Allen & Heath AR84 8x4 AudioRack Digital I/O Expander

Allen & Heath AR84: Compact Remote I/O That Goes Where You Need It

The Allen & Heath AR84 is an 8-in / 4-out AudioRack, a compact digital stagebox that adds remote recallable I/O to an Allen & Heath system over a single Cat5 cable. It is the small sibling to the AR2412, sized for the drum riser, the monitor position or the corner of the stage where you need a handful of extra channels without dragging a full rack. For the engineer who is a few inputs short at a satellite position, the AR84 is the neat answer. It carries eight remote preamps and four outputs in a slim rackmount box. Everything routes back to the console digitally, so the extra I/O behaves like part of the main desk. This is expansion that takes minutes, not a re-cable of the whole stage.

Direct to the Console or Expanding an AR2412

The AR84 works two ways. Connected straight to a Qu, SQ or Avantis console it is a standalone 8x4 stagebox, ideal for a smaller stage that only needs a compact block of I/O. Connected to the expander port of an AR2412 it adds its eight inputs and four outputs to an existing system, and a rig can carry up to two AR84 units this way. That flexibility lets the same box serve a small acoustic setup one night and a satellite drum position on a bigger stage the next. Because it uses the same dSNAKE transport as the rest of the family, integration is a single cable and a patch. One product covers both the small-rig and the expansion role, which keeps inventory simple.

dSNAKE and a Locking EtherCON Connection

Like the larger AudioRacks, the AR84 sends its audio over dSNAKE on a single Cat5 cable up to roughly 330 ft (100 m), converting mic and line signals to digital right at the stagebox. It uses a locking EtherCON port, a ruggedized network connector that clicks into place so the cable cannot be pulled loose in the chaos of a live stage. Converting at the source keeps the mic-level signals out of a long analog run, protecting headroom and signal-to-noise. The bidirectional link carries the four output feeds back down the same cable that brings the eight inputs in. For a sub-position that has to stay connected through a whole show, that locking, one-cable link is exactly the right level of ruggedness.

Eight Recallable Preamps, Set From the Desk

Each of the eight inputs uses a remote-controlled preamp with up to +60 dB of gain, a -20 dB pad for line-level sources and switchable phantom power for condensers and active DIs. Gain and phantom are set from the console and stored in the show scenes, so the AR84's inputs recall alongside the rest of the rig with no trip to the stage. The four XLR outputs handle additional monitor sends, an amp feed or a record split from wherever the box is placed. That scene recall is what makes the extra I/O feel like a native part of the console rather than a bolt-on. It is remote-preamp control scaled down to a compact, portable footprint.

For Small Rigs and Satellite Stage Positions

The AR84 suits monitor engineers adding channels at a drum riser, worship and theater techs feeding a choir or orchestra section, and small production companies whose whole input list fits in eight channels. It also serves as a portable digital snake for compact Qu and SQ setups where a 24-channel rack would be overkill. Wherever a few remote inputs and outputs are needed away from the main stagebox, the AR84 drops in over one cable. It is the flexible connector between a growing input list and a fixed console position. Small, rugged and recallable, it earns a permanent spot in most Allen & Heath touring and install kits.

Rackmount Build for the Road

The AR84 ships in a 19-inch rackmount chassis with mounting hardware, so it bolts into a stage rack or a compact road case. Its slim format takes little rack space while still delivering pro recallable preamps and a locking network port. The build is made for repeated transport, patching and the knocks of stage life. For a box that often lives at an exposed satellite position, that road-ready construction matters as much as the I/O count. Racked once, the AR84 is built to be trusted show after show.