I'm interested in this too. Wondering whether the CS18AI will be able to be used over a Dante network. This is from Audinate's web site, FAW page:

Does Audinate still intend to support AVB in the future?
Yes. Audinate intends to incorporate the AVB / AVnu standard as an option into some Dante products when there is a wide selection of both certified and tested endpoints, and high availability of network switches from multiple major vendors.

lostinsound wroteI'm interested in this too. Wondering whether the CS18AI will be able to be used over a Dante network. This is from Audinate's web site, FAW page:

Does Audinate still intend to support AVB in the future?
Yes. Audinate intends to incorporate the AVB / AVnu standard as an option into some Dante products when there is a wide selection of both certified and tested endpoints, and high availability of network switches from multiple major vendors.

This would be the only option to get the CS18 passing audio on a dante network. From all of the pics I have seen of the CS18, there is no option card on it.

matthewgorman wroteFrom all of the pics I have seen of the CS18, there is no option card on it.

I can confirm this.

I guess I'm just wondering if AVB connectivity is still possible (RM + CS18AI) using the Dante card in the RM mixer instead of the stock AVB card.

Not yet. Audinate has to make it compatible for Dante protocal first.

matthewgorman wrote
This would be the only option to get the CS18 passing audio on a dante network. From all of the pics I have seen of the CS18, there is no option card on it.

I'm just getting my head into these AVB and Dante options on the AI products.... but the fact that CS18 doesn't have option card, would seem to me that it is a proprietary solution to controlling just the AVB enabled RM16/32 AI mixers.

So what happens when the Dante card comes out on the RM32AI mixers and we want to upgrade to those cards? How will CS18 support this? Does the Dante card that is going to be released still support AVB connections as well?

Komarzec wrote

matthewgorman wrote
This would be the only option to get the CS18 passing audio on a dante network. From all of the pics I have seen of the CS18, there is no option card on it.

I'm just getting my head into these AVB and Dante options on the AI products.... but the fact that CS18 doesn't have option card, would seem to me that it is a proprietary solution to controlling just the AVB enabled RM16/32 AI mixers.

So what happens when the Dante card comes out on the RM32AI mixers and we want to upgrade to those cards? How will CS18 support this? Does the Dante card that is going to be released still support AVB connections as well?

I asked this Q a while ago and rhe answer was that everything would work except for the cs18ai onboard audio. The control options uses standard ethernet.

That makes sense. I can live with that! I have already been using a wireless talkback mic and a wireless IEM pack for my cans with my RM32, so I'll keep them around in case I "go Dante".

roblof is correct. For a better understanding, separate control from audio, as they have different requirements. For control, a standard network connection, wired or wireless, will work. For passing audio, you will need Dante or AVB. Dante seems to be the more ready protocol. Dante was developed by a private company (Audinate), and AVB is simply an open sourced standard.

Dante can run with standard networking hardware, but requires licensed hardware (option cards, variable cost) and a licensed software piece for the computer (virtual soundcard, $30 currently).

AVB requires compliant networking hardware (nic on the computer and a specific AVB compatible network switch), but needs no licensing. However, there is currently no driver(s) for windows in the AVB world. MAC's with Thunderbolt are said to have AVB nic cards already, and can be activated via the registry.

The CS18AI will work on a Dante network for control only. The audio to/from the CS18AI will not currently work via Dante.

In addition to hoping Audinate will soon support AVB, we are ourselves planning to soon support AES67 for our AVB products. This would provide an way to work on a Dante network as well as a Ravenna network.

So Dante won't work between an RM16AI and the CS18. Normal Ethernet works for control but we need AVB for passing audio between the 2 but not if you have a PC because AVB doesn't yet work on a PC. Man this info would have been handy to have before I bought an RM16AI with a plan to get a CS18.

Glad I got a discount on my RM16 so i might get my money back. Actually it's less than 30 days, the retailer might take it back. I'm really sad about it. I finally though I had a studio setup that would work for me.

You could connect the RM to your PC with firewire and use it like any other firewire sound card, (Shortly you'll be able to use Dante instead of firewire)
Then connect the CS18 with standard Ethernet to control everything.

The only thing you'd be missing would be the limited audio features on the CS which require AVB

That's all well and good but none of the literature tells you that. It promotes the ideal situation of having the DAW Studio One 3, the stage box (rm16) and the control surface (cs16). All linked, with audio and control passable via network. Anyway it's not a workable situation for me. Looks like I'll stick with the analog copper snake between studio and control room for now and look somewhere else for a complete solution.

stingray1122 wroteThe CS18AI will work on a Dante network for control only. The audio to/from the CS18AI will not currently work via Dante.

In addition to hoping Audinate will soon support AVB, we are ourselves planning to soon support AES67 for our AVB products. This would provide an way to work on a Dante network as well as a Ravenna network.

I'm interested if the work on this is still ongoing, since Audinate has released their AES67 firmware to OEMs about two years ago.

In the post https://forums.presonus.com/viewtopic.php?p=150403#p150403 Ray mentioned, that the RM & CS AVB implementations are incomplete, which is unfortunate. But is this a deal breaker for AES67 compatibility, too?

MSM1992 wrote In the post https://forums.presonus.com/viewtopic.php?p=150403#p150403 Ray mentioned, that the RM & CS AVB implementations are incomplete, which is unfortunate. But is this a deal breaker for AES67 compatibility, too?

The deal breaker is that the company that created the AVB solution for the RM and CS used a non-standard clocking system, and then closed... So yes, its a deal breaker because the RM/CS/AI consoles will never talk to anything else, ever*.






* Unless you have the Dante option, but the CS doesn't support that...

I understand the issues with the AVB implementation, but this shouldn't have any impact on AES67 support. Since AES67 operates on layer 3 and above (unlike AVB) and is basically using RTP streams for audio and PTP for synchronization the clocking is done differently.

Which would be fine and dandy if they had access to the code in the AVB chips to implement AES67, but they don't. If they did, they could fix the AVB issues and AES67 wouldn't be needed...

I see where you're coming from, but unfortunately it really is at a dead end with a vertical rock face and no foot holds... The CS has no option slot. What's in it is in it and what is in it can't be fixed.