How it Works
Waves
Loading...
SoundGrid SuperRack
User guide
144 pgs15.51 Mb0
Table of contents
Loading...

Waves SoundGrid SuperRack User guide

Download
2
Contents
Software Installation ................................................................................................................................... 8
Hardware Configurations .......................................................................................................................... 10
Connecting the Hardware ................................................................................................................................................... 13
SuperRack SoundGrid I/O Device Assignment ..................................................................................................................... 14
Routing I/O Channels to Racks .................................................................................................................. 16
Inserting Plugins ........................................................................................................................................ 18
Floating Panels .......................................................................................................................................... 19
Detaching a Panel ............................................................................................................................................................................. 19
Detached Plugin Panes ..................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Hot Plugins Panel .............................................................................................................................................................................. 20
Tear-Off Windows ............................................................................................................................................................................ 21
System Requirements ............................................................................................................................... 21
Left Panel: Rack Controls ........................................................................................................................... 23
Rack Name .......................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Racks Menu ......................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Rack Select ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 24
Racks Menu: Import and Export Presets .......................................................................................................................................... 24
Racks Menu: Save and Copy Presets ................................................................................................................................................ 25
Racks Menu: Copy/Paste Presets ..................................................................................................................................................... 25
Racks Menu: Rack Recall And Auto Route ....................................................................................................................................... 26
Current Preset ...................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Link Group Assignment ........................................................................................................................................................ 27
Latency Group Assignment.................................................................................................................................................. 28
SoundGrid / User Guide SuperRack
3
Center Section: Window Selection Tabs ................................................................................................... 29
Overview 1 and Overview 2 Windows ............................................................................................................................................. 29
Rack Window .................................................................................................................................................................................... 29
Show Window .................................................................................................................................................................................. 30
Patch Window .................................................................................................................................................................................. 30
Setup Window .................................................................................................................................................................................. 31
Tearing Off Windows for Multiple Displays ........................................................................................................................ 31
Right Panel: Snapshots and Utilities .......................................................................................................... 32
Snapshots Menu .................................................................................................................................................................. 32
Session Menu ....................................................................................................................................................................... 33
Status Panel ......................................................................................................................................................................... 33
Utilities ................................................................................................................................................................................ 35
Clock ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 35
MIDI Activity LED .............................................................................................................................................................................. 35
Global Tempo Section ...................................................................................................................................................................... 35
Full Screen Mode .............................................................................................................................................................................. 35
On-Screen Keyboard ........................................................................................................................................................................ 36
Lock Button ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 36
Floating Panels List ........................................................................................................................................................................... 36
Assigning Devices: Inventory Page ............................................................................................................ 38
Network Control Section (Top) ............................................................................................................................................ 38
Assignment Slots ................................................................................................................................................................. 40
Device Rack Elements ....................................................................................................................................................................... 41
Assigning I/O Devices ....................................................................................................................................................................... 42
I/O Device Icon Indicators ................................................................................................................................................................ 43
I/O Devices Menu Items ................................................................................................................................................................... 46
Setting Clock Master ........................................................................................................................................................................ 47
Certain device menu items apply only to drivers. ............................................................................................................................ 48
Working with Multiple Systems .......................................................................................................................................... 49
SoundGrid / User Guide SuperRack
4
Servers....................................................................................................................................................... 54
Assigning Servers ................................................................................................................................................................. 54
Redundant Servers ........................................................................................................................................................................... 55
Selecting a Server Group for a Rack ................................................................................................................................................. 55
Server Assignment Menu: Other Functions ..................................................................................................................................... 56
Server Status ........................................................................................................................................................................ 57
Routing View Panel ............................................................................................................................................................. 59
Detaching the Routing View Panel ...................................................................................................................................... 60
Assigning Controllers ........................................................................................................................................................... 61
Settings Page ............................................................................................................................................. 62
Patch Views ............................................................................................................................................... 68
Patching Frameworks ................................................................................................................................ 69
Patch Grid .................................................................................................................................................. 72
Managing Latency in SuperRack................................................................................................................ 73
Latency Compensation ........................................................................................................................................................ 74
Latency Groups .................................................................................................................................................................... 75
Latency Group Alignment .................................................................................................................................................... 76
Selecting a Rack ......................................................................................................................................... 78
Rack Input Section ..................................................................................................................................... 78
Rack Output Section .................................................................................................................................. 80
Routing Racks Automatically ..................................................................................................................... 82
Selecting a Server Group ..................................................................................................................................................... 83
Inserting a Plugin ....................................................................................................................................... 84
Plugins Chainer .................................................................................................................................................................... 85
Plugins Can Change the Rack Size ....................................................................................................................................... 86
Plugin Pane .......................................................................................................................................................................... 87
Managing Plugins ...................................................................................................................................... 88
The Plugin Menu .................................................................................................................................................................. 88
Basic Plugin Menu ............................................................................................................................................................................ 88
Expanded Plugin Menu .................................................................................................................................................................... 89
SoundGrid / User Guide SuperRack
5
External Inserts .................................................................................................................................................................... 93
Recall-Safe Plugin ................................................................................................................................................................ 94
Plugin Position in the Rack .................................................................................................................................................. 94
Touch and Slide Control ....................................................................................................................................................... 95
Rack Presets .............................................................................................................................................. 96
Hot Plugins Panel .............................................................................................................................................................................. 96
Layers ...................................................................................................................................................... 100
Factory Layers ................................................................................................................................................................... 100
Custom Layers ................................................................................................................................................................... 100
Wide View Layer ................................................................................................................................................................ 102
Modes ..................................................................................................................................................... 103
Racks ....................................................................................................................................................... 104
Selecting Rack Input .......................................................................................................................................................... 105
Selecting a Server Group ................................................................................................................................................... 107
Plugin Chainer ................................................................................................................................................................... 109
Inserting a Plugin ............................................................................................................................................................... 109
Other Plugin Menu Items .................................................................................................................................................. 110
Managing Plugin Icons in the Overview Window ............................................................................................................. 111
Output Section ................................................................................................................................................................... 112
Dugan Automixer: ................................................................................................................................... 113
Sessions Page .......................................................................................................................................... 116
Sessions List ....................................................................................................................................................................... 118
Saving a Session ................................................................................................................................................................ 118
Loading a Session .............................................................................................................................................................. 119
Resolving Load Errors ........................................................................................................................................................ 120
Templates .......................................................................................................................................................................... 122
Auto-Save Sessions (History) ............................................................................................................................................. 122
Snapshots Page ....................................................................................................................................... 124
Snapshots List .................................................................................................................................................................... 126
Storing Snapshots in the Snapshots List ......................................................................................................................................... 126
Recalling Snapshots from the Snapshots List ................................................................................................................................. 127
Changing the Order of the Snapshots List ...................................................................................................................................... 127
SoundGrid / User Guide SuperRack
6
Storing a Snapshot with the Top Bar Snapshot Menu ................................................................................................................... 127
Hot Snapshots ................................................................................................................................................................... 128
Assigning Remote IDs to Snapshots .................................................................................................................................. 129
Scope Page .............................................................................................................................................. 130
Scope Parameters .............................................................................................................................................................. 131
Recall Safe Page ................................................................................................................................................................ 132
Recall Safe for Specific Plugins ....................................................................................................................................................... 133
Rack Recall Safe .............................................................................................................................................................................. 133
Controlling SuperRack Remotely ............................................................................................................. 134
Assigning Controls ............................................................................................................................................................. 135
MIDI Controller ............................................................................................................................................................................... 136
Plugin MIDI Mapping
Console Remote Control ................................................................................................................................................................ 140
Touch and Turn .............................................................................................................................................................................. 141
Console Mirroring: ............................................................................................................................................................. 142
.................................................................................................................................................................... 138
Keyboard Shortcuts and Modifiers .......................................................................................................... 144
SoundGrid / User Guide SuperRack
7
install Waves software products and activate licenses.
Learn about compatible SoundGrid hardware: servers, I/Os, and switches.

Introduction

SuperRack SoundGrid is a software host that lets live sound engineers run multiple, simultaneous instances of the
same award-winning Waves plugins used in recording studios and mixing rooms the world over. It provides a
software equivalent of outboard hardware processing racks. SuperRack can be configured with up to 64 racks, and
each rack can host up to eight plugins. You can view and control one plugin, or one rack, or up to 64 racks at a time.
SuperRack SoundGrid operates in a SoundGrid network, and each host can assign up to eight servers. This moves
plugin processing from the host computer to the server and significantly increases plugin count, minimizes latency,
and enables the host and I/O devices to be far removed from each other.
The first chapter of this user guide is about getting started: installation, configuration, the basics of using SuperRack.
Read it; it may be all you need. The rest of this guide provides detailed descriptions and about every section of the
product. You’ll also find explanations of some of the concepts that you need in order to effectively run a networked
system (e.g., clock, I/O sharing, chaining, latency). There’s a comprehensive table of contents that will quickly take
you to the topic you need, and throughout the guide there are internal links that jump to relevant information.

USEFUL WAVES CONTACTS

www.waves.com
https://www.waves.com/downloads/central
https://www.waves.com/support/tag/troubleshooting FAQs and troubleshooting
https://www.waves.com/contact-us How to reach us
https://www.waves.com/hardware
Download the Waves Central application, which is used to
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
8

Part 1: Getting Started

Follow these steps to get up and running:
• Download and install all software and licenses
• Connect hardware
• Assign devices
• Configure racks
• Insert plugins
This chapter is more of a checklist than a detailed recipe—refer to the chapters that follow for more information.

Software Installation

1. Use the Waves Central application to download and install all Waves software and manage licenses. If you
don’t have Waves Central, you can download it here: https://www.waves.com/downloads. You’ll need a free
Waves User Account to log on to Waves Central. If you don’t already have a Waves account, click the Sign-Up
button on the Waves home page.
2. Launch Waves Central. On the left side of the interface, select Install Products and then go to My Products.
This shows a list of all your Waves purchased products. If you don’t see SuperRack or your plugins in this list,
go to your Waves account and register the products. You can also select the All Products tab, which shows
you a list of the entire Waves catalogue. This is an easy way to choose plugins for purchase or demo.
3. Select the SuperRack application and the plugins that you want to install. Products selected for installation
and/or license activation are shown in a list on the right side. Click the “Install” button, or “Install & Activate” if
you are activating licenses. The SuperRack application and your plugins will be installed on your computer. By
default, licenses are activated to your computer.
4. You can install SuperRack and your plugins on more than one computer (e.g., your studio computer, along
with a few live venue setups). Follow the instructions above to install SuperRack and your plugins on as many
computers as you like, and then activate your licenses to a USB flash drive rather than to your computer.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
9
When you move from one computer to another, insert the flash drive, scan for plugins, and you’re ready to go.
If your production computer is not connected to the internet, you can use Waves Central to create an offline
separately on a USB flash drive.
You cannot use one license simultaneously on more than one system.
installer. An offline installer must be created on a computer that’s connected to the internet. It includes the SuperRack application and your plugins. Save this installer on a USB flash drive and use it to install SuperRack on your production computer (that is not connected to the internet). Activate your licenses
Please refer to the Waves Central User Guide
SuperRack runs on Windows and Mac.
for details.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
10

Hardware Configurations

SuperRack SoundGrid is part of a high-speed SoundGrid network. This network consists of at least these four
hardware components, all of which are connected with an Ethernet cable.
Host computer Runs the SuperRack that controls the SoundGrid network. The SuperRack application, plugins,
and preset files are located here. However, audio is not processed on the host computer. The SuperRack
application runs on both Mac and Windows and can support multiple displays.
SoundGrid server The “number cruncher”—all plugin processing is done here. The speed of the server has a
direct impact on the number of SoundGrid channels and plugin instances available to you.
SoundGrid 1Gb Ethernet switch Links the I/O devices, server, and host computer. Note the model and version
of the switch you purchase: some versions work well, others don’t. To ensure compatibility, we suggest that you
obtain your Ethernet switches from Waves.
Console/sound card/IO devices
network. These range from 2-channel preamps to 128-channel MADI interfaces. You can also use the ASIO/Core Audio sound card as the I/O or add a console expansion card.
You can assign SoundGrid I/O devices that are located on the SoundGrid
Every SuperRack SoundGrid setup, no
matter how large or complex, is based on this
configuration.
Larger systems may have more I/Os—
hardware and drivers—an extra server, more
switches, a second computer for a dedicated
DAW, or more controllers.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
11
SuperRack SG with Console Expansion Card and Additional Servers
In this setup, a MADI I/O provides up to 128
SoundGrid channels. Connect additional I/O
devices to the switch to expand the system.
Here, two SG servers are used for plugin
processing and two for redundancy in the
event of a problem with a primary server.
Adding primary servers significantly increases
plugin processing power.
Several SuperRacks can be members of a
larger SoundGrid network connected via an
Ethernet switch. This enables assignment and
sharing of I/O devices from different
SuperRack hosts.
Up to four primary servers and four redundant
servers can be assigned to a SuperRack. Any
available server can be assigned to a
SuperRack, regardless of its location in the
local area network.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
12
SuperRack SG with I/Os for Stage and FOH
This is a classic SuperRack SoundGrid FOH/Stage configuration. It provides on-stage I/Os for mics and monitors
and an I/O for FOH and PA. The second server provides redundancy. The SG ASIO/Core Audio driver patches the
SuperRack host to a DAW for recording and for virtual sound checks. In this example, the DAW is in a separate,
dedicated computer.
This setup is built on the basic SuperRack configuration— it’s simply larger and stronger. You can add more I/Os
anywhere on the SoundGrid network. You can also assign driver channels from the host computer.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
13
Cable specifications are available in the SuperRack product pages.
website.

Connecting the Hardware

1. Connect the console interface card or other sound card and all other I/O devices to the 1Gb Ethernet switch. The sequence of the connectors on the switch is unimportant. Use Cat 5e or better cable. Do not use Cat 5 cable, and, if possible, don’t “daisy chain” devices.
For descriptions and specifications of SoundGrid-compatible I/Os, servers, and Ethernet switches, visit the Hardware Pages on the Waves
2. Take care to protect connectors and cables from crushing and shearing.
3. Connect the host computer and server(s) to the switch.
4. Power up all devices.
5. Launch SuperRack.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
14

SuperRack SoundGrid I/O Device Assignment

This is an overview of device assignment in SuperRack SoundGrid. To learn more, refer to the
Assign I/O Devices: SuperRack SoundGrid section of this user guide (begins on page 38).
Your SoundGrid network assets are referred to as the “Inventory.” These devices are assigned in the
Setup Window >Inventory Page, shown here.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
15
Automatic Device Configuration
You can configure your I/O devices and servers automatically. Launch SuperRack SoundGrid and go to the Setup
window. Click Auto-Configure. This scans the SoundGrid network and locates the correct LAN port, and then assigns
I/O devices and servers to slots in the inventory. It also routes devices to racks sequentially.
When the configuration has finished, there will be a brief audio dropout, the length of which depends on the size of the session. Don’t reconfigure when you can’t tolerate a drop. Wait for a short pause in the program.
If you later change your inventory, you can reconfigure the devices by clicking the Auto-Configuration button.
Manual Device Configuration
I/O Devices
1. Use the PORT drop-down menu to select the host computer’s LAN port that’s connected to the SoundGrid network. When the correct port is selected, the LINK and SPEED indicators will display valid data.
2. Assign devices to slots in the Inventory. Click the “+” sign in an empty slot in the I/O section to open the Device menu. Assign a device from the Network Devices list. Repeat this for as many devices as you need— you can do this in any slot.
3. By default, the first I/O device assigned will be the clock master device of the SoundGrid network. The clock master icon is blue, all slaves are green.
To assign another device as the master, open the Device menu and select “Set Master.” Confirm that all devices
show the correct sample rate and sync status. If a device will not sync to the clock master device, try these actions:
• Remove the device and reassign it.
• Power cycle the hardware device and check cables.
• If possible, reassign the clock master to another device.
Servers
Servers are assigned in the same manner as I/O devices. If you assign two servers to a server group, the second server is marked as a redundant server (RSGS).
To learn more about assigning devices, please refer to Part 3: Setup Window (begins on page 37).
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
16

Routing I/O Channels to Racks

A rack must be routed to an input and output I/O, whether channels from an ASIO/Core Audio driver, the console’s
expansion card, or an additional hardware device. Rack input and output routing is done in the Rack or Overview
windows.
Routing Racks Manually
Select a rack and open its Input drop-down menu using the arrow at the top.
Choose the format of the input signal (e.g., mono, stereo, 5.1).
Select a device.
Select I/O channels.
Choose a stem format. Some multitrack formats offer different streaming sequences
to meet varied delivery requirements.
In this example, Rack 1 input is five channels wide (5.0). Its patching is:
Input A, STG 1608-1, Analog mic/line channels 2-6, stream format L-R-C-Ls-Rs (ITU).
Rack outputs are routed in the same manner.
A rack’s input and output do not necessarily need to have the same number of tracks. A stereo rack input can, for
example, coexist with a 5.1 output. The rack’s L/R signal will output only from the L and R channels of the 5.1 I/O
stream. The position of the L and R channels in the 5.1 output will vary depending on the 5.1 format. If rack output is
unassigned when the input is routed, SuperRack will attempt to patch the same input and output I/O channels.
An I/O can be patched to several rack inputs. Only one rack can patch to an output I/O.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
17
Routing Asymmetrical Racks
If the channel formats for the rack’s input and output are the same
(e.g., mono-to-mono, stereo-to-stereo, 5.1-to-5.1, etc.), the I/O
channel numbers for a rack’s in and out will increment together.
Here, inputs and outputs are mono:
Rack 1: input D1, output D1 Rack 2: input D2, output D2 Rack 3: input D3, output D3, etc.
If, on the other hand, the rack input has fewer channels than
output channels (or vice versa), certain channels will go
unused so that each rack begins with the same input and
output channel number. In this example, rack input is mono,
and output is 5.0. The resulting patching looks like this:
Rack 1: input D1, output D1–D5 Rack 2: input D6, output D6–10 Rack 3: input D11, output D11–15, etc.
Routing Racks Automatically
SuperRack can automatically route input and output I/O channels to each rack in a session. Routing
is applied to a pre-configured session with no existing I/O patches. Patching continues until all racks
are routed or all I/O channels have been assigned.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
18

Inserting Plugins

Each Rack has a plugin chainer with eight slots for inserting plugins. Plugin signal flow is from top to bottom.
1. To insert a plugin in a slot, click on the down arrow (Rack window) or plus symbol (Overview window). This opens the drop-down Plugin menu.
2. Choose a plugin from the list. The input/output structure of the plugins rack determines if a plugin can be inserted. If a plugin cannot provide a component that is compatible with the rack input/output structure, it will not appear in the menu (e.g., a 5.1 rack will not let you insert a stereo component). Also, certain plugins (e.g., mono-to-stereo) change the channel structure of the plugins rack.
3. You can insert a plugin into any slot. The plugin’s icon will appear in the slot. Click a plugin icon to open the plugin’s interface in the plugin pane.
A plugin’s position in the chainer determines its place in the
signal flow. You can change a plugin’s position by dragging an
icon up and down in the rack.
In this example, Abbey Road Chambers slides upward (blue
path) to displace Doubler (red path).
Changing plugin order may result in a short audio drop. Wait for
a convenient time to rearrange the rack.
To learn more about routing and adding plugins to a rack, refer
to Part 5: Rack Window (begins on page 77).
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
19

Floating Panels

Certain panels can be detached from their docked locations and floated anywhere on the displays. This provides quick access to critical plugins and the controls you want to access regularly.
The following panels can be detached and floated:
• User Keys
• Hot Plugins
• Plugin control panes
• Snapshots notes
• Window tear-offs (Setup, Patch, Show, Rack, Overview 1 and 2)

DETACHING A PANEL

Each detachable panel has a Float symbol at the top of its frame. Click this button to detach
the panel from its dock. It can now be positioned anywhere on the SuperRack interface. When
a panel has been detached from its original position, the Float symbol is blue.
Click anywhere else on the display and the floated panel will move backward and disappear. To keep a panel in the
foreground, click the Pin button. Click the Float symbol again to return the panel to its dock.
The Floating Panels drop-down menu on the right side of the Top Bar is a list of all detached
panels. Select a panel or window and it will move to the front.
The name of the current session is shown at the top of the list.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
20

DETACHED PLUGIN PANES

To float a plugin’s control interface, click on the Detach symbol at the upper-right corner of the plugin pane.
At the top of a floating plugin is a control bar. There are three control buttons:
Deselect the IN button to bypass the plugin.
Click the Pin button to keep the detached plugin visible when other plugins are detached. A pinned plugin remains visible in all SuperRack views.
Close the window and the floating plugin panel will return to the plugin pane. You can also close a window by clicking on the Detach symbol.

HOT PLUGINS PANEL

The Hot Plugins panel provides instant access to selected plugin control panels. Up to twelve plugins can be assigned to the Hot Plugins panel.
• Any plugin in any rack can be assigned to the Hot Plugins panel.
• Hot Plugins can be within the scope of a snapshot, so you can have a different panel for each snapshot.
Scope and Recall Safe are set in the Show window.
• Right-click on a hot plugin to remove it from the current snapshot or from all snapshots.
• The Hot Plugins panel can show plugins as either icons or meters. To change between view modes, click the
blue meter icon on the right side of the panel.
• A detached Hot Plugin panel can be displayed in a horizontal or vertical orientation. Click the ladder icon on the left side of the panel to toggle between these views.
• The plugin’s name and rack number are shown above the icon.
• Hot plugin assignments are made in the plugin’s drop-down menu in the plugin chainer of the Rack menu.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
21

TEAR-OFF WINDOWS

There are five SuperRack windows: Setup, Patch, Show, Rack, and two Overviews. You can “tear off” one or more
windows to spread SuperRack control over several displays. Click/drag downward, away from the Top Bar. A new
window will appear. It can be positioned on any of your displays.
The original Window Selection Panel. All window tabs are available. In this example we will separate the Rack window from the other windows to create its own screen.
This creates a new screen containing only the torn-off window. Move this separated window to another display.
The main display can access any window except the secondary view. Repeat the procedure for additional displays.
The name of the panel will appear in the Floating Panels drop-down menu. Click on the window
name and it will move to the front. Close the torn off window to return it to the default location in
the Top Bar.

System Requirements

Specifications for host computers, cables and connections, servers, display resolutions, and controllers can be found
at Waves Support.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
22

Part 2: Top Bar

At the top of the interface is a control ribbon called the Top Bar. It plays an important role in controlling SuperRack.
We suggest that you read this chapter before moving on.
Rack Controls Window Select Snapshots and Utilities
The Top Bar is visible from every SuperRack window. It includes the menus, information boxes, system feedback,
and navigation tools that you need all the time.
The Top Bar is used, among other things, to:
• Navigate to and select a rack
• Assign a rack to link groups
• Assign a rack to a latency alignment group
• Save, load, and manage rack presets
• Save and load sessions
• Switch between windows
• Load and store snapshots
• Monitor DSP status
• Set and monitor BPM
• Lock the mixer interface and access on-screen keyboard
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
23

Left Panel: Rack Controls

Use this section of the Top Bar to select a rack, assign it to a link
group and a latency group, manage rack presets, and open and
save sessions and templates.

Rack Name

The Rack Name box displays the name of the selected rack. Left and right arrows move the selection to the previous or next rack. You can move directly to a rack using the Racks menu on the right. To rename a rack, double-click on the Name box and then type. If the rack is set to Recall Safe, the word “SAFE” appears.

Racks Menu

The Racks menu is used to load, save, import and export, and copy and paste the presets for the selected rack. A Rack Preset is a complete description of a rack (i.e., I/O patching, rack structure, and plugin settings).
A rack’s settings can be copied from one rack to another. Factory presets can be loaded, modified, and then saved as new user presets. Presets can also be copied and exported as files, which can then be imported to another SuperRack host. This enables moving individual racks between sessions.
The Racks Menu is divided into five sections, indicated here with letters.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
24
RACK SELECT
Navigate directly to a rack using this submenu.
RACKS MENU: IMPORT AND EXPORT PRESETS
FACTORY PRESETS (LOAD)
Displays a list of presets supplied by Waves. These provide starting points for many setups. Factory presets cannot
be saved. Instead, modify the preset and save it as a user preset. Empty removes all plugins from the rack.
USER PRESETS (LOAD)
Loads a user-created rack preset that has been saved in the current session or imported from another. To delete a
user preset, hold Ctrl/Alt before opening the Preset menu. Select the preset and it will be deleted. This cannot be
undone.
IMPORT PRESET FROM FILE
Loads a single preset that has been saved as a file, not as part of the session. Imported presets are added to the
User Presets menu and then saved as part of the session.
EXPORT USER PRESETS
Creates a file with all user presets for the entire session, not just those of the selected rack. These are stored as one
xps file that can be saved to other media.
EXPORT ALL PRESETS
Exports a file that contains the presets—not just the user presets—of all channels in the session.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
25
Note: Before you paste a rack preset to another rack, make certain that the plugins and their sequence is the same
of the current rack will apply the new preset to all scenes. This action cannot be undone.
RACKS MENU: SAVE AND COPY PRESETS
SAVE
Saves the current condition to the loaded preset, overwriting it.
SAVE TO USER PRESETS
Creates a new user preset. These presets are saved as part of the current session. Consider this a “Save As”
function.
SAVE PRESET TO FILE
Copies the current rack condition and creates a file that is saved at a user-defined location. This preset file can be
imported to any session (the extension is xps). Unlike user presets, these are not embedded in the session.
RENAME PRESET
Changes the name of the current rack preset.
RACKS MENU: COPY/PASTE PRESETS
COPY PRESET
Copies the current rack condition to the clipboard. A copied rack preset can be pasted to any other rack in the
current session.
PASTE PRESET
Pastes the copied rack preset from the clipboard to another rack. A dialog box lets you choose what rack information
will be replaced in the target rack and what will be left unchanged.
on the source and target racks. Loading a preset to a rack that uses a plugin chainer order that’s different from that
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
26
RACKS MENU: RACK RECALL AND AUTO ROUTE
UPDATE RACK STATUS TO SNAPSHOT(S)
The Snapshot dialog updates the current rack settings in
selected snapshots of the session. Select the snapshot(s)
you want to update or select all to update all snapshots.
RACK RECALL SAFE OFF
Sets the recall safe condition of the rack. When the rack is in a Recall Safe condition, a small SAFE icon is shown
below the Rack name in the Top Bar.
AUTO-ROUTE ALL RACKS
Automatically creates routing for all racks in a session.

Current Preset

Displays the rack preset if one is loaded. An asterisk (*) indicates that the preset has been modified since it was
loaded.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
27

Link Group Assignment

Use the Link Group Assignment menu to assign the selected rack to one of sixteen link groups. When racks are linked
together, the identical parameter controls of all members of the group move together. Variable controls are linked
relatively: if controls are set to different values before they are linked, they will move together, and their offsets will be
preserved.
Controls that are linked together:
• A/B input and output selection
• Input and output gain
• Plugin In/Out
• Mute
• Server groups
Plugin parameter controls are not linked.
The Link Group Assignment box displays the name of the link group that the rack
is assigned to. A link group can include up to 64 racks, but a single rack can be a
member of only one link group. The Patch window provides an overview of all link
patches in the session and allows you to make many assignments simultaneously.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
28

Latency Group Assignment

Use the Latency Group Assignment drop-down menu to assign the selected rack to a latency group. Latency groups are used to align the delays of several racks and to set the delay of a group of racks.
To establish latency groups, the Latency Group setting in the Settings page (Setup>Settings) must be set to “Align by Latency Groups.” Setting “Align All Racks Automatically” aligns all racks to match the rack with the greatest latency. Latency is explained in detail in the Patch window chapter (pages 73–76).
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
29

Center Section: Window Selection Tabs

VERVIEW 1 AND OVERVIEW 2 WINDOWS
O
Use these tabs to select one of
the six SuperRack windows.
The two Overview windows provide a broad look at
your session. Most rack functions can be controlled
here. Plugins are added, removed, disabled, and
bypassed in the small plugin rack. Click a plugin’s icon
to access its full interface. Drag any plugin icon to
move it from rack to rack or within its own rack.
There are five Overview layers: four layers with 16 racks
and one layer that displays the inputs and outputs of all 64
racks.

RACK WINDOW

The Rack window is a detailed view of the selected rack.
It’s used to control plugins, assign I/Os, set input and
output levels, and recall hot plugins and user-assigned
keys. When a plugin in the chainer is selected, its
complete interface is displayed in the middle of the
screen.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
30

SHOW WINDOW

PATCH WINDOW

The Show window is SuperRack’s filing center, where
snapshots and sessions are managed.
The window consists of three pages:
• Sessions
• Snapshots
• Recall Safe
The Patch window is a patch bay for connecting
between devices on the SoundGrid network, managing
latency groups, and overseeing link groups.
It’s a convenient way to view all the members of
latency groups and link groups.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
31

SETUP WINDOW

The Setup widow is where you connect SuperRack to
the SoundGrid network, assign servers, I/O devices,
drivers, and control protocols, and set preferences.

Tearing Off Windows for Multiple Displays

SuperRack can be controlled with up to four displays. This enables you to manage several parts of a session
simultaneously. Create additional display views by “tearing off” tabs from the original screen display. Click and drag
downward, away from the Top Bar. A new window will appear.
This is demonstrated in the Floating Panels section (pages 19–21).
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
32

Right Panel: Snapshots and Utilities

Snapshots Menu

The Snapshots menu is used to store and recall snapshots. The name of the current
snapshot and its index number are displayed in the box. If a snapshot has been modified
since it was recalled, its name is followed by an asterisk (*). A session can hold up to
1024 snapshots.
Snapshots are discussed at length in the Snapshots section of the Show chapter
(pages 124–129).
STORE NEW SNAPSHOT
Creates a new user-named snapshot based on the current SuperRack condition.
STORE SNAPSHOT
Overwrites the current snapshot with the current SuperRack condition.
RECALL SNAPSHOT
Directly recalls a snapshot based on its place in the snapshot list. Type an index number and the corresponding snapshot will be recalled.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
33
HOT SNAPSHOTS
Provides immediate access to up to eight “Hot” (i.e., high-priority) snapshots.
SNAPSHOTS LIST (1–32; 33–64;…968–1024)
Shows all snapshots associated with the session, in banks of 32 snapshots.
Learn more about how SuperRack handles snapshots in Part 7: Show Window
(begins on page 115).

Session Menu

Used to open and save sessions and templates:
Session: Displays the name of the current session.
Open Session: Opens a session from a file.
Open Template: Opens a session template, which you will save as a regular session.
Save Session: Saves the current session, overwriting the previous save to that file (in other words, a regular
save).
Save Session As: Saves the current session to a new file.
Save Template: Creates a new SuperRack template from the current session.

Status Panel

PROVIDES CRITICAL SYSTEM FEEDBACK:
INDICATOR COLOR STATUS
SERVER Green Server is functioning properly
Red Fault with a server
IO/DAW Green All I/Os and DAWs are connected
Red Problem (e.g., DAW or I/O is disconnected
SAMPLE RATE Green All devices are in sync
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
34
M
I
GREEN BAR
CPU load is less than 75%. It is likely that more plugins can be added.
plugins.
R
G
“NA”
O
DSP L
red when peak load of the busiest core exceeds 85%.
INDICATOR COLOR STATUS
Red One or more devices are out of sync
REMOTE Green SuperRack is being controlled externally
Orange SuperRack is being controlled externally and console Touch and Turn is engaged
Red Something is wrong with the remote (e.g., disconnected)
MIRROR Green Mirroring is established
Red Mirroring is broken
CPU Indicators
The CPU indicator bars display the average CPU load of all cores of the primary server in the server group. The number beneath also shows the average CPU load for that server. A small line above the bar shows the peak load of the core with the highest CPU in that server group.
The color of the bar indicates server CPU status. CPU values are shown numerically in the Inventory page.
ETER
YELLOW BAR
ED BAR
RAY BAR WITH
DISPLAYED
RANGE
INE
NDICATION
CPU load is 75%–85%. To avoid potential network overloads, you should try to redistribute your processing load by moving or disabling certain
The bar turns red when CPU exceeds 85%.
Server is not present or is malfunctioning.
Displays peak CPU of the core with the greatest CPU load. The bar turns
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
35
P
H
A high CPU warning indicates that SuperRack is requesting data at a rate that the SoundGrid server cannot
currently provide. Here are two common CPU overload conditions and suggested solutions.
ROCESSING OVERLOAD
(momentary or constant)
IGH NETWORK USAGE
(channels over the network)
POSSIBLE SOLUTION: DISABLE SOME PLUGINS
This is the most common cause of CPU overload. First remove some CPU­heavy plugins. If this helps, try to restructure you racks so that you can manage with fewer of these plugins.
POSSIBLE SOLUTION: INCREASE SERVER NETWORK BUFFER SIZE
T
he Server Network Buffer size is set in the Server drop-down menu in the System Inventory page. Larger buffers will result in more stability but greater latency.

Utilities

C
LOCK
The clock displays the current time on the host computer. When MIDI Control is used, this box can display MIDI timecode.
MIDI ACTIVITY LED
Flashes when incoming MIDI is present
GLOBAL TEMPO SECTION
This section sets the tempo for all relevant plugins. By default, tempo-based Waves plugins are in a “tempo listen” state. Their tempo rates will fix to this value. Alternatively, click a rhythm on the Tap button. These taps are averaged to create a tempo value. You can also enter a numeric value in the box below. The tempo light flashes at the designated tempo.
FULL SCREEN MODE
Full Screen On: Fits the SuperRack window to 100% of the resolution set for the display (screen space), while
maintaining the aspect ratio. Click again or tap ESC to exit Full Screen mode.
Full Screen Off: Window behavior follows the Scaling selection in the Settings window.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
36
ON-SCREEN KEYBOARD
Accesses the operating system’s touchscreen keyboard. Use this to enter text information on a touchscreen display when a hardware keyboard is not available.
LOCK BUTTON
Click the Lock button to prevent unintended changes to the session during a show. The scope of Lock is established in the Settings page.
FLOATING PANELS LIST
This is a list of currently detached panels (e.g., hot plugins, user keys, plugins, windows). Select a panel from the drop-down menu to navigate directly to it. The name of the session is shown at the top of the list. Click on this name to return to the main view. Refer to the Floating Panels section to learn more (pages 19–21).
GET INFO PANEL (Click on WSG SuperRack logo)
Click this button to open the SuperRack information panel. This view includes the version of SuperRack that you’re running, as well as a link to the user guide.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
37

Part 3: Setup Window

The Setup window is used to monitor the network, set preferences, and assign devices. There are two pages.
Settings Page (left)
Use the Settings page to configure the session,
set preferences, and assign user keys.
Inventory Page
Assign I/Os, drivers, servers, and
controllers. Configure and monitor the
SoundGrid network.
Use the buttons on the left sidebar to move between Setup pages.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
38

Assigning Devices: Inventory Page

The Inventory page is used to set up the SoundGrid network and to assign and manage devices. Use the top part of
the page to establish and monitor the network. Use the bottom part of the page to assign network devices, servers,
and controllers to SuperRack SoundGrid.

Network Control Section (Top)

INVENTORY/SETTINGS PAGE SELECTOR
LAN PORT DROPDOWN MENU
Use this menu to select the host computer’s LAN port that is connected to the SoundGrid network switch. The
name of the selected port is shown in the window. We recommend that the SoundGrid network is used exclusively
for SoundGrid devices. Use another port for other network functions.
LINK STATUS
Reports the status of the Ethernet connection to the host computer.
Range: UP / DOWN / INVALID
SPEED
Reports the speed of the SoundGrid network: 100 Mb/sec, 1 Gb/sec, N/A.
SAMPLE RATE
Reports the sample rate of the SoundGrid network.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
39
AUTO-CONFIG
A SuperRack system can be configured manually or with the aid of this auto-configure tool. Auto-Configure
surveys the network for available I/O devices and assigns them to SuperRack. Auto-Configure requires that the
correct LAN port is selected. If you forget to select the port, or if you chose incorrectly, you will be prompted to
select the correct port.
CLEAR ALL
Removes all assigned I/O devices, servers, and drivers.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
40

Assignment Slots

An I/O device or SoundGrid ASIO/Core Audio driver can be assigned to any slot: the slot number determines the
device’s position in Patch window. You can assign I/O devices from within your local system or from remote systems
with shared devices. Device sharing is discussed in the next section.
Up to eight servers—whether connected to the local host or to another host on the LAN—can be assigned to a
SuperRack: up to four main processing servers and up to four redundant servers.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
41
DEVICE RACK ELEMENTS
I/O
DEVICE ASSIGNMENT SLOTS
There are 16 device assignment slots for hardware I/O devices and drivers.
ASSIGNED HARDWARE I/IO DEVICES
Any device in the local SoundGrid network, as well as devices on other connected SoundGrid systems, can be
assigned to a rack slot.
OFFLINE DEVICES
Devices that are unavailable can be configured offline. When the hardware device becomes available, all device
settings, including routing assignments, will be applied to the hardware device.
SOFTWARE DEVICE (DRIVER)
A driver from the host computer can be assigned just like a hardware device.
SERVERS ASSIGNMENT SLOTS
You can assign up to four primary servers and up to four redundant servers. Servers can be assigned to any
available SuperRack on the LAN. Servers cannot be shared by multiple hosts.
CONTROLLERS ASSIGNMENT SLOTS
Use these slots to assign controllers to SuperRack.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
42
ASSIGNING I/O DEVICES
To add a device, click on the plus (+) sign on an empty device slot. This opens the I/O Devices drop-down menu.
There are three categories of assignable devices to choose from.
Network All working devices (hardware I/Os and drivers) attached to this SoundGrid SOE network
Local The local driver of the host computer or another host
Offline Templates of devices that can be used to create sessions without a server and I/O devices
To select an I/O device, open the Network submenu and choose a device.
The names of available devices are white. “Free”
indicates that the device is available for assignment.
Assigned or unavailable devices are grayed out.
Drivers are assigned in the same manner as hardware I/Os.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
43
I/O DEVICE ICON INDICATORS
Font Color
Indication
Once a device is assigned, the color of text on the icon provides device
status information.
Clock Indicators
Green SOE slave device is working properly and is owned by this user.1
Blue
The SOE master device is working properly and is owned by this user. A blue “M” indicates that this device is the clock master of the local SOE network.
Gray Device is disconnected. Icon text: "N/A.”
Other Color Codes
Red
The device is not available (e.g., disconnected, in the process of firmware re-flashing, owned by someone else). This state overrides other settings if there is a conflict. Device icon text: "Not Available: (owner's name)." Red also indicates an offline device.
Orange This is a shared device that you can assign to your inventory and patch to its free I/O channels.
1
SoundGrid uses Ethernet to stream audio between devices. Clock synchronization is also carried over Ethernet. This method of providing clock
is called Sync over Ethernet (SOE). The local network of devices clocked to the same system is called the “SOE Network.”
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
44
More
Item
Possibilities
Function
clicking on its Name box.
connected.
A virtual device is assigned to this rack slot for offline preparation of
Icon Item
Possibilities
Indications
master of the SOE network.
Indicators That Describe the Device’s Status
Device Name
Device Status
Device Clock Status
Text entry
On Device is active.
NA Device is unavailable. Likely causes:
Offline
The device product name followed by a number (e.g., “MGB-1”) is the default name. Change the device name by double-
•
Device is assigned to another system.
•
Device or firmware is incompatible with current SoundGrid software.
•
Device was previously assigned to this user but is not currently
sessions without I/Os connected. All device patching will be maintained when the session is launched on a complete system.
Clock Source
Sample Rate
Clock Master
INT, SOE, AES, WC, DigiLink Clock source of this device
44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 kHz Sample rate of device
M (master) / (blank = slave) Identifies the device as the clock
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
45
Three buttons at
the bottom of the slot provide access to hardware setup controls.
Item
Purpose
Action
does not support a control panel.
icon.
update.
Gray
Firmware is compatible with installed mixer software.
Blue
Firmware is compatible with installed mixer software, but a newer version exists. Firmware should
Red
Firmware is not compatible or is out of date. Click the FW button to re-flash device hardware.
Gear button
ID
FW
Control Panel access
Locate hardware device
Firmware status and re-flash start
be updated as soon as possible.
Click to access device’s control panel to adjust preamps, configure channels, and control its clock. This button is grayed out if the device
Activates a light on the front panel of the hardware device associated with the
Click the FW button to start firmware
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
46
I/O DEVICES MENU ITEMS
Menu Item
Possibilities
Function
Set Master
Open a list of all assigned
Sets a device as the SOE network clock master—all other devices
Share
Share/Don’t share.
Allows other systems to assign the device and enable I/O
Assign to SoundGrid
Checked/Unchecked
Assigns any MIDI-port-equipped I/O device to the SoundGrid
Colors
Several colors, plus no
Adds a color strip to the edge of the selected device. This color­Information
Reports details about the device. Supply this information to
Remove
Removes the device from the rack.
Once a device has been assigned to a slot, the I/O Devices drop-down menu expands.
(hardware I/O)
hardware devices.
Designate one device as the local SOE clock master.
MIDI Driver
color
become slaves and their clock sources are switched to SOE. The letter “M” and blue text in the slot indicate that the device is the clock master of the local network. Slaves are colored green. Any SoundGrid-complaint I/O device can be an SOE slave or master.
sharing.
MIDI driver. The device can then serve as a port for other MIDI devices. The assigned device appears to MIDI controllers as “SG Device I/O.”
coding appears with the device in the Patch window, making it easier to identity, especially if there are several I/O devices of the same type.
Waves technical support when investigating hardware-related faults.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
47
SETTING CLOCK MASTER
You can usually assign the clock master of the SOE network directly from the I/O Devices menu.
1. Select “Set Master.” This opens a drop-down menu of all I/O devices assigned to the SOE network.
2. Choose a device. Its icon changes to blue and “M” appears. Other assigned devices will become slaves.
The clock slave/master assignment of certain I/O devices cannot be changed directly from the SuperRack interface.
One example is when an I/O device is receiving clock from another device via word clock or AES. In this case, the
I/O clock cannot be set from the Inventory page, but rather from its own control panel.
Consult the user guide for your I/O devices if you need to change clock settings using the control panel.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
48
CERTAIN DEVICE MENU ITEMS APPLY ONLY TO DRIVERS.
Menu Item
Possibilities
Function
Set Main
Main: checked/unchecked
Assigns this driver as the main driver or the backup (usually a
(Values in samples)
592, 640, 1088
download and install the latest versions from Waves Central.
When the SG ASIO/Core Audio driver is assigned to a SuperRack, you can add a DAW to the system for recording and playback. The DAW host must be running a SoundGrid host, such as QRec or SoundGrid Studio.
DAW/recorder). If more than one driver is selected, they become the backup drivers.
Driver Channels
Driver Network Buffer
Range: 32–128 channels, and Auto
Default: 32 channels
Range @ 44.1–48 kHz: 104, 144, 192, 240, 288,
336, 384, 432, 480, 528, 576, 1024 Range @ 88.2–96 kHz: 208, 256, 304, 352, 400, 448, 496, 544,
All host computers on the SoundGrid network should have the same up-to-date version of SuperRack and SoundGrid Studio software installed. Device firmware should match the host applications. You can
Sets the number of channels assigned to the SoundGrid ASIO/Core Audio driver. A higher number of driver channels can increase network load and may require more buffering. AUTO assigns the maximum number of driver channels available, based on the number of input and output device channels.
The network buffer helps the OS send synchronized information between the ASIO/Core Audio drivers and the I/Os through the network port. When many channels are going in/out of the driver(s) to several destinations, the Driver Network Buffer size may need to be increased to reduce the possibility of audio drops or artifacts as a result of overloading the network port driver.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
49

Working with Multiple Systems

Multiple SuperRack systems can be linked by connecting their
Ethernet switches to create a local area network. Users can
assign I/O devices and servers from any other SuperRack
system that is connected to the LAN. These assignments
behave in the same manner as local Inventory assignments:
assigned devices are unavailable to other SuperRacks until
they are un-assigned. Other users will see these devices in
their Inventories, but they will be grayed out and unavailable.
A SuperRack SoundGrid system does not need the permission
of other systems to assign an available device to its Inventory.2
I/O DEVICE INVENTORY IN MULTIPLE SYSTEMS
All devices in a multi-host system—
whether assigned to a host or not—are
displayed in the Device menu of each
independent system’s Inventory (left). In
this example, there are five I/O devices. The host of each device is shown, followed by the
device name. The name of each host’s local driver is also shown.
A host that has assigned a device to its Inventory is the manager of that device. When a device is removed from a
host, the device becomes Free and it can be assigned by any other host, which in turn becomes its manager.
2
Version-specific limitations apply. Please check www.waves.com for specific information regarding constraints.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
50
SHARING A DEVICE
Device sharing enables different hosts to assign devices that are already claimed by other hosts and route available
device I/O channels. A host that patches I/O channels from a device that’s been assigned to another host (the
manager) is called the client of that device. A host can be a manager of some devices and a client of others. A
device can have several clients, within the limits of the device’s maximum output to the network. Each destination
establishes a direct connection from the shared I/O device.
For example, a 128-input MGB patched to four hosts will use up the 1 Gb network capacity of the SoundGrid
network.3 In this case, the device will output 128 x 4 channels=512 channels (at 48 kHz).
3
DiGiGrid MGB and MGO MADI-to-SoundGrid interfaces are used to connect MADI-enabled devices to a Waves SoundGrid network. The MGB unit is equipped with MADI BNC connections; MGO is equipped with MADI optical connections. Refer to the MGO user guide, which is available on the Waves Manuals download page
.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
51
SETTING UP DEVICE SHARING
For other SuperRack systems to access a device in your Inventory, you must
enable sharing for the device:
• Select the assigned device you wish to share.
• Select Share from the device’s drop-down menu. The sharing symbol
will appear on the device icon.
Only the manager of a device can activate its sharing.
Other systems can now assign the I/O device to their Inventories and patch available I/O channels. Output I/O channels patched by the manager cannot be shared with other systems until the device’s manager releases the patches or removes the device from its Inventory.
CLOCKING CONSIDERATIONS WHEN SHARING
When a device is shared by two systems both systems must be locked to the same clock master. If a client system
assigns a shared device that’s part of a system with a different clock source, something must be done to rectify the
difference.
When assigning a shared device whose clock source is not the same as that of the
client system, this prompt will appear (left). Click OK to set the clock of the client
system as your system’s clock. The shared device, or its master clock, is now the
local SOE clock master for all the devices in your local SoundGrid network.
If this clocking configuration is not acceptable, cancel from the dialog. Create a clock source that is common to the
host system and the client system and then start sharing.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
52
This example shows a detail of System B’s I/O Device assignment slots.
Note: Changing the master clock assignment in a system that includes shared devices will result in a clock reset in all associated systems. This causes a short audio dropout.
Device A-IOS, a member of SuperRack System A (lower right, orange), is
shared with SuperRack system B. This means that A-IOS is assigned to two
independent systems (A and B) that must be synchronized to the same
master clock device. To accomplish this, A-IOS becomes the system B clock
master—all System B devices become SOE slaves.
It is possible to assign another device as the clock master while using a
shared device, as long as all systems and devices share the same clock.
Use each system’s Set Master menu to reassign clock masters. Select the same device in both systems, if possible,
and the clock will be common to both systems. If this is successful, the shared device can now be a slave in the
client system.
If the shared device cannot synchronize to the new clock, it will be unavailable for sharing
by that host. Other SuperRack hosts in the super system may be able to sync to the
shared device if they can adjust their clocks accordingly.
A shared device can be a slave or the clock master of its own SOE network, indicated by the M on the shared device’s icon (left). On the right, the device is still the SOE master of the system it’s being shared with but it is a slave within its own system.
When devices from more than two systems are assigned to a system’s inventory, all systems must be locked to the
same master clock device.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
53
DEVICE MANAGEMENT PERSISTENCE
A SoundGrid host’s session includes a full description of each device in its Inventory (e.g., MAC address,
clock, preamp settings). When a device is shared, the session also records whether or not this host
manages it. Each host session in a multi-system network keeps track of its own saved device management
status. Together, these sessions describe the management status of all the hosts.
A SuperRack session loads with its management settings just as they
were at the last save: a managed device will remain managed and a
shared unmanaged device will remain unmanaged, whether its
manager is online or not. In case of conflicts, or if a change of
management is required, any host can claim management of a device
by selecting Manage Device in the Device drop-down menu.
There may be situations where a device is not managed by any host. It will continue to stream audio and it
can be used, and patched, but its control panel settings cannot be modified until one of the hosts claims full
management of this device.
Normally, reassigning the management of a device will not affect the audio. In certain situations, however, changing
the device management can result in routing changes.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
54

Servers

Up to eight servers can be assigned to a SuperRack: four main processing servers and four redundant servers. This provides a significant increase in processing capabilities, compared with single-server systems. Any server that is connected to the same LAN as your SuperRack, is powered up, and has not already been assigned—whether to your host or another— is available for assignment (refer to the diagram on p. 49).4.

Assigning Servers

Server assignment is the same for all SuperRack systems, regardless of the physical location of the servers.
There are four pairs of server slots: A, B, C, and D. A server can be assigned to any slot, but the initial assignment must be to Group A.
To assign a server to your SuperRack, follow these steps:
1. Choose an empty slot for assignment.
2. Click that slot’s plus (+) symbol. This opens the Server Assignment drop-down menu.
3. Open the Devices sub-menu. All servers on the same LAN will appear in the menu. Unassigned servers are shown in
white. Servers that are already assigned and unavailable are grayed out.
4. Select a server from the list of available servers. The first server you assign to a server group (whether in the left or right column) will be the group’s primary server.
4
Version-specific limitations apply. Please check www.waves.com for specific information regarding constraints.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
55
Green “V”
Passed
CPU load up to 75%
Orange “V”
Passed marginally
CPU load 75%–85%
Red “X”
Failed
CPU load above 85%
REDUNDANT SERVERS
The second server assigned to a server group will serve as the group’s redundant server. A small mark next to the server group letter (circled here) shows that the server is the redundant server in this processing group. Should the primary server fail, its redundant copy will automatically and seamlessly take over processing for the group. To work effectively, the group’s redundant server should be the same model as the primary server and provide identical processing power.
“Test Redundancy” (the button above Group A) runs your session through the main and redundant servers separately to confirm that each can handle the session without failure. If the redundant server cannot handle the session’s processing needs, it will likely not be able to provide adequate protection.
When the test is finished, the results for each server group appear in a message box:
SELECTING A SERVER GROUP FOR A RACK
You can select which server group a Rack will use for processing. This lets you distribute DSP load between servers and increase overall processing potential. You can select a server group in the Rack window (left) or Overview windows.
1. Select a Rack and open the Processing Server drop-down menu in the Rack’s input section. The list displays the following information:
a. Server group letter b. Server name (“friendly name” if you have renamed the server) c. Peak CPU value d. Average CPU value across all cores.
2. From the list, choose a server group for plugin processing. Server group A is the default selection.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
56
SERVER ASSIGNMENT MENU: OTHER FUNCTIONS
Devices
All available servers
Opens a list of all servers located on the LAN: User-friendly
Server Network Buffer
Range @ 44.1–48 kHz:
Sets the amount of time it takes for audio to stream from the
Menu Item/Indicator Possibilities Function
The Server Assignment menu, in addition to assigning servers to a SuperRack, is used to set the server network buffer, select colors for easier identification of servers, provide information about the server, and unassign the server from this SuperRack.
40-96 samples Default: 40 samples (0.8
ms)
Range @ 88.2–96 kHz:
80-192 samples. Default: 80 samples (0.8
ms)
name; Server type: model and revision (CPU generation). Click on a server name to assign it. Unavailable servers are
grayed out.
I/O or driver to the server and back. This determines the speed of real-time processing. Lower settings result in lower system latency and greater responsiveness. Higher settings yield more stability but greater latency.
If you encounter pops or similar errors, increase the buffer setting. The buffer size is set in samples but is also displayed in milliseconds.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
57
Colors
Range of colors
Adds a color strip on edge of server icon to ease identification of the device in the rack.
Information
Displays technical
Use this information for troubleshooting and when speaking with Waves Technical Support concerning server issues.
Remove
Remove the server from the
Releases the server from the local host. It will then be available to other hosts.
Indicator
Possibilities
Function
when you assign the server to racks.
Online/Offline
Green or red
Online (green) or Offline (red)
Celsius
units in the Settings page.
each core (see below).
⏐
Menu Item/Indicator Possibilities Function
information about the server
SuperRack.

Server Status

Indicators on the icon describe server status.
Name Friendly name Double-click to rename the server. This name will appear
Server Temperature Degrees Fahrenheit or
CPU Meters Primary server only Average and Peak CPU values in numbers, and bars for
(small vertical line) Redundant server only Identifies the second (redundant) server that will become
Indicates the temperature of the CPU. Select temperature
the primary server in the event of a fault.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
58
CPU Meters
The meter bars on a server icon indicate CPU usage of each of the server’s cores. There is one meter per core.
The solid bar areas display average DSP use per core. A yellow line shows peak DSP use per core. Both indicators are color-coded.
Green Less than 75% DSP load Yellow 75%–85% DSP load Red Over 85% DSP load
A very high average indicates that the server is near its processing capacity. If this persists, use the Processing Server drop-down menu to select another server for that Rack, or remove certain plugins.
Some plugins can exhibit a high average/peak DSP ratio. This may cause overloads (momentary or constant) that result in audio drops. When adding many of these CPU-hungry plugins, the peak and average indicators will drift apart. Assign the rack’s processing to another server that has more available CPU. If this doesn’t help, you may need to disable or remove certain plugins.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
59

Routing View Panel

The Routing View panel shows the status of network connections. Each row represents a one-way patch between two devices or between a device and the main server. Use the panel to isolate connection problems stemming from errors or too much traffic. If you’re experiencing audio drops, or you see CPU overs in the Top Bar indicator, check here to troubleshoot the problem.
In this example there are seven network nodes:
• STG 1608-1 (I/O)
• MBG-1 (MADI interface)
• MBG-4 (MADI interface)
• SG Server-3
• SG Server 4
• SG server 10
• CA2000 commercial DSP engine
The first three rows show connections from the STG-1608 to three different servers. Next are connections from two MGB devices to one server. Below are the return connections from the servers to the devices. At the bottom is a connection from a server to a CA2000 all-in-one processing package.
Routing View Columns
S
OURCE DEVICE
Origin of the network connection: I/O, server, driver.
DESTINATION DEVICE
Destination of the network connection: I/O, server, driver.
CHANNELS
Number of SoundGrid channels in the connection. A SoundGrid network channel reflects a one-way trip between a device and the server or between two devices. This includes patches made in the Device-to-Device page in the Patch window, something that is not evident in the Rack or Overview windows.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
60
Note: Certain devices (e.g., IOS) incorporate a server and an I/O in one cabinet, but these components are
ERRORS
A count of the network packet errors on the connection. When an error occurs, the display flashes and the count is increased by one. Click Reset to clear the error count.
If you’re experiencing audio drops, or you see CPU overs in the Top Bar indicator, check the Routing View to
troubleshoot the problem. Some examples:
• A high CPU average load value means that the network line carrying the connection may be reaching its limit
and dropouts might occur. Reduce the number of channels on this connection to reduce the network load.
• A low CPU load, combined with audio drops, on a connection from a server might indicate the server is causing
the drops. If the server’s peak CPU is high, reduce the server load or switch to another server.
• A low load and low SoundGrid server CPU might indicate a bad cable.
• Widespread drops can indicate that the switch may be faulty.
completely independent of each other. You may choose to rename the server or I/O to avoid confusion.

Detaching the Routing View Panel

Click the Float symbol to detach the Routing View Panel and position it anywhere on the SuperRack interface. When
the panel has been detached from its original position, the Float symbol is blue.
Click anywhere else on the SuperRack window and the Routing View Panel will move backward and disappear. To
keep a panel in the foreground, click the Pin button. Click the Float symbol again to return the panel to its dock.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
61

Assigning Controllers

The Controllers slots at the bottom of the System Inventory page are used to assign up to five control devices. These
devices can be used to control SuperRack functions.
Click on a controller slot to open the drop-down menu and
select a controller protocol. All installed controller drivers appear in the list, whether the device is present or not.
Controller device status is displayed on the device icon.
N/A: Device corresponding to selected protocol is not present or not functioning properly.
On: Device is present and operational.
Once a controller is selected and functioning properly, click on the Gear button to open its control panel.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
62

Settings Page

Use the Settings page to set overall system preferences and to assign user keys that can be recalled in the Rack
and Overview windows.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
63

SETTINGS PAGE SECTIONS

SuperRack Configuration
Sets the number of racks in the session. Limiting the number of racks in a session to no more than needed makes
for a cleaner display.
Configuration is normally established when a session is created, but you can change the number of racks in an
existing session. However, if you reduce the number of racks in a session, the settings in racks that are no longer
part of the session will be discarded. Save a session under a revised name before you reduce its size.
Range: 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 racks
GUI Scaling
SuperRack’s native display resolution is 1920x1080 (HD). The Scaling control sets how the SuperRack window
relates to displays.
Non-Scaled (default): SuperRack maintains its native size, regardless of the resolution of the display or displays.
Scaled: Scales SuperRack’s interface to occupy 90% of the screen of each connected display. Aspect ratio is
maintained.
Startup Session
Determines the startup condition of the mixer:
Previous Session Loads the most recent session to the last user save.
Last State Loads the most recent session to its last state before quitting.
Empty Session Mixer opens with a blank session.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
64
Application Recovery
If SuperRack application crashes, it will re-link automatically with the server. Relinking between the host and the
server causes a brief mute. SuperRack lets you choose how this relinking will happen:
Automatic means that the application launches and connects to the server automatically.
Manual means the application launches with the session but waits for you to press the Connect button to
connect to the server. This provides control over when the relinking mute will occur.
Lock
Determines what controls cannot be altered when the Lock button in the top bar is engaged. Any combination of
these controls can be locked: plugins, routing, snapshots, and password. In addition, the entire interface (GUI)
can be locked. All selections can be protected with a password.
Meter Clip Settings
Clip Threshold determines the level at which the clip light turns red. When Clip Threshold is set below 0 dBFS, a
warning appears before clipping actually occurs.
Range: 0 dBFS to -18 dBFS,
Clip Hold: 0 seconds–5 seconds
Plugins
Rescans the plugins folder. This is useful, for example, if you download a demo plugin and you don’t want to
restart SuperRack. Use this as well when you configure a session offline.
A/B Inputs & Outputs (Link A/B Inputs and Outputs)
Each rack has inputs A and B, and outputs A and B. Linking between them means that switching from input A to
input B will switch the outputs correspondingly. When not selected, inputs and outputs act independently of each
other.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
65
Temperature Units
Selects unit for display of server CPU temperature. Range: Celsius or Fahrenheit.
History
Establishes preferences for auto-saving.
Autosave Every xx Minutes: Makes a complete copy of the current SuperRack condition at defined intervals
Range: 3 minutes–30 minutes
On Snapshot Update:
Save History Files To: Each time SuperRack does an auto-save, a new History file is created. Auto-saved files
are not deleted; new saves do not replace old saves. SuperRack provides a default location for history files:
Mac: Users/Shared/Waves Audio/SuperRack SoundGrid/history
Windows: Users\Public\Waves\SuperRack\history
Use the Browse button to select a new location. This path is saved in the session preferences.
User-saved session files are saved in the adjacent Sessions folder. Delete history files and session files using the host computer, not the SuperRack application.
Auto-save each time a snapshot is stored, recalled, or modified.
Latency Group Settings
Align All Racks Automatically
All racks are time-aligned to one delay value, which can be the main output of the mixing desk or another bus. The rack with the greatest latency sets the latency for the entire session. In this mode, individual latency groups cannot be delayed.
Align by Latency Group
Racks are members of up to 16 latency groups, which are used to align select groups. Any latency group can address latency correction in one of two ways:
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
66
Auto mode calculates latency compensation dynamically. Rack latency adjusts to match the delay of the plugin in the group with the highest latency.
Manual mode lets you set a specific delay for the group. Latency will never go above or below the specified value. You cannot insert a plugin that will result in the latency value being exceeded.
Latency Group Auto/Manual selection and latency values are set in the Patch window.
Speed of Sound
User-determined speed of sound measurement for use in delay-related calculations. Display is in meters/second.
Default: 340 meters/second
Troubleshooting
Warn Before Deleting Snapshots
If checked, a warning will appear when you attempt to delete a snapshot. Show Patch Warnings
If checked, a warning will appear when you attempt to change a patch.
Enable Logging
An activity log is constantly being updated. Enable Logging switches the log detail level from Support to Verbose. A Support-level log can be analyzed by Waves technical support for troubleshooting. A Verbose level log is intended for developers.
Log Opens the Log folder. If requested, send these files to Waves technical support for analysis.
Diagnostics
Runs a diagnostics test on your software and computer environment and creates a file, which is placed on your desktop. The Diagnostics report is used by Waves to improve the product.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
67
User Keys
In the Overview windows and the Rack window, there is a panel with 16 programmable
buttons that can be assigned to important or often-used commands. This, among other
things, lets you issue commands that are in a different window, without leaving your current
view. It also lets you immediately access certain menu items that are deep inside multi-
level, drop-down menus.
The User Keys panel can be torn off and floated to any location on the display. Click the
arrow in the top left corner of the panel to tear it off and to reattach it.
Refer to the Floating Panels
User Keys are assigned in the panel on the right side of the Settings page.
Select one of the 16 buttons, open the drop-down menu, and choose a function or
command.
section for details.
Use the buttons at the bottom of the panel to import and export user-assignable keys. Clear All removes all User Key assignments.
User Keys are recalled from the panel on the
right side of the Rack and Overview windows.
This panel can be detached and moved to
any location on those windows. User-
assignable keys can also, by default, be
recalled with keyboard Function Keys.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
68

Part 4: Patch Window

The Patch window is a grid that’s used for patching between assigned I/O devices on the SoundGrid network. It also
provides a quick way to assign racks to link groups and latency groups, and to get an overview of all group
assignments.
Patching is the same for each kind of connection—only the frame around the Patching Grid changes to match the
nature of the assignment. Making a patch involves three steps.
PATCH VIEWS: What kind of patch do
you want to make? This choice
establishes the patching framework.
PATCHING FRAMEWORK: These are
the devices and device channels or
groups available for patching, based on
the selected Patch View.
PATCHING GRID: The specific patch
points between devices or groups.

Patch Views

The Patch Views selector is on the left side of the window. Selecting a Patch View determines the category of patch.
This establishes the framework of the patch grid and sets the possibilities of what can be patched to what.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
69
I/O Device Select Click on a device icon to display or hide its channels on the
There are three Patch Views:
Device-to-Device Patching Patches between assigned I/O devices in the SoundGrid network.
Latency Groups
Assigns racks to latency groups. It provides an overview of all assignments and allows you to make latency group assignments to several racks at once.
Link Groups
Assigns racks to link groups. It provides an overview of all assignments and allows you to make link group assignments to several racks at once.

Patching Frameworks

When you select a Patching View, the frame around the Patch Grid changes to provide the connections necessary
for the type of patch selected. The Patching Framework displays the specific I/O devices and their channels, racks,
link groups, or delay groups.
1–Device-to-Device
framework. This makes for a tidier patch view.
Certain patches are not possible (e.g., a device cannot patch to itself). Should you attempt to create a patch that is
not possible, you will see this prompt:
Device name
Channel format: digital, analog
Connector: mic, line, phones, AES, S/DIF, ADAT, Core Audio, etc.
I/O Channel number A number indicates a mono channel; L or R indicates stereo.
The Device-to-Device frame displays the same I/O device information on both axes.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
70
We suggest that you hide the devices that you will not be patching to or from. This cleans up the window and prevents you from trying to patch a device to itself.
Device-to-Device patching connects devices: it is not used to patch audio to and from a rack. Audio routing to and from the racks is carried out in the Rack window and Overview windows.
If you’re using several I/O devices, the list of device icons may spread beyond the frame. Use the arrow buttons to scroll the device list left and right or up and down.
2–Latency Groups
Use the Latency Groups framework to assign racks to latency groups, define the group’s behavior, and assign delay
values per rack. Latency is discussed in the next section, Managing Latency in SuperRack.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
71
Rack Number
3–Link Groups
When racks are linked, the identical controls of all members of the group move together. Variable controls are linked
relatively. If controls are set to different values before they are linked, they will move together, and their offsets will be
preserved.
Controls that are linked:
• A/B input and output selection
• Input and output gain
• Plugin In/Out
• Mute
Plugin controls are not linked.
There are 16 link groups. Any link group can include up to 64 racks, depending on the size of the session, but a single
rack can be a member of only one link group. The Patch window is an easy way to assign racks to link groups and to
gain an overview of all link patches in the session.
Rack Name
Link Group On/Off Suspends the link group.
Link Group Name Double-click to rename.
You can also use the Link Groups Assignment drop-down menu to assign the selected rack to one of sixteen link groups.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
72

Patch Grid

This is where patches are made between devices and racks are assigned to latency groups and link groups. All
patches follow the same conventions.
To create or remove one patch Click on a patch point
To create a straight line of patches Drag vertically, horizontally, or diagonally
To create noncontiguous patches Hold Cmd (Mac) or Ctrl (PC) and click on
the patch points

OTHER PATCH CONTROLS

Click Clear All to remove all patches in a view. This cannot be undone.
Click the + and – buttons to zoom in and out of the Patch Grid.
Use the scrollbars at the bottom and right sides to move beyond the visible image.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
73

Managing Latency in SuperRack

Latency is the delay imposed by the rack’s processing chain. Plugin processing is the most common cause of latency.
Many plugins have zero latency, others a moderate amount, and some have a great deal. These signals must be
time-aligned at the rack’s output, otherwise the signals will be out of sync with each other.
Use the Latency Groups framework in the Patch window to assign racks to latency groups, define the group’s
behavior, and assign delay values per rack. You can also assign a rack to a latency group in the Top Bar.
R
ACK NUMBER
ACK NAME
R

LATENCY GROUP ON/OFF

Turning off a latency group suspends it from latency compensation calculations.

LATENCY GROUP NAME

Double-click to rename the group

ASSIGNMENT MODE

Auto: Group latency is calculated automatically. It varies depending on the latency of plugins in the group.
Manual: In this mode, you can assign a latency value to the latency group.

LATENCY GROUP VALUE

In the Manual Assignment mode, this setting provides a fixed group latency. Group latency will never be less or
more than this value. This value box is disabled in the Auto Assignment Mode.

DELAY CALCULATION UNIT

Unit of measurement used for displaying the delay of a latency group. This selection does not affect the value, only the display. The delay value can be entered in samples, milliseconds, feet, or meters.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
74
100 samples
45 samples
45 samples
3
+0 samples
+55 samples
+97 samples
3
45 samples
100 samples
45 samples
100 samples
Align Plugins in a Rack

Latency Compensation

Latency compensation assures that signals are time-aligned, regardless of how they are processed or routed. Depending on settings, SuperRack can compensate for latency differences in three different ways:
• Align the plugins within a rack
• Align the racks in a latency group
• Align every rack and plugin to one delay group
ALIGNING PLUGINS IN A RACK
The diagram below illustrates one rack with three plugins. Each plugin has a different latency, so the plugins are not time-aligned in the rack. Latency compensation delays the plugins with the least latencies (in this case, plugin #2 and plugin #3) to match the plugin with the greatest latency (plugin #1). In this example, plugin #2 was delayed by an additional 55 samples and plugin #2 an additional 97 samples. The three plugins in the rack are now aligned with each other. The rack reports a latency of 100 samples.
Plugin #1
Plugin #2
Plugin #3 3 samples
100 samples
You can remove individual plugins from the rack’s latency compensation calculations. This is done in the plugin’s drop-down menu. Turning off a plugin’s latency compensation does not affect its actual latency: it merely takes it out of latency calculations. If, in the example above, plugin #1 is removed from latency compensation, the rack will report a latency of only 45 samples. Plugin #1 will still have a latency of 100 samples, but it will not affect the latencies of the other plugins in the rack.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
75

Latency Groups

A latency group is a collection of racks whose delays are controlled together, whether for latency compensation or
group delay. Assign racks to latency groups using the Latency Groups drop-down menu in the Top Bar or the Patch
Window, Latency Group page.
Plugins and racks can be aligned to one common latency or assigned to latency groups. This
is selected in the Settings page.
Align all Racks Together Latency compensation is calculated across the entire session; all racks are time-aligned
together. Latency for the entire session is calculated based on the rack with the greatest latency.
Align by Latency Groups Several racks can be combined to form up to 16 latency groups. All of the racks in a
latency group are time aligned with each other, so that when their signals return to the sound card or interface, they
are all in sync. There are, in addition, two modes within the Align by Latency Groups setting. Latency groups can be
delayed so that racks can be sent to specific I/Os and their delays controlled.
Align by Latency Groups offers two modes for managing each latency group. Choose between these modes in the
Patch window (Patch>Latency Groups).
Auto mode calculates latency compensation dynamically. Rack latency adjusts to match the delay of the plugin in
the group with the highest latency.
Manual mode lets you set a specific delay for the group. Latency will never go above or below the specified
value. You cannot insert a plugin if it will result in this latency value being exceeded. To manually set a group’s
latency value, toggle the Auto/Manual button to Manual. Double-click on the value box to enter a number.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
76
132 samples
100 samples
8 samples
132 samples
100 samples
+32 samples
+0 samples
+124 samples
Align Racks in a Latency Group

Latency Group Alignment

In the earlier example, three plugins in a rack were time aligned so that all were in sync at the rack output. In the
following example, three racks are assigned to a latency group. All of the racks are latency corrected internally, but
each rack has its own latency, so they must be time aligned.
This latency group consists of three racks. Rack #1 has a latency of 100 samples. This is the rack that we aligned in
the previous example. Rack #13 and Rack #27 have lower latencies.
Rack #1
Rack #13
Rack #27
8
Delay was added to Rack #1 and Rack #27 to align with rack #13, the rack with the greatest latency. The resulting
Latency Group delay is 132 samples.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
77

Part 5: Rack Window

The Rack window is used to control all the settings of a rack. It presents the complete interface of any plugin in the
rack (up to eight altogether). This enables convenient assignment of input and output I/Os; and it provides for
rearranging plugin sequence in a rack, thus altering processing signal flow.
There’s a lot of overlap between the Rack window and the Overview windows, but they are used differently. The
Overview windows show a condensed view of an entire layer of racks so that you can quickly interpret and manage
several racks at once. The Rack window, on the other hand, presents you with everything you need to set up and
control one rack. Use it to set every detail of a rack
The window is divided into four sections.
Input Section
Select input set A or B, assign
I/O channels, and adjust input level. Rack input format is established here.
Plugins Chainer
Add up to eight plugins and external inserts. Control latency compensation and recall safe.
Plugin Pane
Displays the complete plugin interface.
Output section
Control rack output routing to I/Os; Control output gain.
Hot Plugins Panel
Hot Plugins provide direct access to user-selected plugins.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
78

Selecting a Rack

The Rack window is all about controlling a specific selected rack, so you need to be able to get to it quickly. There are three ways to do this:
• Use the Racks drop-down menu to navigate directly to a Rack (Top Bar).
• Use the arrows next to the Rack Name box to move up and down the rack, one rack at a time (Top Bar).
• Select a rack in the Overview window. Touch the plugin icon to open the complete interface.

Rack Input Section

The Input Strip on the left side of the interface is used to select inputs, choose I/O devices, control input gain, and bypass the rack.
Input I/O Source Select Choose from any assigned I/O device, anywhere on the SoundGrid system.
Processing Server Select the server that will be used by this Rack for plugins processing.
Input Set Select Choose between two input sets, A and B. This is useful, for example, in a situation where two
mixers share the same SuperRack, or when different songs use different channels on the main consoles (e.g., singer has moved to another mic). It is also a convenient way to switch between a virtual soundcheck and the show.
The full-scale Input Meter displays post-input-trim gain. The number of meter bars reflects the format of the input I/O device. The meter turns red when the input level is clipping. Adjust clip threshold in the Settings page.
The Input Gain Knob controls the rack input level. The position of the input knob is shown in the value box. Range: -18 dB to +18 dB.
The In button bypasses the rack’s plugin processing. The rack still passes audio.
Green: rack on; Gray: rack off.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
79

ASSIGNING RACK INPUTS

Rack input is assigned at the top of the rack. The number and format of I/O device channels routed to the rack
determine its configuration and define which plugins can be used.
To assign I/O device channels to a rack:
Use the Input A/B Select button to choose between the two input sets for each rack. Inputs A and B can patch to different device channels, but they must have the same channel formats.
Click the down arrow to open the drop-down Input Menu. Select the input format (e.g., mono, stereo, 5.1, 7.1).
This sets the number of device I/O channels patched to the rack input and establishes the format of the rack. Some plugins do not have components for all rack chainer formats. Test your plugins with the formats you want to use before you configure lots of tracks. If the plugin does not have a component with the desired format, select another track format or choose another plugin to resolve the problem.
Choose an I/O device. Only devices that can provide the requested number of I/O channels are listed.
Select the range of I/O device channels for the input patch.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
80
Set the channel format (L-C-R-S, L-CL-C-CR-LS-RS-LFE, etc.), if applicable. This defines how channels are arranged in the stream. For example, the 5.0 channel stream as shown above can be formatted as L-C-R-Ls-Rs, L-R-C-Ls-Rs, or L-R-Ls-Rs-C. This sequence is displayed at the top of the meter.
Rack input and output do not need to be the same format, but they must be compatible. Some plugins do not have components for all rack formats, so check to see if the plugin has the component you want before committing to a rack format. If you attempt to patch a device channel that is patched elsewhere, you will be prompted. You can accept the new configuration (which will remove the current patches) or select Cancel and try patching to different I/O channels.
The input is now set, as is the structure of the rack. You can later change the number of input channels in the rack, but this will disable plugins that do not have components that support the new channel configuration and may alter the output format.

Rack Output Section

The output section controls rack output level and assigns I/O devices to the rack output.
I/O Channel Select
Choose an output channel from any assigned I/O device, anywhere on the SoundGrid network.
Latency Display
Shows the total latency of the Rack. Output A/B
A rack output can be patched to two separate I/O devices. This is useful, for example, in a festival environment where there are two console sets and you need to quickly switch from one to the other. Device I/O patching must be identical for both rack output sets.
Output Meter
Full-scale output meters. The number of meter bars reflects the format of the output I/O (e.g., stereo, 5.1,
7.0, etc.); range: -INF to 0 dBFS.
Adjustable peak and clip indicators. Peak and clip behavior set in the Settings menu. Click on the meter to clear indicators manually.
Rack Output Control: Range: -18 dB to +18 dB
Mute: mutes the rack.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
81

ASSIGNING RACK OUTPUTS

Rack outputs are assigned in the same manner as rack inputs. A single rack output can patch to several device I/Os.
Open the Output Device drop-down menu.
Select an output format. Choosing an
output format that is incompatible with the input will change the input to a format compatible with the new output format setting.
Select a device. The I/O channel that is
currently patched to this rack is shown at the top of the menu. Click on this name to open the control panel for this device.
Select the output device I/O channels. If
Repeat this procedure for all I/O channels. Rack input and output do not need to be the same format, but they must be compatible. Many plugins do not have components for all rack formats, so test plugin compatibility before committing to a rack format.
you select device channels that are already patched to another rack, you will be prompted to change the routing or cancel the rerouting.
Set the channel format (e.g., L-C-R-S, L-
CL-C-CR-LS-RS-LFE, etc.) if applicable.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
82

Routing Racks Automatically

SuperRack can automatically route input and output I/O channels to each rack in a session. Routing
begins at the first rack, which will be patched to the first available I/O device channel. Patching
continues until all racks in the session are routed or all I/O channels have been assigned.
If a SuperRack system has more than one I/O device assigned, the order of the devices in the
Inventory determines the sequence in which I/O channels will patch to the racks. When the first I/O
has routed all of its channels, patching continues with the next device.
I/O channels are patched into existing rack configurations, so you need to set the number of input
and output channels before you start the auto-route routine.
1. Select a SuperRack template that loads the desired framework, void of patches—just the rack structure. If you don’t have a template that matches your needs, follow these steps to create an auto-route template:
a. Create a session with the desired rack input/output configuration and number of tracks.
If your hardware I/O devices are not assigned in your SuperRack Inventory, use offline devices to build a framework. Make sure that your plugins have components that will support a rack’s configuration.
b. Once you’ve routed I/O channels to provide the framework you want, select “None” in
the input and output drop-down menus.
c. Save the session as a template.
d. Load the template.
2. Click Auto Route to patch the session automatically.
If you want to create a blank session in which all racks are mono-in and mono-out, select “New” in the
Sessions page of the Show window.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
83

Selecting a Server Group

You can define which server group a Rack will use for processing. This lets you distribute processing load between servers and increase overall processing potential. The Server Select menu is located in the input section.
1. Select a Rack and open the Processing Server drop­down menu. The list displays the following information:
a. Server group letter b. Server name (“friendly name” if you have renamed the
server) c. Peak CPU value d. Average CPU value across all cores.
2. Choose a server group for the Rack’s plugin processing. Server group A is the default selection.
When you change the server group selection of a Rack that is a member of a link group, all other Racks in the link group will change their server selection correspondingly.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
84
Note: Adding, removing, disabling, or moving a plugin changes the structure of the rack, which can result in a

Inserting a Plugin

1. Click the arrow on a rack slot to open the Plugins menu. Use this menu to add, remove, and manage plugins.
2. Choose a plugin from the Plugin List; its icon will appear in the slot. The list of available plugins is organized by category. Long category lists are divided into groups of about 20 plugins.
The format of the Input I/O device sets the input format of the rack, and hence the plugins that you can use. If,
for example, the format of the Input I/O is 5.1, then only the plugins that support this channel input format will
be displayed in the plugins list.
If you change the rack’s input format while plugins are
installed in the chainer, the plugins will seek a way to
remain active. If a plugin has a component that can suit
the new rack format, that component will load.
If an appropriate component is not available, the plugin will be
disabled.
brief audio mute. Do not make these changes when an audio interruption is unacceptable. Wait until there is a pause in the performance. Bypassing a plugin or changing its parameters can be done at any time.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
85
Displays plugin latency. Total rack latency is displayed above the input meter.
Indicates that the plugin is receiving a sidechain signal and its sidechain is active.

Plugins Chainer

You can insert plugins in any slot, in any order. Plugin chainer signal flow is from top to bottom, so plugin sequence
determines processing order. Drag a plugin up or down the rack to change its place in the signal flow. Plugin status
is indicated directly on the plugin and on the rack slot frame, as shown here:
Plugin Name Name is abbreviated if necessary.
Plugin Icon
Open Plugin Menu Use the menu to access all plugin management items.
Plugin Latency Indicator
Plugin Output Meter
Sidechain Enabled
Plugin Recall Safe The plugin is in a snapshot-safe mode.
Mono-to-Stereo Plugin
Plugin In/Out
Hot Plugin is Assigned Indicates that the plugin has been assigned to a hot plugin position.
External Insert Provides up to 32 insert points for external processors.
Displays thumbnail of plugin interface. Click on the icon to open the plugin.
Includes clipping indicator. Number of meters indicates the number of rack output channels.
Inserting a plugin that has a different number of inputs than outputs will change the channel format on all subsequent plugins (see next page).
Turns the plugin on or off. It does not remove it from the processing chain.
Disabled Plugin
Empty Plugin Slot Click on the down arrow to assign a plugin to the slot.
Plugin is removed from CPU. Plugin settings are restored when the plugin is reenabled.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
86
Rack output is 5.1.
Stereo rack meters
All plugins in the
Stereo-to-5.1 plugin
Stereo plugins

Plugins Can Change the Rack Size

While it’s true that the number of channels in a rack is defined by its input, certain plugins increase the channel
count of the chainer. In a rack that is configured as stereo, stereo plugins will be used to populate the chainer—
simple. Certain plugins, however, allow you to increase or decrease the number of rack channels. The most common
examples are mono-to-stereo reverb plugins, but there are also larger-format up-mixing and down-mixing plugins. In
the example below, a stereo-to-5.1 plugin is inserted in the middle of the chainer. All plugins earlier in the signal flow
(above) will remain stereo. Plugins later in the chain are 5.1, and the rack output is in one of the 5.1 formats.
Moving an up-mixing or down-mixing plugin up or down the
chain will affect the plugins that are inserted after it. If, for
example, you move a stereo-to-5.1 plugin to a slot above
an existing stereo plugin, the stereo plugin will become
disabled.
chainer after the stereo-to-5.1 plugin can only be 5.1 format.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
87

Plugin Pane

Click on a plugin icon to open its plugin pane. This view shows a plugin’s entire user
interface, from which you can control all plugin settings.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
88

Managing Plugins

The Plugin Menu

The Plugin menu is used to insert, remove, assign, and manage a selected plugin. It is also used to copy plugins and plugin settings between racks and between rack slots. Plugin menu settings affect only the selected plugin slot. To manage presets for an entire rack, use the Racks menu in the Top Bar. To learn more about using the Top Bar, refer to Part 2: The Top Bar (beginning on page 22).
The Plugin menu is accessed with the arrow at the top of a rack slot.
BASIC PLUGIN MENU
If a plugin slot is empty, the Plugin menu looks like this. It’s used for four things:
Insert a plugin from the Plugin List
Paste a copied plugin and its preset
Learn current latency for the entire rack
Add external inserts to the rack
All other menu items are grayed out.
PLUGIN LIST
The Plugin List is a drop-down menu that lists all available plugins. Only plugins that have components compatible with the current rack format are displayed. If, for example, the rack is 5.0 channels, you will not be given the choice of loading a Q10 or WNS or similar plugins, since they do not have 5.0 components.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
89
PASTE [PLUGIN NAME]
Pastes a copied plugin and its settings to an empty slot or replaces the plugin that occupies the slot. In certain
circumstances it is possible to paste a preset into an existing plugin (see Paste [plugin name] Preset below).
RACK LATENCY
Indicates the total latency of all plugins and external inserts in the rack. If no latency is declared, the text is grayed
out.
EXTERNAL INSERT
Add external inserts to a plugin rack.
EXPANDED PLUGIN MENU
Once a plugin has been inserted in a rack slot, an expanded menu replaces the basic menu.
Plugin List
Plugin Section
Presets Section
Latency Section
External Inserts, Recall-Safe, and Set Hot Plugin Section
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
90
Plugin Section
BYPASS
Bypasses the plugin while keeping it in the processing chain. This serves the same function as the IN button on the
rack slot.
ENABLE/DISABLE PLUGIN
Removes the plugin from the processing chain without deleting it from the rack. Disabling a plugin removes its
latency from the rack. It also frees up processing power. You can re-enable the plugin without losing its settings,
controls, or automation assignments. When a plugin is disabled, its name will remain visible above the slot and its
icon will be replaced with DISABLED. You can also disable and enable a plugin by clicking its rack slot while holding
down the Ctrl key.
REMOVE PLUGIN
Deletes the plugin from the rack slot. All settings and control assignments are lost. You can also remove a plugin by
dragging it off the plugin pane.
COPY
Copies the plugin and its settings. This enables pasting the plugin and its current settings to another rack slot. There
are two paste options: Paste [plugin name] and Paste [plugin name] Preset.
PASTE [PLUGIN NAME]
Pastes the copied plugin and its settings to an empty slot or replaces the plugin that occupies the slot. In certain
circumstances it is possible to paste a preset into an existing plugin (see Paste [plugin name] Preset below).
ENABLE SIDECHAIN
Enables or disables the plugin’s sidechain key input when an active sidechain is patched to an appropriate plugin.
Sidechain sources are established at the top of the Plugin Pane. Plugins with an active sidechain have a drop-down
menu (S/C) that patches the sidechain source.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
91
Plugin Presets
PASTE [PLUGIN NAME] PRESET
Pastes presets from a copied plugin to another plugin in the same family (e.g., Q10 to Q6, or L1 Ultramaximizer to L1
Limiter, etc.). This does not replace the plugin, only the presets.
You cannot copy and paste presets between plugins that are not in the same family of plugins. You can, for example,
paste a preset from L3 Multimaximizer to L3LL Multimaximizer, but you can’t paste that L3 Multimaximizer preset to L1
Limiter or SSL G Channel. If it’s not possible to paste a preset to a plugin, the Paste [plugin name] Preset menu item will
not be available.
UPDATE PLUGIN STATE TO SNAPSHOT(S)
Updates the current plugin’s settings in selected snapshots
in the current session. A dialog lets you select the
snapshot(s) you want to update.
Latency Section
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
92
Latency Section
LATENCY
Indicates the delay introduced by the plugin or external insert, displayed in samples and milliseconds.
RACK LATENCY
Indicates the total latency of all plugins and inserts in the rack. If no latency is declared by any of the plugins in the
rack, both latency menu items will be grayed out. Rack latency is also displayed on the output panel.
LATENCY COMPENSATION ON/OFF
Removes the highlighted plugin from the rack’s latency compensation calculations. This is useful if you have one or
more plugins with unusually large latencies and you don’t want to delay the entire rack to match these “slow”
plugins. Turning off latency compensation does not eliminate the plugin’s delay, so it may become out of sync with
the rest of the rack.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
93

External Inserts

You can add external inserts to a plugin rack. An external insert follows the same routing path as plugins and can be
moved up and down the rack to change its position in the processing chain.
Using an External Insert
Choose a plugin slot in the rack.
Select External Inserts from the Plugin Menu.
Choose an available insert from the menu.
Click on the External Insert icon to open the control page.
Select the physical send and return I/Os using the drop-down menus.
I/Os must be compatible with the rack configuration.
Use the Device cell to rename the insert, if needed. Use the Insert drop-
down menu to move between inserts. If no send is assigned, the insert
will be bypassed. It remains in the rack and its place in the processing
chain is unchanged.
A multi-channel full-scale meter indicates the level of the return signal.
The Latency knob is used to adjust the amount of delay added to the signal returning from the external device.
Unlike a plugin, an external insert does not declare its delay to the latency compensation engine, so this must be
done manually.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
94

Recall-Safe Plugin

Note: Repositioning a plugin requires the rack to re-clock, which may result in a click or dropout. Do not move
Recall-Safe Plugin prevents plugin parameter changes during snapshot changes. In this mode,
the plugin is unaffected by snapshot changes, even if the plugin is within the scope of a snapshot
change and has not been set as recall-safe in the Show window (see Show window > Recall
Safe).
Recall Safe is indicated with a green Safe indicator beneath the plugin icon.

Plugin Position in the Rack

Drag a plugin or external insert icon up or down the rack to change its position in
the processing chain.
In this example, an API-560 EQ is in slot #3. Slide its icon to slot #1 and the
other plugins will ripple downward. This will alter the plugin’s place in the signal
flow and will likely alter its relationship with the other plugins in the rack.
plugins at times when this is not acceptable. Bypassing a plugin or changing its parameters can be done at any time.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
95

Touch and Slide Control

Any control can be adjusted with the Touch and Slide control, which is right of the plugin pane. This includes
SuperRack controls such as Input Gain, as well as plugin controls.
Touch a controller to assign it to the Touch and Slide controller.
The name of the control being moved by the controller is shown in the bottom value box. The control’s value is shown at the top.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
96

Rack Presets

Presets for one entire rack—input, plugins chainer, plugins settings, and output—are managed from the Racks drop-
down menu, which is in the Top Bar. Functions include:
• Load factory presets
• Create, load, and export user presets
• Save presets
• Copy, paste, and rename presets
• Update rack to preset
• Turn rack recall-safe on or off
The Racks menu is described in Part 2: Top Bar
.

HOT PLUGINS PANEL

Click on a plugin icon in the Hot Panel to instantly access its plugin pane. Up to twelve plugins can be assigned to the panel. Hot Plugins can be within the scope of a snapshot, so you can have a different panel configuration for each snapshot. Scope and Recall Safe are set in the Show window.
Right-click on a hot plugin to remove it from the current snapshot or from all snapshots.
Hot Plugins panel can be shown as icons or meters. To change between view modes, click the blue meter icon on the right side of the panel.
A detached Hot Plugin panel can be displayed in a horizontal or vertical orientation. Click the ladder icon on the left side of the panel to toggle between these views. The plugin’s name and rack number are shown above the icon.
Assign a plugin to the Hot Plugin panel in the Rack Window chainer (right). Open the plugin’s drop-down menu and select a Hot Plugin panel position from the drop-down menu.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
97
NOTE: Racks in the Overview window are controlled in the same way as in the Racks view—only their layouts

Part 6: Overview Windows

The Overview windows provide a side-by-side view of every rack in a session. From here you can easily see the condition of all your racks and control them. All rack functions, except plugin settings and input and output A/B selections, can be controlled directly from the Overview window. Complete plugin interfaces can be accessed with one click.
Two Overview windows
There are two identical Overview windows: Overview 1 and Overview 2. Having two windows lets you view and control two different modes or two different layers at the same time. You can, for example, set one view on Rack mode, Layer 17–32, and the other to Dugan mode, Layer 1–16. This is a fast and efficient way to control your racks.
Rack controls
• Rack input and output routing
• Input and output level adjust
• Rack In/Out (bypass)
• Plugins: insert, remove, bypass, disable, load, save, copy, and paste presets
• Click on a plugin’s icon to open its plugin pane for complete control. This also opens that rack’s Rack window.
• Mute rack
Rack displays
• Input and output meters. The number of bars in the input and output meters reflects the number of channels in the rack’s I/O device patching.
• Plugins chainer
• Rack latency
• Rack link group and latency group assignments
Rack signal flow is from top to bottom.
are different. With that in mind, this chapter provides only what is required to patch audio through a rack, control levels, and insert and access plugins. To learn more about controlling a rack and its plugins, refer to
Part 5: Rack Window (pages 77–84).
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
98
Overview Window—Sections
The Overview window is divided into three logical sections: One determines which racks are displayed and available
for control, another section sets what kind of action will be applied to the racks, and then there are the racks
themselves, where processing is done.
Layers
A SuperRack session can have up to 64 racks. These racks are organized into four layers of racks, each with 16
visible racks. This organization is typical of digital mixing consoles. There are three types of layers:
• Four 16-rack Factory layers. These provide complete control of each visible rack.
• A Wide View in which you can view and control all of the racks at once, up to 64 racks. This affords complete
oversight, but it offers less controls per rack.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
99
• A multi-page Custom layer that enables you to create a layer consisting of any combination of racks, in any order.
Modes
A mode determines what sort of processing is currently being controlled on the racks: Plugin (Rack) processing or
Dugan Speech automixer processing. Mode selection affects only the center section. It does not affect Input or
Output settings, cue, mute, or meters. The Rack mode presents an eight-plugin chainer for each rack.
The Dugan Speech automixer is a processor used to control several microphones in situations where many people
are talking, possibly several at the same time. It’s described at the end of this chapter.
Racks
These are the chainers where plugins are inserted and controlled.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
100

Layers

Factory Layers

Use the Layers buttons to choose one of the four factory layers. A factory layer can have up to 16 racks.
The number of racks in a session, and therefore the number of layers, is configured in the Settings page.
Inactive layers or parts of layers are empty.
We suggest that you create a session whose size approximately matches the number racks you will be
using. Unnecessary layers don’t do you any good and can be distracting.
Active layer buttons have small output meters with peak indicators for each rack. Click on the
button to clear the indicator.
The sequence of racks in a factory layer is fixed.

Custom Layers

To re-sequence rack order or combine racks from several layers in one view, create Custom layers. Each of the four
custom layer pages can house up to 16 racks. Racks from any factory layer can be combined in custom layers. This
lets you change the sequence of racks in a layer or combine racks from several layers into one custom view.
Double-click on a custom layer page to rename it.
SuperRack SoundGrid / User Guide
Loading...
Buy Points How it Works FAQ Contact Us Questions and Suggestions Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms of Use