Allen & Heath M-DL-DXLINK DX Link Networking Card for dLive & Avantis

Allen & Heath M-DL-DXLINK: Remote Stage-Box Expansion for dLive and Avantis

The Allen & Heath M-DL-DXLINK is a DX Link networking card that connects remote DX expanders and stage boxes to a dLive or Avantis system, fitting any I/O Port. It provides four locking etherCON ports, each carrying 32 x 32 channels of 96 kHz audio, for up to 128 remote inputs and 64 remote outputs per card. It links the DX32, DX168, DX012 and DX164-W expanders in parallel or redundant modes. For a rig that needs to push large amounts of I/O out to the stage on a single card, it is the expansion backbone.

How DX Link Distributes Audio

DX Link is Allen & Heath's protocol for connecting remote I/O expanders to a console over a locking etherCON cable, carrying 32 channels in and 32 out per port at a full 96 kHz. Unlike an open audio-over-IP protocol, DX Link is a plug-and-play point-to-point link designed specifically for Allen & Heath DX expanders, so an integrator runs a cable to a stage box and its I/O appears in the system with no configuration or channel mapping. That simplicity makes stage setup fast and reliable. Four such ports on one card multiply the remote I/O a console can reach.

128 Remote Inputs and 64 Remote Outputs Per Card

Across its four ports, the M-DL-DXLINK adds up to 128 remote inputs and 64 remote outputs to a dLive or Avantis system. Each port runs at 96 kHz and connects DX expanders in one of two ways: parallel mode links one DX32, or up to two DX168, DX012 or DX164-W boxes per port for maximum count; redundant mode pairs two ports to one expander over two cables so a cable or port failure does not drop the stage. That choice lets a designer trade sheer channel count against fault tolerance per show.

Parallel and Redundant Modes for Reliability

The parallel and redundant options make the M-DL-DXLINK suitable for both count-hungry festival stages and critical shows where a lost stage box is unacceptable. In redundant mode, the second cable path carries the same audio so the system stays up if the first fails, the kind of insurance broadcast and corporate events demand. The card requires dLive firmware V1.6 or higher, and it seats in the console's own I/O Port rather than a DX32 module bay. It is bus-powered from the console.

Who the M-DL-DXLINK Is For

The M-DL-DXLINK is for engineers and integrators building large, distributed I/O systems on dLive or Avantis who need to connect multiple remote DX stage boxes and expanders from one card. Its high remote I/O count suits big stages, while its redundant mode suits mission-critical productions. Plug-and-play operation keeps setup fast even as the system scales. When a rig has to reach a lot of I/O out to the stage reliably, this is the card that carries it.