Focusrite RedNet A16R MkII
Focusrite·Model RedNet A16R MkII·focusrite-rednet-a16r
Photos
Manufacturer product photography — the drawn faceplate above stays true to panel layout; these show the hardware itself.
About the Focusrite RedNet A16R MkII
The RedNet A16R MkII is a DanteThe most common audio-over-network standard: dozens of channels of uncompressed digital audio down one ordinary Ethernet cable between Dante boxes.-networked analog I/O unit that bridges your audio network to the analog world, providing 16 inputs and 16 outputs with excellent conversion quality. RedundantA second copy of anything critical — supply, computer, network path — already running so one failure can’t stop the show. power supplies and dual Dante ports make it highly reliable for live applications where downtime is not an option. In an IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists./playback rig, it serves as the critical link between your Dante network and analog-input IEM transmitters or stage feeds.
The RedNet A16R MkII is a 1UThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one. DanteThe most common audio-over-network standard: dozens of channels of uncompressed digital audio down one ordinary Ethernet cable between Dante boxes.-to-analog bridge — 16 channels in, 16 channels out, all moving through two DB25A 25-pin D-shaped connector carrying 8 channels of analog or AES audio in one multicore — the Tascam pinout is the de-facto standard. pairs on each side and landing on the Dante network via dual EtherCONAn Ethernet plug inside a rugged XLR-style locking shell — tour-grade network connections that can’t be yanked loose. ports. In a modern IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists. or playback rig, this is the box that closes the loop between whatever is happening on the network and the physical world of transmitter inputs, amplifier feeds, and analog consoles. If your rig routes audio over Dante and eventually needs to hit an analog destination — and almost every serious live rig does — you need something like this sitting at that boundary.
Sixteen analog outputs in a single rack unitThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one. is a dense proposition, and the DB25A 25-pin D-shaped connector carrying 8 channels of analog or AES audio in one multicore — the Tascam pinout is the de-facto standard. breakoutA cable that splits one multichannel connector (like a DB25) into individual plugs — the octopus that turns 8 channels into 8 XLRs. format means you're committing to loomSeveral cables bundled and run as one — keeps rack interconnects tidy and makes load-in one grab instead of eight. cables or custom snakesA multicore cable bundling many channels into one stage-to-console run. A sub-snake collects one corner of the stage into a drop box. rather than pulling individual XLRsThe standard 3-pin locking connector for mics and balanced line signals — pin 1 is the shield, pins 2 and 3 carry the balanced pair.. That's the right trade at scale: a single DB25 carries eight balancedCarries the signal on two wires and cancels whatever noise both pick up — why mic cables can run hundreds of feet hum-free. lines cleanly and keeps the back of the rack manageable when you're feeding eight or sixteen IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists. transmitters. The dual DanteThe most common audio-over-network standard: dozens of channels of uncompressed digital audio down one ordinary Ethernet cable between Dante boxes. ports matter on a real gig — primary and secondary network paths mean a cable pull or switch failure doesn't kill the show. The redundantA second copy of anything critical — supply, computer, network path — already running so one failure can’t stop the show. internal power supply adds another layer in the same spirit. At 25 watts nominal draw in a 1U chassis, thermal load is modest. Shallow depth at 235mm means it fits comfortably in most shallow tour racks without fighting other gear for space.
This unit belongs in rigs where analog I/O count is high and DanteThe most common audio-over-network standard: dozens of channels of uncompressed digital audio down one ordinary Ethernet cable between Dante boxes. is already the transport layer — large IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists. setups, split playback rigs feeding multiple mixes, or hybrid systems where a Dante-capable console needs a clean analog return path. The $4,400 price reflects professional-tier conversion and genuine redundancyA second copy of anything critical — supply, computer, network path — already running so one failure can’t stop the show. features, so if you're running four outputs to a simple two-person IEM rig, a smaller converterThe circuitry that turns analog audio into digital data and back (A/D and D/A). Converter quality sets a digital rig’s sound ceiling. will do the job for less. Likewise, if your whole signal chain is AES or MADIA pro digital format carrying 64 channels on one coax or optical cable. Point-to-point — one sender, one receiver, no network required., look elsewhere — this box is analog I/O only. But if your riderThe document attached to a booking that lists what the band needs — inputs, monitors, power, backline (and the green-room snacks). involves sixteen channels of IEM transmitter feeds and a Dante backbone, the A16R MkII is purpose-built for exactly that load-in.
In the rack
- Run loomSeveral cables bundled and run as one — keeps rack interconnects tidy and makes load-in one grab instead of eight. cables pre-terminated with DB25A 25-pin D-shaped connector carrying 8 channels of analog or AES audio in one multicore — the Tascam pinout is the de-facto standard. on one end and XLRsThe standard 3-pin locking connector for mics and balanced line signals — pin 1 is the shield, pins 2 and 3 carry the balanced pair. on the other, labeled by channel block (1-8, 9-16), and coil them with the unit so they're ready to plug straight into transmitters at load-in without hunting.
- Use DanteThe most common audio-over-network standard: dozens of channels of uncompressed digital audio down one ordinary Ethernet cable between Dante boxes. Controller to lock your channel assignments before doors and save a snapshot — on a fast changeover, you want to confirm routing with a glance, not rebuild it from memory.
- Put the secondary DanteThe most common audio-over-network standard: dozens of channels of uncompressed digital audio down one ordinary Ethernet cable between Dante boxes. port on a physically separate network switch from the primary, ideally on a separate cable run back to the stageboxThe I/O endpoint on stage: mics plug in there and one digital line (AES50, Dante) carries everything to the console. The snake, digitized. or FOHFront Of House — the main mix the audience hears, and the console position out in the room where it gets mixed.. RedundancyA second copy of anything critical — supply, computer, network path — already running so one failure can’t stop the show. only protects you if the failure mode can't take out both paths simultaneously.
- If you're daisy-chaining DB25A 25-pin D-shaped connector carrying 8 channels of analog or AES audio in one multicore — the Tascam pinout is the de-facto standard. breakoutsA cable that splits one multichannel connector (like a DB25) into individual plugs — the octopus that turns 8 channels into 8 XLRs. to transmitters, test the full loomSeveral cables bundled and run as one — keeps rack interconnects tidy and makes load-in one grab instead of eight. under show conditions before the first rehearsal — a wiring error at pin level in a dense DB25 run is slow to troubleshoot mid-show.
16x16 DanteThe most common audio-over-network standard: dozens of channels of uncompressed digital audio down one ordinary Ethernet cable between Dante boxes.-networked analog I/O interface with redundantA second copy of anything critical — supply, computer, network path — already running so one failure can’t stop the show. PSU.
I/O Ports (7)
| Port | Connector | Direction | Signal | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analog In 1-8 (DB25) | DB25 | input | analog audio | 8 |
| Analog In 9-16 (DB25) | DB25 | input | analog audio | 8 |
| Analog Out 1-8 (DB25) | DB25 | output | analog audio | 8 |
| Analog Out 9-16 (DB25) | DB25 | output | analog audio | 8 |
| Dante Primary | ETHERCON | bidirectional | digital audio | 16 |
| Dante Secondary | ETHERCON | bidirectional | digital audio | 16 |
- Power (IEC) (IEC C14)
Deciding between two?
Rack space, watts, weight and every connector, side by side.
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