Kenton Plugstation User Manual
The illustrations depicting the LED displa y in this manual may differ from the appearance on your
LED display, and are for instructional purposes only.
Please always turn the power off when the unit is not in use.
The operating system of PLUGSTATION is flashrom upgradeable, and thus may have enhancements
or minor modifications no t listed in this manual. Please v isit the KENT ON website f or the v ery latest
information relating to PLUGSTATION.
http://www.kenton.co.uk
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
2
Contents
Introduction
Special notes
Package contents and other items
Familiarising yourself with the PLUGSTATION
Installation and setup of PLG cards
Installation of the X, Y and Z boards.
Front Panel editing
Use with the SW1000XG
Using as a stand alone Modular synth hosting system
Notes on MSB, LSB and SYSEX
Technical support and contact info.
Troubleshooting and FAQ
Useful controller numbers
MIDI Specification
Performance Table
Product Specification
Quick Reference Chart
Index of Plugstation Commands
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
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Introduction
Thank you very much for purchasing the KENTON PLUGSTATION.
In this package you will find a f antastic h ardware solu tion for s upporting up to four of Yamaha's PLG s eries
Modular Synthesis Plug in system (MSPS) cards (PLG100 and 150 series) both as a stand-alone module
(with the optional Y - boar d fitted) and also with the Yam aha SW1000XG. W ith the optional Y and Z boards
fitted, the PLUGSTATIO N also acts as a stunning m ultic hanne l 24-bit aud io out put expans ion s ystem for the
SW1000XG, with ADAT and high quality analogue audio output interf acing, as well as being a host for 4
Yamaha PLG cards.
To help you take utmost advantage of the advanced features of the KENTON PLUGSTATION we have
provided a complete s et of useful tips a nd instruction s to help you get go ing, and provide l inks to impor tant
information which you may find useful in conjunction with the KENTON PLUGSTATION and Yamaha's
MSPS cards.
NOTE: PLG AND MSPS M AY BE USED THROUGHOUT THIS M ANUAL. THE TERMINOLOGY IS THE
SAME IN THE CASE OF PLUGST ATION. PLG IS HOW THE CARDS ARE COMMONLY KNOWN, BUT
YAMAHA PROM OTE THE SYSTEM AS MSPS.
The KENTON PLUGST ATION is a one-unit high 19- inc h rack m ount box, with a 4 char acter 7-s egment LED
display. This disp lay provides visual information for the c urrent parameters of not only the PLUGSTAT ION
itself, but also a variety of us er edi tab le of f s et parameters of the ins erted PLG cards. Up to 4 boards c an ru n
at the same time, and these c an be a mix and match of any of Yamaha’s current PLG100 or 1 50 series
cards. (Multiple instances of Yamaha PLG100VH cards are (as with many Yamaha PLG hosting
devices) not allowed)
If you are intending to use the KENTON PLUGSTATION in conjunction with the SW1000XG card then
please first familiar ise yourself with your SW1000XG owners manual, a nd if you have Internet access please
access the latest firmware and drivers for the SW1000XG from the Yamaha SW1000XG0XG website at
http://www.xgfactory.com
for information regarding firmware and driver updates.
The latest firmware will be required to allow connection of individual audio parts when used in conj unction
with the optional KENT ON Z board, whic h prov ides dis crete aud io ch annel o utput s f rom the PLUG ST ATIO N
via the SO (Serial Outp ut) c onnector f oun d on th e SW 1000XG c ard. This is a lso tr ue if you ar e runni ng your
SW1000XG with the DS2416 card.
Some sections of this manual will appear to cover similar subjects. This is to ensure that even if you skip a
section, which you think may not be relevant to the type of operation you plan for PLUGSTATION, you will
have all of the appropriate facts at your disposal.
. If you do not have Internet access please contact you r local Yamaha subsidiar y
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
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Special Notes
• The KENTON PLUGSTATION hardware and this owner's m anual are exclusive copyrights of KENTON
Electronics. KENTON acknowledge all third party product copyrights.
• Copying or reproduc tion o f this m anual in wh ole or i n par t b y any m eans is expr essl y forbidden witho ut th e
written consent of the manufacturer.
• KENTON makes no repres entations or warranties with regard to the use of thir d party software, hard ware
and documentation and cannot be held responsible for the results of the use of this manual and the
hardware.
• The company names and product names in this Owner's Manual are the trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies.
• The screen displa ys as illustrated in this Owner' s Manual are for instructio nal purposes, and ma y appear
somewhat different from the display of the KENTON PLUGSTATION.
• Future firmware upgrades of system software and any changes in specifications and functions will be
announced via the KENTON Electronics website at http://www.kenton.co.uk.
Windows or Macintosh Operation
Where optional third par ty software is used, KENT ON expect that you are fam iliar with the operation of the
operating system environment and soft ware used. KENTON c annot be held responsible for the oper ational
functionality or any errors resulting from the use of third party editing or sequencing software used in
conjunction with the PLUGST ATION unit.
Precautions
Do not expose the PLUGS TATION or the includ ed power suppl y unit to direct sunli ght, excessive hum idity,
high temperatures, excessive dust or strong vibrations.
Before handling the SW 1000XG for connecting the K ENTON X board, be sure to touc h a metal surface to
discharge any static electricity, which may be in your body.
When holding the SW 1000XG or the KENTON X board, do not touch the inside area of the circuit board or
apply excessive pressure to the card, and be sure to protect the card from contact with water or other
liquids.
Before installing the SW 1000XG with the KENT ON X board in the com puter, unplug t he po wer connector of
your computer.
Before connecting the computer to other devices, turn off the power switches of all devices.
It is possible that computer malfunctions or o perator actions might destro y data that you may create with
optional software applications We recommend that you back up all important data onto suitable backup
media. KENTON is not responsible for loss of data through computer malfunctions or operator actions.
The KENTON PLUGSTATION contains no user-serviceable parts, so never touch the inside area of the
circuit board or tamper wit h the electronic circuitry in any way. Doing so m ay result in electrical s hock or
damage to the unit.
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
5
KENTON ELECTRONICS CANNOT BE HELD RESP ONSIBLE FOR DAMAGE CAUSED BY IMPROPER
CARE AND USE OF THE PLUGSTATION SYSTEM.
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
6
Package Contents and Other Items
Before using your ne w PLUGSTATION, check that all the it ems below are included in the pack age. In the
rare case that som e item is m issing, contact the s tore where you pur chased your PLUGST ATION as soon
as possible. (Opti onal boar ds list ed belo w may not be part of your pack age if you wish to upgrade to Y or Z
board specifications please contact KENTON electronics or your local KENTON dealer)
KENTON PLUGSTATION 19-INCH RACK MOUNT UNIT
POWER SUPPLY UNIT WITH SEPARATE MAINS CABLE SUITABLE FOR YOUR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
OWNERS MANUAL (THIS GUIDE)
OPTIONAL ITEMS:
KENTON X BOARD PLG EXPANSION CARD (OPTIONAL CARD FOR SW1000XG CONNECTION)
SW1000XG D SUB CONNECTOR BRACKET (OPTIONAL BACKPLATE FOR CONNECTION OF X
BOARD TO PLUGSTATION)
1.2M x 44 WAY CABLE (OPTIONAL SW1000XG TO PLUGSTATION CONNECTION)
SERIAL THRU CONNECTOR CABLE (OPTIONAL FOR USE WITH Y AND Z BOARD CONNECTION
THRU TO DS2416)
Y BOARD (OPTIONAL INDIVIDUAL OUTPUT BOARD FOR SYNTH PARTS FROM SW1000XG OR
FITTED PLG CARDS)
Z BOARD (OPTIONAL DSP CARD FOR SW1000XG AUDIO CHANNEL PASS T HROUGH TO Y BOARD
OUTPUTS)
The beauty of the PLUGSTATION concept is that it can grow with your needs. So you do not have to
purchase all of the options at first, but can do so at a later date, should your needs require it. This also
applies to PLG cards, you don’t have to have all 4 s lots loaded at once, but can add one card at a time,
making in the end, an incredibly powerful modular digital synth, with up to 4 different synthesis engines,
multiple 24-bit analogue audio and ADAT outputs . T his is s om ething, whic h no ot her rackmount tone module
in the world offers. Make no mistake, PLUGSTATION offers immense possibilities.
ITEMS YOU MAY NEED WHICH ARE NOT INCLUDED
To use your KENTON PLUGST ATION with the SW 1000XG (this does not app ly to use as stand alon e tone
module host) you will also need the following hardware and software:
Computer: CPU/Mem ory An IBM compatible personal computer running Windows ( 9.x/ME/XP/2000) with a
166 MHz or higher Pentium CPU, and at leas t 32 M B o f m emory or Apple Macintosh Power PC/G3 or h igh er
with 166 MHz processor, O S 8.6 or higher and at least 32 MB of m emory. You will also need a Hard D isk
with sufficient free spac e to use the software included with SW1000X G, the software and drivers must be
installed.
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
7
To install and us e the software that accom panies your SW1000XG package, at least 20 MB of hard disk
space is required.
CD-ROM Drive: All the software that c ame with your sound card is includ ed on the supplied CD-ROM that
accompanies the SW1000XG card.
PCI Expansion Slot: To install the sound card, an empty PCI slot is required. Please also ensure that
sufficient space is lef t between adj ace nt cards to accom modate the K ENTO N X board PLG card, a nd ri bbon
cable connection to the D-SUB front plate. You will also need a free backplate slot on your computer to
accommodate the D-SUB connector if connecting PLUGSTATION to the SW1000XG.
Please ensure that whe n re - f itting your SW1000XG an d KE NT O N X boar d insid e your PC or Macintosh, that
sufficient space is left between adjacent c ards, and do not let an y component part of the SW1000XG or the
KENTON X board come into contact with other components inside your PC.
For stand alone use, you will require a minimum 8 channel analogue mixer to utilise all of the individual
output capabilities of the Y board, plus if you wish to use the ADAT output, you will require an ADAT
compatible audio device, such as a digital mixer, ADAT tape unit, or ADAT -ANALOGUE conversion unit.
ADAT is a form at t ype d ev elo ped b y A LE SI S, a nd is n ot res tr icted solely to the A DAT tape machine, bu t c an
be found on a wide range of digital a udi o de vic es. It is an 8- c hann el d igital tr a ns f er system, which offers very
high quality signal capabilities down a single optical cable.
NOTE: THE OPTICAL LINK PROVIDED BY THE ADAT OUTPUT IS ADAT FORM AT ONLY AND IS NOT
COMPATIBLE WITH THE 2-CHANNEL TOSLINK SYSTEM USED BY MANY MINI DISC RECORDERS
AND LOW COST DIGITAL DEVICES.
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
8
Familiarising yourself with the PLUGSTATION.
This section will provide a brief overview of the KENTON PLUGSTATION front and rear panels and facilities.
THE FRONT PANEL OF THE KENTON PLUGSTATION
DIAGRAM 1: THE FRONT PANEL OF THE KENTON PLUGSTATION
The front panel of the KENTON PLUGSTATION is relatively simple. It features the main
rotary control knob, which work s also as a pus h button c ontrol for s witching bet ween menu optio ns, and for
entering deeper levels of editing within the unit. A short push (short press of under 1 second) for many
operations will take you through t he m enu options , and do wn to deeper leve ls of editin g. A long p ush on this
control (hold down for approx 1-2 s econds) will r eturn you t o the prev ious menu, and if held down f or longer
to the top level of menu editing T he LED displ ay will give you an accurate view of wher e you are in term s of
editing parameters , and le v el of ed iti ng. The top of the display features the 4 m ain s ub- sec tions of ed iti ng f or
the PLUGSTATION. The 4 main sections (which we will refer to as
STATUS, CARD, PARA
read through the installat ion and setup up section of this guide then please do s o, if you are unsure about
connecting or powering your PLUGSTATION at this stage.
The front panel po wer swit ch is loc ated on t he left h and si de of the unit. Pr essed do wn is f or power on , and
up for power off. If you power on, ar e using t he PLUG ST AT ION in conj unction with your SW 1000X G and do
not have the PLUGSTAT ION correctly connected to the SW1000XG, you may see the message
FOR COMPUTER PRESS FOR STAND ALONE
PLUGSTATION as stand alone system, just press the DAT A entry knob, and it will go into sta nd a lon e mode
This is a kind of fail safe system to avoid wordclock problems at a later stage. This is a default fail-safe
mode, which can be turned off if required (s ee later in this manual). If you do ha ve the SW1000X G D-SUB
connecter attached, and th e SW1000XG /PC is powered up, and you stil l see this, it m ay be that the mast er
wordclock from the SW1000XG connection cable (which attaches the PLUGSTATION to the 44-WAY DSUB connector backplate) is not correctly fitted or is faulty.
If you are using PLUGSTAT ION with the SW1000XG, and it is powered up after the PC has been po wered
up, and this message repeatedly appears, please power down your computer and PLUGSTATION,
disconnect the 44-W AY D-SUB cable from the back of PLUGSTATIO N and from the D-SUB back plate on
your computer, and then re attach it, making sure it fits well.
If the wordclock is correctly detected on restart, PLUGSTATION will then go through an initialisation
sequence lasting approximately 5 seconds. At this stage the PLUGSTATION is checking its internal
operating system , and scanning for any inst alled PLG cards and optiona l boards, this is covered in more
detail in the section on Installati on and se tup of PLG car ds .
If you turn on PLUGSTATION and you have yet to ins tal l any PLG cards, after the first stage boot sequence ,
the error message
installation of PLG cards to stop this message appe aring. PLUGSTATION will func tion without a Yamaha
PLG card installed, but on l y if you have the opt ion al Y and Z boar ds f itte d, and t he n only as a multiple output
NO PLG CARDS FOUND
and
VAL
. Below is a brief introduction to each of the sections. If you wish to first
scroll across this screen. If you are using the
will scroll acr oss the screen, please refer to the sectio n on
LABELS
later in this manual) are
DATA ENTRY
WAITING
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
9
expander when used with the SW1000XG. If PLG cards are found, the display will then attempt to auto
detect any optional boards that may be fitted, such as the Y-BOARD, or Z-BOARD. The letters
corresponding to each board that is fitted or connected will flash on screen whilst this process is taking
place. Once the boot sequence is complete then you can begin to start to use PLUGSTATION.
To explain what is happeni ng duri ng the bo ot s equ ence, we will now take you through the proc e dure on s tart
up. PLUGSTATION is in effect “an empty box” until you add either Yamaha PLG cards, or any of the
optional boards. W hen you have don e this, it needs to k now what it has inside, so it r uns a chec k routin e to
find out what you have fitt ed to it. Part of this rout ine is to detect the wordclock source for the s ystem (see
notes later on wordclock, and why it is impor tant).
If PLUGSTATION boots up, and is running stand-alone then the word clock will be INTERNAL. The first
letter that will flas h will be I ( if the clock is external, i.e. it is connected to the SW1000X G, the firs t letter will
be E). Once it has established this, it wil l th en s can for any fitted boar ds . T hen if you ha ve t he Y board fitted,
character 3 in the LED displa y, will show a Y, and if the Z -Board is fitted a Z (look s like a 2) will flash up. If
neither board is fitted or is fitted incorrectly, then nothing will show up in LED segments 3 and 4 on start.
NOTE: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO INSTALL THE KENTON X-BOARD INSIDE PLUGSTATION...OBVIOUSLY
NOW LETS TAKE A TOUR OF THE DISPLAY.
The main
these are as follows.
STATUS
DOT (this dot indicates which level of editing you are at) in the LED display is underneath th is menu, then
you are in the STATUS indicator section. The STATUS indicator section will display which card slots
currently have PLG cards inserted in them (shown by lines highlighted at the bottom of each of the 4
segments parallel to where the text says
present in slot one, likewise for slots 2,3 and 4. If no line indication is present, then either no card is
installed, or the car ds you have installed may not be fitted correctly. Please refer t o the ins ta llati on s ec t ion of
this guide for how to install PLG cards correctly.
A correct display for cards in slots 1,3 and 4 for example would appear as in diagram 2.
LABELS
: This is the MIDI data m onitoring section and main status area f or Plugstation. If the small LED
at the top of the 4-segment LED indicat e which level of editing you are working with,
CARD ACTIVE).
A line in segment one in dicates that a card is
DIAGRAM 2: CARD SLOT ACTIVITY MONITOR
The MIDI receive text li ne indicates whet her or not a spec ific PLG card as signed to a spec ific MIDI chann el
is receiving MIDI data of any form. If the PLUGSTATION is receiving data over MIDI either from the
SW1000XG D-SUB connector
display will lig ht up the cen tral segm ent of the ap propriate board. For example, if a PLG c ard in slo t 1 were
receiving MIDI data on the MIDI channel to which it is assigned (by default this will be channel 1), the display
would appear as in diagram 3.
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
or from the
MIDI IN
port located on the rear of the PLUGSTAT ION, then the
10
DIAGRAM 3: MIDI DATA ACTIVITY MONITOR
If you have MIDI devices connected to the PLUGST AT ION or the SW 1000XG c ard correctl y connected a nd
are sending MIDI data, t he MIDI RECEIVE se gment should light u p. If not please ensur e your connections
are correct (outlined in the section relating to installation), and that your cables (MIDI or SW1000XG
connector) are firmly attached.
NOTE: BY DEFAULT THE 4 PLG SLOT S ARE ASSIGNED TO MIDI CH ANNELS 1-4 (CORRESPOND ING
TO THE SLOT NUMBER) RESPECTIVELY
Pressing the DATA ENTRY button for a
Throughout this m anual we will refer to “short press” and “long press” actio ns. The DATA ENT RY knob on
the front of PLUGSTAT IO N is als o a pus h button control. A short press is a br ief push, last ing no lo nger th an
1 second, a long press is a longer “ push a nd hold” which is around 1-2 s econds. Once you have got us ed to
this, getting around the various Plugstation menus becomes very easy.
CARD –
mentioned, if you press the DATA ENTRY button once for a short pr ess, you will be taken to a top-level
menu option, which displays the card attached to slot 1 (this is covered in m ore detail in the front panel
editing section of this guide). If you have a PLG series card fitted in slot one (for this exam ple a Yamaha
PLG150DX) the display will appear like diagram 4
This section covers the card specific and GLOBAL editing menu options. As we have just
SHORT PRESS
will take you to the next level of editing.
DIAGRAM 4: SLOT ONE FITTED WITH A PLG150DX CARD
You can at this sta ge us e the r otar y encod er to s croll thr ough th e 4 s lots, an d che ck that a ny i nstalle d car ds
(PLG100 or 150 series) are bein g cor rectl y ident ified. T he displa y will read in seg m ent one, the sl ot num ber,
and in segments 3 and 4 the nam e of the bo ard (2 char acter versio n for ex ample VL or An). If a s lot has no
board attached then segments 3 and 4 will just show lines in the central portion, as in diagram 5.
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
11
DIAGRAM 5: NO PLG CARD FOUND IN SLOT 2
NOTE: THE MAIN DIFFERENCE B ETWEEN PLG100 AND 150 SERIES C ARDS IS MEMORY BUFFER
LOCATIONS ON THE 150 SERIES, WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH
SOME OF TH E YAMAHA PROF ESSION AL SYNTHESIS ERS SUCH AS THE C S6X AND M OTIF. THESE
DIFFERENCES DO NOT APPLY WH EN USING WI TH PLUGST ATION, SO IF YO U HAVE A 100 SERIES
CARD, AND THINK THAT YOU NEED T O UPDATE IT TO A 150 SERIES TO GET IT T O WORK, THEN
YOU ARE MISTAKEN. ANY 100 SERIES CARD WILL WORK FINE WITH PLUGSTATION.
After scrolling throu gh the 4 car d slots, th e m enu will t hen s witch to th e vario us GLO BAL op tions, Y-BO ARD
(if fitted) output options, Z board (if fitted) output options, and finally to the master program selection mode.
NOTE: THE MENU OPTIONS FOR THE Y AND Z BOARD WILL APPEAR EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT
FITTED. THIS IS NORM AL. IF THE BOARDS ARE NOT FITTED TO YOUR PLUGST ATION, THEN YOU
SHOULD DISREGARD THE MENU ITEMS RELATING TO THE Y AND Z BOARDS, AS THEY WILL
HAVE NO EFFECT
PARA –
or the GLOBAL options. P ressing the DATA ENTRY button again with a short press, will take you to this
mode (indicated by the white dot being underneath the PAR A line). The text shown in screen at t his point
will correspond to the CAR D section menu you in. For ex ample, if we show the CARD 1 slot ident ification
option in CARD menu ( as sho wn th e in dia gram 4), and press the DAT A ENT RY button quickl y it will tak e us
to the BANK SELECT option. This is shown in diagram 6.
This option is wher e you can view the PARA METERS assoc iated with either the individual b oards,
DIAGRAM 6: PLG BANK SELECT MSB SELECTION
NOTE: THAT THE LED DOT IS NOW LOCATED UNDERNE ATH THE PARA TEXT LINE. THE LED DOT
WILL ALWAYS INDICATE AT WHICH LEVEL OF EDITING YOU ARE. IT IS ALWAYS WORTH
CHECKING ITS LOCATION TO SEE IF YOU ARE IN THE CORRECT LEVEL.
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
12
VAL –
you are editing. If we press the DAT A ENTRY button quickl y again, we drop to thi s leve l, and th e whit e dot is
now shown underneath the VAL line. Val ues c an be num eric al or som etimes tex t (suc h as ON or OFF in the
memory SHLD menu) . Values can range f rom 0-127 or lower (f or example MIDI c hannel range is 1-16) . If
you have pressed the bu tton quickly from the BANK MSB m enu option (as shown in diagram 6) , you will
then see a program number in the value menu similar to that shown in diagram 7.
This is the valu e s ect ion . It is h ere wh ere you e nter dat a v al ues tha t c or res pond to th e par ameter that
DIAGRAM 7: PROGRAM NO. 40 IS DISPLAYED
Here we see program 40 is being disp la yed. This m eans that the c urre nt bank MSB valu e fo r the car d is 40 .
The number you see may be different, but should be between 0 and 127
NOTE: SOME V ALUE STATUS DISPL AYS MAY ALSO HAVE A TEXT VALUE ( MAYBE TO INDICATE
AN OFF STATUS IF YOU WANT A FUNCTION SWITCHING OFF COMPLETELY BELOW 0)
THE REAR PANEL OF THE KENTON PLUGSTATION
DIAGRAM 8: PLUGSTATION REAR PANEL
Diagram 8 shows the rear panel v ie w of the PLUGSTATION when fitte d with t he optional Y board. The holes
to accommodate the indi vidual outputs and 24bi t ADAT output are pre-drill ed into the casing to allo w easy
fitting and alignm ent of the board. The PLG slot bla nking plate in this inst ance is attached. T o remove it for
fitting PLG cards please u ndo the s crews l ocated on th e lef t and right han d side of the plate. T his is covered
in more detail in the sec tion on installation and set up of PLG cards. The ADAT output is an optical output
conforming to the ALESIS ADAT standard. It can transm it up to 8 discrete channels of audio data (from
SYNTH or AUDIO channels on the SW1000XG (with the optional Z-BOARD also fitted) or SYNTH parts
from the PLG cards (4 cards giving 2 channels each = 8)) at up to 24bit resolution.
The ADAT port does not m ean that you hav e to use it onl y with an actua l ALE SIS ADAT tape m ac hine. This
interface port all ows you to use the PLUGSTATIO N with any ADAT c ompatible device, s uch as a Yam aha
01V, 03D or 02R d igital m ixer with appropr iate ADAT -YGDAI interfac e cards. T he i nterface whilst an optica l
type is not the same as the TOSLINK 2-channel optical interface (similar to those found on MINIDISC
recorders or DAT machines). It is a 44.1K/16-24 bit ADAT only output port.
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
13
NOTE: THE 44.1K LIMIT IS A RESTRICTION OF THE SW1000XG WORDCLOCK ST ANDARD, WHICH
HAS TO BE FED T O THE FITTED PLG C ARDS. SW1000XG OW NERS WILL ALREADY BE FAMILIAR
WITH THI S .
The Y-BOARD enables you to s end discrete PLG card outputs ( or SW1000XG audio and MIDI parts if you
also have the Z-BOARD f itted) to an ex tern al mixer, with a signal to no ise r ati o in exc es s of 112dB > this a ls o
means that with the opt ion a l Z- board, au dio par ts th at i n the past wo uld ha ve re qui r ed the used of a DS2416
mixing card, and Yamaha AX16AT ADAT interface card or AX44 drive bay, can be sent to individual
analogue or ADAT output c hann els without the n eed for a DS2416/ AX16 AT option, ide al for people who just
want to mix with the SW1000XG, or get ultra clean, noise free multiple digital or analogue outputs. 24-bit
ALESIS 1401 DA converters with ¼ inch line level outputs provide the analogue outputs.
The SW1000XG 44-W AY D-SUB connector is for connecti on via the option al SW1000XG connection cable
to the SW1000XG X board and break out bracket only. Whilst the X board can be fitted to other Yamaha
PLG hosting devices suc h as an MU100R/MU128 or MOTIF s ynthesiser, this is not recommended, as the
architecture and operating systems of these devices are not designed to work correctly with
PLUGSTATION, in so much as they will be unable to detect cards fitted to slots 2,3 and 4 of
PLUGSTATION. Devic es of this k ind, whic h also have stand ard M IDI por ts, sh ould be attac hed via th e MIDI
connectors of PLUGSTATION, and PLUGSTATION treated as a tone module (modular hosting system)
(Please see the section on using PLUGSTATION as a stand alone system).
The MIDI ports allow connection of PLUGSTATION to other MIDI devices such as MIDI controller
keyboards. The MIDI IN norm ally runs in parallel with the SW1000X G connector, and thus can r eceive data
from both if requir ed. This makes it p ossible to c onnect a con troller k eyboard dir ectly to PLUG STATION f or
playing the PLG c ards as a stand-alone, whilst perhaps connec ting another keyboard at the same time to
play the SW1000X G sounds via the SW1000XG MIDI IN. Using th e SW1000XG MIDI in also all ows control
and playback of the PLG cards f itted to PLUGST ATION, when appr opriate seque ncer or control s oftware is
used to correctly set up the various options (for example, which channel and port is playing which PLG
device)
The DC inlet is for connecting to the s upplied DC power adapter. Please note that you shoul d only use the
supplied power suppl y, and KENTON nor Yamaha can be held res ponsible for any damage to either the
PLUGSTATION or any fitted PLG cards should you use an alternative DC adapter. You may find that the DC
adapter supplied gets warm over a period of time; this is normal and nothing to wor ry about. The DC adapter
has a “figure of 8” input on one end, this is for c onnecting to the p ower cable suitable f or use in your country.
The KENTON PLUGST ATION can operate in any country voltage (11 0/220/240 etc), using an appropriat e
power cable connected to the DC adapter. So if you purchase PLUGSTATION in on e country and wish to
move it to another, you only need to change your “figure of 8” connecting cable.
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
14
Installation and Setup of Yamaha PLG (also known as MSPS)
cards.
Yamaha PLG100 and 150 series cards feature a unique Yamaha interface system. These systems offer
powerful expansion and upgrade capabilities for not only the KENTON PLUGSTATION but also a wide
range of Yamaha synthesizers and tone modules. The Yamaha PLG (also known as Modular Synthesis
Plug in System or MSPS) interface enables you to equip the PLUGSTATION with the latest and most
sophisticated techn olog y, ensuring that you keep pac e with the r apid and m ulti-fac eted advanc es in moder n
music production.
Yamaha Tone gener ator s, synthesizers and t he K ENT O N PL UG ST ATION, which are a ll compatible with the
PLG system, f eature spec ial co nnect ors f or c onnectin g PLG boards . T he m ain re ason f or th e intro ducti on of
PLUGSTATION was to expand on the num ber of PLG c ards that any one unit could work with at any time.
The SW1000XG for example only features one PLG expansion slot, and with several boards available it
seemed logical t o build an ex pansion c has sis to a llo w extra bo ards to be use d. W ith tra ditio nal P LG de vices
from Yamaha, the num ber of connectors availab le differs depending o n which Yamaha s ynth, tone module
or other product you ha ve . The PLG interface system used by Yam aha is a d ig ita l in ter f ac e, whic h un like the
older “Wave Blaster” connector found on some older daughter boards (such as the Yamaha DB50XG),
transmits ultra clean 2 channel digital a udio information and MIDI data over its c onnection. Each PLG 100
and 150 series card from Yamaha features the same connector, and all of them transmit a total of 2
channels of mixed digi tal audio over the connecting plug. The int erface is a proprietary design, a nd is not
currently used by any other manufacturer.
This digital interface mechanism can be likened to the outputs of a synth, which although it may be
multitimbral and m ulti-note polyphonic , still only sends its outp uts to a stereo pair. Hig h speed and reliable
data buffering for MIDI als o means that the PLG car ds can accept rapid a nd fast bulk dumps for setup data
from reliable and g ood MIDI interf aces over the PL UGSTAT ION MIDI ports. As the 4 bo ards are wired in a
parallel array, data ca n be sent to all f our at the same tim e, so com plex multipart s etups which m ay exist in
songs, can be fed to up to 4 PLG cards at once with no data loss.
Yamaha PLG100 and 150 cards installed i n PLUG STAT ION c an support ever y SYSEX and MIDI of fs et data
parameter found in t he app ropriat e PLG card m anua l, however as with the SW 1000XG c ard a nd PLG c ard s
fitted to many Yamaha PLG hosting devices, many of the editing parameters that you may send from
software such as XGWORKS or XGPAD to edit the PLG cards is NOT stored on power down.
PLUGSTATION offers a limited amount of offset editing for each PLG card, based on controller data
messages. If you create complex edits from a software application, be sure to save the edits in your
software application, as PL UG STATION will not store them on power down. (T his is als o the cas e wit h many
Yamaha PLG hosting tone m odules) You can then resend your edi ts from your software when you res ume
your session with PLUG STAT ION. For live us e, a suitabl e MIDI data f iler or La ptop com puter would pro vide
the ideal companion f or PLUGSTATION, as you could load entire setups into the unit bef ore each song or
gig.
DIAGRAM 9: THE REAR OF THE PLUGSTATION OPEN, WITH THE CARD SLOTS VISIBLE.
The PLUGSTATIO N allows you install up to four Plug-in boar ds and use all of them simultaneous ly. This
makes it currentl y the mos t flexible hosti ng device f or Yam aha PLG cards in exist ence. It is also at th is time
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
15
the only PLG hosting devic e that sup ports up to 8 disc rete digita l audio c hannels over the industr y standar d
ADAT format. Fitting PLG cards is a relatively easy operation, which we will discuss now.
To begin fitting a PLG ser ies card t o the PL UGSTAT ION, firs t we recomm end that you turn of f the po wer to
PLUGSTATION and remove all connecting plugs (such as ADAT, audio and power cable). Using a
screwdriver, rem ove the backplate f ound on the re ar of the PLUGST ATION undoing th e two scre ws, which
hold it in place. Pleas e DO NOT attem pt or undo an y of the oth er sc rews on t he P LUGST AT ION unless you
are also fitting the optio nal Y or Z boards. The four internal conn ecting cables each have a Yamaha PLG
series connector socket attached to the end of the cable runs, and you will find are numbered 1-4. The
cables should not be pull ed or tugged at excessively. As with fitting a PLG card to the SW1000XG or any
other PLG compatib le dev ice, car e should be tak en to avoid s tatic el ectricit y build up, and you should m ak e
sure that you are s uitably e arthed before proceeding. Now, connect the PLG car d or cards to each of the 4
labelled connector plu gs (in numerical order is th e most sensible approach, s o your first card will attac h to
the cable mark ed ONE, se cond card to cable m ark ed TWO etc. (see note on spe cific PLG cards ord ering)) ,
and slide them in to th e brackets, which hold them in place. (See Diagram 10 for connec tor information).
Make sure to insert eac h card slowly and gently, keeping th e edges of the board inside the proper guide
rails. With the bo ard in pl ace, plug in one of the f our cable connectors to th e c on n ec tor on th e Pl ug-i n b oar d.
Any one of the cable co nnectors can be used, however we recomm end the logical board assignment f or
PLUGSTATION (slots 1 - 4) is in the following order
NOTE: IF YOU HAVE A PLG100V H CARD THEN SL OT 1 SHOULD HAVE T HIS CARD INSERT ED IN IT,
AND SLOT 2-4 ANY OF THE FOLLOWING
PLG100/150 – VL, AN, PF, DX, XG (S EE NOTE ON XG CARD LATER IN THIS GUIDE), IF Y OU HAVE
NO VH CARD, THEN ANY SLOT IS FINE FOR ANY SYNT H BASED YAMAHA CARD ALTHOUGH WE
DO RECOMMEND PUTTING THEM IN FROM SLOT 1 ONWARDS. A TYPICAL EXAMPLE WOULD BE
SLOT 1 – PLG150DX
SLOT 2 – PLG150VL
SLOT 3 – PLG150PF
SLOT 4 – PLG150AN
DIAGRAM 10: PLG CONNECTOR CABLE CLOSE UP
Certain anomalies do ex ist with the PLG100VH card in that the SW 1000XG will set up an INSERT effect
channel if it detects this b oard, which may affect the operation of other PLG c ards if it is not detected on
startup or not fitted to s lot 1 . PLUG STAT ION is optim ized to be used as a s ynthes izer- hosting d evice f or the
Yamaha PLG synth t ype cards ( VL, AN, DX , PF etc). If you fin d you are ex perien cing probl ems with the VH
card, please ensure that it i s in sl ot 1 a nd that the PLUG ST ATIO N is powere d up soon af ter t he com puter is
turned on. This will allo w th e SW1000XG to correc tl y identify and set up the PLG100 VH. T his c ondi tio n do es
not apply to other Yamaha PLG cards.
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
16
The brackets are ar ranged to allo w t wo cards at each leve l, one towar ds the f ront and one towar ds the r ear.
Correctly fitting the car ds is quite a delicate o peration, but onc e installed, you should not ha ve to remove or
tamper with cards again. (See diagram 11)
DIAGRAM 11: FITTING PLG CARDS
When you have attach ed a nd f itted eac h card correctly, you m a y replac e the back cover with the at tac hment
screws, and reconnect a ll power and audio cabl es to the PLUGSTAT ION. Please remem ber to fit the back
plate back on securely as this is also an EM (electro magnetic) interference shield which will stop EM
leakage from the inside of the unit.
To check that you have correct ly installed the c ards into the slots , you have intended, turn o n the power to
PLUGSTATION, and allo w it to run thr ough its init ializa tion seq uence ( rem ember to press the DAT A ENT RY
knob if you wish it to go in to stand a lone m ode the first tim e you turn it on) . Durin g the sequence it will sc an
the 4 card slots for ne w boards. If it detects a PLG c ard in a slot it will briefl y flash the SLOT number up
before dropping to the C ARD ACTIVE led display, whic h also indicates the presence of a card in a specif ic
slot (see diagram 2). If no card is found, please repeat the installat ion process carefully checking th at the
PLG connector cabl es are s ecurely in place, and that the cards ar e correctl y inserted into the brack ets. For
example is you have c orr ec tl y fitt ed car ds in to s lots 1 ,2 and 3 but not 4 you will se e a dis p lay flash up similar
to diagram 12.
DIAGRAM 12: SLOTS 1,2 AND 3 HAVE CARDS FITTED, AND DISPLAYED DURING POWER UP
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
17
This display will onl y flash for a brief tim e before the displa y will drop the one s imilar to diagram 2. (With the
appropriate LED lines lit up for the inserted PLG card slots)
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
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Installation of the X, Y and Z boards
This is an operat ion, which requires som e le vel of tech nical k nowledge espec iall y in t he cas e of the Y a nd Z
boards. If you are at all unsure about fitting the optional Y and Z boards to PLUGSTATION then please
contact KENTON Electr onics or a qualified servic e engineer to assist you. You c an find the contact details
for KENTON towards the bac k of this manual. To fit the boards you will need a Phill ips (cross) head type
screwdriver to ope n up your PC case and also the PLUGSTAT ION itself, an d we advis e som e form of antistatic protection. Before proceeding you must ensure that PLUGSTATION is d isconnected from all audio,
MIDI and power connect ions . Failure to c om ply m ay res ult in pers onal inj ur y or da m age to the uni t for which
KENTON cannot be held r es ponsible. Pleas e do not open u p PLUGST AT ION unl ess you are going t o f it the
Y or Z boards yourself, as there are no user serviceable parts inside.
FITTING THE Y-BOARD TO PLUGSTATION
The Y-BOARD is the m ultiple out put expans ion car d for PLUG STAT ION. If f eatures a total of 8 ind ividua l ¼
inch unbalanced jack outputs running at line level. To hear the outputs from these jacks you will need to
have a suitable powered amplifier or powered speakers, and/or a suitable mixing desk. The other output
connector is an opt ical AD AT type int erfac e connecto r. T his is an OUT PUT onl y connector , and is designed
to allow 8 discrete cha nnels of audio to be sent from the PLUGST ATION cards (2 per card) to any other
ADAT compatible de vice. If the optional Z-board is also fitted then SW1000X G audio and MIDI parts can
also be sent over the individual outputs. (This requires suitable software such as XGEDIT, XGWorks or
XGPAD to configure).
To fit the Y-BOARD, p lease first remove the 7 screws on the top pane l of PLUGSTAT ION, followed by the
three screws towards the fr om edge of the bottom of PLUGST ATION. Caref ully remove the felt washer and
the rotary control DATA ENT RY knob from the f ront panel, an d slide the c over gentl y off. Carefull y remove
the Y-BOARD and 34 way r ibbon cable connector from the anti-s tatic bag in which they are supp lied, and
(being careful not to touch any of the components ), place it on the right hand side of the PLUGSTAT ION
with the output sockets passing through the correct connector holes on the back plate. The analogue
outputs come with ret ainer attachments, which hold them in place on the back of PLUGSTATION. These
should be now sc rewed int o p lac e. The Y-Board shoul d b e lin ed up with the pre fitted spacers on the bott om
of the PLUGSTAT ION, and you shou ld now firm ly screw in place the Y-BOARD usin g the supplied s crews
and washers. When fitted the Y-BOARD should appear as shown in DIAGRAM 13.
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
19
DIAGRAM 13: A FITTED Y-BOARD
The 34-way ribbon cab le supplied s hould now be c onnected (check ing that you have it correct ly orientated)
between the 34-way connector on the Y-BOARD and the 34-way connector on the main PCB of
PLUGSTATION, found on the right side (as you are looking down on the unit with the front of
PLUGSTATION f ac ing to wards you) The connectors ar e marked as K1 and K 2 r e spec tiv ely. (The Y-BOARD
connector has a black plastic surround; the other 36- way connector, which is d esigned for interfacing with
the Z-BOARD, does not). Please make sure that the ribbon ca ble is firmly connected to the correct por ts,
and that the cable itse lf is lying flat aga ins t t he t op of the P LG c ard c has s is h ol de r (t he lar ge s te el housing in
the middle)
If you are at all unsure about fitting the Y-BOARD please consult a qualified service engineer.
Once fitted, if you are not f ittin g the Z- BOARD then you shou ld re-att ache d the to p case with the sc rews, r e-
fit the DATA entry knob, and after checking all is secure, re-connect all of your audio/power and MIDI
cables.
FITTING THE Z-BOARD TO PLUGSTATION
This is a much easier operation tha n fitting the Y-BO ARD. The Z-BO ARD allows the SW1000XG audio and
MIDI channels to be passed to the individ ual outputs alongside t he PLG cards. It has a Motorola M56364
DSP (the same type used on many expensive open architecture DSP cards!), for mixing and routing the
digital audio s treams from the Serial O ut conn ector on the SW 1000XG. T he boar d itself s hould be rem oved
from the anti-static packaging in which it comes , and then held so as not to touch the c omponents with t he
36way edge connector f acing down, and on your left as you look at it (the writing at the top of the board
should appear as norm al, not upside down). Now without us ing excessive f orce, fit the Z-BO ARD to the 36way edge connector on th e Y-BOA RD (l oc ated to ward s the f r ont l ef t side of the Y- BOARD ( t o wards th e f ront
of PLUGSTATION) ). The two-spacer screw holes sh ould now line up with the holes in th e Z-BOARD, and
you should now (using the screws supplied) fit the Z-BOARD in place.
When fitted it should appear similar to diagram 14
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
20
DIAGRAM 14: Z AND Y BOARDS FITTED TO PLUGSTATION
Once fitted, you sho uld re-attache d the top cas e with the scr ews, re-fit the DATA entr y knob (ensuring that
you also replace the felt washer), and after checking all is s ecure, re-connect all of your audio/po wer and
MIDI cables. This s hould be the last time you e ver need to open up the P LUGSTATION (except the b ack
plate to fit PLG cards if you have not already done so)
FITTING THE X BOARD TO THE SW1000XG
Once you have fitted t he appropriate PLG cards to the PLUGSTAT ION (see section on f itting PLG cards),
you may then (if you are using the PLUGSTAT ION in conjunction with the SW 1000XG) need to fit the XBOARD. If you have fitted a PLG series card to the SW1000XG in the past, then this is a relat ively easy
task, as the X-BOARD is almost identical.
NOTE: THE X-BOARD IS EXCLUSIVELY FOR USE CONNECTED TO THE SW1000XG. IT SHOULD NOT
BE USED IN ANY OTHER DEVICE.
First you should rem ove the cover from your PC, being caref ul to avoid any static electricity building up on
your hands or clothes, which may discharge on the SW1000XG or on other components inside your
computer.
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
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DIAGRAM 15: INSERTING THE SW1000XG WITH X BOARD
DIAGRAM 16: THE X-BOARD IN CLOSE UP
Using the plastic spacer s supplie d with your PLG cards , carefull y attach the KENT ON X-BO ARD to the side
of the SW1000XG , and then attach the PLG interface c able from the SW 1000XG PLG interf ace slot to the
interface connector on the KENTON X-BOARD.
DIAGRAM 17: X-BOARD FITTED TO SW1000XG
Now, being careful to check the orientation, connect the KENTON D-SUB plate connector to the D-SUB
connector on the KENTON X-BOARD. The plate should then be facing in the same direction as the
SW1000XG plate (b y plate we m ean the front of the SW 1000XG where the audio connections ar e), in ot her
words, the 44-WAY connector should be facing the same way as the AUDIO and MIDI ports on the
SW1000XG. (See DIAGRAM 18)
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
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DIAGRAM 18: RIBBON CABLE AND BACKPLATE IN PLACE FOR X-BOARD
If you do not have the Y-BO ARD or Z-BOARD o ptions f itted to your PLUGST ATIO N then this is bas ically all
you need to do. (Unless you have the Z-board fitted to PLUGSTATION).
Refit your SW1000X G to your PC, and a ttached the D-SUB back plate to a free backplate slot on your PC,
making sure you scre w it firmly in place. W hat is now lef t for you to connect is th e 1.2 metre 44-W ay cable
between the PLUGSTATION and the D-SUB connector on the KENTON X-Board.
NOTE: IF YOU FIND THAT THE CABLE SUPPLIED IS TOO SHORT FOR YOUR REQUIREMENTS,
KENTON HAVE AVAILABLE AT A SMALL CHARGE AND EXTENSION CABLE SYSTEM. PLEASE
CONTACT KENTON ELECTRONICS OR YOUR LOCAL DEALER FOR MORE INFORMATION.
If you have the Z board fitted to your PLUGSTATION, then you need to connect up the serial interface
connectors on the KENT ON X-BOARD as shown in Diagr am 19. This as in the case with t he SW1000XG
connecting to the DS2416 all ows multiple MIDI and Audio data channe ls (Audio & MIDI from SW1000XG
only works with the Z board fitted) to be sent from the SW1000XG to the individual outputs on
PLUGSTATION. T he Aud io s ent o ver th is c on nec tor is s ent i n para ll el to b oth the Ana lo gue out put p or ts an d
also to the ADAT output port.
A maximum of 8 disc rete channels can be sent f rom a combination of PLG cards, Audio from SW1000XG,
and SW1000XG MIDI p arts to the PLUG STATION Y- BOARD outputs. T he ADAT and an alogue output s do
allow multiple channels to run to each output though, so you can send for example 32 channels of
SW1000XG MIDI, 100’s of channels of Audio (depen ding on your sequ encer software), and all 4 PLG car d
outputs to any of the individual outputs. T he routing options on PLUGSTATION are highl y flexible; so feel
free to experiment with sending data to different ports.
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
23
DIAGRAM 19: CONNECTING THE SERIAL PORT FROM SW1000XG TO THE X-BOARD SERIAL INPUT
If you are also using the SW1000XG in conjuncti on with the Yamaha DS2416 ( DSP FACTORY) card, and
wish to continue using the interconnect between the SW1000XG and DS2416 card, then you should connect
the S THRU connector (Serial thru) to the Ser ial input connector on th e DS2416 as below. Your s equencer
software will stil l detect th e SW 1000XG is conn ected to th e DS2416, a nd you wil l still nee d to set up the SI
input on your sequencer software as the default wordclock.
NOTE: USING A SPECIAL AX16AT MODE ON PLUGSTATION (IN THE ZSOP MENU SET MUTE TO
ON), WHICH DISABLES AUDIO AND MIDI FROM THE SW1000XG BEING SENT OVER TO THE
PLUGSTATION AUDIO PORTS, BUT ENABLES IT TO BE SENT TO THE DS2416 AND AX16AT
CONNECTOR, UP TO 16 CHANNELS C AN BE TRANSMITTED. 8 FROM THE SW1000XG AUDIO AND
SYNTH PARTS (TO THE DS2416 INTERNAL CONNECTOR ONLY), AND 8 FROM THE PLG CARDS
FITTED TO PLUGSTATION. THIS MODE REALLY WORKS BEST IF YOU HAVE THE DS2416 AND
AX16AT CARDS FITT ED, AND IS SHOWN IN MO RE DETAIL IN THE SECT ION COVERING USE WI TH
THE SW1000XG. THIS MODE SHOULD NOT BE USED IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A DS2416 CARD
FITTED.
NOTES ON WORDCLOCK:
between the SW 1000XG and the DS241 6 cards or between t he SW1000XG, a nd the KENTON X -board is
capable of carr ying up to 8 discrete digital channels or either MID I or audio to 8 discrete channels of the
DS2416 card or PLUGST ATION (If you have the optional Y & Z board fitted). The DS2416 card has the
ability to bring i n au di o f r om many sources, suc h as t he AX 44 a nd AX 16 AT expansion ba ys or its o wn dig it al
inputs or analogue inputs, however, one of its cleverest functions is this SI option.
The SI connector c an als o c arry wordclock information between t he 2 car ds or b etween the SW1000XG and
the PLUGSTATION to m aintain s ynchronization . It would no w be a good point t o discuss wha t wordclock is,
and why it is essential.
Unlike analogue audio equipment, digital audio equipment must be synchronized when digital audio is
transferred from one devic e to another, otherwise, the dig ital audio might not be read c orrectly and audible
noise, glitches, or clicking may occur.
Synchronization is ac hieved using what’s calle d a
the digital audio words in an audi o system . Note that word clock s are not the sa me as SMPT E or MIDI time
code, which are used to synchronize audio recorders, MIDI sequencers, and so on. Wordclock
synchronization refer s to the s ynchroni zatio n of th e dig ital a udio pr oces sing c ircuit s ins ide eac h dig ital a udio
device.
The internal connector, which we shall refer to as SI (Serial Interconnect)
wordclock
, which is a clock signal for synchronizing all
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
24
In a typical digital audio system, one device acts as the wordclock master and the other devices act as
wordclock slaves, s ynchronizing to the wordc lock master. If the SW 1000XG is the only digit al audio device
in your system, no special wordclock settings are required, as the SW1000XG synchronizes to its own
internal wordclock. The SW1000XG card not having a digital input port will always act as a wordclock master
running from its internal clock source.
If you connect the SW 1000XG to the DS2416 or to PLUGSTAT ION, then PLUGSTATIO N will slave to the
SW1000XG wordclock. However the DS2416 wi ll h a v e s ever al o pti ons as to whe re its wordc loc k information
is coming from . Our interest lies in the SI optio n, for as we s aid, the SI conn ector can also c arry wordclock
info.
Wordclock runs at the same f requency as the samplin g rate. The SW1000XG gener ates its own wordclock
at 44.1 kHz (the industry-standard sampling rate for music CDs). As any DS2416 will have seen, the
DS2416 can be used as a wordclock slave synchronized to an exter nal wordclock of the SW1000XG (or
indeed to other devices s uch as DAT recorders) between 30.08 k Hz and 50.88 kHz (32 kHz –6%, 48 kHz
+6%).
Converting the sampling rate of digital audio is a complicated process, so it’s best to use the 44.1 kHz
sampling rate (this is the fixed rate for PLUGSTATION and the SW1000XG), especially if your work is
destined for CD distributio n. The PLUGSTATION can also run from its own internal wordclock also set to
44.1khz if no SW1000XG is present. If on startup the PLUGST ATION finds the SW1000X G is connected it
will slave to the wordcloc k data being sen t over the D-SUB c onnect or port ( the S W 1000XG als o sends word
clock information o ver the PLG connector to synchronize an y PLG cards connected). W ordclock sent over
the SO (Serial Output) connector to the K ENTON X-board is also sent thru to t he DS2416 card to m aintain
accurate sync, so that you can simultaneously use the SW1000XG, PLUGSTATION (ADAT or analogue
outputs also!), and the DS 2416 with any of its opt ional output units (s uch as the AX16AT ADAT card). This
has the added benefit of providing 8 discrete digital streams from the SW1000XG, which can now run
separately to an y disc r ete dig ita l or ana logue streams c oming from the DS2416 ( pr eviously impossible if you
wanted to run 16 channels out of the AX16AT from one DS2416, you had to com bine or sacrif ice channels
to allow SW1000XG discrete audio outs)
Before commencing with a recording session, mak e sure that all wordclock slaves ar e synchronized to the
master, which in the case off a system comprising of the SW1000XG and DS2416/PLUGSTATION will
always be the SW1000XG.
Some devices have f ront panel indicators to show when t hey are wordclock synchronized and th is is the
case with the soft ware support for th e DS2416/SW 1000XG linkup. (For Ex ample Cubase VST ). Wordclock
is also sent out fr om the SPDIF output of th e SW1000XG, at the sam e time as being sent f rom the ADAT
output of PLUGSTAT ION. As the wordclock is c oming from the same source, it makes it easy to connect
both the ADAT out of for example a connected DS2416 system with the AX16AT, and the ADAT out of
PLUGSTATION up to the same digital mixer with the SW 1000XG acting as the wordclock m aster source.
For example on a Yamaha 02R series digital mixer, you would select the ADAT input coming from the
PLUGSTATION as the wordclock master source.
Once connected to gether, the SW1000X G will be passing its wordclock inform ation to the PLUGST ATION
and if fitted the DS2416 at 44.1 k Hz. For the actual audio to be passed over ho wever to the DS2416 SUB
input channels you need to mak e sure that the DS2 416 wor dclock is set to SI or serial i nput. T his is covered
in detail in mos t application software, which works with the DS 2416, and in greater detail in the Yam aha
SW1000XG Advanced Users guidebook, which is free from Yamaha or from www.xgfactory.com
NOTE: THE WORDCLOCK SOURCE FOR PLUGSTATION DISPLAY OPTION IS COVERED IN THE
FRONT PANEL EDITING SECTION OF THIS MANUAL. THIS MENU ALLOWS YOU TO EASILY SEE
WHERE THE MASTER WORDCLOCK SOURCE IS COMING FROM. ONCE LOCKED TO THE
SW1000XG IT IS NOT POSSIBLE T O SWITCH PLUGSTATION TO INTERNAL WORDCLOCK W HILST
THE SW1000XG IS CONN ECTED. TO DO SO WOULD RESULT IN LOSS OF SYNC BETWEEN THE 2,
AND PRODUCE UNDESIRABLE AUDIO EFFECTS.
Aside from the PLUGST ATION and the KENT ON X-BOARD bein g in the middle, the way of interf acing and
connecting the DS24 16 (or 2) and an y other ex pansion c ards f or DS2416 ( such as the AX44 or AX16 AT) is
exactly the same as in your DS2416 manual.
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
25
DIAGRAM 20: CONNECTING THE SERIAL THRU TO THE DS2416 CARD
The following dia gram shows the routing, which a t ypical system will provide. The routing diagram below
features the PLUGSTATION, SW1000XG and DS2416 card.
DIAGRAM 21: A TYPICAL CONNECTION FLOWCHART
The routing shown here in diagram 21 is only the signal routing OUT of the SW1000XG, and to the
PLUGSTATION and DS2 416. It does not show the back channel digital audio inform ation coming back to
the SW1000XG f rom any fitted PLG cards in PLUG STATION, nor does it sho w the optional Y and Z boar d
outputs from the PLUG STATION to a separate m ixer. This is to avoid confus ion at this stage, and just t o
give a connection r outing indic ator. A c learer set of routing p ossibiliti es and infor mation can be found in the
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
26
USE WITH THE SW1000XG section. However below is just an example of a typical setup with the
SW1000XG card.
Additional routing options and diagrams are to be found in the “Use with t he SW1000XG” chapter, which
also covers extra and more complex set-ups with the Yamaha AX16-AT card.
NOTE: PLUGSTATION IS INTENDED AS AN EXPANSION UNIT FOR THE SW1000XG, IT IS NOT
INTENDED FOR USE WITH DS2416 ON ITS OWN. YAMAHA PROVIDE SEVERAL SOLUTIONS FOR
INDIVIDUAL OUTPUTS FROM THE DS2416 CARD, SUCH AS THE AX44 AND THE AX16-AT CARD.
INFORMATION ON THESE CAN BE FOUND ON THE VARIOUS YAMAHA PRO AUDIO WEBSITES.
DIAGRAM 22: CONNECTING PLUGSTATION TO THE SW1000XG (MIDI ROUTING)
NOTE: THE MIDI OUT ON SW1000XG CAN ALWAYS BE CONNECTED TO THE MIDI IN ON
PLUGSTATION. AS SW1000XG CAN SEND MIDI DATA FROM THE SW1000 MIDI OUT PORT
SEPARATE TO THE INTERN AL SYNTH PORTS. THE MIDI THRU ON PLUGST ATION CAN THEN BE
USED TO CONNECT TO OTHER MIDI DEVICES IN YOUR STUDIO (SUCH AS TONE MODULES OR
DRUM MACHINES FOR EXAMPLE). CONNECTING THE MIDI OUT ON SW1000XG IN THIS WAY
ALLOWS YOU TO PERFORM OPERATING SYSTEM DUMPS EASILY TO PLUGSTATION WITHOUT
THE NEED TO CHANGE CABLES OR RECONNECT EVERY TIME, AS THE OS UPDATE ONLY WORKS
FROM THE MIDI IN OF PLUGST ATION, AND NOT FROM THE 44-WAY D-SUB PORT . THE MIDI OUT
ON THE PLUGSTATION IS FOR DUMPING SYSTEM EXCLUSIVE DATA ONLY, AND IS NOT
REQUIRED TO BE CONNECTED FOR DAY TO DAY OPERATION.
Once you are happ y that you have the cards ins talled, connect back your audio cables, and start pla ying.
The next section will c over editing from the front panel. You may wish to refer to the sections relat ing to
connecting up your keyboard or SW1000XG before looking into the editing facilities of PLUGSTATION.
IMPOR TANT NOTE
YAMAHA’S SW1000XG CARD WAS MODIFIED TO ACCOMMODATE THE PLG150AN SERIES OF
BOARD’S EXTRA CURRENT REQUIREM ENTS. THIS MODIFICATION INVOLVED THE FITTING OF A
KENTON PLUGSTATION USERS MANUAL
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