Frequently Asked Questions
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Knowledge Base > Accessories > Dante I/O Expanders
Do the xIn 4, xIO 4x4 and xOut 4 need to be connected to a Gigabit network?
No- The xIn 4, xIO 4×4 and xOut 4 have a 100 Base-T Ethernet port that provides 8 (4×4) channels of Dante network audio, Ethernet communications, and power. Symetrix suggests connecting to a gigabit switch. Especially if multiple devices with Dante audio are connecting to a common switch.
How do I power up the xIn 4, xIO 4x4 and xOut 4?
The xIn 4, xIO 4×4 and xOut 4 are powered over Ethernet (PoE) by an IEEE 802.3af Class 0 standard compliant switch or the included injector. No other external power supply is needed or used.
Can I send more than 4 channels of Dante networked audio to and from the xIn 4, xIO 4x4 and xOut 4?
No- The xIn 4, xIO 4×4 and xOut 4 Dante Interface I/O interface is based upon the Audinate Ultimo chip that supports 4×4 channels of Dante networked audio.
Is there and under the table or surface mount option for the xIn 4, xIO 4x4 and xOut 4?
Yes- Under Table/Surface Mount Kits consists of a U-shaped bracket and two mounting screws. With this kit, a single unit can be secured under a table or to another flat surface as required. (Mounting solutions sold separately).
Does the xIn 4, xIO 4x4 and xOut 4 have a rack mount option?
Yes- The Rack Mount Kits consists of a rack tray and four mounting screws. With this kit, one or two units can be mounted side-by-side in a single rack space. (Mounting solutions sold separately).
How do I configure the xIn 4, xIO 4x4 and xOut 4?
The xIn 4, xIO 4×4 and xOut 4 are configured via the award winning SymNet Composer software. Once transmit and receive flows are created within the software the xIO 4×4, xIn 4 and xOut 4 will need to be located through a Radius or Edge DSP, then the configuration pushed to the hardware.
Are the xIn 4 and xIO 4x4 capable of providing Phantom Power?
Yes- The xIn 4 and xIO 4×4 have (4) balanced analog audio inputs, with individually software-controllable pre-amp gains (reference levels of -50 dBu, -40 dBu, -20 dBu, -10 dBV and +4 dBu), phantom power (+48 VDC ), and mute.
Does the xIn 4, xIO 4x4 and xOut 4 have redundant capabilities?
No- The xIn 4, xIO 4×4 and xOut 4 are based upon Audinate’s Ultimo Dante chip which does not have a redundant mode. They should be connected to the primary Dante network. Other standard IT practices of network redundancy can be employed instead.
Can I daisy-chain multiple xIn 4, xIO 4x4 and xOut 4 together?
No- The xIn 4, xIO 4×4 and xOut 4 have a single Dante port and Power over Ethernet (PoE) cannot be daisy-chained. They can be directly connected to the main DSP (via a PoE injector), but not to each other.
Can the xIn 4, xIO 4x4 and xOut 4 be used as standalone DSP devices?
No- The xIn4, xIO 4×4 and xOut 4 are part of a series of I/O expansion products for the Symetrix DSP products (Edge and Radius) using Dante network audio.
Can the xIn 12 input setting be controlled from ARC remotes, SymVue, or 3rd party control systems?
No, the input settings can only be adjusted when using SymNet Composer.
Where can I find AutoCAD files for the xIn 12?
Selected Wire Audio and Real-time Monitoring via Host Computer Speakers
Where can I get more information on specifics for Dante subscriptions, 3rd party Dante sources, and real-time Dante matrixing?
Can Dante Controller be used to adjust the mic pre or level settings of the xIn 12?
No, Dante Controller is not able to adjust any audio related settings in a xIn 12.
Where can I find a conferencing application paper on the advantages of SymNet v. Biamp?
Low Cost Add-On Cable Accessories
Will phantom power damage my non-condenser microphones?
Generally no, some older ribbon microphones are somewhat susceptible, but it’s always a safe bet to disable phantom power when not needed.
Where can I get more information on the latency of audio within a SymNet system?
What are the top 10 reasons to use Dante and/or a Dante Virtual Soundcard license?
Where can I find an owner's manual for my Symetrix product?
All technical and operational instructions and documentation for current Symetrix products are contained within the Help menu of the Designer and/or Composer software. Simply click on the question-mark icon on the toolbar in Designer/Composer and search your topic.
Download the latest version of Designer or Composer at www.symetrix.co.
Where can I get more information on the advantages of using a Dante Virtual Soundcard in a Symetrix installation?
What steps are necessary in order to run Dante DSP with Dante set to “Redundant Mode”?
All Dante devices ship with Dante in the default “Switched mode”. This allows units to be daisy chained, eliminating the need for 3rd party networking hardware. When in “Switched mode” if the Dante hardware is setup physically in a Redundant network configuration, traffic from the Primary Dante port will flow out the Secondary Dante port, and the Dante traffic from the Secondary Dante port will flow out the Primary Dante port. This creates a data feedback loop on the Dante network that will crash the Dante cards in the SymNet units. SymNet units with only Dante connections, such as the xIn 12 and the xOut 12, may become unresponsive until they are power cycled and the redundant Dante network switch is turned off or the redundant ports are unplugged from the secondary Dante network.
As such, to set the system to run Dante in “Redundant mode”, first go online with the system with only the Primary Dante port connected to the network or network switch. Alternatively, if the Secondary Dante ports are already connected to a network switch, turn off the secondary Dante network switch/switches. If the Secondary network switch cannot be turned off, or both Primary and Secondary Dante use the same network or switch, then unplug all Secondary Dante ports.
Next, go to Composer>Dante Flow Manager and hit the “Configure Dante…” button and set the Secondary Dante jack to “Redundant Network”. Then push the file to the SymNet system.
Verify via a DSP’s front panel display that the Dante mode now reads “Redundant”. When it does indicate “Redundant” mode is active, plug in the secondary Dante ports or turn on the secondary Dante network switch/switches.
Can the xOut 12 be used to send Dante digital audio to a 3rd party Dante enabled device?
Yes, but a SymNet DSP must be present to setup and program the xOut 12. Once programmed the xOut 12 can transmit the Dante audio to any Dante enabled device.
Connect the Shure Dante Series Wireless Receiver to Symetrix Dante Hardware
Assigning a Static IP to a Symetrix Dante Port
Will phantom power damage my non-condenser microphones?
Generally no, some older ribbon microphones are somewhat susceptible, but it’s always a safe bet to disable phantom power when not needed.
Where can I download archived versions of Composer software?
Archived versions of all final public releases of Composer software are listed in the table below. The software runs on a Windows PC and is used to configure, design, and control Composer-based products. For new designs we highly recommend using the latest version of Composer, however archived major release versions can be found below for legacy compatibility and/or troubleshooting requirements. All firmware files are included as part of the downloaded Composer software package. The Composer firmware versions and Dante Kernels listed below are to help in cross-referencing the firmware running on the installed DSP(s) with the corresponding version of Composer that should be downloaded.
To communicate with Symetrix hardware from a given version of Composer, it may be necessary to upgrade (or downgrade) firmware in each hardware device. This can be done directly from the Composer application and only takes a few minutes per device. Firmware upgrade is done from the Composer Hardware menu.
| Composer Version | Composer Firmware | Dante Kernel | Release Notes | SymVue Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.06 | 1.026 | 3.5.3 | 1.06 | N/A |
| 1.23 | 1.216 | 3.6.4 | 1.23 | 1.23 |
| 2.03 | 2.013 | 3.6.4 | 2.03 | 2.03 |
| 2.51 | 2.502 | 3.6.4 | 2.51 | 2.51 |
| 3.02 | 3.007 | 3.7.3 | 3.02 | 3.02 |
| 4 | 4.002 | 3.7.3 | 4 | 4 |
| 4.1 | 4.100 | 3.7.3 | 4.1 | 4.1 |
| 5.01 | 5.002 | 3.7.3 | 5.01 | 5.01 |
| 5.1 | 5.100 | 3.7.3 | 5.1 | 5.1 |
| 5.2 | 5.201 | 3.7.3 | 5.2 | 5.2 |
| 5.3 | 5.301 | 3.7.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| 5.4 | 5.400 | 3.7.3 | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| 5.41 | 5.404 | 3.7.3 | 5.41 | 5.41 |
| 5.5 | 5.500 | 3.7.3 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 5.6 | 5.605 | 3.7.3 | 5.6 | 5.6 |
| 6.0.2.33 | 6.0.0.26 | 4.0.7 | 6 | 6 |
| 7.0.2.43 | 7.0.0.31 | 4.0.7 | 7 | 7 |
| 7.1.2.46 | 7.1.2.37 | 4.0.7 | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| 7.2 | 7.2.0.30 | 4.0.7 | 7.2 | 7.2 |
| 7.2.5 | 7.2.5.40 | 4.0.7 | 7.2.5 | 7.2.5 |
| 7.3 | 7.3.0.55 | 4.0.7 | 7.3 | 7.3 |
| 7.3.1 *see release notes | 7.3.0.57 | 4.0.7 | 7.3.1 | 7.3.1 |
| 8.0.5 | 8.0.5 | 4.0.7 | 8.0.5 | 8.0.5 |
| 8.1 | 8.1 | 4.0.7 | 8.1 | 8.1 |
| 8.1.1 | 8.1.1 | 4.0.7 | 8.1.1 | 8.1.1 |
| 8.2 | 8.2 | 4.0.7 | 8.2 | 8.2 |
| 8.2.1 | 8.2.1 | 4.0.7 | 8.2.1 | 8.2.1 |
| 8.3 | 8.3 | 4.0.7 | 8.3 | 8.3 |
| 8.3.1 | 8.3 | 4.0.7 | 8.3.1 | 8.3.1 |
| 8.3.2 | 8.3.2 | 4.0.7 | 8.3.2 | 8.3.2 |
| 8.3.3 | 8.3.3 | 4.0.7 | 8.3.3 | 8.3.3 |
| 8.4 | 8.4 | 4.2 | 8.4 | 8.4 |
| 8.4.1 | 8.4.1 | 4.2 | 8.4.1 | 8.4.1 | 8.4.2 | 8.4.2 | 4.2 | 8.4.2 | 8.4.2 |
Where can I find AutoCAD files for the xOut 12?
Can the xIn 12 be used to send Dante digital audio to a 3rd party Dante enabled device?
Yes, but a SymNet DSP must be present to setup and program the xIn 12. Once programmed the xIn 12 can transmit the Dante audio to any Dante enabled device.
Where can I get more information on cable wiring?
Disable xIO in Composer to minimize push time
Can the xOut 12 output mute be controlled from ARC remotes, SymVue, or 3rd party control systems?
No, the xOut 12 output mutes can only be adjusted when using SymNet Composer.
What is Phantom Power?
Phantom power derives its name from its invisibility to audio signals, even though the microphone cable carries both phantom power (as direct current) and audio signals (as alternating current). Specifically, the term phantom power means a positive DC voltage sent to the microphone on both audio leads, through current-limiting resistors which also serve to isolate the audio leads from one another. The front panel phantom power button applies phantom power via pins 2 and 3 of the mic input XLR connectors.
Can Dante Controller be used to turn on the output mute settings of the xOut 12?
No, Dante Controller is not able to adjust any audio related settings in a xOut 12.
Where can I find an Ethernet application with IP capable Symetrix products?
SymNet Remote Terminal is a UDP terminal test application for testing Ethernet-based control for Symetrix products.
