DiGiGrid IOC User Guide
Contents INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................. 3 HARDWARE AND CONNECTIONS ................................................................................................................................... 4 GETTING STARTED .......................................................................................................................................................
Introduction Perfect for the control room, the DiGiGrid IOC interface offers a wide range of connectivity options, including two mic/line inputs with broadcast-grade preamps, eight line inputs/outputs, sixteen AES/EBU inputs/outputs, one ADAT 8-channel I/O, and two independently adjustable headphone outputs. DiGiGrid IOC can be used as your primary audio interface, or as an additional I/O expansion to an existing SoundGrid system. A SoundGrid I/O device is part of a SoundGrid network.
Hardware and Connections DiGiGrid IOC is a 1U rack-mounted device. Aside from headphone jacks, all connections are on the rear panel. IOC FRONT PANEL Input clipping Red = clipping (level can be set through the control panel) Input signal present Green = signal present 48V phantom power Orange = ON Network status indicator Blue: device recognized by the SoundGrid network Red (flashing): device not recognized by the SoundGrid network Yellow: updating White: unit malfunction (e.g.
IOC REAR PANEL Mains input: 90–240V AC 50/60 Hz Built-in 1GB Ethernet switch, two ports The two-port Ethernet switch can connect IOC directly to a host computer and one other device without an external Ethernet switch. For larger systems, a 1GB SoundGrid-approved Ethernet switch is necessary. It is not important which of the Ethernet ports is used to connect to the SoundGrid network.
Getting Started Configure SoundGrid and assign your devices as follows, however large or small your system. Connect the hardware Install the software Configure your system CONNECT THE HARDWARE One I/O In this example, one DiGiGrid IOC is connected directly to the SoundGrid host computer using a Cat 5e Ethernet cable or better. This provides plugin processing and/or DAW playback/recording via the SoundGrid ASIO/Core Audio driver.
Add I/Os Adding I/O devices not only increases the number of I/O channels, but lets you have separate devices for stage and FOH, or live room and control room. Use a "star" network configuration with a 1GB Ethernet switch to connect SoundGrid devices. Only use switches tested and approved by Waves. Host computer I/O devices 1GB Ethernet switch See this support article for a list of supported switches.
Download and Install Software INSTALLING A NEW SOUNDGRID HOST SYSTEM Installing the Waves SoundGrid host application will also install applicable device drivers and ASIO/Core Audio drivers. Your devices will appear in the Inventory of your host system. If a device is not visible in the Inventory, you may need to install a specific driver from Waves Central—please see below. First, however, check the device’s connections and power.
Configure the System A SoundGrid network is configured and devices are assigned in a host’s Setup window. At the heart of this window are racks where devices are assigned. Any compatible device that’s part of the host’s SoundGrid network will be available for assignment. This collection of devices is called the Inventory. Setup is similar with all hosts: identify the host’s LAN port, select a device slot, and use the drop-down menu to choose an available device.
Manual Device Configuration You can assign, remove, and manage a device manually. Click on the plus or arrow symbol in a device slot to open the Device Menu, then select a device. SoundGrid QRec Any device not already used will be available for assignment. If no other devices are assigned, the current device will become your clock master. Drivers and servers are assigned in the same manner. See the user guide of your host system for specific instructions on device assignment and I/O channel patching.
Device Firmware An I/O that is using outdated or incompatible firmware will not work properly in a SoundGrid network until its firmware is updated. The color of the FW button in a device slot indicates the current firmware status. SoundGrid Studio Grey Compatible firmware Blue Compatible firmware, but a newer version exists Red Firmware not compatible and must be updated in order to use SoundGrid QRec If a device requires updated firmware, click on the FW button to start a hardware scan.
IOC Control Panel There are two ways to open the device control panel: FROM THE DEVICE RACK Click on the Gear button on a device in the rack slot. SoundGrid Studio SoundGrid QRec FROM THE DRIVER CONTROL PANEL Open the driver control panel and then click the Hardware Control Panel button. The driver control panel is located here in the host computer: PC: C:\Program Files (x86)\Waves\SoundGrid\Driver Control Panel Mac: System HD/Applications/Waves/SoundGrid CONTROL PANEL PAGES The About and System Info p
Controls Page This is where you configure the inputs and outputs of the IOC: mic preamps, line inputs and outputs, digital I/O, level control, and metering. Analog section 2 mic/line combo 8 line in + 8 line out (DB25) ADAT I/O section AES/EBU I/O section Focus section: analog input and output levels and 48V phantom power are controlled from here.
ANALOG SECTION There are two mic preamps, eight line inputs, and eight line outputs. Select a channel and it will appear in the Focus section. Analog Input Controls Use the Focus section to set preamp levels and turn the 48V phantom on and off. The long meters range from -80 dBFS to 0 dBFS. Mic/Line knob gain range: 0 dB to 52.5 dB in 7.5-dB steps Fine knob digital gain range: 0 dB to 7 dB in 0.5-dB steps A clip indicator holds for two seconds or for as long as clipping persists.
REMOTE PREAMP CONTROL You can control input preamp functions directly from the channel strip of SoundGrid applications, including eMotion LV1 and eMotion ST mixers, and SuperRack SoundGrid. Control Function 48V Phantom On or Off Preamp Gain Input Controls analog gain in an assigned I/O device that includes a controllable preamp. Input Polarity Mono channels have one polarity reverse button; stereo channels have two. Buttons are latching and are colored green when polarity is reversed.
DIGITAL SECTION There are two types of digital inputs/outputs for you to select from: AES/EBU and ADAT. Upon selection, a higher-resolution meter will appear in the Focus section. In the AES/EBU section, sample conversion rate (SRC) can be selected independently for inputs and for outputs. Inputs and outputs are each divided into two groups: 1-2 and 3-16.
CLIP INDICATION AND SMALL METERS Clip Indication Threshold sets the level where clipping is shown on the meter in the Focus section. The threshold can be set to 0 dB, -1 dB, -2 dB, or -3 dB. This setting is global: it affects level indication for all channels, inputs and outputs. Each channel button—analog or digital, input or output—has a small level meter that indicates when signal is present and provides a rough idea of level. A red light on the channel button indicates clipping.
Clock Page Use the Clock page to set the clock source and sample rate for the device and to assess clock status. SOURCE sets the requested clock source. 18 Internal The device itself provides the SEO clock. External WC Clock is provided by an external device via the Word Clock Input connector. Sync over Ethernet The device receives clock from the SoundGrid network.
SAMPLE RATE sets the sample rate when Clock Source is set to Internal. Range: 44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96 kHz. If the device is the network (SOE) clock master, as determined in the Device Racks of the SoundGrid host, then this setting determines the sample rate of the SoundGrid network. If Clock Source is set to an external clock source, you cannot change the sample rate from the host. The Sample Rate menu is grayed out and inoperative.
System Info Page and About Page The About page contains a description of the device. The System Info page contains technical details about the device, including MAC address, Firmware version, and Module version. This information is useful for troubleshooting. Please have this information handy if you contact Waves technical support concerning the device.
Presets The Top Bar is used to load and save device presets and to identify device hardware. A saved preset includes all Clock and Control panels parameters. Save IOC presets to use on future sessions or copy them to another computer to duplicate a configuration. Click the Identify button to indicate which IOC hardware device belongs to this Control Panel. Clicking the button causes the Network LED on the front panel of the IOC to flash in a rather psychedelic manner.
Using an I/O Device with a DAW Setting up SoundGrid devices with a DAW involves these steps: PATCH THE I/O DEVICE AND THE SOUNDGRID ASIO/CORE AUDIO DRIVER When using a DAW on a SoundGrid network, the SoundGrid ASIO/Core Audio driver serves as a bridge between the I/O device and the DAW. It enables the I/O to communicate with the DAW, and it provides patches. Patching an I/O to the SoundGrid ASIO/Core Audio driver differs slightly among hosts.
Specifications • 1U rack-mounted (standard 19” rack-mount wide, 4U high, 380mm deep excluding connectors) • Supported sample rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2 and 96 kHz (176.
Analog Outputs • Maximum Output Level: +22 dBu • Residual Output Noise: < 90 dB (20 Hz to 20 kHz) • Frequency Response: +/-0.5 dB (20 Hz to 20 kHz) • Output Impedance: 50 ohms • Channel Separation: Better than 90 dB (40 Hz to 15 kHz) • Harmonic Distortion: Typically < 0.
IOC Analog Connectors DB25 8-channel balanced connector AES59-2012 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 G C H G C H G C H G C H G C H G C H 13 12 25 11 24 10 23 9 8 22 21 7 20 6 5 19 G=Ground 18 C=Cold G C H G C H 4 17 8 3 16 2 15 1 14 H=Hot IOC AES Connectors DB25 8-channel balanced connector AES59-2012 IN 1-2 IN 3-4 1 IN 5-6 2 3 12 25 G=Ground 25 11 24 10 23 OUT 3-4 1 OUT 5-6 2 8 21 7 20 6 19 5 18 4 G C H G C H 4 17 OUT 7-8 3 H G C H G C H G C H 9 22 OUT 1-2 4 G C H G C
Resetting the Unit If an unsuccessful firmware update results in the device no longer being recognized by the host, follow these steps to reset the unit: 1. 2. 3. 4. Turn off the unit. Press and hold the Reset button. Restart the unit while holding the button. Release the Reset button once the device has fully booted. The unit is now in “force update” mode and a new firmware update can be performed.
