Established in 1911, TsingHua University in northwest Beijing has a combined student population of over 50,000, with 21 schools and 59 departments encompassing science, engineering, humanities, law, medicine, history, philosophy, economics, management, education, and art. The School of Economics & Management (SEM) was founded in 1984. When constructing a new academic building, the university turned to Dante to fulfill its extensive audio needs.

The teaching areas in the new building include 23 multimedia classrooms, 14 standard classrooms, and more than 40 seminar rooms. Approximately 700 Dante-supported devices were installed to support the school’s audio needs, making it the most extensive network-based audio system in mainland China. 

 “It was a prospective decision to choose to use the Dante Networking system in our new building,” said HongGang Zhao, head of Multimedia at TsingHua University’s School of Economics and Management. “It gives us lots of flexibility. As quick as a new idea comes, it will help us to make it happen.”

Dante is a complete AV-over-IP platform that allows audio, video, and control data to be transported over standard 1Gb Ethernet networks. Supported in over 3,800 Dante-enabled products from more than 550 manufacturers, Dante replaces point-to-point analog and digital connections with software-based IP routing, allowing users to send AV channels anywhere on the network with perfect digital fidelity. 

The project team selected the Dante-enabled BSS BLU-806DA for audio processing throughout the building. The BSS DSP features a low latency, fault-tolerant digital audio bus of 256 channels and four card slots for custom I/O configurations of analog, digital, and telephony cards.

The team also selected Dante-enabled Shure ULX-D wireless microphones for larger classrooms to provide better audio coverage and consistent sound during lectures. Dante AVIO USB adapters were also included in the classrooms to allow students and instructors to connect any computer to a Dante network with zero software installation, which was ideal for remote instruction and conferences.

Device management and monitoring requirements were paramount, with approximately 700 Dante products on the network. Thus, the project team implemented Dante Domain Manager, a server-based software solution that provides a centralized view of the entire deployment. The software allows the team to divide the system into groups to manage broadcast traffic more efficiently on the computer network and improve maintenance efficiency. Through a centralized view, the team receives alerts when issues arise in the system. Then, they can access the system from anywhere, determine the problem, and solve it remotely.

[Audinate Introduces Dante Domain Manager Subscription Model]

“Dante Domain Manager with its API has been straightforward for us to use,” said HongGang Zhao. “With the ability to see all the devices at once on the network, it’s easy to monitor and manage our systems. Sitting in the control room, we can identify the system issue remotely in advance, this allows us to work more efficiently and keep our classrooms operating smoothly.” 

The school recognizes the importance of network multimedia technology in the future of smart classrooms in higher education. With the growing adoption of related technologies, such as the cloud, big data, and AI, the school hopes to seamlessly connect new technologies in the future to the Dante platform to expand teaching capabilities for staff and students alike.

Broadcasting Center Europe (BCE), based in Luxembourg, needed a solution to provide an efficient, reliable, and secure audio network for a wide range of productions. To address those issues, it turned to Audinate's Dante Domain Manager.  

BCE serves over 400 clients in various sectors and its telecom network is one of the largest telecom networks targeted for the media market in Europe, hosting three of the main worldwide players.  

The technicians at BCE had seen the benefits of a Dante system for the last few years, having been one of the first broadcast centers in Europe to migrate everything to Dante in 2017. Now, with the build out of a new WAN audio distribution infrastructure they needed a network management tool that would provide ease of use, expandability and security to their networks.  

[Dante: An Oral History]

Dante Domain Manager (DDM) is a complete network management software, enabling user authentication, role-based security, and audit capabilities for Dante networks. It secures BCE’s audio networks and allows for seamless expansion of Dante systems over any network infrastructure. DDM makes audio networking more secure, scalable and controllable than ever before.   

BCE faced several challenges they needed this system to solve. First and foremost was security—the network security needed to meet the 24/7 on-air requirements. Fortunately, DDM provides security for all aspects of control of a Dante audio network. With Dante Domain Manager, all control traffic is encrypted, and devices are bound to a specific instance of the server, which prevents the hijacking or unauthorized use of the system. The primary vector of security is user authentication, which ties all Dante control actions to specific users. 

[Audinate Navigates Supply Chain Issues]

For BCE, it was important that there isn’t a central point of clock failure. To ensure this, Dante uses PTP (Precision Time Protocol, IEEE1588) to provide synchronized clocking throughout the network. Any Dante hardware device can act as a PTP Leader Clock via the high quality VCXO clock built-in to each one, and Dante incorporates an automatic election scheme that ensures stable PTP functionality even if a Leader Clock device fails.    

BCE uses Dante Domain Manager as a network management console, securely connecting audio between each radio station. Instead of setting up single-use connections for each location, it now has a solid, efficient infrastructure that is both scalable and flexible enough to support any production.  By setting up various Dante Domains, or groups, BCE can independently control each network from one location. Network administrators and AV managers can view all of the system components and manage the entire AV network from one easy-to-use dashboard.  

[Audinate Introduces Dante Domain Manager Subscription Model]

For Pierre Fuchs, technician at BCE, he and his team now have more confidence in the system thanks to the Audit Log feature in DDM. The Audit Log allows the team to track all activities over any period of time to quickly identify improper workflows, malfunctioning devices, and unwanted user actions. This instant, rich information allows them to be aware of and fix problems fast.  

"In 2017 Dante allowed us to create a production network that was very reliable, flexible and easy to use. Now with Dante Domain Manager we can manage the system in a way that is secure and reliable,” concluded Fuchs. “I look forward to seeing how else we will apply Dante in the future.”

Underscoring its commitment to providing scalable and secure network solutions, Audinate has announced a subscription model for Dante Domain Manager, its network management solution that brings enterprise-grade system administration to the AV world.  

[Dante: An Oral History]

“Dante Domain Manager has become a critical solution in the AV industry, allowing for user authentication, role-based security and audit capabilities for Dante networks,” said Joshua Rush, chief marketing officer, Audinate. “In addition to lowering the up-front costs of acquisition, the subscription model allows buyers to treat Dante Domain Manager as an operating expense rather than a capital expense, ensuring it is even more accessible.” 

Available in three editions, Silver, Gold and Platinum, Dante Domain Manager can be tailored to meet user needs and budgets while maintaining the agility, scalability, and security necessary to create a trusted audio network. All three additions are available as an annual subscription with ongoing support and maintenance, or as a perpetual license that includes one year of support and maintenance.

[Audinate Navigates Supply Chain Issues]

Dante Domain Manager Silver Edition supports 20 Dante devices in two Dante Domains, and is ideal for smaller installations such as houses of worship, recording studios, and broadcast facilities. Dante Domain Manager Gold Edition supports 100 Dante devices in 10 Dante Domains, and is designed for medium-sized installations, including schools, small businesses, and larger houses of worship as part of a comprehensive AV management strategy. Dante Domain Manager Platinum Edition supports 250 Dante devices in 50 Dante Domains, and provides enterprise AV management for the largest mission-critical systems found in universities, stadiums, public spaces, and corporate offices.

Add-on packs are available to match the number of Dante Domains and devices required.

Audinate is now shipping the Dante Brooklyn 3 audio networking module to customers. Announced in June at InfoComm 22, the new module is a pin-compatible replacement for one of Audinate’s most popular products, Dante Brooklyn 2, which has been redesigned to ensure continuous availability while delivering support for current and future Dante features. 

[Dante Studio Focuses on Software Solutions]

The Dante Brooklyn module family is the most widely deployed implementation of Dante, and is used in hundreds of products including mixing consoles, DSPs, and amplifiers. The new Dante Brooklyn 3 audio module is available in 8x8 to 64x64 channel SKUs, delivering ultra-low latency networked audio in a complete module supporting the complete suite of Dante audio features. 

“With the arrival of Brooklyn 3, we’re delivering a new design that will help original design manufacturers address supply chain constraints and maintain production while delivering a product to customers that will support future Dante features,” said Chris Ware, Audinate’s senior vice president of product development. “Because this new module is a direct replacement for earlier versions, manufacturers can begin using them in production today.”

[AV Network's top stories, product news, and expert insights] 

Dante Brooklyn 3 is compatible with all other Dante devices and can be routed, managed, secured and monitored using Dante Controller and Dante Domain Manager.

The University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland is a public research university with foundational roots leading back to 1796. The school’s mission is to provide a place of “Useful learning for the good of mankind and the improvement of science”. Embracing technology to deliver the best and most relevant learning experience possible fits perfectly with that mission and now includes a campus-wide Dante audio network managed by Dante Domain Manager software, from Audinate.

Campbell Jamieson, the learning support manager for the university, explained that over the last several years the university has been ambitiously transforming and upgrading its campus. Serious about creating and maintaining a world-class environment, investment for the transformation is set to reach £1 billion by 2025.

[Dante Studio Focuses on Software Solutions]

In 2018, Jamieson and his team were looking for a way to bring a unified audio experience to the campus and to make the system easier and faster to set up and use. Luckily for them, a Dante audio network platform was able to bring everything together and as soon as the pandemic hit in 2020, it took on even greater practical importance when the necessity for hybrid and remote learning significantly accelerated the use of their Dante network across the campus.

“Originally, we started migrating to a Dante network to speed up our workflow and make our team more efficient; some of our large lecture theaters had AV systems pre-installed with analog cabling, but they were isolated,” said Jamieson. “And we had smaller lecture spaces that didn’t have installed systems or AV cabling, so we had to spend at least a day setting those systems up and then another day tearing them down—making the spaces unusable during the transitions. Fortunately, all of these spaces have network ports that we can leverage with Dante.”

The Dante platform is a complete AV-over-IP solution that allows audio, video, and control data to be transported over standard 1GB Ethernet networks. Supported in more than 3,000 Dante-enabled products from more than 500 manufacturers, Dante replaces point-to-point analog and digital connections with software-based routing, effortlessly sending AV channels anywhere on the network with perfect digital fidelity.

[Audinate Navigates Supply Chain Issues]

"As part of our COVID response, we used our Dante network to link lecture theaters to our remote video communications, and to connect theaters together to help maintain social distancing by spreading students across multiple rooms as overflow spaces, with products like Sennheiser’s ceiling mounted microphones to easily capture and reinforce the audio needed in the rooms.” said Jamieson. "And with Dante, the system can scale and devices can be added easily. Our new sports facility, for example, needed some additional audio coverage, and within just minutes, we were able to add some Dante-enabled PoE speakers to cover what was needed. Being able to jump on and off the network and make changes in real-time is a huge benefit for us."

“One of the key trends we have seen in the last few years is more and more universities adopting the use of Dante as an audio transport standard,” said Inesh Patel, business development manager at Sennheiser. “Much of the reason for this is down to the general adoption of Dante throughout the AV industry, the guarantee of interoperability and the incredible variety of Dante products available. Sennheiser’s TeamConnect Ceiling 2, with its complete pack of audio features, integrated Dante and support for Dante Domain Manager has helped many universities improve their sound reinforcement and remote/distance learning delivery.”

As the Dante network continued to grow, Strathclyde’s learning support team needed a way to see and monitor the entire system through a single interface. And with more users operating the system, security and global control were also becoming requirements.

"Our AV team wanted a single display to show the state of the Dante installation at a glance without the need to query each device individually to see how things were working—which is what Dante Domain Manager is all about," said Jamieson. "The software also provides benefits with its historical log that tracks issues and its ability to control devices across the entire campus without a team member needing to be there physically. It's really helped streamline our operations."

[AV Network's top stories, product news, and expert insights]

Dante Domain Manager is a server-based solution that brings a centralized, complete view of an entire networked Dante deployment. The software allows AV and IT managers to define separate, non-interfering groups of devices that can only be accessed by authorized users. At the same time, support staff can stay on top of issues with a system-wide dashboard and complete set of alerts and audit logs that helps expedite troubleshooting. Most important, Dante Domain Manager delivers campus-wide AV network monitoring and management for better remote, hybrid, and in-person education experiences.

"Four years ago, all our audio systems were locally-connected, stand-alone analog systems that were cumbersome to modify or expand. We had no big-picture view of how things were working around the campus," said Jamieson. "Today, we can easily configure systems and equipment as needed; and we can monitor and troubleshoot the entire system in real-time from virtually anywhere. We have new buildings coming online now, and our Dante audio network with Dante Domain Manager are key parts of the new infrastructure."

To borrow an axiom from an ancient Greek, the only constant in digital audio networking is change. More accurately, the constant is not so much change but rather evolution—of network protocols, of applications, and of customers’ needs. As a result, manufacturers of networked products have to be nimble, constantly releasing new products and upgrades in response to the demands of the market and of the media itself.

According to one estimate, there are as many as a dozen different ecosystems supporting the transport of audio and video over an IP network. As a consequence, manufacturers typically support one or more protocols according to market demand.

“The one that is best is the one that makes the customer happiest. And we measure that by their willingness to purchase our products,” said Joe Andrulis, executive vice president of corporate development for Biamp, which supports the CobraNet, AVB, Dante, and AES67 protocols.

“No customer’s needs are satisfied by the protocol alone,” he added. “All it does is facilitate the transport of the media to the destination. Keeping a common protocol just makes it easier to integrate components together.”

During the past year or so, as some businesses took a pause during the pandemic, Biamp released a number of new audio networking products. Most notable among those were the latest additions to the company’s flagship open-architecture meeting room processors, the new TesiraFORTÉ X series, Andrulis noted.

“What’s neat about those products is that they are much more powerful and much smaller—30 percent smaller—than previous versions. They’re mounted in a new kind of environment, like conference rooms, so they’re more streamlined,” he said.

The new series, which supports AVB and Dante network connectivity and offers PoE+ device power, introduces Launch, Biamp’s one-touch automatic device discovery and tuning feature.

[ 5G, AI, and the Cloud: How Emerging Tech Is Shaping AV ]

“You connect all your devices to it, hit the button, and it detects everything, configures everything, and programs itself. It even acoustically profiles the room, tunes the system to the acoustic characteristics of the room, and gives you a report. That simplifies installation,” Andrulis said.

The automated setup levels the playing field, evening out the differing skill sets of those installing the equipment, or any differences in the environments into which they are being integrated. “A company deploying these globally doesn’t have to worry about variability,” he said.

In the 25 years since CobraNet was introduced, one network protocol after another has appeared on the market, each with varying success in terms of adoption. None has yet caught on quite like Audinate’s; the company boasts the availability of more than 3,000 Dante-enabled devices from more than 500 different manufacturers.

Audinate also expanded its product portfolio during the pandemic, with launches including a Dante AVIO Bluetooth adapter that pairs with any enabled device to provide bidirectional connectivity with the network. At its simplest, it enables quick and easy music playback through the network, whether in a conference room or an installed P.A. system: “Just pair your phone, hit the playlist, and go,” said Brad Price, Audinate’s senior product marketing manager.

[ New Dante AVoIP Comms Join Legacy CobraNet Tech at LaGuardia ]

Another new adapter offers USB-C connectivity together with the format’s power delivery. “We can do pass-through power from the network to a device, so you can run your iPad off PoE through the AVIO,” he said.

Most AV-over-IP solutions are LAN-based, working as a single subnet of a network, Price said. “That limits how far it can go but makes all kinds of sense when you look at the standards on which it’s based,” he said. But Audinate figured that there were ways to leverage those standards to more easily create multiple subnet crossings, which they did with Dante Domain Manager (DDM) a few years ago.

The creation of subnets via DDM enables networks to scale over greater distances while remaining transparent to users. “You don’t even have to touch any hardware; you do it in software,” Price said. “It lets you break your install into separate groups—domains—so that you can have separate things going on that cannot interfere with each other. They are all on one network and the administrator can see them all, but it’s as if you have separate Dante networks running.”

[ The Importance of Security on Audio Networks ] 

As the AV industry has continued to transition from purpose-built hardware to software-based products, Audinate saw an opportunity to deliver full Dante networking functionality more cost-effectively and flexibly on products powered by Linux and ARM processors. At ISE 2019, the company announced an initial cooperation deal with QSC, which was soon followed by agreements with other manufacturers. Products with the Dante Embedded Platform—Dante-as-software, if you will—are now making an appearance, Price reports, including StreamUnlimited Engineering’s SDK for its residential products.

“We’re going to be seeing a lot more of that going forward, I think, because it’s a less expensive way to do it. You don’t need to put up the money for the hardware. You don’t need to change the physical design of your box. You simply load the code, test it, and go,” Price said.

QSC has been busy of late, too, introducing Q-SYS NS Series Gen 2 network switches, Attero Tech by QSC I/O endpoints, Q-SYS NV-32-H (Core Capable) endpoints, and Q-SYS Core Nano/Core 8 Flex processors, according to Trent Wagner, audio product manager, QSC. The company supports network audio transports including AES67 and Dante, plus generic media streaming and QSC’s own Q-LAN protocol, he noted.

“QSC co-developed Software-Based Dante for the Q-SYS Ecosystem with Audinate,” Wagner said. “All currently shipping Core processors include an 8x8 channel capacity from the factory. With Software-Based Dante, integrators are not constrained by hardware as they can license additional channel capacity to meet their specific application requirements or expand a system already deployed. Dante is now fully integrated into the Q-SYS audio, video, and control workflow, offering device discovery, synchronization, control, and management for Dante audio alongside native Q-LAN, AES67, and other generic media streams.”

Much has been made of the promise of 5G for audio transport in the industry press, potentially extending networks over far greater distances. There are significant technical and commercial challenges to overcome before 5G’s capabilities might be leveraged, but meantime, of course, anyone with an enabled device can provide an onramp to the communications network.

“The use of 5G and similar wireless technologies is not widespread yet,” Wagner said, “but they are also more likely to be used for non-time-critical applications such as wide area distribution, monitoring, notification, management, and control, where latency and bandwidth variations are not as much of a concern.”

[ 12 Things to Consider When Deploying Networked Audio ] 

Speaking of evolution, AIMS, an industry consortium promoting an open standards approach to IP-based media environments, is building on the SMPTE ST 2110 broadcast standard, which integrates AES67 for audio transport, and AMWA’s NMOS APIs to develop a network protocol more suited to AV industry requirements. The AIMS Pro AV Working Group involves SMPTE, AMWA, the Video Services Forum (VSF), and the Joint Task Force of Networked Media (JT-NM), which together represent more than 70 member companies.

IPMX, or Internet Protocol Media Experience, launched in 2019, will offer a unified set of open standards and specifications for multivendor AV over IP intended to simplify system installation and administration, increase quality, and dramatically accelerate adoption. A whitepaper recently penned by Andrew Starks, director of product management for Macnica and an AIMS board member, lays out the IPMX roadmap.

This article originally appeared in the November 2021 issue of SCN. Click here to read more stories from November 2021.

The What: Audinate has announced the immediate availability of Dante Domain Manager version 1.2. The new version improves how AV and IT managers use and maintain their Dante-based AV networks, while supporting a new, more flexible range of purchase options.

[The Integration Guide to Dante-Enabled AV]

The What Else: All editions of Dante Domain Manager are now expandable to accommodate growing needs for Dante nodes or Dante domains and features previously reserved for Platinum customers are now available as add-ons to the Silver and Gold editions. Additionally, the base versions of the Silver and Gold editions now support twice as many nodes right out of the box: Silver now supports 20 Dante nodes, and Gold supports 100 nodes. Additional nodes may be purchased at any time in packs of 20, 50, or 100, and provide additional domains.

“This change helps our customers get just the right size Dante Domain Manager package with flexibility to scale as they grow,” said Neil Phillips, sr. product manager at Audinate. “Many smaller installations can benefit just as much from Dante Domain Manager as larger ones, and now it’s easier than ever to get the security and control that AV managers need.”

The Bottom Line: Dante Domain Manager version 1.2 is available for immediate download. Existing customers can take advantage of new editions if they have a Support and Maintenance agreement in place. All Dante Domain Manager licenses are perpetual and non-expiring.

New Dante Domain Manager Editions:

• Dante Domain Manager Silver edition – 2 Dante domains, 20 Dante nodes: $995
• Dante Domain Manager Gold edition - 10 Dante domains, 100 Dante nodes: $3,995
• Dante Domain Manager Platinum edition – 50 Dante domains, 250 Dante nodes: $9,995

The University of Southern California (USC) has deployed a vast AV network to over 248 learning environments that will be foundational for a new hybrid distance/on campus educational program the school will roll out this fall. According to Joe Way, USC director of learning environments, the systems, which all feature Dante networking, enable faculty to simultaneously give lectures on campus, on-stream, and also archive for future use.

Way said that the system also facilitates classroom overflow—a result of classroom occupancy levels being dropped by up to 70 percent to accommodate social distancing. In this scenario, the faculty member will be present in a classroom with a small group of students with additional small groups participating in the same lecture from adjacent rooms. The overflow rooms are equipped with cameras, microphones, displays/projectors, and networked sound systems to facilitate interaction.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Distance Learning and Streaming

The system also supports situations where the faculty member is uncomfortable or unable to be on-campus. In this instance, the faculty member will present from home to students in classrooms and those attending remotely.

“The system needs to be flexible to change at any time,” Way said, acknowledging the dynamic nature of the pandemic. “We are moving to all-network-based AV that will allow us to transmit any signal to any location. Dante is critical in our ability to lecture-capture and microphone-share.”

Way and his team developed a templated approach that can be modified to facilitate varying workflows depending on the subject, department, and lecturer preferences. The core of the system, however, is a Crestron Flex UC Engine (the B140-Z or C160-Z, where Z stands for Zoom). These allow users to take a Zoom Virtual Room and make it live—using all NVX352s to encode and decode Dante. Dante-enabled Shure networked mics—either MXA 910s or 710s—are used for lecture and student capture. Dante AVIO units are also widely used as encoders with some handheld mics and as output when the team needs to zone the room and cut the speakers near the microphone.

Dante Domain Manager network management software enables user authentication, role-based security, and audit capabilities for Dante networks while allowing seamless expansion of Dante systems over any network infrastructure. Way said the flexibility of the system is impressive, noting he expects to manage up to 1,100 nodes of Dante when the integration is complete.

“It’s critical that our system be as cloud-based and software-based as possible,” Way said. “By using Dante Domain Manager, we’re able to ensure we have complete observability, control, and security across the network. And we’re able to utilize it both with the scheduling system we have and with individual instructor preferences. For the most part, faculty will be able to walk in at their scheduled time and the room will be ready for the way they want to teach. With things like Dante’s audio routing at our fingertips, we can set it all up ahead of time.” 

For students who are on campus but constrained by isolation requirements, AV-over-IP provides high-quality access to lectures and content directly over the school network. For those who are taking classes off-campus, AV-over-IP helps school IT to implement robust streaming services, eliminating unnecessary hardware and complexity so that students can get to the content they need wherever they are. 

“Elite institutions like USC have earned a reputation for excellence based on the quality of the education traditionally delivered in campus lecture halls,” said Joshua Rush, Audinate senior vice president of marketing and product management. “Now, as they seek deliver the same high-quality educational experience remotely, the AV network is what connects the faculty and student body. A stronger network means a better connection, a better experience, and better education.”

Way will join Audinate’s Rush on a webinar to discuss the changes forced on educators and how network technologies can facilitate pivots to remote, hybrid and online learning models. To learn more or sign on for the webinar visit audinate.com/edu.

Texas A&M Athletics' 12th Man Productions, which handles the television production needs for Aggies sports—including content for 12thMan.com, TV shows, videoboard presentations, and ESPN’s SEC Network productions—recently moved into a new facility at the south end zone at redeveloped Kyle Field. 

[New Dante AVoIP Comms Systems Join Legacy CobraNet Tech at LaGuardia]

The new facility was created with a nearly $12 million investment in the electronics infrastructure to serve Texas A&M athletics, and features four HD control rooms, an ESPN bureau cam studio, a main studio set area, a radio broadcast room, and six post-production edit rooms. 12th Man Productions—which employs 18 full-time staff members and up to 90 Texas A&M undergraduate students—produces 110 events a year, and the facility's multiple control rooms allow the staff to produce side-by-side productions for the SEC Network from different venues as well as support in-venue shows at the same time.

With the Kyle Field renovation, the team began moving toward an IP infrastructure for their audio network. In total, the new infrastructure has 48 fiber optic runs that tie the control center to the school's seven main sports venues. Over the last few years, they have been working to control all venues from the centralized area.

"When we started the renovation, we had to choose our audio network platform, and it was obvious that Dante fit our immediate needs and was also supported by the industry enough to cover our future plans," said Zack Bacon, chief broadcast engineer for Texas A&M, who oversees all technical support for the 12th Man Productions facility. "We definitely have an extensive Dante deployment, and we're trying to grow it as much as possible. It's a great technology, and we can vouch for its flexibility and how using the IP infrastructure allows us to do a lot of things we wouldn't otherwise be able to do."

Bacon explained that as a centralized facility, audio from all facilities is transported to the production control rooms via Dante, and nearly all audio for broadcast is on a Dante network as well. The team produces everything essentially through Dante with Yamaha consoles. The audio signals are mixed, married to the video, and then either used within the venue or broadcast out. The team also has a direct fiber connection to ESPN, allowing them to share audio and video content directly.

"We have four control rooms, so we're able to do two sports at a time," Bacon said. “That means two big-screen shows and two ESPN broadcasts simultaneously, so things can get pretty hectic—and we're relying on Dante more and more so we can be as efficient and responsive as possible."

Recently, the team upgraded their Studio Tech 214 announcer consoles to be Dante native, improving audio quality and signal flexibility. The team has also integrated this type of Dante connectivity into their intercom system and are able to directly patch the announcer consoles into the intercom system as well as the audio mixer. Now, when they need to feed audio in and out of the intercom, they can do it straight through the Dante network and into whatever source or destination desired.

"There are multiple ways we could get it into Dante and to the PA mixer, but we run it through our console and do direct out, then we set up the shared audio group within Domain Manager," Bacon said. "Then we just do the patching in the Dante Controller, and as long as we have the network infrastructure set up, everything just works."

The PA systems are distributed audio DSP networks that are all interconnected by Dante because of the large distances covered. The Dante network delivers the signal to a network of Harman London BLU DSPs, and from there to the individual amplifiers.

"With Dante Domain Manager in the football stadium, we've already seen the benefits integrating the PA and being able to send multiple sources to the PA mixing console, as opposed to previously, we would only be able to send two," Bacon said. "We're currently working with and sending about six audio signals, but we can obviously send a lot more. This has been a very convenient and efficient way for us to improve our workflow to make sure we're getting audio to the PA and the football stadium so that the show can go smoothly, and everybody can hear it cleanly."

Dante Domain Manager is network management software that enables user authentication, role-based security, and audit capabilities for Dante networks while allowing expansion of Dante systems over any network infrastructure. Dante Domain Manager organizes a network into zones called "domains" that each have individual access requirements, making it clear who can access any area of the system. All activity is logged, tagged, and date-stamped so problems can be quickly identified and solved.

With Dante Domain Manager, Bacon and the 12th Man Productions team is able to route their audio signals across subnets to cover the multiple venues and the production areas. Donte Domain Manager enables the team to create management groups and to segment areas, venues, subnets, and production rooms as needed. The team is now able to create some very granular control and security parameters across the network.

"Our student workers do many functions for us—everything from operating cameras to post-production—and we have about 20 student engineers as well who are out in the field making sure everything is working and are actually connecting everything and mixing the shows," Bacon said. "Our student engineers are trained on Dante Domain Manager, and they now do the routing and patching for the various productions, and we don't want operators mistakenly going into Dante Controller and re-routing anything that might impact other simultaneous events."

Dante Domain Manager coordinates multiple subnets, allowing Dante audio to be used across networks of nearly any complexity or size. Dante Domain Manager enables audio to be plugged into any Ethernet jack, anywhere on campus, and route the audio data to where it needs to go. Users of Dante-enabled devices do not have to perform any special configuration; Dante Domain Manager completely automates this task.

Audinate has helped enable the University of Colorado, Denver to streamline audio production workflows, manage student projects, and advance the university’s curriculum thanks to a Dante audio network. Dante and Dante Domain Manager have become integral technologies within the school's Music and Entertainment Industry Studies department (MEIS), which offers a series of programs focused on contemporary music styles, commercial music business, and music production.

"We teach a variety of skills in our recording program designed to help students prepare for careers in the live and recorded music industry, as well as in film and television and sports media, so technology is crucial for us," said Scott Burgess, the manager of recording labs and live sound, and a lecturer for the department of MEIS. "We started using Dante in our department a few years ago to reduce setup times for events, but it's such an important technology that achieving Dante Level-One certification is now part of our curriculum, and we're looking to expand that.

"Our setup times are very limited, so anything we can do to save time is a big deal. So, I got a Dante card for our Soundcraft mixer and a license to Virtual Sound Card, we plug in one network cable, and we're ready to record the event! That's how we started."

The MEIS production team realized quickly that Dante was a big step forward for their workflow, and they began to think of ways to incorporate more audio networking on campus, including using it to connect their six main studios, which are spread across two large buildings.

The CU Denver campus covers a lot of ground, and if the team is asked to put on a show in the Student Center, for example, the ability to jump from the departmental network and onto the campus network is a significant capability. The challenge with making this jump to another subnet, traditionally, was a work order needed to be filed with IT to trigger a process that would eat up the resources of both his department and the IT department. But with Dante Domain Manager, that process is now unnecessary.

"This is where Dante Domain Manager comes into play,” Burgess said. “While it's possible to work with campus IT to put everything on the same subnet, we can more efficiently use Dante Domain Manager to just set up and manage our own domains."

Dante Domain Manager is network management software that enables user authentication, role-based security, and audit capabilities for Dante networks while allowing seamless expansion of Dante systems over any network infrastructure. Dante Domain Manager organizes a network into zones called “domains” that each have individual access requirements, making it clear and easy to know who can access any area of the system. All activity is logged, tagged, and date-stamped so problems can be quickly identified and solved.

"And Dante Domain Manager also means that if we move to a different location, which happens often, we don't have to bother campus IT to reconfigure the network," Burgess said. "We just get into Domain Manager and find the device, or better yet, if the system pulls the same address then we don't have to do anything, which is the glory of Dante."

Over the next few semesters, as part of the expanding networked audio curriculum, the MEIS team has the goal of being able to produce a live concert in a venue anywhere on campus, and then record that band or event from several other rooms at the same time—each with different purposes in mind. The idea is for everyone to grab a mix and then upload them to the server so the teams can compare notes and see how everyone did.

"We're still mulling over all the possibilities, but we're in the middle of implementing a major rewrite to our curriculum, so it's a perfect time for us to explore all the possibilities of the Dante network," Burgess added. "Dante is part of our workflow and infrastructure now, and it's an important part of our curriculum. I've had alums come back and say that that they are really glad we have a focus on networked audio because in the real world, they are up to their ears in Dante, making the experience here very valuable."

The What: Focusrite has released RedNet Control 2.4, a free software update that adds Dante Domain Manager (DDM) and AES67/AES70 compatibility, as well as an AES3 Kill Switch function, background mode, and other enhancements.

The What Else: RedNet Control 2.4 makes all Focusrite Red audio interfaces, plus RedNet devices with Audinate Brooklyn 2, Ultimo, and Ultimo X architecture, compatible with Dante Domain Manager. Specifically, RedNet Control 2.4 recognizes the four distinct levels of system access granted within DDM: Site Administrator, Domain Administrator, Operator, and Guest. As a result, users can be granted access only to the RedNet Control features necessary for their workflow. Those who just need to record audio from an existing subscription, for example, will not be able to make admin-level adjustments such as sample rate changes, or create new audio subscriptions.

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Also new in RedNet Control 2.4 is AES3 Kill Switch control for RedNet D16 and RedNet D16R. Currently a RedNet D16R always sends information (a series of zeroes) on its AES3 outputs, making it impossible for downstream devices, such as amplifiers, to distinguish between “mute” and “fault” status. With the new Kill Switch feature, users can set channel pairs to automatically cut the AES3 transmission from the D16R in certain conditions, meaning that downstream devices can identify a failure and deal with it appropriately.

Another new feature in RedNet Control 2.4 is AES67 compatibility for RedNet X2P and RedNet AM2 Ultimo X interfaces. RedNet AM2 and RedNet X2P join RedNet and Red devices as AES67 compatible. This enables interoperability between Dante and different audio networking standards, including RAVENNA. The update also provides AES70 compatibility—the control and monitoring open standard for audio-over-IP devices—for RedNet interfaces.

With version 2.4, RedNet Control 2 can now identify and update specific devices that require a firmware upgrade, as opposed to upgrading all system devices en masse. Lastly, RedNet Control 2.4 can now run as a background application if needed, so MIDI control continues to function when the software window is closed. 

The Bottom Line: RedNet Control 2.4’s new functionality brings advantages to administrators of large networked audio systems, who can now assign the privilege structure of Dante Domain Manager to RedNet Control users.

RedNet Control 2.4 is available now for free download on Mac and PC via your Focusrite customer account if you have a registered Red or RedNet product.

The What: Audinate, Dante AV networking technology, has announced version 1.1 of Dante Domain Manager. This update to Dante Domain Manager brings key improvements and new features to users and integrators, including new flexible installation options, improved email alerts and notifications, support for SMPTE 2110 devices, and secure access to LDAP and SMTP servers.

The What Else: Version 1.1 is now delivered as a complete ISO package, making it easier for users to install and set up Dante Domain Manager to suit their needs and applications. The ISO package may be used in virtual environments such as VMWare ESXi, Oracle VirtualBox, and Microsoft Hyper-V, or it may be installed directly onto a “bare metal” server with no additional software required.

Broadcasters can now combine SMPTE 2110 and Dante devices for seamless workflows, bringing Dante’s “one-click” ease of connectivity to radio and TV studios with secure, user-authenticated access. New GPS clock synchronization enables Dante connectivity between facilities over long distances, allowing broadcasters, educators, and IT managers to distribute real-time media at distance and scale.

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Improvements to email notifications and alerts mean that integrators and managers can stay on top of changes to their systems from wherever they are, addressing issues before effects are felt. Support for LDAPS and SMTPS brings greater security and confidence to network managers by encrypting communication to those servers.

"We are excited to introduce new features in Dante Domain Manager in response to customer feedback," said Neil Philips, senior product manager at Audinate. "The introduction of SMPTE 2110, GPS synchronization, LDAPS and SMTPS support, and improved email alerts make Dante Domain Manager an invaluable tool for administrators across multiple markets, enabling them to efficiently manage large-scale Dante systems."

The Bottom Line: Dante Domain Manager is a software that gives integrators, AV specialists and IT managers the ability to better manage Dante AV networks by creating groupings of Dante devices called “domains,” which are zones of products. It enables administrators to secure their systems with user-level authentication by domain and to scale their installations by supporting Dante audio across routed IP networks with multiple subnets. Administrators looking to route audio between studios, buildings, or even across entire campuses may now do so regardless of network topology.

Dante Domain Manager 1.1 is available for immediate download for new customers and existing customers with active support agreements.

Dante firmware 4.2 is required to enable SMPTE 2110 and GPS functionality in Dante Domain Manager 1.1. The latest firmware is now available to Audinate manufacturing partners for Brooklyn-II, with releases for Broadway and Dante HC modules soon to follow.

Sitting in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, Target Field is home to Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins, and accommodates more than 39,000 eager spectators ready to cheer on their team. Though designed as a baseball venue, it also hosts football, soccer, and a wide range of outdoor concerts and various non-sports-based corporate events. 

Target Field is a large venue with multiple areas around the facility that require high-quality audio support. This includes distributing audio out to various areas as well as pulling signals back to the control room for mixing and processing. For example, live bands perform before ballgames and during breaks, and stadium managers must be sure the audio is pleasantly experienced throughout the stadium.

Technicians needed a way to easily and inexpensively expand the number of inputs and outputs to the stadium's main console to better mix, manage, and control the total system. Their search led to the Dante audio network platform from Audinate.

"We started using Dante to connect the control room to the band stage, and this step alone brought 16 channels from the band to my main console—a huge improvement for us," said Jeff Pedersen, lead audio technician, Minnesota Twins Baseball. "Our plan now is to get Dante into all of our remote locations and bring all the control and mixing to our main control room."

A Dante system expands audio possibilities for the stadium, as hundreds of Dante-enabled products are available and interoperable. Pedersen can now mix any Dante-enabled speaker, amplifier, microphone, mixer, receiver, converter, and more. And, with the addition of Dante AVIO Adapters, the stadium can integrate older, legacy gear into Dante systems, adding to Dante’s interoperability and flexibility.

With a Dante system in place, Dante Domain Manager proved to be a natural next step to the network, as it added the control and security features the stadium desired. Dante Domain Manager is network management software that enables user authentication, role-based security, and audit capabilities for Dante networks, while allowing seamless expansion of Dante systems over any network infrastructure. Dante Domain Manager allowed the stadium to integrate 34 separate subnets into a single, manageable, and secure audio network. 

Dante Domain Manager provides the ability to scale and segment audio networks, regardless of the physical constraints of the network. Administrators can define specific AV device groupings by room, building, and site, ensuring the stadium’s audio is playing in the correct location. Dante Domain Manager ensures the stadium’s audio is separate from the audio they grant the visitors to use, with robust user authentication and role assignment. With Dante Domain Manager, Pedersen can be sure the stadium’s audio runs smoothly and is free of unwanted changes and modifications.

“Before Dante and Dante Domain Manager, what I wanted to do was not really possible: the cost would have been prohibitive and the time spent patching and running cables wasn’t feasible,” Pedersen said. “One of the things I can do now is send 16 channels of audio to almost any place in the stadium up to the control room. It is very liberating.”

Whether it is a concert, football game, soccer match, or Major League Baseball showdown, Dante and Dante Domain Manager deliver near-zero latency audio to the more than 39,000 spectators. Target Field administrators can rest easy knowing its network is secure and efficient while delivering the live sound, recorded and broadcast audio performances required to take fans out to the ballgame.

The What: Audinate has introduced an update to Dante Domain Manager. The new version provides advances in diagnostics and usability, extended auto discovery for legacy devices, and increased support for larger networks.

The What Else: For larger Dante installations, customers can purchase expansion packs for the Platinum Edition to support up to 1,050 devices per instance of Dante Domain Manager. The automatic device discovery service that customers have grown accustomed to with 4.0 firmware devices, has now been extended to legacy (pre-v4.0) devices. This makes it easier to for products with and without the 4.0 firmware to co-exist in Dante Domain Manager.

Designed to accelerate setup, configuration and troubleshooting, the Network Diagnostics Report provides instant visibility of basic network configuration via connectivity, DHCP, DNS and Internet reachability tests.

Available in the Network & Security settings, it is now just a single click to quickly establish if there are any fundamental configuration errors on the network.

“Since its introduction to the market earlier this year, Dante Domain Manager has been extremely well received by OEMs, integrators, and end customers,” said Joshua Rush, senior vice president of marketing and products, Audinate. “These new enhancements make Dante Domain Manager that much more valuable by providing additional features that enhance the scalability and ease of use of the platform.”

The Bottom Line: Dante Domain Manager is Audinate’s network management solution bringing enterprise-grade system administration to the AV world, and is designed to make audio networking more secure, scalable, and controllable than ever before. This technology provides AV and IT professionals with the ability to define specific AV device groupings by room, building and site, through the creation of independent Dante Domains. Each domain has multiple access levels to improve network security, and enables scalability by allowing audio routing across multiple IP subnets.

Available in three editions, Dante Domain Manager can be tailored to meet user needs and budgets while maintaining the agility, scalability, and security necessary to create a trusted audio network.