AES67 is a PITA in flexible setups. Don't do it.
@nielso My only interest for that is to have a Cue mix from my Mixer routed out of the local USB interface, a Talkback mic from the same to the mixer, and some entry/changeover music played from the machine. This currently is the main reason why I'm locked on Windows, as Dante is a no-go on Linux right now. Inferno can maybe do it, if I get it running reliable. No actual show-audio passes through that.
The problem with AES67 is that the Dante chips by Audinate can only do AES67 in multicast mode.
This leaves all the smartness to your networking switches, which then require IGMP Snooping and IGMP Querying to be set up correctly.
I had longish e-mail exchanges with Merging, who are the makers of a platform-independent virtual soundcard for AES67.
So, all of this is possible, but the thing is: As soon as you plug in one single unsuitable network switch somewhere, the entire audio over IP may break down.
That's okay if you're in a studio on a budget, but not for live use.
I tried this with macOS and ended up spending 1,2k€ on the Digiface Dante because of this.
There is AES67 for Pipewire on Linux, but it doesn't seem to be used too much, so it's likely not tested too well.
So, hail the Inferno. I hope this will take off!
Audinate have code for Linux embedded, they just don't want to give it to us for making a virtual soundcard. I think QSC QSYS is using it.
@nielso Yep, they certainly have. I too hope that Inferno takes off. IMO, Audinate is asking to have that happen to them. Predatory company that knows they have a defacto monopoly.
I was thinking about going with e.g. a pLANet 22x and decoupling audio from the machine entirely as well. Spaceconstraints suck. DigiFace Dante might be a nice option.
In my case, I do control the entire network path. Just bought a pair of hAP ax S which should be able to do IGMP snooping.
I think Audinate are too short-sighted to see the actual danger that an open source implementation of Dante will bring…
… all of a sudden, things will be for free that formerly were very expensive. Such as Dante Via, or even Dante-to-Dante bridges, or Dante to AVB, until now only available from Presonus (now Fender) as hardware containing Audinate chips.
(Vittoria DD, a Dante-to-Dante bridge containing Audinate chips, costs almost 3k€ in its 32 channel version.)
I have the ESI Planet 22c, it does what it does and it's decent, but it doesn't work on PoE properly. Will produce clicks on PoE.
DigiFace Dante… I read something about a Linux driver effort, but there is no class compliant mode.
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@nielso I've got two of the 22c. Haven't had any issues with them so far. Even on only PoE. Interesting.
Good hint about the digiface dante.
I'm toying with the idea of getting a Marian Clara E. That would be a solution where I could also run some weird DSPs on the mixingstation as well. 512ch Dante Recorder box sounds nice as well. But I'm very worried about the fragility of attaching that to an M70q - would require a jank solution for sure, even with 3D printing.