Dante Beamforming Mics: Network and Clocking Reference

A Dante beamforming microphone behaves like any other Dante device: it needs a stable clock, a switch that does not interfere with audio packets, and predictable names. Most dropouts and clicks in meeting rooms come from the network layer, not the microphone. Fix the switch settings, choose one clock leader and agree the naming before the first array is hung.

This reference is written by Singapore-based AV and IPTV integrator Prestige Solutions for AV consultants, venue technical managers and system integrators who plan AV control and signal routing for meeting rooms, ballrooms and multi-purpose venues. It covers the switch and QoS settings, clock leader selection, bandwidth arithmetic, naming rules, failure symptoms and the acceptance tests we expect before a room is handed over. Figures are planning starting points as of 2026; confirm each against the manufacturer's documentation for the exact array and DSP.

What does a Dante beamforming microphone need from the network?

It needs a managed gigabit network where Dante traffic gets priority and nothing else touches the audio VLAN. Most of the requirements below are switch settings that cost nothing to apply during installation and are painful to retrofit after a fault.

Keep the Dante audio VLAN off the same switch ports as the corporate or guest network wherever possible. Where a shared switch is unavoidable, apply QoS on every hop, including the uplink to the core, not only the access port.

Which device should be the Dante clock leader?

Pick one device on purpose, usually the DSP or the audio core, and set it as the preferred leader. Dante networks elect a clock leader automatically, so leaving the choice to chance means that a newly connected microphone or a rebooted amplifier can take over.

• One preferred leader per audio network. Enable the preferred leader option on the DSP and leave it off on arrays and amplifiers.
• Do not use a microphone as leader. Ceiling arrays are rebooted and replaced more often than the DSP, and each change triggers a re-election.
• External clock only when needed. Use a word clock or other external reference when the room also feeds a broadcast or recording system that needs its own clock; otherwise keep the clock inside the Dante network.
• Keep the leader on the core side. If the leader sits at the end of a long daisy chain, every sync message crosses more hops.
• Write it down. Record the leader's device name in the room documentation, because the clock status screen is the first place a technician looks during a fault.

After powering up a new room, check that every device reports the same leader and that the clock status is stable for at least 10 minutes before subscribing any audio. Repeated leader changes in that window point to a cabling, EEE or switch problem rather than a device setting.

How much bandwidth does a beamforming microphone use?

Budget about 1.5 Mbit/s per channel at 48 kHz and 24-bit. The raw payload is 48,000 samples × 24 bits = 1.152 Mbit/s; packet headers and flow overhead bring a practical planning figure to roughly 1.5 Mbit/s per channel. How many channels an array exposes depends on the model: some present one mixed output, others present a separate output for each pickup lobe.

The numbers are small against a gigabit link, but the limit that matters is the DSP's own flow and channel capacity, not the switch. Count flows as well as channels: each unicast flow carries a limited number of channels, so subscribing individual lobes creates more flows than subscribing a mixed output. Check the DSP's maximum subscription count in its datasheet before choosing the array's output mode.

The same switch often carries other traffic. If the venue also runs video over IP, keep it on a different VLAN and different uplinks, as described in our note on USB routing for BYOM meeting rooms, where USB audio from a guest laptop adds yet another clock domain.

Which naming rules prevent subscription problems?

Name every device and channel by location and function before subscribing anything, because Dante subscriptions are stored against names, not hardware. A name that includes the room and role survives a replacement and makes fault diagnosis from a laptop possible.

Lock the names in the handover document and keep a copy of the subscription matrix as a file. A restored preset is faster than rebuilding the matrix from memory after a DSP replacement.

Where should the microphone level be set?

Set levels at the DSP input and treat the array as a fixed digital source. Once audio is Dante, there is no analogue cable to pick up noise, so the only thing left to adjust is the gain at the array and the first gain stage in the DSP.

• Set the array's output so normal speech peaks around -18 to -12 dBFS at the DSP input as a starting point; leave room for a loud presenter.
• Keep automatic gain control off on the array if the DSP also runs it; two levelling stages fight each other.
• Route the far-end signal back to the DSP's echo canceller reference, not into the array's mix. The settings for that reference are covered in the boardroom echo cancellation note.
• Mute from a single point: the control panel mute should act on the DSP, and the array's own LED should follow it, so that users see the same state everywhere.

How do Dante faults show up, and what should be checked first?

Start with the clock status, then the switch ports, then the subscriptions. Almost every symptom reported by users maps to one of those three layers.

The default Dante latency setting is suitable for most single-switch rooms, and it is increased only when the path crosses several switches. Increasing it to avoid a fault hides a network problem and adds delay for every user.

Which acceptance tests should be run before handover?

Run these on every room, record the result and keep the log with the as-built drawings. A pass means the room recovers by itself without anyone opening Dante Controller.

1. Clock stability: device clock status stays on the same leader for 30 minutes with the room in normal use.
2. Leader restart: power-cycle the DSP; the room should recover and the subscriptions should return without manual action.
3. Array unplug: disconnect the array's cable, reconnect it and confirm audio returns within a minute and the room mute state is correct.
4. Uplink pull: disconnect the switch uplink; the room should keep working locally if the DSP and array are on the same switch.
5. Load test: copy a large file across the same switch during a test call; audio should stay clean.
6. Pickup walk test: a person speaks while moving along the table and at the room edges; every seat should reach the far end at a consistent level.
7. Preset backup: export the DSP configuration and the Dante subscription matrix and store them with the room record.

FAQ

Can the array be powered by PoE, and what should be checked?

Many ceiling arrays are PoE-powered, but the class varies by model. Confirm the power requirement in the datasheet, then check the switch's per-port limit and total budget. When PoE is not suitable, a separate injector is possible but should be recorded in the as-built drawing so it is not removed during maintenance.

Is a dedicated switch always required for the Dante audio network?

No. A managed switch with a separate VLAN and QoS applied end to end can carry Dante and other traffic. A dedicated switch is easier to support, because nobody changes its configuration for an unrelated reason, so we suggest one wherever the rack space and budget allow.

What should happen when a microphone is replaced?

The replacement should be given the same device name and channel names so the stored subscriptions apply again. Check the firmware version matches the rest of the room and run the pickup walk test again, because a different unit may have different lobe settings.

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