I/O Management

I/O Management consist in the mapping of Hardware Devices to Virtual Devices.
Hardware Devices represent the I/O Structure of a registered Host.
Virtual Devices are used to represent elements of the real world (e.g. Mono Microphone) that are not directly visible to STAGE.

It is important to devise a naming scheme that allows you to trace a virtual signal back the hardware I/O for troubleshooting purposes. Consider keeping spare inputs and outputs:

• For future expansion needs.

• To have extra I/Os should there to be a need for a last second signal swap.

Once an input or output is mapped to a virtual device, the I/O is available to be used by any Job (anywhere in STAGE). Multiple Jobs can use the same I/Os, but not at the same time.

In I/O Management:

• You create one or more Virtual Devices for each Hardware Device (Registered Hosts discovered in the Registration tab or Unmanaged Hosts created in the Configuration tab).

  • Virtual Devices model and virtually represent the underlying hardware layer within STAGE.

  • When STAGE routes a Virtual Device’s audio signals, all the legs (individual audio channels) are routed together as a package.

• You assign the hardware device’s audio inputs and outputs to Virtual Devices. This requires the linking of the hardware inputs and outputs to the equivalent STAGE Virtual Device inputs and outputs.

For example:

• This determines that a specific hardware input is used for presenter one’s microphone. Once this input is linked to a virtual device, it can be labelled as Presenter #1 in the Virtual Device.

• If a Hardware Device has 16 audio inputs, this can be represented as:

  • 8 × stereo Virtual Devices.

  • 2 × 5.1 Virtual Devices and 3 stereo Virtual Devices.

Overview

System Commissioning - I/O Management

Locations

This section lists all locations defined in the STAGE system. To add or edit locations, see chapter Registration #Locations.

​ ​Virtual Devices

This section:

• Allows you to add Virtual Devices as necessary to represent each Registered Host discovered in the Registration tab. A virtual device can group a two or more audio signals together to represent the signal’s application (5.1, stereo, or 16 channels for example) so that STAGE can route the audio signals as a group together. Each individual audio channel is called a Leg.

• Lists all the Virtual Devices that are available in the STAGE system. The Virtual Devices displayed may be reduced if one or more locations are selected in the Locations section.

Adding a Virtual Device

For each Hardware Device, you need to create a Virtual Device.

1. Select the Location in which the Hardware Device is located.

2. Click to add a virtual device.

3. Select the Hardware Device’s signal application (5.1, stereo, or 16 channels for example), line in, or line out.

4. Set the number of these Virtual Device instances to create.

5. Click Create X Virtual Device(s).

6. Double-click the Virtual Device’s Name to rename it.

​ ​I/O Mapping

This section lists the inputs and outputs for the selected Virtual Device and for the selected Hardware Device. Connections are made through:

• A drag and drop action, where you click on an Virtual Device input / output and drag it to the equivalent Hardware Device input / output leg.

• By making the connections between multiple Virtual Device inputs / outputs and their equivalent Hardware Device input / output legs in bulk.

When you have the same hardware in two studios (identical Registered Hosts but located in two different studios), map the I/Os in the same way in both studios. This allows Jobs to run in either studio: If one studio is closed for technical reasons, you can continue the production in the other studio using the same Job in the new Location.

I/O Mapping has the following filters.

I/O Mapping has the following map and unmap buttons.

Inspector

This lists the I/O Mappings to and from the selected Virtual device or selected Hardware device.

Bulk Renaming

A number of bulk actions are available in Inspector by right-clicking a row.

When renaming, the following window opens.

Hardware Devices

Hardware Devices are:

• Registered Hosts discovered in the Registration tab and;

• Unmanaged Hosts created in the Configuration tab.

Mapping Audio Hardware Devices to Virtual Devices

Map audio hardware inputs and outputs to Virtual Devices as follows.

1. Optional: In Hardware Devices, Locations, select a location in which the Hardware Device is located to narrow the list of Hardware Devices being shown.

2. Select a Hardware Device that you want to assign legs to a Virtual Device.

3. In Virtual Devices, click and create one or more Virtual Devices. See Adding a Virtual Device.

4. Map the Hardware Device to the Virtual Device. See I/O Mapping.

Batch Mapping

Many Virtual Device and Hardware Device legs can be mapped at once.

1. Select the Virtual Device and Hardware Device legs you want to map.

2. Click Map .

When selecting multiple producers and consumers for mapping, there are two mapping modes:

• Align by Producer/Consumer

• Align by Audio Leg

The Mapping Preview window appears to show the change to be made.
If you are satisfied, click Apply Mapping.

Unmapping Audio Hardware Devices from Virtual Devices

The mapping of audio hardware inputs and outputs to Virtual Devices can be broken as follows.

1. Select a Virtual Device or a Hardware Device leg to unmap.

2. To unmap,…

   1. click Unmap or

   2. click on that appears when moving the mouse over the circle connector.