Focusrite Scarlett power up problem

[DanR]

Hi
I use a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 1st generation with Windows 10 and while it works fine, I can’t get the unit to power on when I turn on the laptop.
I have to unplug and plug it in again.
I’ve selected Focusrite as default audio in settings but when the PC is turned on again, the 2i2 is not recognised. No messages
or anything.
I have the latest drivers installed.
Any help appreciated.

[Wonks]

Have you got the phantom power turned on? if so, try turning it off. Your laptop may not be able to supply sufficient current for the interface with the phantom circuit (at least on power-up).

[Hugh Robjohns]

Or might it be that the Laptop switches off its USB ports when it sleeps and needs a prompt to fire them up again? Maybe a BIOS setting?

H

[DanR]

Have you got the phantom power turned on? if so, try turning it off. Your laptop may not be able to supply sufficient current for the interface with the phantom circuit (at least on power-up).

Phantom power is off.
It’s strange because the red halos around the input gains flash when laptop is powered up but it goes no further.

[DanR]

Or might it be that the Laptop switches off its USB ports when it sleeps and needs a prompt to fire them up again? Maybe a BIOS setting?

H

Yes. Once the interface is on, the laptop switches it off when entering sleep mode.
It powers back up fine when prompted.
When the laptop is started from off, the Scarlett doesn’t start with it but other devices do.
It looks like the Focusrite drivers are not loading as Cubase can’t find the device when opened.
Disconnect then reconnect the USB cable and it powers up.

[John Egan]

My Scarlett 18i6 (first generation) fires up perfectly when the system is switched on. I am using ASIO4ALL V2 drivers with the DAW and the latest drivers downloaded from the Focusrite site with other software. Have you spoken to Focusrite ? They were very helpful when I experienced a problem some months ago.
Regards, John

[Wonks]

It does sound like it's more to do with the laptop than the Focusrite. Have you tried different power management settings, to see if a 100% full power mode works any differently?

[DanR]

My Scarlett 18i6 (first generation) fires up perfectly when the system is switched on. I am using ASIO4ALL V2 drivers with the DAW and the latest drivers downloaded from the Focusrite site with other software. Have you spoken to Focusrite ? They were very helpful when I experienced a problem some months ago.
Regards, John

Thanks.
I’ve heard of ASIO4ALL but thought no need for it if the device’s current drivers are available.
I’ll contact Focusrite anyway.

[Drew Stephenson]

Just another +1 contacting focusrite, they've been really helpful to me on a few occasions.

[Pete Kaine]

Just wondering if it shows up at all in device manger when first turned on?

Sometimes drivers can block each other when grabbing resources and the unplug/replug process forces it to reload afresh.

Next time you start and the interface doesn't, jump into control panel/devicemanger and check for the Focusrite having an exclamation mark next to it.

What I'm wondering is, if multiple installations of the driver itself (ghosting) is otherwise stealing resouces from itself.

https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html

Grab that and run it. Before doing so, unplug anything USB wise that isn't the keyboard/mouse/essential to letting you run the above program.

I would rattle through and remove any multiple ghost entries and anything that is obviously no longer required. It might have no effect, but couldn't hurt to give it a go.

[CS70]

Sounds like a USB power-up handling issue in the laptop to me, not maybe a bug per se but something with the combination of what the laptop does and the interface expects during powerup. It used to be quite a common issue with USB devices.

Nowadays is most often a power management issue - do you have the "allow the OS to manage this device" turned off in the "Power" tab of all your USB root devices?

Basically you want your USB ports to be always on.

[DanR]

Nowadays is most often a power management issue - do you have the "allow the OS to manage this device" turned off in the "Power" tab of all your USB root devices?

Basically you want your USB ports to be always on.

Thanks. Not sure whether to look in Device Manager or Power Management for that option.
Had a look at Universal Serial Bus Controller in Device Manager and only the USB 3.0
one has Power Management option.
The box ‘Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power’ is checked.
I think I have the Scarlett running off a USB 2.0 socket though.

Unable to find any settings with the exact wording you gave.

[DanR]

Next time you start and the interface doesn't, jump into control panel/devicemanger and check for the Focusrite having an exclamation mark next to it.

The Focusrite entry looks fine and there’s no exclamation mark.
Says device is working properly although it’s plugged in and not on.

[CS70]

The box ‘Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power’ is checked.
I think I have the Scarlett running off a USB 2.0 socket though.

Unable to find any settings with the exact wording you gave.

That's the one. You want to uncheck it.

My apologies, mine wasn't exact wording at all - just a figment from memory.

Just to make sure, go thru all the devices in Device Manager and uncheck it for all of them (maybe what you just wrote is that you already did, but not sure).

[DanR]

The box ‘Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power’ is checked.
I think I have the Scarlett running off a USB 2.0 socket though.

Unable to find any settings with the exact wording you gave.

That's the one. You want to uncheck it.

My apologies, mine wasn't exact wording at all - just a figment from memory.

Just to make sure, go thru all the devices in Device Manager and uncheck it for all of them (maybe what you just wrote is that you already did, but not sure).

I unchecked it and plugged the interface into the USB 3.0 socket and the lights didn't even flicker like before.
There’s no other devices other than this that have a Power Management option.

[DanR]

I’ve now sent a technical support enquiry to Focusrite so hope to have it resolved soon.
Thanks for the help and replies.

[DanR]

Have had a helpful reply from Focusrite with detailed suggestions but the Scarlett still won’t power up when starting Windows.
Have even tried disabling the fast startup option which I’ve read about.
I think I’m done with starting/restarting to check if it works .
It just means that I have to unplug the 2i2 before starting the laptop and then plugging it in
again when Windows has loaded.

That’s ok but I’ve been considering upgrading to an interface that has an external power supply option, like the new Steinberg UR22c.
As I do mostly keys/VST, the midi I/O would be useful too.

[Pete Kaine]

*edit after removing original post*

Got ahead of myself on that one.

Found a USB power switch, didn't read the small print about lack of data connection.

[Pete Kaine]

Dammit... timed out before coming back to reedit the above.

Anyhow, this listing has a power switch and other users state it'll handle data.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/USB-OFF-SWITCH ... B00RC1NFEI

Admittedly, the switch is in a poor place. What you need is a cable with a switch in it, of which there are loads, but all the ones I've checked don't carry data.

You might get luckier through, I've not got the time to check all that many. One of the lads here runs a powered hub with switchs on it for the same reason.

[DanR]

Dammit... timed out before coming back to reedit the above.

Anyhow, this listing has a power switch and other users state it'll handle data.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/USB-OFF-SWITCH ... B00RC1NFEI

Admittedly, the switch is in a poor place. What you need is a cable with a switch in it, of which there are loads, but all the ones I've checked don't carry data.

You might get luckier through, I've not got the time to check all that many. One of the lads here runs a powered hub with switchs on it for the same reason.

Thanks, looks useful.
A powered hub I think would work.

[DanR]

My Scarlett 18i6 (first generation) fires up perfectly when the system is switched on. I am using ASIO4ALL V2 drivers with the DAW and the latest drivers downloaded from the Focusrite site with other software. John

That’s interesting. So the Focusrite drivers don’t work so well in the DAW?

[John Egan]

My Scarlett 18i6 (first generation) fires up perfectly when the system is switched on. I am using ASIO4ALL V2 drivers with the DAW and the latest drivers downloaded from the Focusrite site with other software. John

That’s interesting. So the Focusrite drivers don’t work so well in the DAW?

Not at all ! It's just that I like to switch between several interfaces quickly.
Regards, John

[ef37a]

My Scarlett 18i6 (first generation) fires up perfectly when the system is switched on. I am using ASIO4ALL V2 drivers with the DAW and the latest drivers downloaded from the Focusrite site with other software. John

That’s interesting. So the Focusrite drivers don’t work so well in the DAW?

Not at all ! It's just that I like to switch between several interfaces quickly.
Regards, John

Oh! In Samplitudes, any of 3 versions, I can just select the AI I want out of an NI KA6, my latest UMC204HD or indeed the PCI 2496 and all use their own ASIO drivers.

Years ago I had a Behringer BCA2000 and that would never start up but if I ran 'check for hardware changes' in Dev Mang is would fire up. REALLY crap drivers mind.

Dave.

[John Egan]

That’s interesting. So the Focusrite drivers don’t work so well in the DAW?

Not at all ! It's just that I like to switch between several interfaces quickly.
Regards, John[/quote]

Oh! In Samplitudes, any of 3 versions, I can just select the AI I want out of an NI KA6, my latest UMC204HD or indeed the PCI 2496 and all use their own ASIO drivers.

Years ago I had a Behringer BCA2000 and that would never start up but if I ran 'check for hardware changes' in Dev Mang is would fire up. REALLY crap drivers mind.

Dave.[/quote]

You're absolutely right, Dave and I can change drivers that way in Reason but it feels less clunky to me to use ASIO4All. I can leave the control panel permanently parked in the corner of the screen and leave almost everything else visible. Differenr folks, different strokes I guess.

Regards, John

[DanR]

You're absolutely right, Dave and I can change drivers that way in Reason but it feels less clunky to me to use ASIO4All. I can leave the control panel permanently parked in the corner of the screen and leave almost everything else visible. Differenr folks, different strokes I guess.

Just wondering if there’s any noticeable latency with ASIO4ALL when triggering the sounds in Reason.
My Scarlett 2i2 works well using a USB powered Roland A500 Pro to play the sounds in Cubase Elements.
Thinking of trying ASIO4ALL to see if it can power up the Focusrite interface.