Allen & Heath M-Dante 64x64 Dante Networking Card for iLive, GLD & ME

Allen & Heath M-Dante: 64-Channel Dante Networking for iLive, GLD and ME

The Allen & Heath M-Dante is a 64x64 Dante audio networking option card that installs natively in iLive, GLD and ME-U systems, carrying 64 channels each way over a single Ethernet cable. Built on Audinate's Brooklyn II module and switchable between 48 and 96 kHz, it turns an Allen & Heath console into a node on an industry-standard audio-over-IP network. For an engineer who needs to split to monitors, feed broadcast or record the whole show, M-Dante replaces a mess of analog tie-lines with one network port.

How Dante Moves 64 Channels Over One Cable

Dante is Audinate's audio-over-IP protocol, carrying many channels of uncompressed, sample-accurate digital audio over ordinary Gigabit Ethernet with tightly managed latency and clock synchronization. Every Dante device shares a common network clock, so channels from different sources stay phase-aligned and drift-free, and routing is set in software rather than by re-patching cables. Because Dante is an open, widely adopted standard, an M-Dante-equipped console interoperates with Dante stage boxes, amplifiers, processors and recorders from many manufacturers. Subscriptions are made by name in Dante Controller, so a 64-channel split is a few clicks rather than a rewiring job.

A Native Card for iLive, GLD and ME Systems

M-Dante is the option card designed for Allen & Heath's iLive, GLD and ME-U hosts, dropping straight into their networking slot with no adapter. It provides a fixed 64 x 64 channel count and switches its sample rate to match the rest of the system. To reuse an M-Dante in a newer dLive or Avantis I/O Port, Allen & Heath's M-DL-ADAPT carrier is required, since those consoles use a different port format. Knowing which host a card belongs to is essential: M-Dante serves the iLive/GLD/ME generation, while the M-DL-DANTE64 card covers dLive and Avantis.

Dante Virtual Soundcard for Recording and Virtual Soundcheck

Every M-Dante ships with a Dante Virtual Soundcard license, software that presents the Dante network to a Mac or Windows computer as a 64-channel audio interface. That lets an engineer record every input of a live show straight to a DAW over the same Ethernet cable, then play it back the next day for a virtual soundcheck with the band offstage. No dedicated recording interface or analog splitter is needed, which saves rack space and setup time. It is one of the most practical reasons touring and house engineers add a Dante card to their console.

Who the M-Dante Is For

M-Dante suits front-of-house and monitor engineers running iLive, GLD or ME systems who need reliable digital splits, computer recording or integration with third-party Dante gear. It is equally at home in install work where an Allen & Heath console has to join a facility's existing audio-over-IP backbone. For anyone already invested in the iLive/GLD/ME platform, it is the direct, plug-in path onto a Dante network. The card is bus-powered from the host, so there is nothing extra to rack or power.