Thanks. I intend using my Mackie Onyx 1640 16 Channel Mixer as an audio interface.

I will purchase D-Sub-XLR looms to achieve the i/o I need to connect the M-1620 to the mixer.

Is it simply connecting the mini mac to the M-1620 via the ethernet port?

Then do I download the relevant Dante virtual soundcard drivers to get the new system working?

Apologies if this is an obvious thing to do. I want to make sure this is the correct procedure before I cough up the cash.

Thanks,
Trevor

I think he wants to do something like this, but then he is not using the Onyx as recording interface.
He is using it as Preamp/Mixer.

                           Apple
                               |
+--------Gibit LAN [DANTE]-----------+
                             |
                       M1620 Pro
                           |     |
                           |     |
                        Onyx 1640

Does it make sense to buy a Mixer which is 19y old in terms of age, converter speed and quality?
To connect such an old unit, which is nothing special (No Tascam or Neve console) I wouldn't spend (waste)
so much money for a high class converter like M1620 Pro.

It could even be the case that you might need additionally an RME Digiface Dante as a more solid base for Dante.

Furthermore, should you intend to work with different sample rates, protocols like AVB and Dante can not easily follow a clock master like it is possible with MADI. It needs reconfiguration of all audio streams on each Dante Device.

I would be cautious and contact people who have knowledge of the Dante part, whether you need an RME Dante recording interface or not and if not, what the limitations are (technically and from an operational perspective). I remember, if you only want to work with an Apple Laptop, then things are difficult to configure and to handle.

Furthermore, your underlying LAN (switch(es)) should be able to support QoS and needs QoS configuration, if you have a shared / "converged" LAN. So that Audio packets get the proper priority over bulk traffic.

The following setup might be much better for you:

Apple
   |
   | USB3
   |
UFX III
  |     |
  |     +12Mic
  |     |
  +---+
  MADI(o)

You should check whether there are any driver issues in this combination with USB3.
Otherwise you need to consider a thunderbolt dock with proper USB3 chip
or to use an external Sonnet Thunderbolt case with USB3 card.
Using HDSPe MADI FX would also be possible but then you might need an additional device for analog ports.
You didn't specify your port requirements in detail.

Sorry to say that, I do not want to hurt your feelings regarding your vintage components, but
1. all the old Firewire stuff I would sell as long as somebody gives you money for it. The likeliness that they fail will be higher and higher at that age.
2. In my opinion there is no point in investing in antiquities or relying on them too much if it is not a well-maintained or truly valuable analog console. And even in this area, e.g. Tascam offers better products with the option of installing a MADI module.

Hi Trevor.

It seems my response was too technical for you. Fair enough.

However, with the new LAN-based technologies, it's crucial to understand how they work to avoid running into issues down the line.

I already pointed out the critical points, but unfortunately, you didn’t address any of them.

One example: regarding clock synchronization, see this comment from MC which is related to audio over networks (AVB and Dante): https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.ph … 89#p195989

My advice: Take the time to familiarize yourself with these topics gradually, or stick to technologies that don’t require this additional knowledge to make things easier for yourself and to invest into a technology which fully satisfies your demands and makes fun to operate without hurdles.

The usual LAN setup is that your computer will have Internet access so that you can check Mail or to communicate with other people quickly on demand.

EDIT: Side comment, and you don't intend to keep plugging your Mac back and forth between LAN (for office work, Internet) and M-1620. Who would like to work like that?

In rare cases or with bigger studios, they might have the luxury to have a dedicated/isolated LAN for audio,
so that audio and internet traffic do not mix on the underlying LAN infrastructure.

As you didn't provide any details, I assumed your LAN setup is something like this, simplified with only one LAN switch:

Internet
    |
    | WAN connection
    |
Internet Router
                 |
           *****One or more LAN Switch(es), possible multiple routed VLANs****
              |                |                 |            |                 |
         Apple           M-1620 Pro  Printer   NAS          Other
         Computer                                      Backup     Network
                                                                               Devices

Every LAN device is connected to one or more switches.
For LAN-based technologies like
- AVB: you need AVB capable switches, which are expensive
- Dante: you need switches where you can configure QoS (Quality of Service)

You understood me wrong, I didn't assume that you wanted "to connect the M1620 Pro to the internet".
But if you want to use Dante, then you need to use LAN.

There I wanted to make you aware of, that the delay sensitive audio traffic will mix with other traffic types
in your LAN (Backup Jobs to NAS storage, Streaming TV, E-Mail/Software download, Telephony, Video Conferences).

As nice as Dante is, it can only work reliable, if the delay sensitive Audio traffic can be prioritized over all other traffic.
Not all switches offer QoS configuration.

The other thing which you really need to know is the point, that in an AVB or Dante network the audio streams have to be configured manually on each device. This can become a real burden if you have to switch between different audio projects with different sample rates. AVB and Dante are IMHO only feasible for such a setup if you do not change sample rates.

In addition, Dante needs something like a Dante Controller. Here I do not remember the gory details. I only remember that it has been mentioned here in the forum, that the RME Digiface Dante delivers/installed needed components to make operation a little easier. I also remember that Apple did some additions in later (!) OS versions that would make it possible to set it up without a Dante Recording interface, but that the setup and operation is much harder.

You mentioned you have an older Apple, so you might need to update to the latest Apple OS or you need anyway to better invest into an RME Dante recording interface.

Further needed investments might be a LAN switch where you can configure QoS.

If this all appears to be too complicated (and yes, it is not so easy like working with ADAT, AES, MADI), then you should IMHO think about implementing a different technology, which is from the beginning designed to be dedicated for your audio setup and which also support change of sample rates (clock synch by master/slave).

+1 Very valid point which I completely forgot to mention, I was more/too focused on the issues with LAN technologies.

My 1st impression was, that he wanted Dante to maybe avoid USB (on Apple).

But you are completely right, I also thought about
- Digiface USB (USB2, via ADAT even up to double speed)
- RayDAT (PCIe, via ADAT) using an external Sonnet Thunderbolt Case
- MADIface USB
or even
- UFX II (USB3, via ADAT, with Room EQ, limited to single speed not to lose ports)
- UFX III (USB3, via MADI, with Room EQ)
- HDSPe MADI FX (PCIe, via MADI; newer models with Room EQ) using an external Sonnet Thunderbolt Case