Alternte DX168 – compact rack mount

[avenueservices]

Using the DX168 stage boxes for stage boxes is great. But, I’d love to see a compact rack mount version for allowing 8 or 16 inputs that could be used in a radio mic rack to allow the use of the DX connection to the mix rack to save audio looms?
Thoughts?

[Rohan Wright]

I’ve been asking this from the start! Would be so usefull…
an 8 out rack as well for IEM racks. All our wireless is in groups of 8 so something like this would really clean things up.

[Jay]

Made the case for this to the A&H US Central Region Sales Manager about a month ago:

– Install targeted
– 1 RU, IEC direct power
– Redundant DX on front or rear
– Ideally, 8 in and 8 out, but based on the card size for preamps they are using that may be difficult.
– Phoenix blocks for all audio I/O.

Apparently it is a frequent request, no insight to if it will become a product.

[SteffenR]

1 RU is not possible with 8 in and 8 out on cards
but it sounds interesting

[letmefix]

If you have a dante card: https://www.klang.com/en/products/klang_quelle19
I use 3 of 4 channel version, POE, it works great.

[Jens-Droessler]

A&H has the AR2412, which is very compact for the IO count. They have the AR0804, which is basically as compact as the AR2412. Both don’t work on dLive (I don’t understand why that is. Should have been easy to implement a backward compatibility into the DX ports. But not the point). dLive is their top notch pro system, right? So why is the DX168 a stagebox in the shape of an MI product? Why isn’t it a 2U rack device? I never understood that. Yes, there is a rackmount, which I will use because there is no alternative except the far more expensive DX32, but it is 4 (four!) freakin’ U! And almost no depth! AND the connectors of the side. Come on, A&H! Pro products only for your pro line! If you have to reuse cases, make a DX2412 out of the AR2412.

[Mfk0815]

I personally see both use cases. It would be nice to place a dx-something into a iem or wireless case and use a cat5 to fonnect that rack to the mixrack. On the other hand the dx168 is fine to place it somewhere on the stage as a subsnake, the usecase per design for that box as far as I can see it. ‚Pro’ means for me to have the choice out of a big varity of products from ‚MI’ up to ‚real Pro‘.

[SteffenR]

1 Klangquelle costs nearly as much as a DX168, no thanks…

[Jens-Droessler]

Mfk0815: What’s the problem in using a stagebox in a small rack as a subsnake on stage? I see only benefits: I can use 1U more and put a racklight or a power distribution in the rack too. It’s more rugged, so no hassle if someone steps on it and so on. THAT is “pro” to me. Putting a DX168 as is on stage is not.

Steffen R: AND there is no control of the preamps from the desk.

[Mfk0815]

Jens, there is no problem, but what would be the problem to have a 1RU DX804 or similar AND a DX168X as it is. You don‘t have to use the DX168X if you don‘t like it. Then we would have a similarity to the dSnake Products which is in my eyes not so bad.

[Jay]

To echo Mfk0815.

Form-Fit-Function

The DX168 meets the “fit” and “function” for a pro audio system, but completely missed form.

As a stage box, it is too vulnerable. Open gaps to spill liquids into, connectors fully exposed to be stepped on regardless of rotation, no locking power and it isn’t even an even rack size. It doesn’t even travel well. I’m build some custom “racks”, no larger than necessary, that protect it accordingly and can just be dropped in work trunks to travel.

Everyone I work with has racks of gear – mostly wireless – and as a 4+ RU with all connectors on the front, again, it missed form. Mount it backwards, it still takes up more than 1/4 of my rack and adds unnecessary weight. This also applies to any installs. Put a couple in a rack and it is a nice little stage box. If they are going to do 8/0 or 0/8, then it needs to be able to chain up to 4 devices instead of 2. Redundant chaining will probably require a pair of DX Hubs.

Just my opinion, but I could use 4 in’s and 2 out’s today.

Jay

[ddff_lv]

Not really a solution, but if Dante counts, then RIO would be an option: https://xilica.com/products/rio/
16 in/out in 1RU (Phoenix) or 2RU (XLR).

[ddff_lv]

And if we talk IEM- I absolutely recommend trying Lectrosonics Duet, it has Dante option and it sounds like if there is no radio between mixer and phones. Little latency is the price.

[Wolfgang]

if there was a small solution with Phoenix connectors for radio racks, i would also find it very interesting.

a cascadable 4In / 4Out device with 1 RU and half rack width with the designation DX44, which can be operated with POE+, would be a dream. 😉

[Anonymous]

The DX168 meets the “fit” and “function” for a pro audio system, but completely missed form.

As a stage box, it is too vulnerable. Open gaps to spill liquids into, connectors fully exposed to be stepped on regardless of rotation, no locking power and it isn’t even an even rack size. It doesn’t even travel well. I’m build some custom “racks”, no larger than necessary, that protect it accordingly and can just be dropped in work trunks to travel.

You probably know this, but the DX168 has a optional rackmount kit.

[Author]

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