Allen & Heath Announces Module For Audinate's Dante Networking

Allen & Heath and Audinate announced at Prolight & Sound that they are collaborating to introduce Dante™ networking modules for the iLive digital mixing series. Dante will be incorporated into Allen & Heath's range of audio networking plug in cards, which slot into the iDR MixRacks and allow iLive to interface with a variety of common audio interface and networking standards, increasing inventory flexibility and system integration. Audinate's Dante is a standards-based IP media networking solution. Dante offers a no hassle, self-configuring, true plug-and-play experience. The Dante media networking technology suite transports low latency uncompressed audio over a standard IP Ethernet network with sample accurate synchronization. Dante simplifies installation because it supports automatic device and channel discovery, with easy to use signal routing. Dante also provides comprehensive network monitoring tools. Allen & Heath will be selling a 64 x 64 bi-directional Dante Card with full network redundancy. Allen & Heath's iLive digital mixing series comprises several Control Surface and MixRack variants, which can be mixed and matched in any combination and share the same firmware, so that show files are transferable between systems via a USB key. They connect together with CAT5 cable and use the Ethernet protocol for control, All MixRacks feature the same 64x32 RackExtra DSP mix engine architecture, providing processing for 64 channels, 32 mixes, and 8 stereo FX processors. The modular iDR10 MixRack has two slots for networking plug in cards, while the fixed I/O iDR-16, iDR-32 and iDR-48 MixRacks have a single card slot. "We are pleased to be working with Audinate to implement Dante in our iLive digital mixing series," stated Glenn Rogers, Managing Director of Allen & Heath. "With the growing rate of adoption of Audinate's Dante networking in other A/V products, we felt the timing was right to add this to our iLive series". The Dante 64x64 networking card from Allen& Heath will include the Dante Virtual Soundcard with each purchase. The Dante Virtual Soundcard turns a PC or Mac into a Dante enabled device. The Dante Virtual Soundcard has many characteristics of a physical sound card or audio interface, including the ability to play and record audio using any Windows audio application with standard ASIO multichannel audio support, or any Core Audio Mac application. It uses the Ethernet port on the computer to communicate with a network of other Dante-enabled devices without the need for expensive soundcards. No special hardware is required other than installing Dante Virtual Soundcard on a conventional PC or laptop. "We are excited about having Dante incorporated into the product offerings of Allen & Heath," stated Lee Ellison, CEO of Audinate. "The addition of the iLive product portfolio to the family of Dante-enabled products gives customers a broader range of connectivity options." Visit: http://www.ilive-digital.com/, and http://www.audinate.com/.