In the article for Production Expert, James Richmond tests the RME's bus-powered 258 Channels (128 in / 128 out) Digiface Dante Audio Interface, enabling transmission of up to 64 Dante channels and 64 MADI channels via a single USB 3.0 connection.

Audio over IP (AoIP) solutions are here to stay; with many manufacturers nailing their colours to particular masts/formats. RME are one of the few who have products in different camps. I recently reviewed the RME Digiface AVB and found it a useful and powerful device, deceptively small considering its power. Spoiler alert- the Digiface Dante very much follows the same mould.

Features

The compact Digiface Dante is pretty minimal, with a USB3 port and power socket on one side, and dual BNC (for word clock or coaxial MADI), four ethernet ports for Dante (supporting primary and secondary networks) and a 1/4” output that, like many other RME devices, can be used as a stereo headphone output, or sent to a pair of studio monitors. The maximum channel count for the Digiface Dante is a staggering 256 channels, comprised of 128 channels (64 In, 64 out) of Dante and the same number of coaxial MADI. It will even work as a standalone Dante to MADI converter with no computer required (once it is set up). My own use case is very much in the Dante realm and that is what I tested here, in combination with the Ferrofish Pulse DX-CV converter and my 2017 MacBook Pro.

Installation

RME have a reputation for rock solid drivers and here was no exception. The Digiface Dante was unboxed, attached to my Mac’s thunderbolt/USB port where it sprang to life and the driver installation is quick and painless. A word to the wise here, RME are extremely good at keeping their drivers up to date so check regularly for an update.

As the Digiface Dante has no ADA conversion of its own (beyond the headphone output) you will need some Dante converters. Patching for this is done, as with all Dante products, in Audinate’s Dante Controller software. Connecting all 64 channels of Dante between the supplied Ferrofish Pulse 16DX-CV is a single drag/drop for each batch of 64 channels and I was up and running.

In Use

The Digiface Dante works very well as a studio interface provided you have the necessary Dante converters. The advantage here is particularly where you might have Dante converters/preamps in the recording room (or on a stage). A pair of ethernet cables (for primary and secondary network) between the stage boxes and the interface, with a simple ethernet switch in between is all you need and the system is very slick. I am mostly studio bound but sometimes work in live recording space and an RME Digiface Dante and some Dante enabled mic preamps would be a very portable but powerful set up.

As I said earlier, RME’s in-house coded drivers are amongst the best in the business and put many other companies to shame. Reported latency values at 1x sample rates the reported latency figure for Logic Pro X was 1.4ms on output and 2.8ms on roundtrip with a 32 sample buffer. With a 64 sample buffer, 2.0ms on output and 4.1ms on roundtrip. This is obviously exceptionally good, only bettered by DSP-based solutions, or you can use RME’s Total Mix digital mixing software to monitor audio off hardware. As with the Digiface AVB this is the slightly cut down version of Total Mix without DSP processing.

Any Issues?

Precious few issues, really.

Dante Controller might be a tad confusing for anyone new to Dante but that is true of all devices. One quirk with the Digiface Dante is, as it is a USB interface, the usual process where you configure it with Dante Controller by connecting your computer to it over ethernet will not work. The actual process is much simpler- just connect the Digiface Dante to your network and to your computer and run Dante Controller to route channels. This is mentioned in the manual but it is easy to miss.

The other issue for many people is the Digiface Dante is unlikely to be a sufficient device on its own. Yes, you have a headphone out than can be used as a control room output but to get any audio to and from the unit you will need converters, Dante or coaxial MADI are supported.

Conclusion

I’ve very much enjoyed using the Digiface Dante. Much as I found when I reviewed the RME Digiface AVB, the size of this device belies its capabilities. If you are already invested in Dante and wanted to add another machine, such as a laptop, to your network where you tracked high channel counts then it is probably the best product currently available. It would also be a very capable interface by itself if paired with any of the available Dante or MADI converters that are on the market.

Pros

• Compact but high channel count.

• Brilliant low latency drivers.

• Can be bus powered or run standalone.

Cons

• Not a one box solution for most users.