Focusrite Clarett Module

Control your Focusrite Clarett audio interface directly from Companion without using Focusrite Control's GUI.

Requirements

• Focusrite Control software must be installed (but does not need to be running)
• FocusriteControlServer service must be running (automatically starts with macOS)
• Clarett interface connected via Thunderbolt

Setup

1. Add the Focusrite Clarett module in Companion
2. Configure the connection (default: localhost:49152)
3. Important: When you first connect, you need to approve the connection in Focusrite Control:
   • Open Focusrite Control
   • A popup will appear asking to approve "Companion-Focusrite"
   • Click "Approve"

Actions

Input Controls

• Mute Input - Mute/unmute mixer inputs (1-18)
• Solo Input - Solo/unsolo mixer inputs
• Set Input Gain - Set preamp gain (0-65535)
• Set Fader - Set mixer fader level for a specific mix bus
• Set Pan - Set pan position (-100 to 100)

Hardware Controls

• Phantom Power (48V) - Enable/disable phantom power on inputs 1-8
• Pad (-10dB) - Enable/disable input pad
• Air Mode - Enable/disable Focusrite Air mode
• High Pass Filter - Enable/disable HPF
• Phase Invert - Invert input phase
• Stereo Link - Link adjacent inputs as stereo pair

Output Controls

• Mute Output - Mute/unmute outputs
• Set Output Volume - Set output level (0-65535)

Monitor Controls

• Dim Output - Toggle dim mode
• Talkback - Activate talkback (momentary or toggle)

Advanced

• Set Raw Value - Send any control value by item ID
• Toggle Raw Value - Toggle any boolean control

Feedbacks

All boolean controls have corresponding feedbacks for button states:

• Input Muted (red)
• Input Soloed (yellow)
• Phantom Power Enabled (orange)
• Pad Enabled (blue)
• Air Mode Enabled (cyan)
• High Pass Filter Enabled (purple)
• Phase Inverted (pink)
• Dim Enabled (olive)
• Talkback Enabled (green)
• Stereo Linked (dark green)

Presets

Pre-configured button presets are available for:

• Input mutes (1-8)
• Input solos (1-8)
• Phantom power (1-8)
• Air mode (1-8)
• Pad (1-8)
• HPF (1-8)
• Dim
• Talkback (momentary)

Variables

The module exposes variables for:

• Device name and model
• Connection status
• Input gains and states
• Output volumes
• Monitor states

Troubleshooting

"Waiting for approval..."

Open Focusrite Control and approve the Companion connection.

"Connection refused"

Make sure FocusriteControlServer is running:

ps aux | grep -i focusrite

Controls not working

The item IDs may differ between Clarett models. Use the "Set Raw Value" action with debug logging to discover the correct IDs for your device.

Protocol

This module communicates with the FocusriteControlServer using TCP/XML protocol:

• Port: 49152 (configurable)
• Message format: Length=XXXXXX <xml-content> (Length PREFIX with space)

Acknowledgments

• Linus Wileryd — github.com/lnswlrd
  Module development, protocol research via packet capture, device structure analysis and the XML schema including mixes, inputs, outputs and hardware controls

• Focusrite Midi Control by Radu Varga — GitHub
  TCP message format, client-key requirement, keep-alive mechanism, device subscription flow

• Focusrite Control API by Mathieu2301 — GitHub
  XML command structure, device discovery format