Calrec Hydra2

Driver Maturity

Production

Recommended for normal production use.

Caution

Compatibility Note: This information is a general guide and may be incomplete, may not match a specific project implementation, and is subject to change as supported products and versions evolve. Confirm the exact implementation and requirements for each project with Riedel and the relevant equipment vendor, then validate the required functions end to end in the target environment before deployment.

Minimum hi Version: v2.0.0

Overview

The Calrec^® Hydra2^™ integration uses Pro-Bel SW-P-08 to expose audio Sources, Destinations, Crosspoints, routing state, and labels in hi.

Network Requirements

Allow outbound TCP from hi to the Hydra2 control interface on the configured Port. hi defaults to 2008; Calrec documents TCP socket Port 61000 for SW-P-08.
No callback or inbound connection to hi is used.
Keep the plaintext control connection on a trusted management network.

Standards Conformance

Standard	Conformance	Notes
Pro-Bel SW-P-08	Crosspoint routing state and label operations	The integration uses the Hydra2 SW-P-08 control interface

Operator Workflow

Use Inventory to add and configure the Node. Use the Routing Matrix or Control Panels to monitor and change audio Crosspoints. Continue to use Calrec tooling for console, DSP, and show-file engineering.

Connection Details

Property	Value
Protocol	Pro-Bel SW-P-08
Transport	TCP
Default Port	2008
Authentication	None at the protocol layer
Encryption in Transit	Not supported by the protocol
Connection Model	Persistent client connection with asynchronous state updates
Required License	hiBase
Traffic Flow	Outbound from hi

Required Configuration

Parameter	Description	Default
Host / IP Address	Address of the Hydra2 SW-P-08 interface	-
Port	SW-P-08 TCP Port	2008
Matrix / Level	Routing matrix or level exposed by the device hi counts both from `0`	0
Signal Type	Signal type of the controlled matrix Hydra2 carries audio	`Video`
Input Count	Highest Source ID that hi must show set at creation	`24`
Output Count	Number of Destinations the matrix exposes set at creation	`24`
Unpatched	Port ID that the Calrec configuration defines as "Unpatched" hi creates an UNPATCHED Source for it	`314`
Out Of Range	Port ID that the Calrec configuration defines as "Out of Range" hi creates an OUT OF RANGE Source for it	`308`

Device-Side Setup

Follow Calrec Hydra2 Integration Configuration for the device-side and hi-side configuration steps.

Supported Features

Feature	Access	Exposed Operation and Scope
Crosspoint Routing	Read/write	Connect an audio Source to a Destination.
Routing-state Readback	Read-only	Query current Crosspoints and monitor their state.
Source and Destination Labels	Read-only	Read the names that the Hydra2 interface reports. hi reads them on the first connection, on later connections when Read labels on startup is `Yes`, and when you select Refresh Labels.
Dynamic Labels	Write	Send hi Dynamic Labels to the Hydra2 as 8-character ASCII Source and Destination names.

Device Coverage

Tested With identifies devices that have been tested with hi. Device-specific configuration, firmware, and feature support can affect results. Confirm the installed Hydra2 version and required operations during commissioning.

This integration supports the Calrec Hydra2 range.

Tested With

Calrec Hydra2
Calrec Artemis
Calrec Brio

Supported Product Range

Calrec documents SW-P-08 remote control on the Hydra2 router, which serves the consoles of a Hydra2 network. hi connects to the router card of the Master Router, not to the console surface.

Calrec Apollo
Calrec Artemis
Calrec Brio
Calrec Summa

Known Limitations

SW-P-08 cannot patch from a console desk output. A Destination that is fed from a desk output reports the OUT OF RANGE Source in hi. To route console desk inputs or outputs from hi, patch them to a Hydra Patchbay point that has an SW-P-08 mapping.
Verify the installed Hydra2 release during commissioning.
The integration covers routing and labels, not console processing functions.
hi opens one control connection to the Hydra2 and does not configure a backup connection to a secondary router card.
Slaved processing cores do not accept SW-P-08 connections. Connect hi to the router card of the core that is configured as the Master Router.
A system that uses both SW-P-08 and Ember control shares the single Ethernet port of the router card through an external Ethernet switch, and Calrec separates the two control systems by TCP socket Port.
The SW-P-08 addresses can be aliased to suit the facility network. Calrec states that a Calrec engineer performs this change, so discuss it before commissioning.
Calrec notes that SW-P-08 implementations differ between manufacturers. Validate routing and label behavior against the installed Hydra2 configuration.

What's Not Supported

Fader, mute, scene, DSP, show-file, and firmware management.

Trademarks

Note

Calrec and Hydra2 are trademarks of Calrec Audio Ltd.

RIEDEL Communications is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially partnered with Calrec Audio unless explicitly stated.