RedNet PCIeNX — the ultra-low latency, high-channel-count PCIe Dante® interface
Focusrite checks in with early adopters of the PCIeNX, who unanimously praise the unit’s reliability and rock-solid workflow integrating with the latest computer hardware.
Focusrite’s RedNet PCIeNX ultra-low latency, high-channel-count PCIe Dante® interface provides a cutting-edge solution for immersive audio formats like Dolby Atmos® and other Dante applications that demand high-channel counts. With the capacity for 128 x 128 audio channels at up to 24-bit, 192kHz, and ultra-low latency, RedNet PCIeNX is compatible with both PC and Mac, including the latest Apple Silicon, seamlessly integrating into existing setups and enhancing any Dante workflow.
Early adopters include re-recording mixer and composer Michael Phillips Keeley (CEO of Sherman Oaks, CA-based post-production facility SoundStriker.com) and multi-platinum mixer Joseph J. Chudyk. Both have been employing the PCIeNX as a key centrepiece of their Dante-based Dolby Atmos mix setups.
Michael Phillips Keeley
Keeley, whose credits include mixing thousands of episodes of TV, along with numerous films, video games and documentaries (recent projects for Disney, Netflix and Max; the historic Space X / NASA launches; and the 28.1 immersive mix for “Signs of Life” at the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, Griffith Observatory), as well as immersive music projects for the likes of Run The Jewels, A$AP Rocky, Oliver Tree, and Sigur Rós vocalist Jónsi, is a long-time Focusrite user.
Recently, Michael was concerned with maintaining his unique workflow as some new key components were presenting compatibility issues. He remarks, “When mixing for immersive, I have a workflow, where everything I do is ‘in the box,’ and the audio gets routed in and out through the PCIeNX to the Dolby Atmos render, and the render comes back into Pro Tools, which allows me to print live re-renders (stems) in the same Pro Tools session instead of using an additional CPU stem recorder. I had upgraded my computer to the newest Mac Pro with the M2 Ultra processor, but the reality was that some of my setup was no longer working nicely together, and I was trying to avoid drastically changing the way I work to compensate. Enter the PCIeNX. It allowed me to keep my workflow, which was very important to me while working with the latest and greatest computer hardware as my control centre.”
Joseph, J. Chudyk
Chudyk, who operates a personal Dolby Atmos mix facility outside Rochester, NY, has hundreds of mixing credits across rock, country and beyond, including Elle King, Miranda Lambert, Kane Brown, Mitchell Tenpenny, Jason Aldean, Teddy Swims, Ghost, IDK, Crowder, MXPX, Nathaniel Rateliff and many more.
Joseph sums up what the PCIeNX offers him: “One word comes to mind: stability. Having my system configured with the Dante protocol is very important to me, and you don’t want to have any compromises along the way in terms of your components and interfaces. The new PCIeNX card integrates perfectly with the newest Mac computer I use. It just works! It has been on since the day I got it, with 36 channels in and 36 out. I haven’t turned it off. Super-stable, it works every time. It’s one of those things I don’t need to worry about anymore.”
PCIeNX features and design
This PCIe card caters to the needs of post-production professionals working in Dolby Atmos, offering seamless integration of high-channel-count Dante audio with the Dolby Atmos Renderer. Additionally, commercial recording studios and music production facilities benefit from the card’s outstanding performance, flexibility, and scalability, delivering 128 x 128 channels of uncompressed, high-resolution audio at ultra-low latency.
Featuring two Ethernet RJ-45 connections that now support switched and redundant modes, RedNet PCIeNX ensures flexible connectivity and offers a secondary network option for mission-critical situations. The card also supports AES67, Dante Domain Manager, and is SMPTE ST 2110 compliant, making it an ideal choice for broadcast deployment.
Simplifying installation and connectivity, the integrated network interface enables a single-cable connection for audio and network control. RedNet PCIeNX seamlessly integrates with RedNet Control, providing a unified application for the control and monitoring of all RedNet devices on the network.
Designed for reliability and futureproofing, RedNet PCIeNX comes with a 3-year warranty and access to Focusrite's award-winning 24/7/365 technical support. This release marks a significant milestone in audio technology, offering professionals a powerful and versatile tool for their creative and technical needs.
The Focusrite RedNet PCIeNX ultra-low latency, high-channel-count PCIe Dante interface is now available.