Allen & Heath M-DL-AES4I6O AES3 I/O Card, 4 In / 6 Out, for dLive & Avantis

Allen & Heath M-DL-AES4I6O: Balanced AES3 I/O for dLive and Avantis

The Allen & Heath M-DL-AES4I6O is an AES3 digital I/O card for any dLive or Avantis I/O Port, carrying four inputs and six outputs. Its four inputs include sample rate conversion from 32 kHz to 192 kHz, and its six outputs switch across 44.1, 48, 88.2 and 96 kHz. That near-even split makes it the balanced, send-and-return member of Allen & Heath's AES3 card family, well suited to systems that both receive and distribute a fair number of digital signals. It keeps the whole patch digital in and out of the console.

AES3 and Sample Rate Conversion Explained

AES3, the AES/EBU standard, sends a stereo digital audio pair over one balanced XLR cable and is self-clocking, so no external word clock is required. The four inputs on this card each benefit from sample rate conversion between 32 kHz and 192 kHz, letting the console accept digital sources running at rates other than its own without artifacts. Because AES3 is an open professional standard, those inputs and outputs interoperate with processors, players and consoles from any brand. Staying digital end to end preserves signal integrity across long install cable runs.

Four In, Six Out: A Middle-Ground Split

The M-DL-AES4I6O sits between the output-heavy 2I8O and the input-heavy 6I4O, giving a designer four SRC-equipped inputs and six outputs for workflows that both ingest and distribute digital audio in similar measure. That balance suits console combining, outboard digital effects loops and mixed source-and-zone patches. It is an I/O Port card for dLive and Avantis MixRacks and surfaces, not a DX32 module, so it installs in the console's own port and is bus-powered. Four captive thumb screws hold it in place with no tools.

Who the M-DL-AES4I6O Is For

This card fits engineers and integrators whose dLive or Avantis system needs a roughly even mix of digital inputs and outputs, for example returning processed audio while sending zone feeds. Its per-input SRC removes sample-rate matching worries on the way in. With no external power and a tool-free install, it slots straight into the console's port. When neither inputs nor outputs clearly dominate, the 4I6O is the versatile middle choice.