What to Do When Swapping Interfaces

What to Do When Swapping Interfaces

When switching between interfaces or other I/O devices in Smaart, there are three methods: Smaart configurations, output presets, and manually.

If you find yourself swapping between multiple interfaces frequently, we recommend using configurations or output presets, which can save you valuable time. Over time, however, you may find yourself becoming more proficient at swapping manually, which is totally fine, too, and can be a valuable skill if you find yourself using Smaart on a shared device or a machine that you haven't been able to configure ahead of time.

Swapping Manually

The first time you open Smaart after installing and after resetting to a fresh configuration, you will be automatically prompted to set up your interface. Clicking "OK" will bring you to the I-O Config dialog, where this can be done.

1. If this is not your first time, you can access the I-O Config dialog by either using the [Alt/Opt] + [A] hotkey or by clicking Config > I-O Config.

2. Once open, Smaart will display all recognized audio drivers. Any devices that aren't currently connected to your computer will show "N/C" under its status, and any that are connected will show "OK". For this example, we'll be switching from a Focusrite Scarlett to an Audient EVO8. While in this example, the Scarlett isn't plugged into the computer, this can still be done while both devices are plugged in. You will need to have the interface you're swapping to (the EVO8) plugged in, however.

3. Uncheck the "Use" box for the old interface, then check the "Use" box for the new interface. You will then need to select which inputs you'd like to have active for measurement.

4. Move over to the "Output" tab and repeat this process for your outputs, and you're good to go! Note: Any existing TF Measurement Engines created with the original interface will still be set to the old inputs. You will need to either edit your engines' inputs or create new engines.

This tab also contains the "Output Preset Manager". This leads us to our second method of interface-swapping:

Using Output Presets

1. Set up your first interface using the manual method. (If you already have an interface set up, skip this step)

2. In the "Output" tab of the I-O Config dialog, select the outputs for the first interface (The Scarlett).

3. In the "Output Preset Manager" area, use the "Store" button to store the current output configuration. Once you name this new output preset, it will appear in the Manager's list.

4. Unselect all currently selected outputs, then select the outputs for your other interface (EVO8).

5. In the "Output Preset Manager" area, click "Store" again to store the current output configuration. Give it a name (EVO8).

6. With your output presets configured, you can switch between them by highlighting the preset you'd like to use and clicking "Make Active". Smaart will label the active preset.

Note: As the name suggests, this will only save your Output configurations, not your inputs. If you wish to change your inputs, you will need to either set them manually or by switching between Smaart configurations, our final method of swapping devices.

Using Smaart Configurations

1. Open Smaart and configure it for one interface (for instance the Evo8). Configure both inputs and outputs and any measurement engines you plan to use with that interface. Unlike the output configurations detailed above, a Smaart configuration saved this way will also save any measurement settings, graph settings, and measurement engines you have set up.

2. Once configured, navigate to Config > Manage Configurations and use the "Save As" button to save your configuration and give it a name. Using the name of the interface 

3. Follow the same steps with your other interface. Configure both inputs and outputs and any measurement engines you want to use, like we've done with the EVO8.

4. Once again, navigate to Config > Manage Configurations and use the "Save As" button to save your configuration and give it a name. Again, it's helpful to specify the interface in the configuration name. We'll go with 'Focusrite'.

5. With the configurations saved, you can navigate back to Config > Manage Configurations and switch between the two manually. Simply highlight the desired configuration for your interface and click "Recall" to switch.