SoundGrid Studio User Guide / Owners Manual

Part 3: Setup Window
SoundGrid Studio/ User Guide
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Setting Sample Rate
The SoundGrid network is synchronized with a clocking protocol called Sync-Over-Ethernet (SOE). This is a
versatile protocol that allows the host to easily assign a clock master and to control sample rate throughout the
system.
As in any digital network, one I/O is assigned as the clock master of the system. The
other I/Os are slaves and must lock to the sample rate by the master.
Here is a basic SoundGrid Studio setup. I/O #1 Has been assigned as the clock master (M).
Its source is set to INT, so its own internal clock is the master.
The sample rate of I/O #1 can be set on its control panel (click on the gear
icon on the I/O slot) or, much more commonly, on the SoundGrid Studio
sample rate drop-down menu (right). This menu requests the SOE master
I/O device to change its sample rate. If the I/O is able to comply, it will
change to the requested rate and the slaves will follow suit.
A common reason why a device cannot comply with the SoundGrid Studio request
to change its sample rate is that it is being clocked by a device that is outside of the
SOE network. It is the master of the SOE network but a slave to another device,
whether with word clock or AES/EBU or SPDIF. This device could be an I/O, a
console, or a clock generator.
SoundGrid Studio can control the workings of its own devices, but it cannot set
external devices. Therefore, the sample rate needs to be set in the control panel of
the external device, which will change the sample rate of the SEO master.