Why don’t you finally offer us a 32 channel 96kHz I/O Expander in a compact rack design with front and rear connectors, like the Midas DL32? Such a combination has long been the standard due to its usability and practicality. Suitable for the new QU series and other mixing consoles. All the necessary parts are available, you just need to assemble them in the new 32In/16Out combination.
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Is 48/16 too much? I guess they figured if you need the 96k, you might need more channels
The QU series only supports up to 32 input channels. And this is just enough for small and medium-sized events. The two DX168 expanders are too large and impractical to install in a rack with their side connections.
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If 48k would be acceptable, you can do a AR2412 and an AR84 to get 32in/16out. Both rack mountable. The Qu will still be 96k internally.
Hello, such a combination is almost the same shit as two DX168 together, and only in the 48kHz version. It must also be said that A&H Expanders are not cheap, so it is all the more important that they are made according to the needs of the customers. The technology exists, it just needs to be put together in the right combination. I am sure that at least 75% of customers would choose such a compact system with 32in/8-16out 96kHz.
It really doesn’t matter how many different I/O options A&H offers, there will always be someone requesting something different.
That being said, I can see the benefit of a larger DX style box. There is a pretty big jump from the existing DX boxes and the GX4816. There certainly are times where the extra capacity (from the DX and ME compatibility) of the GX4126 box isn’t needed. I would assume that removing all that extra capacity would reduce the cost somewhat. It wouldn’t be a huge difference, but every little bit can help.
Well, the 16/8 isn’t rack mount. If you’re only on a Qu, I’m not sure the expense of the 96k boxes are worth the extra moolah. The 96k DX168 costs the same as the Qu5.
Hi Dave,
the DX168 has an optional rackmount kit available, same kit is also available for the AB168.
The DX168 uses the exceptional sounding D-Live preamps (very much worth the “extra moolah”) unfortunately these are not available on the AB168.
I too would love to see a compact, rack mountable, IO box from A&H. 32x16 would work well and probably be most universally applicable option (although 32x20 or 32x24 would compliment the new Qu mixers better).
A version with 32in/16out would be logical due to the physical dimensions of 19" rack cabinets (like the Midas DL32) and would cover at least 95% of the needs at this level. Of course, there is no reason not to also offer a version with 24outs. However, there is a 19" module DX012 in the offer, which increases the number of outputs to the 32/16 version, if necessary.
The problem I believe with this is that the dx protocol only supports up to 32 inputs and 32 outputs, and the way it assigns these is in blocks or 32 or 16. This is why the DX32 can’t operate in cascade mode as all 32 inputs and outputs of the dx protocol are used regardless of it’s configuration. The DX168 on the other hand will assign inputs 1-16 and outputs 1-8 on the first box and inputs 17-32 and outputs 17-24 on the second box.
In the hypothetical case of a DX3216 it would use assign inputs 1-32 and outputs 1-16. Any additional io box connected to it would need to use input channels 33-64 and output channels 33-64 which are not supported by the DX protocol.
As such a DX3220/DX3224 or possibly a GX3216/GX328 (which could be linked with a DX012) would be more useful for Qu users.
I would like to weigh in that while the optional rackmount kit is available, it’s not really a great solution. They’re way too expensive and they block easy access to the power- and ethercon ports on the side of the unit when built into a rack.
They’re so clumsy that I usually prefer keeping my DX168 in a eurobox when I got the space on stage. That looks super ugly, but has proven to be more practical than finding the right screwdriver and mounting them into a rack, only to not be able to access the important ports when I urgently need to.
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Another thought I’ve just had is that a 2U DX1612 could be a really great addition.
You could daisy chain two of these together for 32 in 24 out which would make for a nice compact system when used with a Qu or SQ.
Alternatively, placing one of these in a rack (with amplifiers, wireless kit etc) and combining this with a DX168 (in order to distribute some of the inputs and outputs across the stage) would work especially well with the new QU’s (providing 32 total inputs and 20 outputs).