Avid launches Dante HD Option Card to power next wave of live sound through VENUE | S6L systems

• Bringing unmatched flexibility, precision, and connectivity to the industry’s most trusted live production platform
• Delivers 128x128 channels of 96 kHz Dante I/O for seamless integration with the world’s most widely used AoIP protocol
• Fully integrates with VENUE’s unified architecture – no external interfaces or configuration workarounds required

BURLINGTON, Mass., December 17, 2025 –  Avid® today announced the launch of the Dante HD Option Card for its VENUE | S6L live sound systems, bringing 128x128 channels of Dante I/O at 96 kHz directly into the heart of Avid’s flagship audio platform. As the scale and complexity of live production continues to escalate, this new card delivers the large-scale distributed connectivity, flexible design, and uncompromising performance that audio professionals need to meet the fast-evolving demands of any stage or venue – without compromising workflow speed or sound quality.

The Dante HD Option Card for Avid VENUE | S6L enables seamless audio routing for concerts, theater, corporate AV, and houses of worship – supporting more positions within an integrated sound ecosystem to bring studio-grade power to the world’s most demanding stages. By adding support for Dante, the industry’s most widely adopted audio-over-IP (AoIP) protocol, Avid VENUE | S6L now provides a unified path for teams to route, mix, and manage high-resolution audio across virtually any networked environment.

“Dante has become a global standard for networked audio, and adding Dante HD to the S6L family brings high-channel-count distributed audio to large, complex systems,” said Richard Nevens, Senior Director, Product Management – Avid Audio Hardware Systems. “With 128 channels and deep VENUE integration, this option card ensures S6L users can adapt quickly to an array of mission-critical production requirements – from multi-console concert tour set-ups and immersive installations to theater environments and music festival infrastructures.”

 

The Dante HD Option Card delivers:

• 128x128 channels of Dante I/O at 96 kHz per card, with support for up to two cards per system (for 256x256 channels in total)
• BNC-based clocking for rock-solid synchronization within Dante domains
• Full integration with all VENUE | S6L systems – no external interfaces or configuration workarounds
• Unified workflow across AVB, Milan, MADI and Dante – all within the same VENUE software and show file
• Seamless audio routing across large venues, multi-position mix environments, performance facilities, and AV deployments

Built for the next generation of live production, the Dante HD Option Card integrates seamlessly with Avid’s E6LX engines, offering expanded I/O capacity, support for up to eight option cards, and full backward compatibility.

By bridging the trusted performance of VENUE with Dante’s global ecosystem, Avid reaffirms its commitment to delivering open, integrated and futureproof solutions for today’s live sound professionals. From stage to studio, VENUE | S6L continues to set the standard for sound quality, scale, interoperability, and speed – now with even more ways to connect.

Having previously powered major concert tours for artists such as Madonna and The Lumineers, immersive performance experiences like Kenny Chesey at Las Vegas’ Sphere, spatial audio environments in places such as Upperroom Worship Space, and broadcast-grade venues like Iceland’s Harpa Concert Hall, VENUE | S6L is now fully equipped to scale with the evolving demands of modern live sound with the addition of the Dante HD Option Card.

The Dante HD Option Card for VENUE | S6L is available December 18. To learn more or request a demo, visit avid.com/S6L.

 

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Platform Communications for Avid
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