DiGiGrid IOX User Guide
Contents INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................. 3 HARDWARE AND CONNECTIONS ................................................................................................................................... 4 GETTING STARTED .......................................................................................................................................................
Introduction The DiGiGrid IOX is a high-quality digitally controlled audio I/O for SoundGrid systems. It delivers high-resolution recording and monitoring, whether you’re performing in the studio, listening in the control room, playing onstage, or mixing the FOH. IOX has twelve mic/line inputs, six line outputs, and four independently adjustable headphone outputs. This super-low-latency I/O is ASIO/Core Audio compatible.
Hardware and Connections IOX is a 1U rack-mounted device. Aside from headphone jacks, all connections are on the rear panel. There are twelve Mic/Line input connections, six line output connections, word clock and Ethernet I/O. IOX FRONT PANEL Input clipping Red = Clipping (level can be set through the control panel) Input signal present Green = Signal present 48V phantom power Orange = Phantom On Network status indicator Blue: the device is recognized by the SoundGrid network.
IOX REAR PANEL Mains input: 90VAC–240 VAC 50/60 Hz Built-in 1GB Ethernet switch, two ports The two-port Ethernet switch can connect IOX 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 IOX is connected directly to the SoundGrid host computer using a Cat 5e Ethernet cable or better. The SoundGrid ASIO/Core Audio driver is used for plugin processing and/or DAW playback/recording.
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 the SoundGrid ASIO/Core Audio driver and applicable device 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.
IOX 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 IOX. Mic preamps, line inputs and outputs, digital I/O, level control and metering. The Controls page is divided into three sections: Top Bar Analog section Focus section: input and output levels and 48V phantom power for selected I/O channel are controlled here.
ANALOG SECTION There are twelve mic preamp and line inputs and six line outputs. Each preamp channel is represented by a button that turns the channel on or off. Each channel has a meter and a clip indicator. Select a channel and it will appear in the Focus section, where preamp parameters are controlled. Use the Focus section on the left side to adjust 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.
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.
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. 17 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. You can save and load presets of device settings. A saved preset includes all Clock and Control panels parameters. Save IOX presets to use on future sessions or copy them to another computer to duplicate a configuration. Click the Identify button to indicate which IOX hardware device belongs to this Control Panel.
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 XLR Input Input Gain Adjustable from 0 dB to 60 dB, in steps of 1 dB Frequency Response: +0/-0.2 dB 16 Hz to 21 kHz @ 48 kHz sample rate (+ 4 dBu input @ +20 dB gain) +0/-0.2 dB, 17 Hz to 40 kHz @ 96 kHz sample rate Dynamic Range: (measured bandwidth limited 20 Hz - 20 kHz) 110 dB Gain = 0 EIN (Gain 60, 150 Ohms) -128.7 dBu A weighted THD+N (measured at 1 kHz @ +4 dBu, Gain = +20) 0.
XLR Balanced Outputs Selectable maximum output level: +18 dBu or + 24 dBu Frequency Response: +0/-0.2 dB 15 Hz to 22 kHz @ 48kHz sample rate +0/-0.2 dB 17 Hz to 40 kHz @ 96kHz sample rate Dynamic Range: (Measured bandwidth limited 20 Hz to 20 kHz) 110 dB Gain = 0 EIN (Gain 60, 150 ohms) -128.7 dBu A weighted THD+N (measured at 1 kHz, Gain = 0) 0.
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.
