Allen&Heath M-DANTE User Manual

Understanding m-dante

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background image

digital notes

digital notes

digital notes

digital notes

digital notes

digital notes

UNDERSTANDING M-DANTE


Dante is an Ethernet compliant, AVB-ready audio networking solution created and developed by Audinate. It provides high performance digital
media networking that meets the quality requirements of professional live sound, AV installations and broadcast and recording systems. Dante

is built on standard Internet Protocols over Ethernet. It distributes multiple streams of digital audio plus integrated control data and clock, with
sub millisecond latency, sample-accurate playback synchronization, extreme reliability and high channel count.

Dante can be used for iLive or GLD expansion and integration with third
party devices. Playback and recording without any third party audio
interface are possible thanks to the Dante Virtual Soundcard.

It is also suitable for linking iLive and GLD systems together: typically
for front of house / monitor systems where digital splits of the mic pre-

amps in one system are sent over Cat5 cable to the second system.
This provides independent trim, EQ, processing, FX, and mix-bus struc-
ture for each system.

The M-DANTE option module is one of a range of option cards. It gives access to 64 input and 64 output channels and can be fitted to the
Port B expansion slot in iLive fixed format MixRacks (iDR-16, iDR-32, iDR-48 & iDR-64) or expander (xDR-16), iLive modular MixRacks (iDR-
0, iDR-10), and Port A of iLive surfaces 80/112/144/176 if they are fitted with the new RAB-2 standard with appropriate firmware version
installed (1.71 or higher). It can also be fitted to the I/O Module expansion slot in GLD-80.

Cables up to 100m in length can be used. Cat5e or Cat6 cables are required for Gigabit networks and premium touring-grade flexible cables

are preferable for live PA work. Allen & Heath can supply an 80m Neutrik ‘Etherflex’ cable on a drum (AH7000).

The M-DANTE option module can be fitted easily. It is installed (front-mounted) with the power off, and has two screws to secure it in place.
The module has 3 Gigabit ports. The ‘Control Network’ port allows connection of a laptop for control of the Dante network using Audinate
Dante Controller software. The ‘Primary’ and ‘Secondary’ links are designed to work as two separate Dante networks to provide redundancy.
Do not connect these networks together.

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Digital FOH / Monitor split with Record / Playback and speaker management.



















The iDR-48 FOH system is the clock master for the network. The GLD-80 is the Monitor mixer receiving most of its inputs digitally via Dante.
Outputs from iLive and/or GLD are also sent to a Dante-enabled loudspeaker processor or amplifier. A desktop computer is being used to
control the DANTE network and record all audio signals sent from the iDR-48.

Note

—The iDR-48 is set as the preferred clock master or Grand Master in the Dante Controller software. ‘Slave to External Word Clock’ is also selected, so that the M-DANTE

module uses the internal system clock of the iLive as a reference. The iDR-48 is set to ‘Internal’ clock in iLive software and GLD is set to sync from the I/O Module.

GLD-80 Monitor

I/O Module DANTE

T-112 FOH

Controller

Virtual Soundcard

DANTE

iLive

3

rd

party DANTE device

STAGE

ACE

DANTE

iDR-48

Port B DANTE

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