AUDIO
NO DANTE ? NO PROBLEM . | Jeff Hawley
Audio networking over ethernet ( AoE ) has no doubt revolutionized live sound . Racks of touchy XLR cable splits and bundles of analog cables running under and through facilities have given way to more stable and flexible CAT5 cables when we have the need to route large numbers of audio signals to and fro . As I ’ ve
written about before , Audinate ’ s Dante protocol is a major player in this technology and is arguably the standard with thousands of compatible devices , robust support , and a vibrant community . But as with many topics in the days of COVID , things can change quickly and dramatically . In the case of Dante , a global tightening of microchip supplies has combined with general logistics issues to make the procurement of many Dante devices tricky for the foreseeable future . How might we best cope with these supply difficulties and ensure that we ’ re doing our best to follow the unwritten rule that “ the show must go on ”?
First of all , I think it is important to be as intentional as we can in designing new audio systems . While going the route of a hyperconnected and uber-flexible large network across a campus is certainly still a viable option , it is important to step back and ask just what we ’ re really trying to achieve . Are we solving for a problem that doesn ’ t exist ? Are we overcomplicating the problem ? What is the problem we are trying to solve ? If all we really need is to get a moderate amount of digital audio from console A to console B , perhaps a more streamlined and non-Dante option might be the better way forward .
Let ’ s say that we ’ re designing a system for a small sanctuary with a compact mixer at front of house ( an Allen & Heath SQ-5 for example ) and a compact mixer at the monitor position ( another SQ-5 ). We want to be able to send the audio out to a Mac Mini and record into Logic . We have a few options here that can offer the same ease of use , high sample rate and low latency as Dante — the built-in Allen & Heath
SLink connection and Waves Soundgrid for instance . We could also connect up the SQ consoles via SLink and use the USB output to the Mac Mini which could then be digitally routed to Logic . Or even use Audinate ’ s Via to put the SQ onto the Dante network for just a few channels or to record on a different computer entirely .
If our overall audio goal is to have a large number of Dante-enabled patch points across the venue in a star topology and a number of complex splits and routing into sub-zones and other Dante devices , then our simple SLink / Waves or SLink / Via option isn ’ t going to cut it . But if we really just need the FOH / Monitor connection and output to recording , we ’ re in business . As a cool side benefit , nothing would prevent us from adding in ‘ full-blown ’ Dante down the road as needed .
Dante Via seems cool for basic software-based Dante , but what about the hardware side of