Teaching With Dante

A commonly used streaming media technology at schools, conference centers, and houses of worship is Dante (Digital Audio Network Through Ethernet). Dante is a creation of the Australian company Audinate, 谁开发产品并将技术授权给全球数百家音频设备制造商. A Dante-enabled device can be plugged into a Dante network using a standard Category 5e or Category 6 network cable; the network connects devices using either 100Mbps or gigabit network switches, typically with Power over Ethernet (PoE) capabilities.

Dante devices auto-discover on the virtual LAN they are connected to. If the network provides a DHCP server, Dante is plug and play. Once a device is connected to the network, 它可以以极低的延迟发送和接收多达64通道的数字音频:硬件设备150微秒，软件设备低至1毫秒. Since Dante networks are typically designed with switches providing PoE, there’s only one inexpensive cable to run. 该网络可以在通用计算机网络上运行(如果使用所有64个双向通道，则消耗高达100Mbps)，也可以在专用电缆和交换机上运行.

教室或会议空间的传统Dante设置至少包括三个Dante设备:一个麦克风接收器, 机架式音频矩阵处理器，用于提供音频通道的数字信号处理, and a distribution amplifier. 舒尔Microflex系列的麦克风接收器就是一个很好的例子. These wireless receivers draw power and transmit data for two, 四个, or eight wireless microphones over a single Ethernet cable. 安装在机架上的DSP单元也可以通过一条以太网电缆插入网络(为了冗余，通常是两条)。. 如果使用Dante支持的扬声器或线路阵列，分配放大器可以直接连接到DSP单元，或者直接连接到Dante网络, sending the audio to public address speakers in the room.

To make it all work, 您可以将计算机连接到网络，并使用免费的Dante控制器软件将虚拟麦克风输出通道从无线麦克风接收器(Dante术语中的音频源或发射器)路由到DSP单元上的虚拟通道输入(称为目的地或接收器). For a classroom or conference space, 可以使用多个麦克风:教师或演讲者佩戴的一个袖珍麦克风和用于观众互动的手持或边界麦克风. 矩阵处理器将被最佳地编程为对所有麦克风应用噪声门，以避免拾取杂散, 当老师讲话时，他们会避开听众的麦克风，从而独占老师的麦克风通道. 启用dante的墙板和触摸屏可以轻松地在不同的音频通道路由方案之间切换.

In a hybrid world, 您可能希望将音频从支持dante的设备路由到您选择的视频会议软件. There are two ways to accomplish this. 一种方法是使用audiate廉价的AVIO适配器或类似设备将非dante音频设备连接到您的网络. Some of the AVIO adapters consist of XLR connectors, a high-quality and fast A/D converter, and the Dante interface to connect to the network.

在我们的例子中, 我们希望USB AVIO适配器添加一个dante声卡到您的计算机上，暴露一个虚拟麦克风发送麦克风音频到远程观众和一个虚拟扬声器输出发送远程观众的音频到房间的扬声器. Instead of using hardware, 另一种将计算机连接到Dante网络的方法是使用Audinate的软件(可能像观众室的麦克风或特权一样自动隐藏), depending on the role of the remote party). One option is the Dante Virtual Soundcard. 该产品创建了一个音频设备，最多有64个通道输入/64个通道输出，通过以太网适配器连接到Dante网络，计算机上的应用程序可以与之接口.

The other Audinate software solution is Dante Via, a fancy alternative to the popular donateware VB-CABLE, 它可以将计算机上多达16个应用程序或设备(如麦克风或扬声器)暴露给网络上的Dante音频通道, again using the computer’s existing network adapter. Dante Via and Dante Virtual Soundcard can be purchased as a combo for $70.

A new innovation from Audinate is Dante AV, which exposes 12 bidirectional audio channels and one video channel in or out. Dante AV将与现有的低延迟视频- ip解决方案(如NDI)竞争，如果许多奥迪的硬件授权商都加入进来，它可能会非常有效地做到这一点.