Professional audio-over-IP for broadcast and live events
Dante (Digital Audio Network Through Ethernet) is the industry-leading audio-over-IP protocol developed by Audinate. It enables uncompressed, multi-channel digital audio distribution over standard Ethernet networks with sub-millisecond latency, making it the gold standard for professional broadcast, live events, and installed sound systems.
Technical specifications and professional broadcast standard
Dante Bandwidth Calculation:
Single Channel Bandwidth (48 kHz / 24-bit):
Sample Rate: 48,000 samples/second
Bit Depth: 24 bits = 3 bytes
Data Rate: 48,000 × 3 = 144,000 bytes/second
With Overhead: 144,000 × 1.25 = 180,000 bytes/second
Bandwidth: 180,000 × 8 = 1.44 Mbps per channel
Common Configurations:
Stereo (2 channels): ~2.88 Mbps
Multi-track (16 channels): ~23 Mbps
Large Event (64 channels): ~92 Mbps
Maximum (512 channels @ 48kHz): ~737 Mbps
Network Overhead Breakdown:
- Ethernet Header: 14 bytes
- IP Header: 20 bytes
- UDP Header: 8 bytes
- RTP Header: 12 bytes
- Dante Payload: Variable
Total Overhead: ~25% of payload size
Note: Higher sample rates increase bandwidth proportionally
96 kHz = 2x bandwidth, 192 kHz = 4x bandwidthLive events, studio distribution, and broadcast applications
Conferences, concerts, and theatrical productions using Dante to distribute audio from stage microphones to FOH mixer, monitor mixer, broadcast feed, and recording systems simultaneously over a single network.
Radio and TV studios using Dante to connect microphones, mixers, processing equipment, and on-air consoles. Integration with WAVE streaming platform for high-quality audio delivery to cloud encoding.
Recording studios and content creators capturing multi-track audio from Dante-enabled mixers and interfaces, streaming individual tracks to cloud for remote collaboration or sending mixed stereo feed to WAVE platform.
Bringing remote audio guests into local Dante network via SIP/VOIP bridges or WAVE DESKTOP with Dante Virtual Soundcard. Professional-quality audio integration for podcasts, talk shows, and remote interviews.
Houses of worship and permanent venues using Dante for distributed audio throughout facilities. Main sanctuary connects to overflow rooms, nursery, streaming encoder, and recording system all via single network infrastructure.
Mixers, interfaces, speakers, and professional equipment
| Category | Device | Channels | Latency | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mixers | Yamaha CL/QL Series | 64x64 | <1ms | 48kHz/24-bit |
Mixers | Allen & Heath SQ/Avantis | 128x128 | <1ms | 96kHz/32-bit |
Mixers | Behringer X32 | 32x32 | <1ms | 48kHz/32-bit |
Interfaces | Focusrite RedNet Series | 256x256 | <1ms | 192kHz/32-bit |
Interfaces | Audinate AVIO Adapters | Varies | <1ms | 48kHz/24-bit |
Interfaces | Shure MXA910 Ceiling Mic | Varies | <1ms | 48kHz/24-bit |
Amplifiers | Lab.gruppen D Series | Varies | <1ms | 48kHz/24-bit |
Speakers | QSC Q-SYS | Varies | <2ms | 48kHz/24-bit |
| Scenario | Channels | Bandwidth | Switch Required | Latency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Stereo Streaming | 2 | 2.3 Mbps | 100 Mbps | <1ms |
| Small Studio (16 channels) | 16 | 18.4 Mbps | 1 Gbps | <1ms |
| Live Event (64 channels) | 64 | 73.7 Mbps | 1 Gbps | <1ms |
| Large Venue (256 channels) | 256 | 295 Mbps | 1 Gbps (dedicated) | <2ms |
| Quality Level | Sample Rate | Bit Depth | Channels | Bandwidth | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broadcast Standard | 48 kHz | 24-bit | Stereo | ~2.3 Mbps | Live streaming, broadcast |
| Professional Studio | 96 kHz | 32-bit | Up to 64 | ~150 Mbps | Studio recording, mixing |
| High-Resolution | 192 kHz | 32-bit | Stereo | ~9.2 Mbps | Mastering, archival |
| Multi-track Live | 48 kHz | 24-bit | 32 channels | ~37 Mbps | Live multi-track recording |
Create audio routing matrix between Dante devices:
WAVE DESKTOP Audio Settings: Audio Input Device: Dante Virtual Soundcard - Stereo Mix: Channels 1-2 (for standard streaming) - Multi-track: Channels 1-64 (for advanced recording) Audio Settings: - Sample Rate: 48 kHz (match Dante network) - Bit Depth: 24-bit (professional quality) - Buffer Size: 256 samples (low latency, adjust if crackling) - Channels: Stereo or Multi-track Audio Processing: - Normalization: Optional (prevent clipping) - Compression: Optional (reduce dynamic range) - EQ: Optional (frequency shaping) - Noise Gate: Optional (remove background noise)
Dante Redundancy Architecture: Primary Network (VLAN 10): Switch A (10.0.10.0/24) ←→ Dante Devices (Primary Ports) Secondary Network (VLAN 11): Switch B (10.0.11.0/24) ←→ Dante Devices (Secondary Ports) Configuration: 1. Connect each Dante device to both networks 2. Enable redundancy in Dante Controller 3. Primary network handles all traffic normally 4. Secondary network monitors and stands ready 5. Automatic failover <10ms if primary fails 6. Seamless return to primary when recovered Benefits: - Zero audio dropouts during network failures - Cable/switch failures don't interrupt audio - Maintenance can be performed on one network - Professional reliability for critical events
Cause: mDNS discovery blocked, wrong subnet, or firewall issues
Solution: Verify all devices on same subnet or enable mDNS reflection on router. Check firewall allows UDP 5353 (mDNS), UDP 319-320 (PTP), and UDP 14336-14600 (Dante audio). Restart Dante Controller and devices.
Cause: EEE enabled, network congestion, or insufficient QoS
Solution: Disable Energy Efficient Ethernet on ALL switch ports. Enable IGMP snooping. Configure QoS/DSCP. Check for network bandwidth saturation. Increase DVS buffer size if computer-related.
Cause: PTP clock synchronization failure, network issues, or conflicting clock masters
Solution: Designate ONE clock master in network. Check network allows PTP packets (UDP 319-320). Verify managed switches support IGMP and PTP. Restart devices in sequence: clock master first, then others.
Cause: Large buffer sizes, network congestion, or WiFi interference
Solution: Use wired Gigabit Ethernet only (never WiFi). Reduce DVS buffer size. Check for network congestion. Verify QoS prioritization. Use dedicated Dante VLAN.
Cause: Devices configured for different sample rates (e.g., 44.1kHz vs 48kHz)
Solution: Set ALL devices to same sample rate (48 kHz recommended for streaming). Configure in Dante Controller device settings. Ensure WAVE DESKTOP audio settings match. Restart all devices after changing sample rate.
import { WaveClient } from '@wave/api-client';
import { DesignTokens, getContainer, getSection } from '@/lib/design-tokens';
const wave = new WaveClient({ apiKey: 'wave_live_xxxxx' });
// Stream with Dante audio input
const streamWithDante = async () => {
const stream = await wave.streams.create({
title: 'Professional Dante Audio Stream',
protocol: 'webrtc',
audio: {
// Dante Virtual Soundcard input
input: 'Dante Virtual Soundcard',
sampleRate: 48000, // Match Dante network
bitDepth: 24, // Professional quality
channels: 2, // Stereo (or multi-track)
// Encoding settings
codec: 'opus', // High-quality codec
bitrate: 256, // Kbps (transparent quality)
// Processing
processing: {
normalization: true, // Prevent clipping
compression: {
enabled: true,
ratio: 3,
threshold: -18,
attack: 10,
release: 100
},
eq: {
enabled: false // Use mixer EQ instead
}
}
},
recording: {
enabled: true,
quality: 'source' // Preserve Dante quality
}
});
console.log('Streaming with Dante audio:', stream.playback.url);
return stream;
};
// Monitor audio levels and quality
const monitorAudio = async (streamId: string) => {
const ws = wave.streams.subscribe(streamId, {
metrics: ['audio']
});
ws.on('audio', (audio) => {
console.log('Audio Levels:', {
peak: audio.peak, // dBFS
rms: audio.rms, // dBFS
clipping: audio.clipping, // Boolean
sampleRate: audio.sampleRate,
bitrate: audio.bitrate
});
if (audio.clipping) {
console.warn('WARNING: Audio clipping detected!');
}
});
return ws;
};
streamWithDante();