AX32 already support 64 channels of Dante IP Audio via an optional module, but in an effort to meet demand for an even higher channel count, our an optional expansion card adds another 128 channels to your digital audio-routing matrix.
Further, with eight slots available for expansion cards, you could ultimately have up to 1,088 Dante/AES67 channels, including the 64 channels that comes as standard, at 48 kHz.
The Dante expansion card also offers sample rate conversion on all channels as well as dual redundancy network ports in order to maximize reliability, reducing the risk of losing valuable production time.
Independent Sample Rate Conversion
The Dante expansion card features per-card sample rate conversion, which by using more cards allows several independent audio networks that run on individual clocks and sample rates to be connected to and unified in a single AX32 unit.
This naturally unleashes a wealth of possibilities for distributing audio across sources and destinations on highly complex setups that e.g. involve sending a feed to an OB truck, while recording at a different sample rate and sending yet another feed to a FOH console or an in-ear monitoring system.
Simply adding more Dante channels may sound trivial, but once you start to think about the actual problems that this amount of channels in combination with independent sample rate conversion is capable of solving, it’s a quite significant improvement of the overall system.
For instance, the new Dante card will immediately be able to solve real-world challenges in regard to high channel counts when working with Dolby Atmos Mastering Suite, as well as in recording studios where Dante based monitoring systems are used, but there is a need to record at a different sample rate or in Live applications where there Dante networks have to be kept physically separated when operating on different clocks.
The internal sample rate converters on the new Dante cards have been developed in-house and we have never compromised on the quality of our AD/DA converters – or internal sample rate conversion within the digital domain. ‘Digital’ is simply part of our brand name and we take that very seriously!
Applications
- Live & Events
- Film Production (Dolby Atmos Mastering Suite)
- Broadcast
- Music Production
Highlights
- 128 channels @ 48 kHz / 64 channels @ 96 kHz / 32 channels @ 192 kHz
- Independent Sample Rate Conversion
- Dual Redundancy Ethernet Ports
- AES67 Support
- Up to 8 cards in a Single AX32 Mainframe
Details
The Dante card can operate either as a single 128x128 channel interface with a switch for the two Ethernet connectors or redundantly, where the two Ethernet connecters are connected to different networks each carrying 128x128 channels. If more cards are installed, each card can be connected to a different network or more cards can be connected to the same network via an external Ethernet switch or by bridging the network between the cards when operating in non-redundant mode.
The Dante card can operate in Dante mode or AES67 mode with support for discovery via SAP. In Dante mode, Dante Domain Manager (DDM) is supported for enhanced network management functionality. Configuration of the card is managed via DADman.
