IOS
IOS 2 Table of Contents Introduction.............................................................................................................................................................................................4 1. Getting Started...................................................................................................................................................................................5 1.1 System Requirements.............................................................
IOS 5.1.2 Analog Section................................................................................................................................................................ 21 5.1.3 Digital Section................................................................................................................................................................. 24 5.1.4 Clip Indication and Small Meters...................................................................................................
IOS INTRODUCTION Thank you for choosing the DiGiGrid IOS interface for SoundGrid systems. In order to get the most out of your product, please take some time to read this manual. We also suggest that you become familiar with our support sites, www.digigrid.net and www.waves.com/support, where you will find an extensive answer base, the latest tech specs, detailed installation guides, software updates, and current information about licensing and registration.
IOS 1. GETTING STARTED Aside from setting up your microphone preamps, there’s not much you need to know to begin working with your IOS. 1.1 System Requirements ■ SoundGrid Studio runs on Mac and PC (consult Waves website for current OS and DAW compatibility). ■ C ompatible native DAW (Logic, Cubase, Nuendo, Ableton, Pro Tools Native, and many more). A list of SoundGrid-compatible hosts is available at Waves website. ■ IOS / SoundGrid Studio software installed on the host computer.
IOS 1.3 Software Installation After you register your new IOS, you can download the installer from the Download/Hardware Drivers section of the Waves website. Since SoundGrid enables you to access an I/O device from any computer in the network, you will need to install the software on each computer in the network. The IOS installer consists of: ■ The IOS I/O hardware driver. ■ The SoundGrid ASIO/Core Audio driver, which serves as a bridge between the DAW and the SoundGrid network.
IOS 2. HARDWARE IOS is a 2U rack-mounted device. Aside from headphone jacks, all connections are from the rear panel. IOS Front Panel Front panel LEDs indicate status regarding essential device functions for each channel.
IOS IOS Rear Panel 9 11 10 7 8 Mains input: 90–240 V AC 50/60 Hz Built-in 1GB Ethernet switch, four ports USB port for server service and upgrades (used for technical support) Recovery/reset button MIDI in and out (can be linked to Waves applications and to DAWs) Digital and clock connections: software selected Clock in and out (BNC connectors for external Word Clock) 7 S/PDIF in and out (RCA connectors) 8 AES in and out (XLR connectors) Analog connections 9 8 mic/line inputs (combo XLR/TRS connector
IOS 3. SUGGESTED USES AND CONFIGURATIONS There are many ways to use your DiGiGrid IOS. Your existing (or future) equipment, how you work, and what you need to accomplish are factors to consider when incorporating an IOS into your studio. Project studios with one or two DAWs can share I/O resources, with any of the computers involved capable of claiming the server. Studios with several rooms and many DAWs can stream audio between rooms, quickly swap out devices, and assign DSP processing.
IOS 3.2 Adding More I/Os to Your System Add a DiGiGrid IOX and you pick up another 12 mic inputs, 6 line outs, and 4 more individual headphone outputs. Connect the IOX to the built-in Ethernet switch on the rear of the IOS. You can add up to eight SoundGrid I/O devices to a single host. Each of these can be accessed by any computer on the network. Audio and clock pass through the same Ethernet cable.
IOS 3.3 Multiple Computers with a Single DiGiGrid IOS If you want to stream audio between several computers in order to combine multiple mixes or elements, connect several DAWs to one IOS interface. Each DAW can send and receive an audio stream, and any computer can control the I/O. Any native DAW— or combination of different native DAWs—can be a part of this network, so each computer must have the IOS software installed.
IOS 3.4 Advanced Network: Multiple Computers and Multiple I/Os This example shows how IOS can be integrated into a complex studio network. ■ A control/mix room equipped with a large Pro Tools HD/HDX system is connected to a SoundGrid network. DiGiGrid DLI and DLS units together supply 112 I/O channels to the HD system, with the DLS providing a built-in SoundGrid DSP server for plugin processing.
IOS WC / Loopsync* In Out DigiLink Interface Primary Port Expansion Port DiGiGrid DLS DiGiGrid IOX A 1 2 B 1 Ethernet 2 DL1 DL2 DiGiGrid DLI Ethernet DL1 DL2 DiGiGrid MGB/MGO Digilink MADI Ethernet Analog Clock DAW / SG Studio MADI Matrix * Dependent on Clock Mode setting in the DLS/DLI control panel DiGiGrid IOS 13
IOS 4. SOFTWARE SETUP AND CONTROLS A SoundGrid network is managed by the SoundGrid Studio Application. This application assigns and removes devices, oversees the network, patches between devices, and provides access to device control panels. To maintain network effectiveness, the SoundGrid Studio Application always runs in the background. Bring SoundGrid Studio to the front by clicking on the SoundGrid icon in the Mac Top Bar or the Windows System Tray.
IOS The first time you launch SoundGrid Studio, the Wizard will open. It scans the network, inventories its assets, and then configures the devices. If the Wizard does not start automatically, click the SCAN button, which is next to the Network Port window. Scan Once it has scanned the system, the Wizard will offer to configure the SoundGrid network. A drop-down menu provides a list of configuration templates. Choose a template that best describes your hardware devices and production needs.
IOS To add another SoundGrid device, click on the arrow in an empty rack slot. From the list of available devices, choose the one you want to add, in this case, a DiGiGrid MGB coaxial MADI interface. In this image the IOS is grayed out, and therefore unavailable, since it is already claimed (in this case, by you). The new device is visible in the rack slot. Unless changed by the user, it remains a clock slave and is colored green.
IOS 4.1 Device Firmware Firmware is a small program that runs on a device in order to control it. It enables IOS to communicate correctly with SoundGrid Studio. An I/O that is using outdated or incompatible firmware will not work properly in a SoundGrid network until its firmware is updated. To see if your IOS firmware is compatible with the version of SoundGrid Studio that you are currently running, go the System Inventory page and locate the device.
IOS 5. CONTROL PANEL Access the IOS Control Panel by clicking on the Gear symbol in the SoundGrid Studio Device Rack. From the IOS Control Panel you can manage: ■ C lock settings: source, sample rate, type, clock status ■ M icrophone preamp controls: input gain, phantom on/off ■ O utput levels ■ Sample rate conversion of digital inputs In addition, there are input and output meters.
IOS Top Bar At the top of each Control Panel page is a banner used to load and save device presets and to identify device hardware. Use the Identify button to determine which IOS hardware device belongs to this Control Panel. Clicking the button causes the Network LED on the front panel of the IOS to flash in a rather psychedelic manner. You can save and load presets of device settings. A saved preset includes all Clock and Control panels parameters.
IOS There are four pages on the IOS Control Panel: The About and System Info pages provide information about the unit, such as MAC address, SoE master MAC Address, firmware version, and more. The Clock and Controls pages are used to set up and manage the IOS. 5.1 Controls Page This is where you configure the inputs and outputs of the IOS. Mic preamps, line inputs and outputs, digital I/O, level control and metering: all of the things you’d expect from a top-end I/O.
IOS 5.1.1 Top Bar The Top Bar of the Controls page includes an illustration of the IOS rear panel. When an input or output is selected in the main section of the page, the corresponding connector is highlighted. 5.1.2 Analog Section There are 8 mic preamp and line inputs and 8 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.
IOS You can also control preamp functions from SoundGrid applications such as the eMotion ST mixer. Control 48v Phantom Preamp Gain Input Function On/Off Controls analog gain in an attached 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 engaged. Controls input level from digital sources. Separate controls for L/R when input is stereo.
IOS Analog Output Controls In addition to meters and clip and peak indicators—which are identical to the input controls—there is a Headroom switch that provides a -10 dB pad. Presence of the -10 dB pad on an analog output is indicated by a blue light.
IOS 5.1.3 Digital Section Digital inputs and outputs are selected in pairs. Two buttons in the Focus section are used to switch digital input and clock between AES/EBU and S/PDIF. This choice is reflected in the Top Bar illustration. Use the SRC button to enable input sample rate conversion. When SRC is selected, IOS will convert incoming digital stream to the sample rate of the clock that the device is locked to.
IOS 5.1.4 Clip Indication and Small Meters Clip Indication Threshold sets where the clipping is indicated on the meter in the Focus section. This allows you to monitor levels in the way you find most comfortable. The threshold can be set to 0 dB, -1 dB, -2 dB, or -3 dB. This setting is global, not channel-specific. When Clip Indication Threshold is set, this behavior affects level indication for all channels, input and output.
IOS 5.2 Clock Page Use the Clock page to set the clock source and sample rate for the device and to assess clock status. Clock controls are on the left side of the page; status indicators are on the right. SOURCE sets the clock source 26 Internal The interface itself provides the clock.
IOS SAMPLE RATE sets the sample rate when Clock Source is set to Internal. Range: 44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96 kHz. When Clock Source is set to Internal, you can use the Sample Rate menu to control the clock of the IOS device. If the IOS is the network (SoE) clock master, as determined in the Device Racks of SoundGrid Studio, 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.
IOS 6. IOS SERVER When you connect the IOS to the host computer and run the Wizard, the internal server is assigned a port and configured for the host. Normally that’s all you need to do. The IOS server appears in the SoundGrid Studio Server rack, and the IOS I/O is seen in the Hardware I/O rack. IOS is a combination of a server and an I/O, but these components operate more-or-less independently of each other.
IOS 6.1 Applications of an IOS Server The IOS server gives you access to advanced features for mixing processing, and monitoring. 6.1.1 eMotion ST mixer The eMotion ST is the mixer element of the SoundGrid Studio System. It lets you run SoundGrid plugins with low latency for monitoring while recording. The eMotion ST mixer enables you to create personalized monitor mixes, with plugin processing done pre-, post-, or in parallel with your DAW.
IOS 6.1.2 StudioRack StudioRack is a plugin chainer for any DAW. It hosts up to eight plugins, controls them, assigns them to external controllers, and manages them—with their presets—all in a way that makes it easy to move from one DAW session to another and from one DAW platform to another. It enables users to create racks of processors with limitless parameters and flexible signal flows, which are easily inserted into any track of the session.
IOS 7. MOVING AUDIO IN A SOUNDGRID NETWORK You’ve configured the network and set up the IOS preamps. One last thing to do: Integrate your hosts into the SoundGrid network so that you can send audio to and from devices—and listen to it. In order to do this, the audio must be patched from one point to another.
IOS 7.1 Using an I/O Device with a DAW When using a DAW on a SoundGrid network, the SoundGrid ASIO/Core Audio driver serves as a bridge between IOS and the DAW. It enables the I/O to communicate with the DAW, and it provides patch points for connections. Using the driver and routing audio through it involves two steps: patch between the I/O and the driver; then select the correct driver in your DAW as the playback engine.
IOS 7.2 Patching I/O to Driver and Driver to I/O When streaming audio to and from an IOS and a DAW, you must assign IOS inputs and outputs to the SoundGrid ASIO/Core Audio driver. (Alternatively, you may choose to monitor through the eMotion ST mixer. We’ll cover that option later in this section.) In the SoundGrid Studio Patch page, select the Device-to-Device tab. All device and driver channels are shown along both the horizontal and vertical axes.
IOS 34 Selecting the Driver in the DAW DAW I/O Setup When a DAW is part of a SoundGrid network, the SoundGrid ASIO/Core Audio driver must be its playback engine. Choose Waves SoundGrid from among your playback engine options. When you look at the I/O setup page of your DAW, what you see are driver channels, not the channels of the I/Os themselves. What these channels are ultimately connected to is determined in the Patch page of the SoundGrid Studio Application.
IOS Note the relationship between the SoundGrid Studio Patch page and the DAW I/O Setup page. In the Patch page (left), IOS analog channels 1–8 are patched to driver channels 1–8, and IOS AES L and R are patched to driver channels 9 and 10. The arrow on the upper left of the Patch indicates that signal flows from the IOS to the driver. Now look at the DAW I/O. The 10 driver channels appear at the top, and are patched to DAW input channels 1–10.
IOS 7.3 eMotion ST Mixer Patching The eMotion ST mixer enables you to create studio monitor mixes as well as personalized headphone mixes. Patch to and from the mixer using the eMotion ST input and output tabs on the left side of the interface. The green buttons indicate whether a channel is mono, left side of a stereo pair, or right side of a stereo pair. Toggle between these states by double-clicking on the button.
IOS 37 7.4 Device-to-Device Patching Choose this view to patch devices and drivers to each other. All device and driver channels are shown along both the horizontal and vertical axes. There are many ways to patch devices, but normally IOS inputs are patched to the ASIO/Core Audio inputs for recording. For playback the patches are opposite, unless you choose to patch to the eMotion ST mixer for monitor mixing. For further details, refer to the SoundGrid Studio Application user guide.
IOS 38 7.5 Headphone Patching IOS has two independently adjustable headphone jacks. These appear on the Patch page after the 8 I/O channels. Adjust headphone levels on the IOS front panel.
IOS 8. USING THE IOS WITH MIDI An external MIDI controller can be connected to an IOS. The IOS software installer includes two MIDI drivers. One driver controls the device’s MIDI ports; the other is for StudioRack (this is explained in greater detail in the StudioRack manual). To activate MIDI ports, open the SoundGrid Studio Application. Go to I/O Rack A and locate the IOS that you want to assign. From the drop-down menu, choose “Assign to SoundGrid MIDI Driver.
IOS 9. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS General ■ 2 U rack-mounted (standard 19” rack-mount wide, 2U high, 380-mm deep excluding connectors) ■ S upported sample rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2 and 96 kHz (176.4 and 192 kHz will be supported in the future) ■ 8 channel mic/line inputs (on XLR/TRS combo) ■ 8 channel line outputs (on TRS or 25pin D-con) ■ 2 channel AES/EBU or SPDIF (switchable), SRC optional.
IOS Analog Outputs specifications ■ M aximum Output Level: +22 dBu ■ R esidual Output Noise: <90 dB (20 Hz to 20 kHz) ■ F requency Response: +/-0.5 dB (20 Hz to 20 kHz) ■ O utput Impedance: 50 Ohms ■ C hannel Separation: Better than 90 dB (40 Hz to 15 kHz) ■ H armonic Distortion: Typically < 0.
IOS 9.1 Installation Notes The IOS unit must be earthed to the mains earth (ground) and installed according to the safety instructions included with the unit. The unit is powered from an IEC inlet on the rear. This must be connected to an earthed mains outlet using a cable that complies with local approvals and regulations. Approvals cover use in ambient air temperature of up to 35°C. Operation in higher temperatures should be avoided.
