What is Dante?
Dante is a widely used audio/video network protocol with over 4,000 compatible devices from more than 600 manufacturers. Dante is especially popular in the live and installation sector.
What is Dante Ready™ and Dante Activator?
A Dante Ready™ device allows you to purchase and add Dante I/O channels to a device after using the Dante Activator feature in the Dante Controller software.
Dante Controller route’s AV signals between all Dante-enabled audio and video devices on your network. Configurations are saved directly to the devices themselves, ensuring the stability of your network through power cycles, device disconnection and system reconfiguration.
Dante Activator FAQ and Troubleshooting.
What is the difference between Dante and RAVENNA/AES67?
Both Dante and RAVENNA are Audio-over-IP network protocols. While RAVENNA (which incorporates AES67) is an open standard, Dante is a proprietary standard with its owner Audinate ensuring interoperability. On the user side, Dante networks are easier to implement but incur additional costs for licensing. RAVENNA is open source and requires no licensing fee, making it more cost effective.
AES67, developed by the Audio Engineering Society, is another open standard for Audio-over-IP interoperability. AES67 is basically the lowest common denominator of various Audio-over-IP protocols. While Dante can be run in AES67 mode, RAVENNA fully incorporates AES67. In other words, RAVENNA is AES67 with some added features.
In terms of audio quality, both Dante and RAVENNA transmit uncompressed audio. Dante supports sample rates up to 192kHz. However, if Dante is running in AES67 mode, only a fixed sampling rate of 48 kHz can be used. RAVENNA supports high-resolution audio with sample rates up to 192 kHz and even ultra-high resolution DXD (384 kHz) and DSD formats.
How can I use Dante with my MT 48?
Newer MT 48 devices from serial number 10000 are natively Dante Ready™.
To use Dante, you need to install the appropriate Dante firmware. Starting from firmware 1.7, the MT 48 firmware comes in two variants, one for RAVENNA /AES67 and another for Dante.
Only MT 48 Dante Ready will be able to update the Dante firmware. The Dante firmware can be downloadable from the Neumann website.
Additionally, a Dante license must be purchased from Audinate. Two license models are available, 8x8 channel I/O and 64x64 channel I/O.
How can I see if my MT 48 is Dante Ready™ and update it?
Make sure your MT 48 is Dante Ready.
Then you can use the new MTDiscovery version 20.0.0 that supports:
- Dante devices
- the latest Neumann KH Monitors
- The new Merging Hapi mkIII
- Neumann MT 48 with serial numbers 10000 and above are Dante Ready and can run in Dante mode using the appropriate Dante firmware.
The serial number is within the last 6 digits of your MT 48:
e.g. this unit is serial number 1580 and not Dante Ready, but eligible for an upgrade*
Ex-factory, the MT 48 is delivered with the RAVENNA/AES67 firmware running. For the unit to operate in Dante, the MT 48 Dante firmware must be installed.
Dante Ready™ means the MT 48 is Dante capable but comes without a Dante license. Once the Dante firmware is installed, a Dante license must be purchased separately from Audinate, using the Dante Controller software.
I would like to use Dante, but my MT 48 is not yet Dante Ready™. What can I do?
Owners of an MT48 with a serial number below 10000 who require Dante compatibility can have their device made Dante Ready as a retrofit. This requires a hardware modification which Neumann Service will perform for a fee.
This service will be provided as of February 2025 and will be an available option on the Neumann website Service section.
Can I run Dante and RAVENNA/AES67 on the same unit?
If your MT 48 is Dante Ready™, you can run either the stock RAVENNA/AES67 firmware or install the Dante firmware. You cannot run both firmware versions at the same time or switch between both instantly.
Where do I find the Neumann MT 48 Dante Ready™ licensing procedure?
This is included into the latest MT 48 Toolkit and can also be found on Neumann's Dante Ready page.
Does the MT 48 Toolkit software support Dante mode as well for USB operation?
Yes! The USB driver software also works with the MT 48 in Dante mode. The same goes for the Remote Controller software and Web Control.
Can I use Neumann AES67 studio monitors with MT 48 in Dante mode?
Yes, this is possible, with some limitations. The AES67 standard is the lowest common denominator of various Audio-over-IP Network protocols, including Dante. In AES67 mode, Dante only supports a sample rate of 48 kHz. To get the most out of your Neumann AES67 studio monitors, we recommend using the MT 48 in RAVENNA /AES67 mode. RAVENNA fully incorporates AES67 and adds some additional features.
Can I use Peering in Dante mode?
Peering is not supported in Dante mode, connections to expand your Dante IO network will have to be established from the Dante Controller software.
For adding and remote controlling Merging devices such as the Hapi, RAVENNA/AES67 is the best solution as Peering provides an easy way for IO expansion and remote control.
With the MT 48, can I record in Dante and record a backup via USB ?
Yes, this is possible. We recommend using your Dante network as the primary recording system and record a backup on a secondary system via USB. Since the MT 48 is class compliant with Apple devices over USB, you can use a Mac, iPad or iPhone without driver installation. On a Windows system, installation of the MT 48 Toolkit is mandatory.
Please note that the same is possible on a RAVENNA/AES67 system: You can record on a primary system via network using Merging’s VAD/MAD drivers and record a backup on a secondary system via USB (class compliant with Mac, iPad and iPhone, on Windows systems, installation of the MT 48 Toolkit is mandatory.)
What sample rates are supported in Dante mode, and how many Dante I/O channels are available?
What is the lowest supported Dante AES67 latency in AES67 mode and the highest sample rate?
1 ms is the lowest supported latency in AES67 mode.
48kHz is the only sample rate supported in AES67 mode.
To run lower latencies and higher sample rates we recommend running the RAVENNA/AES67 firmware.
Note: be aware that when running in Dante mode the latency can be as low as 0.25ms.
Can I use Merging’s network audio software [MAD, VAD and ANEMAN] in Dante mode?
No, these software tools from Merging Technologies are only supported in the RAVENNA/AES67 firmware.
The MT 48 Dante firmware supports the MT 48 Toolkit including its USB drivers. Dante is also supported in class compliant mode on Apple devices.
If you wish to connect your MT 48 to your computer via network, please use Dante driver software, e.g. Audinate’s Dante Virtual Soundcard (sold separately).
When running my interface in Dante mode will it unlock my VAD license?
The VAD only supports RAVENNA/AES67 running units, please make sure you run the RAVENNA/AES67 firmware to unlock VAD.
In Dante Mode, some settings like latency are not available on my device.
Those settings (Master-Leader, Slave-Follower, External Sync, Latency, …) can be accessed using the Dante Controller software. Some other settings, like Peering, NMOS, etc. do not apply to Dante Networks, and are therefore removed.