Midas DL16 User manual

MIDAS DL16

16 Input, 8 Output Stage Box with 16 MIDAS Microphone Preampliers,
ULTRANET and ADAT Interfaces

User Manual

2 MIDA S D L16 User Manual 3 MIDA S D L16 User Manual

9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized

or statement contained herein. Technical speci cations,

Table of Contents

1. Introduction ............................................................... 4

2. Callouts ....................................................................... 4

3. Hookup Diagrams ...................................................... 5

4. Conguring the DL16 ................................................ 9

4.1 Standard Operation ......................................................... 10

4.2 Cascaded Operation ........................................................ 10

5. Standalone Operation............................................. 12

6. MIDI Communication .............................................. 12

7. Specications ........................................................... 13

Important Safety
Instructions

Terminals marked withthis symbol
carryelectrical currentof su cient

magnitude to constitute risk of electric
shock. Useonly high-quality commercially-available
speaker cables with plugs pre-installed. Allother
installation or modi cation should be performed only by
quali edpersonnel.

This symbol, wherever it appears,

alertsyou to the presence of uninsulated

dangerous voltage inside the
enclosure-voltage that may be su cient to constitute a
risk ofshock.

This symbol, wherever it appears,

alertsyou to important operating and

maintenance instructions in the
accompanying literature. Please read the manual.

Caution

To reduce the risk of electric shock, donot

remove the top cover (or the rear section).
No user serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to
quali ed personnel.

Caution

To reduce the risk of  re or electric shock,

do not expose this appliance to rain and
moisture. The apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping
or splashing liquids and no objects  lled with liquids,
suchas vases, shall be placed on the apparatus.

Caution

These service instructions are for use

by quali ed service personnel only.
Toreduce the risk of electric shock do not perform any
servicing other than that contained in the operation
instructions. Repairs have to be performed by quali ed
servicepersonnel.

1. Read these instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near water.

6. Clean only with dry cloth.

7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in

accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as
radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus
(including ampli ers) that produce heat.

or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades
with one wider than the other. A grounding-type plug
has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide
blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. Ifthe
provided plug does not  t into your outlet, consult an
electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.

10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or
pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles,
and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

11. Use only attachments/accessories speci ed by
themanufacturer.

12. Use only with the
cart, stand, tripod, bracket,
or table speci ed by the
manufacturer, orsold with
the apparatus. When a cart
is used, use caution when
moving the cart/apparatus
combination to avoid

injury from tip-over.

13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or
when unused for long periods of time.

14. Refer all servicing to quali ed ser vice personnel.
Servicing is required when the apparatus has been
damaged in any way, such as power supply cord or plug
is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen
into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed
to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has
beendropped.

15. The apparatus shall be connected to a MAINS socket
outlet with a protective earthing connection.

16. Where the MAINS plug or an appliance coupler is
used as the disconnect device, the disconnect device shall
remain readily operable.

17. Correct disposal of this
product: This symbol indicates that
this product must not be disposed
of with household waste,
according to the WEEE Directive
(2012/19/EU) and your national

law. This product should be taken
to a collection center licensed for the recycling of waste
electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). The
mishandling of this type of waste could have a possible
negative impact on the environment and human health
due to potentially hazardous substances that are generally
associated with EEE. At the same time, your cooperation
in the correct disposal of this product will contribute to
the e cient use of natural resources. For more
information about where you can take your waste
equipment for recycling, please contact your local city
o ce, or your household waste collection service.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER

MUSIC Group accepts no liability for any loss which
may be su ered by any person who relies either
wholly or in part upon any description, photograph,

appearances and other information are subject
to change without notice. All trademarks are the
property of their respective owners. MIDAS, KLARK
TEKNIK, LAB.GRUPPEN, LAKE, TANNOY, TURBOSOUND,
TC ELECTRONIC, TC-HELICON, BEHRINGER, BUGERA,
DDA and TC APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES are trademarks
or registered trademarks of MUSIC Group IP Ltd.
© MUSIC Group IP Ltd. 2015 All rights reserved.

LIMITED WARRANTY

For the applicable warranty terms and conditions
and additional information regarding MUSIC Group’s
Limited Warranty, please see complete details online at
music-group.com/warranty.

4 MIDA S D L16 User Manual 5 MIDA S D L16 User Manual

1. Introduction

The DL16 Digital Snake is a 16-in, 8-out stagebox that features AES50 networking
with KLARK TEKNIK SuperMac technology. Designed with multiple scenarios
in mind, the DL16 works equally well as a standalone pair for use with analog
mixing consoles, or as par t of the trio of MIDAS digital mixing solutions along
with the M32 digital mixer and the BEHRINGER P16 personal monitoring system.

The 16 MIDAS-designed XLR inputs are fully programmable and remote­controllable from the M32. 8 balanced XLR outputs provide ample sends to
the stage for mains and monitoring. The front panel also allows the level and
phantom power to be controlled for all inputs and outputs, accompanied by
an 8-LED meter and 7-segment display. The currently selected channel can be
monitored via ¼" headphone jack with level control.

2. Callouts

(1)

(2)

Dual AES50 jacks allow transmission of all audio and MIDI data to the FOH M32
with a single Ethernet cable, and also allow up to 3 DL16s to be cascaded for
maximum channel count. In this scenario, 48 bidirectional audio channels at
24-bit / 48 kHz can be transferred on just one CAT5 line between FOH and stage,
including 48 analog inputs from stage, 24 analog outputs on stage as well as the
16 ULTRANET channels, MIDI data and head amp remote control.

An additional ULTRANET output provides the 16 channels for use with
BEHRINGER’s P16 personal monitoring system via Ethernet cable, allowing each
musician to dial in their own custom mix from the stage. A pair of ADAT ports
can carry additional sends to the stage beyond the 8 analog outputs, or split the
16 inputs. Lastly, a USB jack allows for future rmware updates.

(3) (4) (6) (8)(7) (9) (10) (11)

(5)

3. Hookup Diagrams

DL16 common connections

DI Box

(13)

(14)

(1) PHANTOM LEDs light when the 48V button is engaged for a

particular channel.

(2) MIDAS PRO mic/line inputs accept balanced XLR male plugs.

(3) GAIN button, when pressed and held, displaysthe currently selected

mic input’s gain setting, which may then be adjusted using the
SELECT/ADJUST knob.

(4) DISPLAY shows the selected channel number, its gain setting, or the

sample rate in SnakeMaster conguration.

(5) NET WORK LINK LEDs light red to indicate the AES50 ports are connected but not

synchronised, and light green to indicate theyare conne cted and synchronised.

(6) 48 V button sends phantom power to the currently selec ted mic input,

indicated by a litbutton when active.

(7) STATUS LEDs show the operation mode of various features. See the

Operation ModeChart for details. The HA LOCKED LED indicates that
preamp gain adjustment has been blocked by the controlling M32.
To unlock, open the M32 Setup/Global page and un-check the General
Preference ’LockStagebox’.

(8) CONFIG button, when pressed and held, allowsthe device’s operation

mode to be adjusted by the SELECT/ADJUST knob. SeeOperation Mode
Chart for details.

(15)

(16)

(17) (18)

(12)

(9) SELECT/ADJUST knob scrolls through the 16channels, adjusts the gain

of the currently selected input, and changes the operating mode.
Push repeatedly to scroll Inputs, Outputs, P16 channels, ADAT outputs,
andStage (onlyinSnakeMaster mode).

(10) LED METER displays the signal level of the currently selected channel.

(11) MONITORING LEVEL knob adjusts the level of the PHONES output.

(12) XLR outputs accept balanced XLR female plugs.

(13) POWER switch turns the unit on and o.

(14) USB input accepts a USB type-B plug for rmware updates via PC.

(15) AES50 ports allow connection to a SuperMAC digital multichannel

audio network via shielded Cat-5e Ethernet cable with terminated
ends. This allows connection to digital mixers or cascading of multiple
DL16units.

(16) ULTRANET port sends 16 channels to a BEHRINGER P-16 personal

monitoring system.

(17) ADAT OUT jacks send AES50 channels 17-32 to external equipment via

optical cable, or split the local 16 inputs for direct ADAT recording.

(18) MIDI IN/OUT jacks accept standard 5-pin MIDI cables for MIDI

communication to and from an M32 console.

Keyboard

M15 M12M18B

6 MIDA S D L16 User Manual 7 MIDA S D L16 User Manual

DL16 common connections, rear panel DL16 as standalone snake

On-stage slave DL16 in Standard mode

MIDI footswitch

P16-D

Active stage monitors

M32

P16-M

P16-D

Active stage monitors

P16-M

FOH DL16 in Snake Master mode

Audio Interface with ADAT inputs

Rear panel view

ADA8200

Front panel view

Out 9-16 (via ADA8200)Out 1-8

(via DL16)

to mixer inputs

Sends to stage

8 MIDA S D L16 User Manual 9 MIDA S D L16 User Manual

4. Conguring the DL16

M32

IN 1-16

IN 17-32

Linking two DL16 units

OUT 1-8

OUT 9-16

By using the CONFIG button and SELECT/ADJUST knob, the DL16 can be congured
to suit many dierent applications. The STATUS LEDs indicate the current settings.
By holding the CONFIG knob while turning the SELECT/ADJUST knob, you can
scroll through all 10 conguration options. See the Operation Mode Chart for the
routing details of each conguration setting.

When using multiple DL16 units, activating SN(ake) MASTER mode on one unit
allows that unit to control the preamp gain of the second unit. An DL16 set to
SN MASTER will also dictate the overall clock synchronization (44.1 or 48 kHz).
Thisis useful when using a pair of DL16s as a standalone digital snake (16 x 16)
ora 32-channel mic preamp via ADAT. See the ’Standalone Operation’ section
fordetails.

SPLITTER mode routes the 16 local analog inputs directly to the ADAT outputs
and ULTRANET output. This is useful when using the DL16 as a standalone snake
where the ULTRANET monitor mix cannot be adjusted from an M32 console.
Additionally, the DL16 can be used as a high-quality mic preamp that sends the
16 inputs to an interface or computer with an ADAT card for recording purposes.
When SPLITTER mode is o, the ADAT outputs carry AES50 channels 17-32 and the
ULTRANET output carries channels 33-48.

MIDAS DL16 Operation Mode Chart

Seq.

1 (default) AES50 (console)

2 AES50 (console) on

3 AES50 (console) on

4 AES50 (console) on

5 AES50 (console) on on

6 AES50 (console) on on

7 on 48 kHz (int)

8 on 44.1 kHz (int)

9 on 48 kHz (int) on

10 on 44.1 kHz (int) on

LED

SN MASTER

sync clock

LED

SPLITTER

LED

OU T +1 6

The OUT +8 and OUT +16 options shift the XLR outputs for use with
multiple DL16s. For example, if a connection scenario involves 3 daisy-chained
DL16s, therstunit will carry AES50 channels 1-8. The second unit should be set
to OUT+8 so that its analog outputs carry channels 9-16, and the 3rd DL16 should
be set to OUT+16 so that its analog outputs carry channels 17-24. This way you
can provide up to 24 return signals to the stage. Alternatively, you may also use
the same block of 8 output signals on a set of distributed DL16 stageboxes.

LED

OUT +8

XLR analog

out 1- 8

= AES50-A,

ch01-ch08

= AES50-A

ch09-ch16

= AES50-A

ch17-ch24

= AES50-A,

ch01-ch08

= AES50-A

ch09-ch16

= AES50-A

ch17-ch24

= AES50-A,

ch01-ch08

= AES50-A,

ch01-ch08

= AES50-A,

ch01-ch08

= AES50-A,

ch01-ch08

ADAT

out 1- 8

= AES50-A

ch17-ch24

= AES50-A

ch17-ch24

= AES50-A

ch17-ch24

= Local In

01 - 08

= Local In

01 - 08

= Local In

01 - 08

= AES50-A,

ch01-ch08

= AES50-A,

ch01-ch08

= Local In

01 - 08

= Local In

01 - 08

ADAT

ou t 9 -16

= AES50-A

ch25-ch32

= AES50-A

ch25-ch32

= AES50-A
ch25-ch32

= Local In

09 - 16

= Local In

09 - 16

= Local In

09 - 16

= AES50-A

ch09-ch16

= AES50-A

ch09-ch16

= Local In

09 - 16

= Local In

09 - 16

P-16 Ultranet

ou t 1-1 6

= AES50-A
ch33-ch48

= AES50-A
ch33-ch48

= AES50-A
ch33-ch48

= Local In

01 - 16

= Local In

01 - 16

= Local In

01 - 16

= AES50-A

ch01- ch16

= AES50-A

ch01- ch16

= Local In

01 - 16

= Local In

01 - 16

OUT 25-32

OUT 17-24

ADA8200

ADA8200

Note: The signals on both DL16 units (Out 1-8 and 9-16) and both ADA8200 units (Out 17-24 and 25-32)
are fully dened on the M32’s ’Routing/AES50 Output’ page. The second DL16’s outputs must be set to
Out+8on the unit itself.

10 MI DA S D L16 User Manual 11 MI D A S D L16 User Manual

4.1 Standard Operation

The DL16 is in Standard (default) mode when all the conguration STATUS LEDs
on the front display are o. This is useful for using the unit as a digital snake
along with the MIDAS M32 console to conveniently transfer 16 channels from
the stage to FOH, andsend40 total channels back to the stage. The sends to the
stage are arranged as AES50 channels 1-8 which appear on the 8 analog XLR
OUTPUTS, AES50 channels17-24 and 25-32 which appear on the ADAT OUTPUTS,
andAES50channels 33-48 appearing at the ULTRANET OUTPUT. The specic
routing ofthe AES50 channels can be congured on the M32.

4.2 Cascaded Operation

To make use of the DL16’s full potential, up to 3 units can be cascaded to allow
48channels of bidirectional audio. Any AES50 signals cascaded from one DL16’s
port A to another DL16’s port B are automatically shifted up 16 channels,
allowingthe last DL16 in the chain to transmit all audio channels to and from the
stage via its AES50-A port. The M32 Routing home page allows selection of the
incoming AES50 signals that can be connected to the channel processing.
Therouting of the audio sent from console to stage box can be adjusted on the
M32 Routing AES50 pages, respectively.

Signals sent from the M32 to the stage are seen the same on all DL16 units in
the chain. AES50 channels 1-8 will appear on the XLR OUTPUTS of each unit.
Toachieve maximum output to the stage, the 2nd and 3rd units in the chain
must have their physical OUTPUTS set to OUT +8 and OUT +16 respectively.

The following chart details the signal ow to and from the stage when
using3DL16 units.

12 MI D A S D L16 User Manual 13 MIDA S D L16 User Manual

5. Standalone Operation

The DL16 does not necessarily need to be used in conjunc tion with the
M32 console. A pair of DL16 units can be linked to send 16 channels to and from the
stage, providing a high-quality digital snake that can work with any analog mixer.

In this scenario, a master DL16 will be placed at FOH near the main mixing
console, and the other on the stage (see ’DL16 as standalone snake’
hookup diagram). TheFOH unit must be set to SN MASTER mode so that it can
control the preamps of the unit on stage. All sends from FOH to the stage can be
connected to INTPUTS 1-8 on the ’master’ DL16, which will appear at the on-stage
unit’s XLR OUTPUTS. Connect all the sound sources from the performers to INPUTS
1-16 of the on-stage DL16. Channels 1-8 will appear at the ’master’ DL16’s XLR
OUTPUTS and channels 9-16 will appear at the ADAT OUTPUT. Connect the ADAT
9-16 OUTPUT to an ADA8200 or similar preamp to provide analog XLR outputs.
The outputs from the ’master’ DL16 and the ADA8200 can be connected to any
sort of main console for mixing, analog or digital.

Note - when using a pair of DL16 units as a standalone digital snake,
themaster unit at FOH is able to control the mic gains of the unit(s) on stage.
However,inorder to do so, one must press the SELECT/ADJUST button on
themaster unit so that the display reads “St 1”.

For recording applications, a single DL16 can also be used as a high-quality
mic preamp. Connect the sound sources to the INPUTS 1-16, and send those
channels via ADAT to an interface or ADAT card installed in your computer.
For this scenario, the DL16 must be set to SPLITTER mode.

6. MIDI Communication

The DL16 head amp gain and phantom power settings can be controlled remotely
via MIDI whenever it is used standalone, independent from the MIDAS M32.

Note: The DL16 will only accept MIDI controls when its preamps are not controlled
via AES50 already. Connection to an M32 console or another DL16 in SN Master
mode will always inhibit reception of preamp related MIDI commands.

The standard channel for transmit/receive of MIDI controls is 1. MIDI channel 2 is
used when the SN slave unit is to be controlled via the SN Master unit.

TRANSMIT / RECEIVE

Select CC # Value Channel Description

SN MASTER “I n 1-16” (FOH)

SN MASTER
“St 1-16” (Stag e)

SN SLAVE — — —

Ext Syn c w/o
AES50 preamp control

80…9 5

96…111

80…9 5

96…111

80…9 5

96…111

0…1 9
0, 127

0…1 9
0, 127

0…1 9
0, 127

Note: The string 0xEE, 0x7E, 0x7E can be sent for testing if a DL16 is
communicating via MIDI. The response would be 0xEE, 0x7E, 0x7F when
MIDIinputs and outputs of the DL16 are connected to the test interface.

Controls l ocal head amps of mas ter unit

1

Gain In 1-16, -2.5…+45 dB , 2.5 dB steps

1

48V Phanto m 1-16 on/o

Controls r emote head amps of slave un it

2

Gain In 1-16, -2.5…+45 dB , 2.5 dB steps

2

48V Phanto m 1-16 on/o

No MIDI tran smission or recept ion when
controll ed by SN Master or M32 conso le

1

Gain In 1-16, -2.5…+45 dB

1

48V Phanto m 1-16 on/o

7. Specications

Processing

A/D conver ters (8-channel, 24-bit @ 44.1 / 48 kHz) 114 dB dynamic range (A-weighted)

D/A converters (stereo, 24-bit @ 44.1 / 48 kHz) 120 dB dynamic range (A-weighted)

Networked I/O latency
(stagebox in > console processing* > stageb ox out)

Connectors

XLR inputs, programmable mic preamps 16

XLR outputs 8

Phones outputs, ¼" TRS 1 (mono)

AES50 ports, SuperMAC 2

P-16 connector, ULTRANET (no power supplied) 1

MIDI inputs / outputs 1 / 1

ADAT Toslink outputs (2 x 8 Ch) 2

USB type B, rear panel, for system updates 1

Mic Input C haracteri stics (MIDAS PRO)

THD + noise, @ unit y gain, 0 dBu out < 0.01% unweighted

THD + noise, @ +40 dB gain, 0 dBu out < 0.03% unweighted

Input impedance XLR, unbal. / bal. 10 kΩ / 10 kΩ

Non clip maximum input level, XLR +23 dBu

Phantom power, switchable per input 48 V

Equivalent input noise @ +40 dB gain, (150R source) -125 dBu, 22 Hz – 22 kHz unweighted

CMRR, XLR, @ uni ty gain (typical) > 70 dB

CMRR, XLR, @ 4 0 dB gain (typical) > 90 dB

Input/Output Characteristics

Frequency response @ 48 kHz sample rate 0 to -1 dB 20 Hz to 20 kHz

Dynamic range, analogue in to analogue out 107 dB (22 Hz - 22 kHz unweighted)

A/D dynamic range, preamp and converter (typical) 109 dB (22 Hz to 22 kHz unweighte d)

D/A dynamic range, converter and output (typical) 110 dB (22 Hz - 22 kHz unweighted)

Cross talk rejection @ 1 kHz, adjacent channe ls 100 dB

Output level, XLR, nom./max. +4 dBu / +21 dBu

Output impedance, XLR, unbal. / bal. 50 Ω / 50 Ω

Phones output impedance / level 40 Ω / +21 dBu (mono)

Residual noise level, out 1-8 XLR, unit y gain -86 dBu, 22 Hz - 22 kHz unweighted

Indicators

Display 4-digit, 7-segment, LED

Front status LEDs

Meter

Rear panel Splitter mode, orange

Power

Switch-mode autorange power supply 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)

Power consumption 45 W

Physical

Dimensions 482 x 225 x 89 mm (19 x 8.9 x 3.5")

Weight 4.7 kg (10.4 lbs)

1.1 ms

AES50-A, red/green

AES50-B, red/green

HA Locked, red

SN Master, green

Splitter, orange

Out +16, orange

Out +8, orange

Sig, -30 dB, -18 dB,

-12 dB, -9 dB, -6 dB,

-3 dB, Clip

* incl. all channel and bus processing, excl. inser t eects and line delays

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION COMPLIANCE
INFORMATION

MIDAS

DL16

Responsible Party Name: MUSIC Group Research

UK Limited

Address: Klark Industrial Park,

Walter Nash Road,
Kidderminster. Worcestershire.
DY11 7HJ. England.

Phone Number: [phone]

DL16

complies with the FCC rules as mentioned in the following paragraph:

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A
digital device, pur suant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment
is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with
the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful
interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his
own expense.

15 M I DA S DL16 User Manual14 M32 DIGITAL CONSOLE

Important information:

Changes or modications to the equipment not expressly approved by MUSIC Group
can void the user’s authority to use the equipment.

midasconsoles.com