Product Description

DiGiGrid DLI is a networking hub that bridges Pro Tools and SoundGrid. With two DigiLink ports giving you as many as 64 digital inputs and outputs, DiGiGrid DLI helps you get the most out of your existing Pro Tools system.

Add a SoundGrid DSP server to your DLI, and you will enjoy unequaled processing power, with more options for recording, monitoring and mixing in real time. With full plugin integration inside your DAW, DLI lets you run hundreds of Waves and third-party SoundGrid-compatible plugins with near-zero latency of only 0.8 milliseconds.

 

DiGiGrid DLI has two modes, I/O and SGP:

  • In I/O mode, DLI bridges your Pro Tools system with DiGiGrid I/Os and SoundGrid DSP servers. The Pro Tools system (HD/HDX or HD Native) continues to be your playback engine, while DLI appears as individual I/Os from which you can expand your studio: just connect additional DiGiGrid I/Os and offload your plugin processing to additional SoundGrid servers.
  • In SGP mode, DLI bridges the DAW of your choice (Logic, Cubase, Nuendo, Ableton, Pro Tools Native, etc.) with SoundGrid applications and ASIO/Core Audio drivers, lets you control various DigiLink-compatible I/Os, and enables you to use a SoundGrid server to which you can offload your plugin processing.

In both modes, a single Cat 5e or Cat 6 Ethernet cable will enable you to connect your system to additional DiGiGrid I/Os.

Specifications

  • 2 DigiLink ports; 64 channels in either SGP or I/O mode (32 channels per port). Compatible with the following DigiLink-enabled I/Os: Digi192, Digi96, HD Omni, HD I/O, Apogee Symphony I/O, Lynx Aurora 8, Lynx Aurora 16.
    • I/O mode: DLI acts as an interface connected to HD Core, HD Accel, HDX or HD Native cards; supports Pro Tools TDM 10.x and 11.x
    • SGP mode: DLI acts as a controller for DigiLink-enabled I/Os
  • 2 SoundGrid RJ45 Ethernet ports
  • 1 AC input
  • 1 Word Clock/Loop Sync I/O
  • 1 USB port
  • 1U rackmount
  • Supported sample rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2 and 96 kHz (176.4 and 192 kHz will be supported in the future)
  • Recovery switch
  • Clocking options: Word Clock/Loop Sync, SoundGrid (SoE), or DigiLink

Weight and Dimensions

Height Width Depth Weight
1U / 43.6mm 19″ / 482.60 mm 236 3.5Kg

 

I/O Mode

Project Studio: One Computer, Pro Tools HD System with DiGiGrid DLI and SoundGrid DSP Server
Bridging Pro Tools HD with SoundGrid – DiGiGrid DLI in I/O Mode with a SoundGrid DSP Server

Want to add the extra power of a SoundGrid network to your Pro Tools HDX system? With a DiGiGrid DLI and a SoundGrid DSP server, you’ll be able to offload your audio processing and dramatically increase the number of plugins you can use simultaneously.

  • Pro Tools HDX system
  • Avid I/O hardware (96, 192, etc.)
  • SoundGrid network with one or more Native DAWs
  • DiGiGrid DLI
  • SoundGrid DSP server

*Some DigiLink-compatible I/Os cannot connect to the DLI/DLS via their secondary DigiLink port.

HDX Control Room and a Large Live Recording Room (48 preamp channels)
Bridging Pro Tools with SoundGrid – DiGiGrid DLI in I/O Mode – Live Room

Here, the SoundGrid network is used for streaming audio from the DiGiGrid expansion units (IOX) and their remote-controlled preamps into a Pro Tools HDX system.

  • Pro Tools HDX system
  • Avid HD I/O (96, 192, Omni, etc.)
  • 4 DiGiGrid IOX I/O devices
  • 1 GB network switch

By placing several DiGiGrid IOX expansion units in several spots in your live room (vocal booth, drum area, keyboard station, etc.), you get a substantial number of top-grade preamp inputs, as well as an individual headphone output to each player no matter where he or she is located. Each IOX unit is connected to a network switch in the live room, with a single Ethernet cable connecting the switch to a DiGiGrid DLI unit in the control room. The result is a large number of lines between the live room and the control room, all running through just one Ethernet cable.

This configuration is part of a larger facility-wide network, so the control room’s Pro Tools system has access to I/Os throughout the facility.

*Some DigiLink-compatible I/Os cannot connect to the DLI/DLS via their secondary DigiLink port.

Large-Facility Pro Tools HDX Mixing Room with Multiple I/Os, a Secondary DAW Computer, and a MADI-Enabled Device
Bridging Pro Tools with SoundGrid – DiGIGrid DLI and DLS in I/O mode – Multiple Studios

This configuration increases the efficiency of large and complex mixing environments.

In this configuration, a control room equipped with a large Pro Tools HD/HDX system is connected to a SoundGrid network for greater flexibility. DiGiGrid DLI and DLS units together supply 112 I/O channels to the HD system, with the DLS providing a built-in SoundGrid DSP server for plugin processing. An Avid Omni is the I/O for control room mixes.

All the above devices are connected by DigiLink cables and clocked with Sync Lock. Everything else in the network is connected with Ethernet cables.

A DiGiGrid IOX provides analog inputs with top-grade preamps, plus 4 separate headphone outs. This serves a voice-over booth, a broadcast stage, a live room, and more.

A secondary DAW system can be used as a backup recorder, an editing room DAW, and a recording station for the voice-over booth. A DiGiGrid IOC interface supplies multiple I/O channels, which can be allocated to the main DAW.

A DiGiGrid MGB/MGO unit connects this network to a MADI source, for example a console or a MADI distribution system. Audio signals can be routed to the main or secondary systems.

Inventory

  • Pro Tools HDX 2 system
  • Avid HD I/O (96, 192, Omni, etc.)
  • Secondary host computer with a Native DAW
  • DiGiGrid DLS
  • DigiGrid DLI
  • DiGiGrid IOX
  • DiGiGrid IOC
  • DiGiGrid MGB/MGO
  • 1 GB network switch

*Some DigiLink-compatible I/Os cannot connect to the DLI/DLS via their secondary DigiLink port.

SGP Mode

Integrating Avid Hardware Devices with the SoundGrid Studio System
DiGiGrid DLI in SGP Mode

If you have older or unused Avid I/O units lying around, you can add them to a SoundGrid network for extra I/O and A/D/A capacity.

In this configuration, DiGiGrid DLI is the bridge connecting the Avid I/O device to the SoundGrid network. Avid hardware is used for I/O and A/D/A conversion, but processing takes place on the host computer’s local CPU.

  • Avid I/O hardware (96, 192, OMNI, etc.)
  • Host computer with a Native DAW and the SoundGrid Studio System
  • DiGiGrid DLI

This combination of Avid and DiGiGrid DLI will appear on the SoundGrid Studio Inventory page as a DLI, which means that you can control the Avid hardware as you would any other SoundGrid device.

Integrating the SoundGrid Studio System with an Avid VENUE Console for Live Recording and Playback
DiGiGrid DLI in SGP Mode

With the DiGiGrid DLI I/O, you can connect a VENUE console with an HDx Option Card directly to your DAW host computer via an Ethernet cable. This will enable you to record to and play back from any Native DAW.

In this configuration, DiGiGrid DLI is the bridge connecting the Avid VENUE console with the HDx card to the SoundGrid network.

  • Avid VENUE console with HDx Option Card
  • Host computer running a Native DAW and SoundGrid Studio System software
  • DiGiGrid DLI