companion-module-focusrite-clarett

Bitfocus Companion module for controlling Focusrite Clarett audio interfaces.

Important: This module does not communicate directly with the audio interface hardware. Instead it connects to FocusriteControlServer — a background service that is installed as part of Focusrite's driver/software package and runs on the same computer the interface is connected to. Companion sends TCP/XML commands to that service, which in turn controls the hardware.

Supported Devices

• Clarett 2Pre / Clarett+ 2Pre
• Clarett 4Pre / Clarett+ 4Pre
• Clarett 8Pre / Clarett+ 8Pre
• Clarett 8PreX

Requirements

• Focusrite Control (the official Focusrite software) must be installed on the computer the interface is connected to — it does not need to be open
• FocusriteControlServer — installed automatically alongside Focusrite Control and runs as a background service/daemon on that computer (port 49152)
• The Clarett interface must be connected to that same computer via USB or Thunderbolt
• Companion can run on the same computer or on a different computer on the same network

Installation

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/bitfocus/companion-module-focusrite-clarett.git

2. Install dependencies:

   yarn install

3. In Companion, go to Settings → Developer modules → Add and select the cloned folder
4. Add the module as a new connection

Configuration

Setting	Default	Description
Server Host	127.0.0.1	IP address or hostname of the computer running FocusriteControlServer
Server Port	49152	TCP port of FocusriteControlServer (rarely needs changing)

If Companion runs on the same machine as the Clarett interface, leave the host as 127.0.0.1. If Companion runs on a separate machine (e.g. a dedicated show-control PC), enter the IP address of the computer the interface is connected to. Note that FocusriteControlServer listens on all interfaces by default, so remote connections should work as long as the firewall allows port 49152.

First-time Approval

On first connect, Focusrite Control will ask to approve the "Companion-Focusrite" client:

1. Open Focusrite Control
2. A popup will appear — click Approve

This only needs to be done once.

Actions

Input / Mixer

Action	Description
Mute Input	Mute/unmute a mixer input on a specific mix bus
Solo Input	Solo/unsolo a mixer input
Set Fader	Set mixer fader level (dB, −128 to +6)
Set Pan	Set pan position (−100 to +100)

Hardware Controls

Action	Description
Air Mode	Toggle/on/off Focusrite Air mode
Input Mode	Set Mic / Line / Instrument mode
Cycle Input Mode	Step through available modes
Stereo Link	Toggle stereo linking of adjacent inputs

Note: Phantom power (48V), pad, HPF, phase invert and input gain are hardware-locked on the Clarett 8PreX and cannot be controlled via software.

Output / Monitor

Action	Description
Mute Output	Mute/unmute a line output
Set Output Volume	Set output level (dB, −128 to +6)
Dim Monitor	Toggle dim on the monitor output (Out 1-2)
Talkback	Activate talkback (requires item ID)

Advanced

Action	Description
Set Raw Value	Send any value by numeric item ID
Toggle Raw Value	Toggle any boolean control by item ID

Feedbacks

All controls have boolean feedback for button styling:

Feedback	Color
Input Muted	🔴 Red
Input Soloed	🟡 Yellow
Air Mode Enabled	🟡 Yellow
Dim Enabled	🟠 Dark orange
Talkback Enabled	🟢 Green
Stereo Linked	🟢 Dark green
Mode is Mic / Line / Inst	Red / Dark red / Pink
Value Equals (advanced)	Custom

Presets

Ready-to-use button presets are included for channels 1–8:

• Input mutes
• Input solos
• Air mode
• Input mode (cycles Mic → Line → Inst)
• Dim (monitor output)
• Talkback (momentary)

Variables

Variable	Description
device_name	Connected device name
device_model	Device model string
connection_status	Connected / Disconnected
input_1_air … input_8_air	Air mode state per channel
input_1_mode … input_8_mode	Input mode (Mic/Line/Inst)
input_1_mute … input_8_mute	Mixer mute state per channel
output_1_volume … output_10_volume	Output volume value
monitor_dim	Monitor dim state

Protocol

This module communicates with FocusriteControlServer — a background service installed as part of Focusrite's driver package — over a TCP socket on port 49152. It does not send commands directly to the audio hardware.

Companion  ──TCP/XML──▶  FocusriteControlServer  ──driver──▶  Clarett interface
                         (runs on the audio host)

Message format: Length=XXXXXX <xml-content>
(6-digit uppercase hex length prefix, followed by a space, then the XML payload)

Protocol details were reverse-engineered via packet capture of traffic between the Focusrite Control application and FocusriteControlServer.

Acknowledgments

• Linus Wileryd — GitHub 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

License

MIT — see LICENSE