Letter from Lee Ellison CEO
Audinate just completed its fiscal year, and we want to thank all of our partners and end customers for your patronage and support. This past year’s growth has validated that Dante is the new standard for high quality, low latency A/V streaming. The adoption of Dante is accelerating at a phenomenal rate. During the past 12 months we grew from 50 OEMs to nearly 100 OEMs.
Dante gives our customers so many choices, with more partners, more products and more switches. No specialized IT switches are required.
While there are already approximately a 150 Dante products announced by OEM partners, well over 200 additional new products already are in the development pipeline. During the past quarter, Dante products were announced by Allen & Heath, Atlas Sound, Atterotech, Bose, BSS Audio, EAW, EV, IED, Lectrosonics, RTS Intercom Systems, , Shure, Symetrix, Sound Devices, Stewart Audio, Soundcraft and Yamaha.
Audinate continues to innovate by bringing a broad solution suite of networking products that just work and are easy to integrate. We are now shipping our innovative cost effective Ultimo chipset, which has already been deployed in several partners’ products, with more on the way.
Thanks again for your interest in Dante and a connected world.
In The News
Audinate Now Shipping Dante Ultimo™
Audinate's new Dante Ultimo networking platform is now shipping. Ultimo is an integrated, cost-effective 13x13 mm chip, targeted for low-channel networked audio equipment. Ultimo extends Dante networking to a wide range of audio devices.
Dante integrates media and control for your entire AV system over a single IP network. Set-up is easy, with devices that automatically discover one another and one-click signal routing with user-editable names. Dante has now been adopted by more than 85 OEMs, and is recognized as the most interoperable, smartest media networking solution.
Audinate and Bose® Corporation Announce Licensing Agreement
Audinate announced Bose Corporation has licensed Audinate’s Dante™ patented media networking solution. The agreement will enable Bose's Professional Systems to deploy Dante into its commercial installation products.
“By including Dante in our products, we make it easy for our customers to meet the requirements of the installations that call for this solution to exchange high quality digital audio over virtually any network layout”, says Akira Mochimaru, General Manager, Bose Professional Systems Division.
Ashly Audio Licenses Audinate's Dante Diigital Networking
Ashly Audio, maker of powerful, high-performance, cost-effective signal processors and amplifiers, have licensed Dante digital media networking solution from Audinate.
Noted President, Ashly Audio, Mark Wentling, "Ashly is excited to be able to offer our customers yet another option in digital connectivity for our DSP processors and DSP enabled power amplifiers. Dante from Audinate currently brings the best in flexible, yet robust digital audio transport, to the pro-audio and commercial-sound installation markets."
Powersoft Licenses Dante™ AV Networking from Audinate
Powersoft and Audinate have entered into a licensing agreement to incorporate Audinate’s Dante media networking into Powersoft’s amplifier products.
“Our plan is to build new products for the newest generation of our Install and Touring rack amplifiers.” says Luca Giorgi, Pro Audio BU Manager for Powersoft. Giorgi adds, “Powersoft’s first compatible products integrating Dante will be the new Ottocanali series. Recently launched in its basic version, it will be available in a networkable version this fall
Audinate and Innovative Electronic Designs LLC Announce Licensing Agreement
Innovative Electronic Designs, LLC is pleased to announce that the company has licensed Audinate’s Dante™ digital-media networking technology and will incorporate Dante into several exciting new products.
“IED has always been on the cutting edge of high quality networked audio solutions,” observes IED’s VP of Product Development Jody Green. “Audinate’s Dante technology will allow us to expand our line of announcement controller and networked amplifier offerings. IED currently has several products in development using Audinate’s Dante that will be available this year.
Update Your Dante Software
Dante Controller v3.4.0 supports the latest Windows audio applications plus performance monitoring enhancements.
V3.4.0 provides a new toolset to better monitor and tune the audio network:
- Dante Controller application support of Windows 8 OS (32 or 64 bit)
- Channel Metering – indicates if audio is present on a given connection and running at a proper audio range
- Multicast bandwidth display – indicates the current multicast audio network bandwidth
- Clock Health Monitoring – detects and provides a warning if a device is at risk of losing sync with the master clock
Dante Virtual Soundcard
Dante Virtual Soundcard version 3.2.1 for Windows 7 and Windows 8 has been released. Version 3.2.1 delivers bug fixes and stability improvements.
For a limited time, Audinate is offering its awarding software at $29.99 which is an 80% off the regular $149,00 price.
Dante Enabled Products
Over the past year, many of our licensees have been launching new and dynamic Dante products. Here are a these new products.
Attero Tech unDX2I0 Multi IO Wall Box
Four Audio DB01 Break in/Break out Box
Yamaha XMV Power Amp
Focusrite RedNet 1-6
Sound Devices Pix 260i file based audio/video recorder/player
Showcasing Dante
Lectrosonics Integral to Production of Spike TV's 'Ink Master'
Wireless microphone and ASPEN / Dante audio processing / networking technologies assume vital role
For those with a fascination for body art, Spike TV’s Ink Master is ‘must-watch’ TV. Sixteen of the country’s most skilled tattoo artists compete for $100K and the title of Ink Master. ‘Living Canvasses’ are permanently marked in a series of extreme challenges that push the contestants to their limit in this high-stakes elimination competition, hosted by rock legend Dave Navarro and judged by tattoo icons Chris Nunez and Oliver Peck. The show’s production utilizes a lot of wireless microphones and audio processing / networking technology—all of it coming from Rio Rancho, NM-based Lectrosonics.
Martin Kelly is the Audio Supervisor on the show. This BBC trained Londoner has worked in motion pictures and TV for over 23 years and Comedians in Cars with Jerry Seinfeld and The Royals for BBC America are among his recent credits. Stating that he loves the technical challenges of reality TV, Kelly discussed the Ink Master project and his selection of a vast array of Lectrosonics equipment.
“For Ink Master,” Kelly explained, “we’re working with Lectrosonics VR Field receiver systems that are outfitted with both VRT and VRS receiver modules. We’re using 84 channels—with the Studio and Location rigs each equipped with 42 channels on frequency blocks 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, and 26. There are sixteen Lectrosonics T4 IFB transmitters for camera transmission feeding sixteen UCR411 receivers as camera hops. Further, there are another sixteen UCR411 receivers that are used for two 8-track location mixer bags.”
As part of the massive equipment setup, Kelly reports using 28 Lectrosonics SMQV Super-Miniature dual battery transmitters, 3 SMa Super-Miniature transmitters, and 4 UM400a beltpack transmitters for the talent in both the studio and on location—all of which utilize Lectrosonics’ acclaimed Digital Hybrid Wireless® technology. Additionally, there are SNA600 Adjustable Dipole Antennas and ALP500 shark fin antennas with PF25 passive filters in use.
“In order for us to have complete control of the entire audio stream within our 80,000 square foot production complex, which is completely RF live, we’re using Lectrosonics’ ASPEN SPNDNT Dante™ DSP mixer / processors, a DNTBOB general purpose interface, and ASPEN SPN2412 and SPN1624 audio processors,” Kelly continued. “Two SPNDNT units in the studio control camera and IFB mixes while the SPN2412 and SPN1624 audio processors are used for the location rig. The DNTBOB provides additional Dante channels for foldback and monitoring, for a total of 75 Dante channels as needed.”
“This show is very reliant on wireless microphones: 44 of them, in fact, with 40 for the talent and 4 wireless booms, along with camera transmitters plus IFB and ENG multitrack,” Kelly said. “The ASPEN units are key in routing and controlling the flow and dispersal of audio—both in our studio setup and on location. We’re utilizing a touchscreen system to create multiple camera mixes through Dante. In addition to the 62 active record tracks, we utilize the DNTBOB to expand the number of Dante tracks available, which enables us to route camera returns mixes to the board for monitoring.”
When asked about his clear preference for Lectrosonics equipment, Kelly offered the following, “I use Lectrosonics because of its robust performance, the exceptional audio quality, and its reliability. Their field gear is built like a tank. The equipment has no easily broken knobs and switches, and the casing looks new—even after years of abuse. After approximately 13 years of using Lectrosonics products, the company’s equipment remains a key production element on nearly all my shows.”
Kelly was also very complimentary of Lectrosonics’ customer / technical support services. “Dealing with Lectrosonics is a key part of my work,” he says. “The online knowledge base is a fantastic resource and the company’s technical support is awesome.”
As he prepared for another day’s production, Kelly offered these final thoughts, “I love working with Lectrosonics gear and my dealer, Gotham Sound and Communications, Inc. in New York, has been terrific as my Lectrosonics dealer. In addition to the wireless technology, the ASPEN processing equipment and its ability to operate on a Dante network is a huge plus. I can’t wait to see what the new generation of products is going to be, and how we can incorporate them into our workflow!”
Dante on Tour
The Killers Take RedNet on Tour- Thanks to its flexibility, Focusrite's RedNet technology is being implemented in an amazingly diverse range of applications. From single-unit laptop recording setups to multi-room studio environments, RedNet is a great-sounding, hassle-free and incredibly versatile audio interface system. One of the most innovative RedNet applications is as part of the digital audio systems that run most front-of-house (FOH) PA systems on large tours the world over. One such implementation is in the FOH rig of The Killers' world tour, where a RedNet 1 eight-channel A-D/D-A and RedNet 4 eight-channel mic preamp perform a number of duties for Systems Engineer Philip Reynolds.
Video: http://goo.gl/VVVkO6
