DiGiGrid M

User Guide
 Contents
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................................3
HARDWARE AND CONNECTIONS ....................................................................................................................................4
GETTING STARTED ............................................................................................................................................................5
Connect the Hardware ......................................................................................................................................................5
One I/O ..........................................................................................................................................................................5
Add I/Os .........................................................................................................................................................................6
Download and Install Software ..........................................................................................................................................7
Configure the System ........................................................................................................................................................8
Manual Device Configuration.........................................................................................................................................9
Automatic Device Configuration ....................................................................................................................................9
Device Firmware ..........................................................................................................................................................10
Identify a Device on the SoundGrid Network ...............................................................................................................10
DIGIGRID M CONTROL PANEL ........................................................................................................................................11
Clock Page ......................................................................................................................................................................12
System Info Page and About Page .................................................................................................................................14
Presets.........................................................................................................................................................................14
USING AN I/O DEVICE WITH A DAW ...............................................................................................................................15
SPECIFICATIONS ..............................................................................................................................................................16
RESETTING THE UNIT ......................................................................................................................................................18

Waves Inc
2800 Merchants Drive, Knoxville, TN 37912 USA
1-865-909-9200
www.waves.com

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 Introduction
The DiGiGrid M is an easy-to-use, desktop interface with top-quality converters and industry-proven mic preamps.
Perfect for use at home, in the studio, or in any musical environment, this plug-and-play unit has two inputs: one
dedicated to mic/line input, the other to instrument/line input. A dedicated high-powered headphone output provides a
classic, warm, analog control path. The unit is powered by a twist-lock 12V DC power supply (provided) and it has a non-
slip base.

DiGiGrid M does not need an external power source when connected to a DiGiGrid S network switch. DiGiGrid
S provides power over Ethernet (PoE) for DiGiGrid D, M, and Q interfaces.

SoundGrid is the Waves high-speed networking protocol for moving audio, clock, and other information between a host
system and I/O devices—and between I/O devices themselves. A SoundGrid host configures the network, assigning
servers and I/O devices to mix, process, or record, depending on the host. SoundGrid devices link to the SoundGrid
network with standard Ethernet cable.
SoundGrid is scalable. Connect one I/O device to a DAW and you have a high-quality sound card. Add more I/Os and
your system becomes more flexible and powerful. Depending on the host application, a SoundGrid host can assign up to
sixteen I/O devices. Complete SoundGrid systems can be networked together to share devices.
Add a server to a SoundGrid system to offload plugin processing from the host CPU to a SoundGrid DSP server. This
dramatically increases processing power and enables greater plugin counts, as well as providing very low system
latency.

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 Hardware and Connections

DIGIGRID M FRONT PANEL DIGIGRID M REAR PANEL

Guitar Gain: +6 to +30dB Reset
Guitar Input Meter DC In
Hi Z Guitar Input SoundGrid Network
MIX (Guitar Input Direct Listen): Routes mono feed
of guitar input to monitor and headphone outputs,
bypassing all other paths.
MIX (Mic Input Direct Listen): Routes mono feed of
microphone input to monitor and headphone outputs,
bypassing all other paths.
Headphone Output
Mic Input
Mic Gain: 0 dB to +70dB
Mic Input Meter
Phantom Power On/Off
High Pass Filter -3dB @ 100Hz, 18dB / octave
Output Level
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 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 M is used to connect a console to the SoundGrid host application’s SoundGrid ASIO/Core
Audio driver for plugin processing and/or DAW playback/recording. The interface is connected directly to the host using a
Cat 5e Ethernet cable or better.

Host computer with SoundGrid application

SoundGrid I/O device

The LAN port that’s connected to the SoundGrid network should be used for SoundGrid only. Do not share this port with
the internet or other networks.

In this configuration, all plugin processing is carried out on the host computer. The speed and power of the host defines
overall latnecy.

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 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. When you have more than one device in the SoundGrid network, use a "star"
network configuration with a 1GB Ethernet switch. 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.

You can connect and assign up to 16 SoundGrid I/O devices to the network, depending on the SoundGrid Host
Application. All SoundGrid I/O devices, hosts, and servers are connected through the Ethernet switch. You can also add
more computers to enable audio streaming among hosts.

ADD A SERVER
To add a server to your SoundGrid system, just connect it to the Ethernet switch and configure it in your host application.
This moves all DSP processing from the host computer to the server, which provides a higher plugin count and enables
the eMotion LV1 and ST mixers. Visit the waves.com hardware pages to learn more about SoundGrid servers. Consult
your host application user guide to learn how to configure additional I/Os and servers.

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 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.

ADDING AN I/O DEVICE TO AN EXISTING SOUNDGRID HOST SYSTEM

If you are already using a Waves SoundGrid host application and your device does not appear in the Network Devices
list, use Waves Central to update the host application, which also updates the device drivers—or install just the missing
device driver from Waves Central. 1
Waves Central
All Waves software is downloaded and installed via the Waves Central application. To install a specific device
driver, launch Waves Central and follow these steps:
Choose All Products
Search for the driver by name
Choose the driver and click Install

If you are new to Waves products, begin by downloading the Waves Central installer from the Waves Download
Page. See the Waves Central User Guide for instructions on how to install drivers, plugins, and applications.

LICENSES
You do not need a license to use this device. However, many hosts or specific host configurations do require a license.
Refer to your host’s product page for details.

1
The SoundGrid QRec host is installed with any I/O.
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 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.

Please consult the user guide of your host application for specific instructions.

SoundGrid QRec

SoundGrid Studio Setup Window

All SoundGrid devices are configured in a similar manner. Throughout this section, we show DiGiGrid IOS as an example.

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 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.
Any device not already used will be available for assignment. If no other devices are
SoundGrid QRec 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.

SoundGrid Studio

Automatic Device Configuration

Certain SoundGrid hosts—including SoundGrid Studio, eMotion LV1 or SuperRack SoundGrid—offer an Auto-
Config tool. Once your devices are connected and powered up, click Auto Config to start the configuration.

Auto-Config chooses the correct LAN port on the host computer and scans the SoundGrid network for devices. It then
patches the devices to the host. We recommend that you let Auto-Config take care of things, at least when you are
getting started. If later you add, remove, or swap a device, Auto-Config will reconfigure your inventory and re-patch.

Note that SoundGrid Studio assigns the SoundGrid driver automatically. SuperRack SoundGrid and eMotion LV1 require
that the SoundGrid ASIO/Core Audio driver is assigned manually.

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 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.

Grey Compatible firmware

Blue Compatible firmware, but a newer version exists
Red Firmware not compatible and must be updated in order to use

SoundGrid Studio SoundGrid QRec

If a device requires updated firmware, click on the FW button to start a hardware scan. Do not disconnect the device or
turn off the computer before Done appears. Once the update is ready, turn the device off and on to reset.

Identify a Device on the SoundGrid Network

Click on the ID button to activate a hard-to-miss LED on the front panel of

the corresponding hardware device. You can also activate the front panel
from the top bar of the device’s control panel.

SoundGrid Studio SoundGrid QRec

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 DiGiGrid M Control Panel
There are two ways to open the device control panel:
FROM THE DEVICE RACK
Click 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 Clock page is used to set the clock source and monitor clock status. The About and System Info pages provide
information about the unit, such as MAC address, SOE master MAC Address, firmware version, and more.

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 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

The DiGiGrid M sets its clock to the sample rate of the SoundGrid
Sync over Internet network. The device is a slave.
The device is the clock master, so it’s setting the sample rate of the SOE
Internal network.

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 SAMPLE RATE sets the sample rate when Clock Source is set to Internal. Range: 44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96 kHz.

CLOCK STATUS INDICATORS

Three windows on the right side of the Clock control panel help you
to quickly assess the network status of the DiGiGrid M.

Status Reports the presence or absence of sync between the M and the SoundGrid network.

Current Clock Source Displays the current sync method. This may differ from the choice made in the Source menu.

Indicates that the device is assigned to the SoundGrid network and whether it’s the SOE master or a
SOE slave.

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 System Info Page and About Page
The About page contains a description of the device. The System Info page contains technical details, 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

A bar at the top of the control panel lets you save and load presets. A preset describes the condition of the control panel
status, including clock source and sample rate.
Click the ID button on the right to illuminate a LED on the device. This helps to quickly identify the hardware device
associated with the control panel.

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 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. When you use a host’s Auto-Config tool, the host input
channels are patched automatically in an order based on rack. The order of the devices in the Device Rack determines
the default patching order. Please refer to your SoundGrid host’s user guide for details.

Configure the DAW for SoundGrid

1. Set the DAW playback engine to “Waves SoundGrid.” The SoundGrid driver channels will now appear in the DAW
I/O preferences and in the Input/Output selector in each DAW channel.
1. Route the DAW inputs and outputs to SoundGrid.

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 Specifications
DIMENSIONS
Width: 9 cm / 3.54 inches
Height: 11.35 cm / 4.46 inches
Depth: 9 cm / 3.54 inches
Device Weight: 0.7 kg / 1.54 lbs
Package Weight: 1.81 kg / 4 lbs

MIC INPUT
Input Impedance: 1.5 kiloohms
Gain Range: 0 to +70 dB
Frequency Response: -3 dB <10 hz to 100 kHz
(Analog to Analog)
Harmonic Distortion: 0.005% (40 dB Gain)
Noise EIN: Typically -127 dB (70 dB Gain)
High Pass Filter: -3 dB 100 Hz 18 dB/Octave

LINE INPUT
Input Impedance: 1 megaohm
Gain Range: +6 to +30 dB
Frequency Response: -3 dB <10 Hz to 100 kHz
(Analog to Analog)
Harmonic Distortion: 0.005%

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 NOISE
Min Gain -82 dBu
Max Gain -73 dBu
HEADPHONES
Gain Range Infinity: To +10 dB
Max Output Level:

Load RMS
16Ω 2.3V
32Ω 3.7V
100Ω 6.0V
200Ω 7.5V
600Ω 8.8V

XLR CONNECTORS
Phase Termination Point
Positive (+) Pin 2
Negative (-) Pin 3
Signal Ground Pin 1
Chassis Ground Case

¼” TRS CONNECTORS
Phase Termination Point
Positive (+) Tip
Negative (-) Ring
Signal Ground Sleeve

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 Resetting the Unit
If, after an unsuccessful firmware update, the DiGiGrid M is not recognized by the SoundGrid Host Application (the
DiGiGrid M device does not appear in the Inventory panel), you can use the Reset button to try to recover the unit. The
Reset button is on the DiGiGrid M rear panel.
• 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.

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