Stage Box

Yamaha Rio3224-D2 Dante Stage Box

The Rio3224-D2 is the flagship Yamaha Dante stage box — 32 mic preamps, 16 analog outs, and 8 AES3 digital outs for clean splits to broadcast or recording. Dual Dante ports carry all 32+16 channels on a single Cat5e primary and a redundant secondary. The standard partner for CL3/CL5 / QL5 / Rivage consoles on pro tours and high-end broadcast.

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Discontinued. Superseded by Rio3224-D3. Kept for owners.

Photos

Manufacturer product photography — the drawn faceplate stays true to panel layout; these show the hardware itself.

Yamaha Rio3224-D2 Dante Stage Box — Photo: Yamaha1 / 3

Documented outputs: 2020 destination connections
Documented inputs: 33Based on documented inputs
Rack space: 5UBuilder checks available rail space
Power draw: 65W90W documented maximum
Catalog estimate: ~$5,899Use retailer rows for current price and stock

01 · What it does—and what that changes in your rig.

Product overview

Start with the payoff, then work through how it functions, where it fits, and the details that change a real build.

The payoff

Stage Box decisions, organized around the whole rig.

The Rio3224-D2 is Yamaha's full-size Dante stage box — the piece of the rig that lives at the front of stage and turns 32 microphone lines into network audio. It pairs naturally with CL and QL series consoles, and shows up regularly on Rivage systems as well. What sets it apart from smaller IO boxes is the output side: 16 analog outputs for wedges, side-fills, or amp feeds, plus four AES3 pairs that hand clean digital splits directly to a broadcast truck or recording interface without touching the analog domain at all.

Documented outputs: 2020 destination connections
Documented inputs: 33Based on documented inputs
Rack space: 5UBuilder checks available rail space

Yamaha Rio3224-D2 Dante Stage Box — additional view 1 — Photo: Yamaha5U · 65W

Function

How it works in the path

In practice, 65 watts nominal draw on a 5U frame means it fits comfortably into a standard powered stage rack without crowding your power budget. The 364mm depth is real — this is not a shallow box, so measure your road case before you commit. Dual EtherCon ports matter: the secondary Dante port is a live redundant path, not a daisy-chain tap, so a cable pull on the primary during a show drops to the secondary without an audible interruption. Word clock I/O keeps everything locked when the Rio is sharing a stage with other digital gear that needs a common reference.

Best fit

Where it earns its place in the rack

This box is the right call if you're already on a Yamaha digital console and you need the full 32-input complement in a single unit — no stacking two smaller boxes, no patching around limitations. If your show is a 16-input club rig, the Rio1616-D2 covers the ground at lower cost and in fewer rack units. And if your console ecosystem is something other than Yamaha — a DiGiCo, an Avid, or an Allen & Heath — you'll need to verify Dante interoperability carefully before spec'ing this rather than a manufacturer-native option, because preamp remote control typically requires Yamaha's own protocol layer.

Yamaha Rio3224-D2 Dante Stage Box — rear panelPhoto: Yamaha

In the rack

Details worth deciding before load-in.

Run the secondary Dante port back to a separate switch from your primary path — two cables sharing the same switch defeats the redundancy entirely.
The four AES3 output pairs are a clean way to feed a broadcast truck without giving production control of your mix bus; patch your broadcast feeds there and keep analog outputs reserved for stage amplification.
At 10.4 kg, the Rio3224-D2 needs proper rack rails and preferably a front-and-rear support shelf in a rolling case — don't let it cantilever from the ears alone over a tour.
If you're using word clock out to sync downstream gear, set the Rio as your network master in Dante Controller and clock everything else to it, rather than chasing an external reference through the BNC and then re-distributing via Dante.

02 · Know the whole path before you buy.

Signal path

Learn the route as a block diagram: source, product function, transport, and destination. Select any block to see what enters, what changes, and what leaves.

Interactive block diagramAuto-looping · hover, focus, or tap to hold a stage

Port-type signalProduct functionSystem boundary

Follow one signal from source to destination

Each block answers the same three questions: what arrives, what changes here, and what leaves.

01 · Source · selected

01 · Source

33 documented inputs

XLR female + IEC C14

Arrives as: 33 documented inputs
Connector: XLR female + IEC C14
Signal: analog audio

03 · What this product asks of the rest of the system.

Compatibility

Treat connector names as the start of the check—not the answer. These are the boundaries that determine a complete working path.

Best fit · Stage Box

Use it when 5U and 364 mm of depth fit the case.

Plan the companion path

Complete the path with upstream and downstream gear that matches connector, direction, signal type, protocol, and wiring standard.

Protocol boundary

This product declares DANTE; matching plugs alone do not make other protocols compatible.

04 · Every connector, grouped by job.

I/O ports

Switch the product view and the documented port inventory updates with it—hardware and data stay side by side.

Every connector, grouped by job.

Switch panels to keep the hardware view and the documented port list in sync.

Panel view

Front panel

Rear panel

All documented ports for Yamaha Rio3224-D2 Dante Stage Box
Port	Panel	Connector	Direction	Signal	Channels
Stage In 1	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 2	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 3	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 4	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 5	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 6	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 7	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 8	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 9	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 10	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 11	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 12	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 13	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 14	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 15	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 16	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 17	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 18	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 19	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 20	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 21	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 22	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 23	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 24	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 25	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 26	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 27	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 28	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 29	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 30	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 31	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage In 32	front	XLR female	input	analog audio	—
Stage Out 1	front	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
Stage Out 2	front	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
Stage Out 3	front	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
Stage Out 4	front	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
Stage Out 5	front	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
Stage Out 6	front	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
Stage Out 7	front	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
Stage Out 8	front	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
Stage Out 9	front	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
Stage Out 10	front	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
Stage Out 11	front	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
Stage Out 12	front	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
Stage Out 13	front	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
Stage Out 14	front	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
Stage Out 15	front	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
Stage Out 16	front	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
AES3 Out 1/2	front	aes3 xlr	output	digital audio	—
AES3 Out 3/4	front	aes3 xlr	output	digital audio	—
AES3 Out 5/6	front	aes3 xlr	output	digital audio	—
AES3 Out 7/8	front	aes3 xlr	output	digital audio	—
Dante Primary	rear	etherCON	bidirectional	digital audio	64
Dante Secondary	rear	etherCON	bidirectional	digital audio	64
Word Clock	rear	bnc	bidirectional	digital audio	—
Power (IEC)	rear	IEC C14	input	power	—

Showing 56 of 56 documented physical ports. Scroll to review the remaining rows.

05 · Compare the decision, not just the price.

Alternatives

The rows are organized around fit, power, I/O, and system role so a cheaper unit cannot hide a more expensive workflow.

Compare	Yamaha Rio3224-D2 Dante Stage BoxThis gear	Yamaha Rio1608-D2 Dante Stage Box	Yamaha Rio1608-D3 Stage Box	Yamaha Tio1608-D2 Stage Box
Fit	📐 5U	📐 3U	📐 3U	📐 3U
Power	⚡ 65W	⚡ 45W	⚡ 40W	⚡ 30W
Weight	⚖️ 22.9 lb	⚖️ 16.8 lb	⚖️ 8.8 lb	⚖️ 8.8 lb
I/O	🔌 56	🔌 28	🔌 6	🔌 5
Estimate	💵 ~$5,899	💵 ~$3,999	💵 ~$6,000	💵 ~$1,650
Deep dive	Current selection	Full comparison →	Full comparison →	Full comparison →

06 · Resolve the questions that can change the purchase or build plan.

Planning questions

Short, source-backed answers surface rack fit, power, cabling, and connection details before they become surprises.

How will the Yamaha Rio3224-D2 Dante Stage Box affect rack fit and case depth?

It occupies 5U. Its documented depth is 364 mm.

How much power does the Yamaha Rio3224-D2 Dante Stage Box draw?

Typical draw is 65W and documented maximum draw is 90W.

What connections does the Yamaha Rio3224-D2 Dante Stage Box have?

56 documented physical ports, including Stage In 1, Stage In 2, Stage In 3, Stage In 4, Stage In 5, Stage In 6.

Is the Yamaha Rio3224-D2 Dante Stage Box discontinued?

Superseded by Rio3224-D3. Kept for owners.

07 · See this unit inside a real rack plan.

Builder preview

Placement is only the start. Builder checks space · depth · weight, power headroom, dependencies, and compatible signal paths around this exact catalog item.Open in Builder

08 · Related gear, in the order you may need it.

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Planning guides for stage box systems.

Fundamentals · 6 min

From Stage to Ear: How Audio Flows Through an IEM Rack

A walking tour of the signal path from microphone to in-ear monitor, with what every box in the rack actually does to the audio along the way.

Workflow · 10 min

Stage Plots and Input Lists That Sound Engineers Actually Want

A plain-English guide to writing the input list, stage plot, and patch sheet that house engineers want — without the jargon, with examples, and with a free way to generate one.

Workflow · 10 min

Setting Up Stereo IEM Mixes on an X32 / M32

Step-by-step: linking aux buses into stereo pairs, pre-fader vs post-fader, routing buses to Ultranet vs physical XLRs vs AES50, and adding a bus-level limiter.

Networking · 9 min

Dante vs MADI vs AES50: Which Audio Network Should You Use?

A practical comparison of the three audio-over-network protocols you’ll encounter in a rack rig, with guidance on when each one is the right pick.

Photos

Product overview

Stage Box decisions, organized around the whole rig.

How it works in the path

Where it earns its place in the rack

Signal path

33 documented inputs

Compatibility

Best fit · Stage Box

Plan the companion path

Protocol boundary

I/O ports

Every connector, grouped by job.

Alternatives

Planning questions

Builder preview

MOTU Stage-B16 Stagebox

Midas DL16 Digital Stage Box

Midas DL32 Digital Stage Box

Behringer S16 Digital Stage Box

Behringer S32 Digital Stage Box

Midas DL251 Digital Stage Box

Related articles

From Stage to Ear: How Audio Flows Through an IEM Rack

Stage Plots and Input Lists That Sound Engineers Actually Want

Setting Up Stereo IEM Mixes on an X32 / M32

Dante vs MADI vs AES50: Which Audio Network Should You Use?