WSG HY-128 User manual

User Guide
WSG HY-128

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Compliance Information
FCC INFORMATION (U.S.A.)
IMPORTANT NOTICE: DO NOT MODIFY THIS UNIT!
This product, when installed as indicated in the instructions contained in this manual, meets FCC requirements.
Modifications not expressly approved by Yamaha may void your authority, granted by the FCC, to use the product.
Important:
When connecting this product to accessories and/ or another product use only high-quality shielded cables. Cable/s
supplied with this product MUST be used.
Follow all installation instructions. Failure to follow instructions could void your FCC authorization to use this product in the
USA.
Note:
This product has been tested and found to comply with the requirements listed in FCC Regulations, Part 15 for Class “B”
digital devices. Compliance with these requirements provides a reasonable level of assurance that your use of this product
in a residential environment will not result in harmful interference with other electronic devices. This equipment
generates/uses radio frequencies and, if not installed and used according to the instructions found in the user manual, may
cause interference harmful to the operation of other electronic devices. Compliance with FCC regulations does not
guarantee that interference will not occur in all installations. If this product is found to be the source of interference, which
can be determined by turning the unit “OFF” and “ON”, please try to eliminate the problem by using one of the following
measures: This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
a. This device may not cause harmful interference.
b. This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause
undesired operation.
See user manual instructions if interference to radio reception is suspected.

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Precautions
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING.
Please keep this manual for future reference.
WARNING
Always follow the basic precautions listed below to avoid the possibility of serious injury or even death from electrical
shock, short--‐circuiting, damages, fire or other hazards. These precautions include, but are not limited to, the following:
•Before installing the card in an audio device, please check to make sure that the device is compatible with the card
and check possible restrictions regarding the maximum number of Yamaha and third-party expansion cards that can
be simultaneously installed. Refer to the owner’s manual supplied with the audio device and/or the Yamaha Pro
Audio website at www.yamahaproaudio.com.
•Do not install the card in any Yamaha products not specified by Yamaha for use with the card, to avoid possible
electrical shock, fire, or equipment damage.
•Do not attempt to disassemble or modify the card. Do not apply excessive force to card connectors or other card
components.
•Mishandling of the card may lead to shock, fire hazard, or equipment failure.
•Be sure to disconnect the power cable of the host device before installing the card and connecting/disconnecting the
cables (in order to eliminate shock hazard, undesired noise, and avoid equipment damage).
•Turn off all peripheral devices connected to the host device before installation; unplug all related cables.
•Be sure to properly ground the host device to prevent electrical shock and/or malfunction.
•Do not touch the metallic leads (pins) of the circuit board when handling the card.
•Wear heavy gloves during installation to avoid scratching or cutting your hands on sharp edges.
•Avoid touching exposed connectors and metal parts to minimize the possibility of bad connections.
•Drain all static electricity from your clothing and body before handling the card. Touch an exposed metal part of the
host device or other grounded object beforehand. Static electricity can damage the card.
•Do not drop the card or subject it to physical shock as this can result in breakage and/or malfunction.
•Do not drop screws or other small parts inside the card. If power is applied while screws or similar metal objects are
loose inside the unit, the card may malfunction or be damaged. If you cannot retrieve dropped objects yourself, refer
the problem to qualified Yamaha service personnel.

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• The illustrations as shown in this Owner’s Manual are for instructional purposes only and may be different from the
ones on your equipment.
• The company names and product names in this user guide are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective companies.

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Contents
HARDWARE AND CONNECTIONS ..................................................................................................................................... 7
GETTING STARTED ............................................................................................................................................................ 8
Connect the Hardware ...................................................................................................................................................... 8
One I/O .......................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Add I/Os ......................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Download and Install Software ........................................................................................................................................ 10
Configure the System ...................................................................................................................................................... 11
Manual Device Configuration ....................................................................................................................................... 12
Automatic Device Configuration .................................................................................................................................. 12
Device Firmware .......................................................................................................................................................... 13
Identify a Device on the SoundGrid Network ............................................................................................................... 13
WSG-HY128 CONTROL PANEL ........................................................................................................................................ 14
Clock Page ...................................................................................................................................................................... 15
System Info Page and About Page ................................................................................................................................. 17
Presets ............................................................................................................................................................................ 17
USING AN I/O DEVICE WITH A DAW ............................................................................................................................... 18
Waves Inc
2800 Merchants Drive, Knoxville, TN 37912 USA
1-865-909-9200
www.waves.com

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Introduction
WSG-HY128 is an HY interface card that enables Waves plugins to run on Yamaha Rivage PM series consoles, using
Waves SoundGrid technology. The WSG-HY128 lets you process up to 128 channels of audio using award-winning
Waves reverbs, equalizers, compressors, limiters, delays, and more. You can also assign additional SoundGrid I/O
devices to your network.
The WSG-HY128 card uses Waves SoundGrid protocol to connect all I/O devices to the DSP server and the host
computer. Audio and clock data are carried over an Ethernet cable, using Sync-over-Ethernet to synchronize multiple
consoles and perform digital splits.
SoundGrid is the Waves high-speed networking protocol for moving audio, clock, and other information between a host
system and I/O devices—and between I/O devices themselves. A SoundGrid host configures the network, assigning
servers and I/O devices to mix, process, or record, depending on the host. SoundGrid devices link to the SoundGrid
network with standard Ethernet cable.
SoundGrid is scalable. Connect one I/O device to a DAW and you have a high-quality sound card. Add more I/Os and
your system becomes more flexible and powerful. Depending on the host application, a SoundGrid host can assign up to
sixteen I/O devices. Complete SoundGrid systems can be networked together to share devices.
Add a server to a SoundGrid system to offload plugin processing from the host CPU to a SoundGrid DSP server. This
dramatically increases processing power and enables greater plugin counts, as well as providing very low system
latency.

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The WSG-HY128 card has one SoundGrid
Ethernet port and LEDs to indicate operation
status.
Hardware and Connections
Link/Activity indicator LED
Link/Activity = Flashing green
GigE (Gigabyte Connection Indicator) = Solid orange
Please note: the card will connect only to 1000 Base-T (Gigabit) Ethernet equipment.
Network Status LED:
SoundGrid network found = Blue
SoundGrid network not found = Flashing red
Firmware update in progress = Yellow
Hardware error = White
Device ID mode = Cycling colors
Power indicator

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Getting Started
Configure SoundGrid and assign your devices as follows, however large or small your system.
Connect the hardware.
Install the software.
Configure your system.
Connect the Hardware
One I/O
In this example, the single WSG-HY128 Ethernet port is used to connect the console to the SoundGrid host application’s
SoundGrid ASIO/Core Audio driver for plugin processing and/or DAW playback/recording. The interface is connected
directly to the host using a Cat 5e Ethernet cable or better.
Host computer running SoundGrid application
Yamaha console with WSG-HY128 Interface card
The host computer’s LAN port that’s connected to the SoundGrid network should be used for SoundGrid only. Do not
share this port with the internet or other networks.
In this configuration, all plugin processing is carried out on the host computer. The speed and power of the host defines
overall latency.

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Add I/Os
Adding SoundGrid I/O devices not only increases the number of I/O channels, but lets you have separate devices for
stage and FOH, or live room and control room. When you have more than one device in the SoundGrid network, use
a "star" network configuration with a 1GB Ethernet switch. Only use switches tested and approved by Waves.
Host computer
Yamaha console with WSG-HY128 card
Additional SoundGrid I/O
1GB Ethernet switch
See this support article for a list of supported switches.
You can connect and assign up to 16 SoundGrid I/O devices to the network, depending on the SoundGrid host
application. You can also add more computers to enable streaming between hosts.
ADD A SERVER
To add a server to your SoundGrid system, just connect it to the Ethernet switch and configure it in your host application.
This moves all DSP processing from the host computer to the server, which provides a higher plugin count and enables
the eMotion LV1 and ST mixers. Visit the waves.com hardware pages to learn more about SoundGrid servers. Consult
your SoundGrid host application’s user guide to learn about using servers.

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Download and Install Software
INSTALLING A NEW SOUNDGRID HOST SYSTEM
Installing the Waves SoundGrid host application will also install applicable device drivers and ASIO/Core Audio
drivers. Your devices will appear in the Inventory of your host system. If a device is not visible in the Inventory, you
may need to install a specific driver from Waves Central—please see below. First, however, check the device’s
connections and power.
ADDING AN I/O DEVICE TO AN EXISTING SOUNDGRID HOST SYSTEM
If you are already using a Waves SoundGrid host application and your device does not appear in the Network
Devices list, use Waves Central to update the host application, which also updates the device drivers—or install just
the missing device driver from Waves Central.1
Waves Central
All Waves software is downloaded and installed via the Waves Central application. To install a specific device
driver, launch Waves Central and follow these steps:
Choose All Products
Search for the driver by name
Choose the driver and click Instal.
If you are new to Waves products, begin by downloading the Waves Central installer from the Waves Download
Page. See the Waves Central User Guide for instructions on how to install drivers, plugins, and applications.
LICENSES
You do not need a license to use this device. However, many hosts or specific host configurations do require a license.
Refer to your host’s product page for details.
1The SoundGrid QRec host is installed with any I/O.

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Configure the System
A SoundGrid network is configured and devices are assigned in a host’s Setup window. At the heart of this window are
racks where devices are assigned. Any compatible device that’s part of the host’s SoundGrid network will be available for
assignment. This collection of devices is called the Inventory. Setup is similar with all hosts: identify the host’s LAN port,
select a device slot, and use the drop-down menu to choose an available device.
Please consult the user guide of your host application for specific instructions.
§
All SoundGrid devices are configured in a similar manner. Throughout this section, we show DiGiGrid IOS as an example.
SoundGrid QRec
SoundGrid Studio Setup Window

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Manual Device Configuration
You can assign, remove, and manage a device manually. Click on the plus or arrow
symbol in a device slot to open the Device Menu, then select a device.
Any device not already used will be available for assignment. If no other
devices are assigned, the current device will become your clock master.
Drivers and servers are assigned in the same manner.
See the user guide of your host system for specific instructions on device
assignment and I/O channel patching.
Automatic Device Configuration
Certain SoundGrid hosts—including SoundGrid Studio, eMotion LV1 or SuperRack SoundGrid—offer an Auto-
Config tool. Once your devices are connected and powered up, click Auto Config to start the configuration.
Auto-Config chooses the correct LAN port on the host computer and scans the SoundGrid network for devices. It then
patches the devices to the host. We recommend that you let Auto-Config take care of things, at least when you are
getting started. If later you add, remove, or swap a device, Auto-Config will reconfigure your inventory and re-patch.
Note that SoundGrid Studio assigns the SoundGrid driver automatically. SuperRack SoundGrid and eMotion LV1 require
that the SoundGrid ASIO/Core Audio driver is assigned manually.
SoundGrid QRec
SoundGrid Studio

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Device Firmware
An I/O that is using outdated or incompatible firmware will not work properly in a SoundGrid network until its firmware is
updated. The color of the FW button in a device slot indicates the current firmware status.
If a device requires updated firmware, click on the FW button to start a hardware scan. Do not disconnect the device or
turn off the computer before Done appears. Once the update is ready, turn the device off and on to reset.
Identify a Device on the SoundGrid Network
Click on the ID button to activate a hard-to-miss LED on the panel of the
corresponding hardware device. You can also activate the LED from the top
bar of the device’s control panel.
Grey Compatible firmware
Blue Compatible firmware, but a newer version exists
Red Firmware not compatible and must be updated in order to use
SoundGrid QRec
SoundGrid QRec
SoundGrid Studio
SoundGrid Studio

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SoundGrid Studio
SoundGrid QRec
WSG-HY128 Control Panel
There are two ways to open the device control panel:
FROM THE DEVICE RACK
Click the Gear button on a device in the rack slot.
FROM THE DRIVER CONTROL PANEL
You can also access the control panels of all assigned I/O devices from Driver Control
Panel application, which is located here:
PC: C:\Program Files (x86)\Waves\SoundGrid\Driver Control Panel
Mac: System HD/Applications/Waves/SoundGrid
CONTROL PANEL PAGES
The About and System Info pages provide information about the unit, such as MAC address, SOE master MAC
Address, firmware version, and more. The Clock page is used to set up and manage the WSG-HY128.

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Clock Page
Use the Clock page to set the clock source and sample rate for the device and to assess clock status.
.
SOURCE sets the requested clock source.
Internal The device itself provides the SEO clock.
External WC Clock is provided by an external device via the Word Clock Input connector.
Sync over Ethernet The device receives clock from the SoundGrid network.
SAMPLE RATE sets the sample rate when Clock Source is set to Internal. Range: 44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96 kHz.
If the device is the network (SOE) clock master, as determined in the Device Racks of the
SoundGrid host, then this setting determines the sample rate of the SoundGrid network.
If Clock Source is set to an external clock source, you cannot change the sample rate from the
host. The Sample Rate menu is grayed out and inoperative.

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CLOCK STATUS INDICATORS
Three windows on the right side of the Clock control panel help you to quickly assess the network status of the device.
When the device is a slave in the SoundGrid network, you will likely sync it to the SoundGrid network clock (via SOE).
Even when the device is an SOE slave, you can lock it to an external clock source. For example, if another SoundGrid
I/O device is the SOE master and is locked to a word clock device, you may choose to receive clock from the same
external device over word clock from the master device rather than via network SOE.
In the event that the selected clock source fails, WSG-HY128 card has a series of clock fallback layers, in this order:
SOE, Internal. If the WSG-HY128 card is clocked to SOE and this external source fails, it will fall back to Internal.
Status Reports the presence or absence of sync between the WSG-HY128
and the SoundGrid network.
Current Clock
Status
Displays the current sync method. This may differ from the choice made in
the Source menu.
SOE
Indicates whether this HY128 card is the master or a slave in the SoundGrid
network. This mirrors the status information in the SoundGrid Studio Device
Rack

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System Info Page and About Page
The About page contains a description of the device. The System Info page contains technical details about the device,
including MAC address, Firmware version, and Module version. This information is useful for troubleshooting. Please
have this information handy if you contact Waves technical support concerning the device.
Presets
The Top Bar is used to load and save device presets and
to identify device hardware.
A saved preset includes all Clock and Control panels parameters. Save WSG-HY128 presets to use on future sessions
or copy them to another computer to duplicate a configuration.
Click the ID button to indicate which WSG-HY128 hardware device belongs to this Control Panel. Clicking the button
causes the Network LED on the panel of the WSG-HY128 to flash in a rather psychedelic manner.

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Using an I/O Device with a DAW
Setting up SoundGrid devices with a DAW involves these steps:
Patch the I/O device and the SoundGrid ASIO/Core Audio driver
When using a DAW on a SoundGrid network, the SoundGrid ASIO/Core Audio driver serves as a bridge between the I/O
device and the DAW. It enables the I/O to communicate with the DAW and it provides patches. Patching an I/O to the
SoundGrid ASIO/Core Audio driver differs slightly among hosts. When you use a host’s Auto-Config tool, the host input
channels are patched automatically in an order based on rack. The order of the devices in the Device Rack determines
the default patching order. Please refer to your SoundGrid host’s user guide for details.
Configure the DAW for SoundGrid
1. Set the DAW playback engine to “Waves SoundGrid.” The SoundGrid driver channels will now appear in the DAW
I/O preferences and in the Input/Output selector in each DAW channel.
1. Route the DAW inputs and outputs to SoundGrid.