNet PCIe/DVS, select “RedNet PCIe/DVS”.
This will ensure that when dragging units to the “routed” section, the I/O is routed to the
correct host.
Sample Rate
Units are supplied set to 48 kHz. To change the sample rate of all units, select the sample rate
in Settings>Sample Rate. Sample rates of individual units can be set using Dante Controller.
Pro Tools Compatibility
Pro Tools software is limited to 32 channels of I/O when using any Core Audio or ASIO driver. When
running Pro Tools with RedNet PCIe as the audio interface, it is important to reduce the channel
count of the driver. To do this follow these instructions:
Mac OS X:
• Open “Audio MIDI Setup” from the
Utilities folder
• Open Audio Window
• Select Focusrite RedNet PCIe
• Change Input channels to 32
• Change Output channels to 32
Firmware Updates
Your RedNet unit may require a firmware update when it is first installed and switched on.
Firmware updates are initiated and handled automatically by the RedNet Control application. It is
important that the firmware update procedure is not interrupted, either by switching off the unit or
the computer on which RedNet Control is running or disconnecting either from the network.
From time to time Focusrite will release RedNet firmware updates with new versions of RedNet
Control. It is important to keep all RedNet units up to date with the latest firmware version
supplied with each new version of RedNet Control, to ensure best operation.
First use and firmware updates
Windows
• In RedNet Control, click on “Set ASIO
Buffer Size”
• Click the check box labelled “Pro
Tools Mode”

8
Routing
RedNet Control can perform basic routing operations. RedNet Control supports one
single “host” at a time. This could be:
• One RedNet PCIe
• One Pro Tools HD system with up to six RedNet 5 units
• One DVS instance
Routing is via a drag-and-drop operation in the RedNet Control application,
routing consecutive channels between the I/O units to/from the host device(s).
For more information please refer to the system guide.
Advanced routing, such as between I/O units, on systems with multiple “hosts” or
to set up one-to-many routings can be performed with Dante Controller. This provides
a traditional crosspoint matrix interface.
Troubleshooting
For a list of FAQs and general troubleshooting tips, our Answerbase is a valuable
resource. This can be found here: www.focusrite.com/answerbase
If any problem cannot be resolved, or if you have a query, please contact our Customer
Support team using the contact details found here;
• Email: r[email protected]
• Phone (UK): [phone]
• Phone (USA): [phone]
Routing & Troubleshooting