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FAQ for the ALSA Scarlett Control Panel (alsa-scarlett-gui)
What is this?
The ALSA Scarlett Control Panel (alsa-scarlett-gui) is an
easy-to-use application for adjusting the ALSA controls provided by
three Linux kernel drivers for Focusrite USB interfaces:
- The Scarlett 1st Gen Mixer Driver (for 1st Gen 6i6, 8i6, 18i6, 18i8, 18i20)
- The Scarlett2 Protocol Driver (for 2nd/3rd Gen interfaces, small 4th Gen, Clarett, and Vocaster)
- The FCP (Focusrite Control Protocol) Driver (for big 4th Gen interfaces: 16i16, 18i16, 18i20)
To check if your kernel is already up-to-date, and how to upgrade if not, see the Control Panel Installation Prerequisites — Linux Kernel.
Do I need these drivers for my Focusrite interface?
For basic audio functionality? No. Focusrite USB interfaces are “plug-and-play” — they are USB Audio Class Compliant, meaning they work out-of-the-box with the standard ALSA USB audio driver (to get full functionality on Scarlett 3rd/4th Gen/Vocaster interfaces, first deactivate MSD mode by holding down the 48V button while powering it on).
However, to access the mixer, routing, and hardware-specific features, you’ll need the appropriate driver for your interface model.
MSD Mode?
"MSD Mode" is the "Mass Storage Device Mode" that the Scarlett 3rd and 4th Gen interfaces ship in.
If MSD Mode is enabled, you need to disable it and restart your interface to get access to its full functionality.
When you plug the interface in, there’ll be a tiny read-only virtual disk that has a link to the Focusrite product registration page; until you turn off MSD Mode not all features of the interface will be available.
You can turn off MSD Mode by holding down the 48V button while
powering on the interface, or by clicking the button in
alsa-scarlett-gui and rebooting it.
If you do the recommended/required (depending on the model) firmware update, MSD Mode will automatically be turned off.
What is the purpose of these drivers if they’re not needed for basic audio?
These drivers are for users who want more control over their interface. They allow for detailed manipulation of:
- Internal audio routing
- Hardware-specific settings
- Mixer functionality
- Level monitoring
- Input/output configuration
These controls go beyond the basic audio I/O functionality provided by the generic ALSA USB audio driver.
What interfaces are supported?
The ALSA Scarlett Control Panel supports:
- Scarlett 1st Gen: 6i6, 8i6, 18i6, 18i8, 18i20
- Scarlett 2nd Gen: 6i6, 18i8, 18i20
- Scarlett 3rd Gen: Solo, 2i2, 4i4, 8i6, 18i8, 18i20
- Scarlett 4th Gen: Solo, 2i2, 4i4, 16i16, 18i16, 18i20
- Clarett USB and Clarett+: 2Pre, 4Pre, 8Pre
- Vocaster: One, Two
Note: The Scarlett 1st and 2nd Gen small interfaces (Solo, 2i2, 2i4) don’t have any software controls. All the controls are available from the front panel, so they don’t require the specialised drivers or this GUI.
Where are the options to set the sample rate and buffer size?
The ALSA Scarlett Control Panel doesn’t handle audio input/output settings like sample rate and buffer size. These settings are managed by the application using the soundcard, typically a sound server such as PulseAudio, JACK, or PipeWire.
The sample rate shown in the control panel is informative only and displays the current rate being used by applications. If it shows “N/A” then no application is using the interface.
Note that not all features are available at higher sample rates; refer to the user manual of your interface for more information.
Why do my settings keep resetting?
The settings in the ALSA Scarlett Control Panel are automatically saved in the interface itself (all series except 1st Gen), so they should persist across reboots, power cycles, USB disconnect/reconnect, and even across different computers. This includes all routing, mixing, and other control panel settings.
If you find that your settings are reverting whenever you plug your
interface in or power it back on, the most likely cause is the
alsa-state and alsa-restore systemd services. These services save
the state of ALSA controls on system shutdown to
/var/lib/alsa/asound.state and then restore it each time the device
is plugged in, potentially overwriting your interface’s stored
settings.
It can be rather annoying, wondering why your device is unusable or needs to be reconfigured every time you plug it in or turn it on.
To fix this issue, disable these services:
sudo systemctl mask alsa-state
sudo systemctl mask alsa-restore
You can verify if this is the cause of your issues by:
- Change some setting that is indicated on the device (the “Inst” setting is a good).
- Disconnect USB and notice the state of the setting on the device has not changed.
- Power cycle the device and notice the state of the setting on the device has not changed.
- Reconnect USB and notice the state of the setting on the device has changed.
If the setting on the device changes at step 4, then the alsa-state
and alsa-restore services are the likely cause of your issues.
Help?!
Have you read the User Guide for your interface? It’s available online: https://downloads.focusrite.com/focusrite and contains a lot of helpful/useful/important information about your device.
You can skip the “Easy Start” and “Setting up your DAW” sections, but the rest is well worth reading. Even the information about Focusrite Control is useful, although not directly applicable, because it will help you understand more about the possibilities of what you can do with your device.
For help with the Scarlett2 and FCP kernel drivers: https://github.com/geoffreybennett/linux-fcp/issues
For help with the FCP user-space side: https://github.com/geoffreybennett/fcp-support/issues
For help with alsa-scarlett-gui:
https://github.com/geoffreybennett/alsa-scarlett-gui/issues
For general Linux audio help: https://linuxmusicians.com