Intended primarily for use in professional and Commercial Audio environments, DANTE is a combination of hardware and software used to transport multi-channel, digital audio over a standard Ethernet network, developed by Audinate Pty. Ltd. Audinate licence equipment manufacturers to use the DANTE system, as a result, there are (as of Spring 2016) over 140 manufacturers with many hundreds of DANTE enabled products.
The multiple channels are combined by multiplexing, audio is uncompressed, latency is low and may be set by the user. The system may be used in the presence of other Ethernet traffic. A personal computer is used to configure the network, using the free DANTE Controller software. After configuration, the computer may be removed until needed for re-configuration or analysis purposes.
The DANTE (Digital Audio Network Through Ethernet) system provides synchronisation throughout all the DANTE-enabled devices on a network, conducting the traffic so that the audio remains ‘in sync’ as is essential. The system has the ability to pass through routers and configures itself automatically to assign one of the DANTE-enabled devices on the network as the ‘master’ for synchronisation purposes.
DANTE audio channels can be configured as unicast or multicast as appropriate, to make best use of available bandwidth. Unicast provides a direct point-to-point stream for unique channels; multicast sends an audio stream to multiple devices simultaneously.
DANTE systems can ‘easily scale from a simple pairing of a console to a computer, to large capacity networks running thousands of audio channels. Because Dante uses logical routes instead of physical point-to-point connections, the network can be expanded and reconfigured at any time with just a few mouse clicks.’
Essentially, the network is built and the DANTE devices are connected. Connections between devices are made virtually, by connecting cross-points in an on-screen diagram. Device names and channel labels may be edited, sample rates controlled, and device latencies set. A single audio channel is ‘referred to just like an email address: “leadVocal @ StageBoxSL” or “chairmans_mic @ conferenceroomA”. Once the network is configured, the computer running DANTE Controller can be removed from the network. Signal routing and other system settings are stored safely in the Dante devices themselves, so they are automatically restored if a device is power-cycled.
The network is configured, as is a standard Ethernet network, in a star configuration with a network switch (not a hub) at the centre, with separate cables out to each host or secondary switch. Fibre optic connections can be used. If there are only two DANTE devices, they may be connected directly to each other, without a switch. A gigabit switch is recommended for anything but a very small system and the switch should offer QoS if the network has 100mb devices or if the network also carries data.
System designers and integrators may find themselves with a choice. That is, do they source Dante enabled equipment (microphones, amplifiers and loudspeakers for example) or perhaps look to RDL for a cost-effective Dante solution.
RDL have developed a series of Dante system interfaces. The RDL interface components provide the networked endpoints for 'standard' microphone and line-level equipment.
For more information, contact Canford, the UK Distributors of RDL. We can support commercial audio system integrators with technical advice and trade pricing.
Tel: +44 191 418 1122
Useful Links: Audio over IP DANTE NETWORKING BASICS