DX168 & AB168 – but why?

[samhedrickParticipant]

Hey All,

New to the forum! Wanted to pick your brain.

In a conference auditorium, I’m running Dante from my SQ5 to access the sound system and grab their Shure mic rack inputs. I used the console SLink port to a DX168 under the stage to drop my preferred subs for the room and have control over them. I dropped an AB168 in the production trailer for GFX/Playback inputs and to output audio for Hyperdeck recorders. Ran the cat6 from the stage to the trailer box. The stage box links and patches perfectly. But I cannot communicate with the trailer box at all. I swapped the boxes in the signal chain just to run a test. Still nothing from the trailer. So my next assumption is that this config is just not possible, that AB and DX boxes just don’t work together.

Is there something I’m missing or am I right and just need to purchase a second DX168 for the trailer? I’ve used both boxes separately a million times but haven’t used them chained before so this is new territory for me.

[BrianParticipant]

The boxes won’t work daisy chained together. One major factor is the fact that the boxes run at different clock speeds – the AB/AR boxes at 48k and the DX/GX boxes at 96k.

You’ll need to stick with one type of another. Obviously the DX boxes are more expensive, but I also think their EOL timeframe is much farther away than the AB/AR boxes which are an older design.

[TomParticipant]

See
SLink Connections

You would need an SLink card in the IO port, so you have 2 SLink ports in your desk:
one SLink port in DX mode for DX168 and one in dSnake mode for AB168.
Obviously not an option, since you need the Dante card in the IO port.

You could also buy the Dante version, DT 168.
Costs more, but might be more flexible in terms of network topology.
Or any other Dante converter with enough output channels for your Subs of course.

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