Allen & Heath M-DL-GACE-A gigaACE 128x128 Networking Card for dLive/Avantis

Allen & Heath M-DL-GACE-A: gigaACE 128x128 Networking for dLive and Avantis

The Allen & Heath M-DL-GACE-A is a gigaACE audio networking option card that adds a 128 x 128 channel point-to-point link at 96 kHz to any dLive or Avantis I/O port. It carries a full stage of audio plus the console's TCP/IP control network down a single Cat5e run terminated in two locking etherCON connectors. Cable redundancy lets a pulled or failed cable be swapped with no audible dropout, and the card is host-powered so it needs no external supply. Plug-and-play operation means no computer is required to establish the link between two systems. For engineers building multi-rack rigs, it is the quiet, dependable backbone that lets one surface command an entire system.

How gigaACE Moves 128 Channels Over One Cat5e Cable

gigaACE is Allen & Heath's proprietary Layer-2 audio-over-Ethernet transport, running a fixed 128 x 128 channel point-to-point connection rather than a switched network. It operates at 96 kHz with very low, deterministic latency because audio travels directly between two endpoints with no network switch in the path. Standard Cat5e or better carries the link up to 328 ft (100 m), and the two etherCON ports provide a primary path plus a hot redundant path. Because it is point-to-point, setup is immediate: connect two cards and the systems see each other with no addressing or configuration. This makes gigaACE the simplest way to bond two dLive or Avantis systems into one coherent audio domain.

Cable Redundancy and Control Tunneling Built In

The second etherCON port is a live redundant link: if the primary cable is damaged or unplugged, audio continues on the backup path without an interruption a listener can hear. gigaACE also tunnels the dLive or Avantis TCP/IP control network across the same connection, so a single laptop running the mixing app can control both linked systems at once. Every stream is reclocked and buffered at each end for jitter-free timing across the run. The result is a link that behaves like a rugged, self-healing extension of the console's own backplane. For touring rigs that cannot afford a dropped show, that redundancy is the difference between a scare and a stoppage.

Splitting FOH and Monitors or Expanding I/O

A common use is linking a MixRack to a second dLive or Avantis system to create a clean FOH-to-monitor split, sharing all 128 input channels digitally without analog splitters. The same card connects a dLive system to a DX Hub or a GX4816 expander to add remote stage I/O over a single cable. Rental companies use it to bond two consoles for redundancy or channel expansion, then break them apart for the next job in minutes. Because control travels with the audio, the monitor engineer and FOH engineer can share one control network or run independent laptops. Any workflow that needs two racks to act as one is exactly what gigaACE was built for.

Who the M-DL-GACE-A Is For

This card suits touring engineers, install integrators, and rental houses running dLive S Class or C Class systems or Avantis surfaces that need a redundant, low-latency console-to-console link. First-time buyers get true plug-and-play expansion with no networking knowledge required, while advanced users get deterministic timing and hot cable redundancy for critical shows. It fits the standard dLive/Avantis I/O port and is powered entirely by the host. Compared with a MADI or Dante card, gigaACE trades third-party interoperability for the tightest, simplest link between Allen & Heath systems. If your goal is to join two racks into one rig, the M-DL-GACE-A is the direct answer.