Dante Is More Than a Digital Snake: UNiKA NBB Interfaces for Mac, PC, Studio and Live Sound
When most musicians, studio owners and engineers hear the word Dante, they tend to think about large digital mixing consoles, touring systems, broadcast facilities and permanently installed professional audio networks.
That is certainly part of the Dante world – but it is far from the whole story.
One of the most useful things about Dante is also something many musicians and smaller studios still do not realise: a Mac or Windows computer can itself become a Dante audio device.
With Dante Virtual Soundcard installed, professional multichannel audio can travel directly between your computer and Dante-enabled hardware over a wired Ethernet network. From the point of view of your recording software, Dante can function much like a conventional audio interface.
A Dante interface does not have to be connected to a large Dante mixing console. With Dante Virtual Soundcard, your Mac or Windows computer can become part of the Dante network, while interfaces such as the UNiKA NBB series provide the analogue inputs and outputs.
That changes the way you can think about an audio interface.
Instead of asking how long the USB or Thunderbolt cable can be, you can start asking a different question:
Where do I actually need my analogue audio connections?
Your computer can become part of the Dante network
Dante Virtual Soundcard is software from Audinate, the company behind Dante. It turns a compatible Mac or Windows computer into a Dante-enabled audio device using the computer's wired Ethernet connection.
On macOS, Dante Virtual Soundcard integrates with Core Audio. On Windows, it can operate through ASIO for professional DAW applications or WDM for conventional Windows audio applications.
This means software such as a DAW can send and receive audio channels over the network instead of relying on a traditional USB or Thunderbolt audio interface connected directly to the computer.
DAW / audio software
Core Audio / ASIO
Dante audio
Analogue I/O
In a conventional audio-interface setup, the analogue inputs and outputs normally sit beside the computer because they are physically connected to it.
With networked audio, those connections can be somewhere else.
They can be on stage, in a recording room, beside powered loudspeakers, in a machine room, in another studio room or anywhere else on the wired Dante network.
That is one of the fundamental advantages of networked professional audio.
Dante Virtual Soundcard behaves like an audio device
This point is worth emphasising because it is easy to assume that special hardware must always sit directly between the computer and the Dante network.
With Dante Virtual Soundcard, the computer itself appears as a Dante endpoint. Audio applications can then access Dante channels through the normal professional audio architecture of the operating system.
- macOS: Dante Virtual Soundcard uses Core Audio.
- Windows professional DAWs: Dante Virtual Soundcard can operate through ASIO.
- Windows general audio applications: WDM mode is also available.
- Dante Controller: determines which Dante devices and channels are routed to each other across the network.
Standard Dante Virtual Soundcard can handle substantial multichannel configurations, while Dante Virtual Soundcard Pro extends the available channel count even further.
For a small setup, however, you do not have to start with dozens of channels. A simple 2 x 2 Dante interface can already make the concept extremely useful.
Dante Virtual Soundcard is separate software licensed by Audinate. It is not included simply because you purchase a Dante hardware interface. Dante Virtual Soundcard also requires a supported wired Ethernet connection for audio transport; Wi-Fi is not used for DVS audio.
Dante does not require an exotic audio network
Another misconception is that Dante always requires highly specialised proprietary network infrastructure.
Dante is built around standard Ethernet networking and can operate with suitable conventional Ethernet switches and cabling. The UNiKA NBB interfaces use Gigabit Ethernet connections, and several models include two network ports for flexible deployment.
With Cat 5e cabling, individual Ethernet connections can typically cover distances of up to approximately 100 metres. In larger systems, suitable network switches can extend the system considerably further.
For studios, live venues, educational facilities, houses of worship, broadcast environments and installations, this can simplify cabling dramatically.
Instead of running large quantities of individual analogue audio cables over long distances, multiple channels can travel digitally over the network.
Who is UNiKA?
UNiKA is not a new company that appeared when networked audio became popular.
The Taiwanese professional audio manufacturer was founded in 1985 and has spent decades developing and manufacturing professional audio equipment including amplifiers, mixers, signal-processing equipment, power products, DI boxes and networked audio systems.
UNiKA expanded its production operation in 2013 with a new approximately 6,600 square metre factory in Toufen, Miaoli County, Taiwan.
The company has extensive engineering, manufacturing and testing experience, and according to UNiKA its production quality has earned the trust of a number of leading international audio companies.
Networked audio is not a category where we would recommend choosing equipment purely because it is inexpensive. Reliable clocking, conversion, networking and analogue electronics all matter. UNiKA comes from an established professional audio manufacturing background rather than simply placing its name on generic network boxes.
The company's NBB range was developed specifically around professional Dante network audio, with models covering everything from small two-channel interfaces to full 16 x 16 stagebox systems.
Three UNiKA Dante interfaces – three very different jobs
The three UNiKA NBB products currently available through ScaleNordic cover quite different applications.
The NBB-0202 provides bidirectional analogue I/O. The NBB-04T is designed to take Dante audio from the network and provide four professional analogue outputs. The NBB-1616 moves into full stagebox and multichannel recording territory with sixteen inputs and sixteen outputs.
The important question is therefore not simply which model is best.
The question is where you need to get audio into or out of the network.
UNiKA NBB-0202 – a compact 2 x 2 Dante audio interface
The UNiKA NBB-0202 is probably the easiest model to understand if you are coming from a conventional recording interface.
It provides two analogue inputs and two analogue outputs, but instead of connecting those channels directly to a computer through USB, the audio is transmitted and received through the Dante network.
The two inputs use XLR/TRS combo connectors and accept signals from microphone to line level. Each input provides up to 60 dB of gain together with individually switchable +48 V phantom power.
The two balanced XLR outputs can deliver professional line levels up to +24 dBu, while individual output attenuation controls allow the output level to be adjusted when required.
Digital audio is transmitted as uncompressed 24-bit PCM at 44.1, 48 or 96 kHz.
The NBB-0202 also includes two Gigabit Ethernet ports, allowing it to be integrated into a daisy-chain network configuration. Power can come either from a 48 V external supply or directly through PoE from a suitable network switch.
Two microphones or analogue sources can connect to the NBB-0202 somewhere on your Dante network. Your Mac or PC can then record those signals through Dante Virtual Soundcard without the NBB-0202 having to sit next to the computer.
This can be useful in a project studio where the computer is in one room and the microphones are in another. It can also work in educational, installed, broadcast, streaming or live environments where only a small number of analogue inputs and outputs are required at a particular location.
And because Dante routing is not tied permanently to one physical connection, those channels can be routed to other Dante devices as the system grows.
A surprisingly serious specification for a small box
- 2 analogue microphone/line inputs.
- 2 balanced analogue XLR outputs.
- Up to 60 dB input gain.
- Individual +48 V phantom power.
- 24-bit PCM audio up to 96 kHz.
- 2 x Gigabit Ethernet ports.
- PoE or external 48 V power.
- Low-latency Dante network audio.
- Rackmount hardware included.
€399.99 – previously €1,199.
At that outlet price, the NBB-0202 becomes particularly interesting even for users who may previously have assumed Dante hardware was only relevant to large professional systems.
UNiKA NBB-04T – four analogue outputs anywhere on the Dante network
The UNiKA NBB-04T solves a different problem.
This is not a microphone input interface. Its job is to take four channels of audio from the Dante network and convert them to professional balanced analogue outputs.
That may sound simple, but in a networked system it can be extremely useful.
Imagine that the computer, digital console or central equipment rack is at one end of a building, while powered loudspeakers, monitor systems, amplifiers or analogue processors are located somewhere else.
Instead of running four long analogue audio lines from the source location, the audio can travel digitally over Ethernet and be converted back to analogue by the NBB-04T exactly where the outputs are required.
Your computer can play four separate output channels through Dante Virtual Soundcard. Those channels travel over the network to an NBB-04T positioned near active loudspeakers or amplifiers, where they become four balanced XLR analogue outputs.
The NBB-04T provides four balanced XLR outputs capable of professional line levels, making it suitable for amplifiers, active loudspeakers, monitoring systems and other professional audio equipment.
It supports sample rates up to 96 kHz, includes dual Gigabit Ethernet connections and can operate from PoE or a 48 V power adapter.
This makes the NBB-04T particularly useful for distributed audio, installed sound, monitoring systems, multi-room studios, broadcast environments and situations where analogue outputs need to be placed remotely from the source equipment.
What the NBB-04T provides
- 4 balanced XLR analogue outputs.
- Professional line-level output.
- Dante audio at up to 96 kHz.
- Individual output attenuation controls.
- 2 x Gigabit Ethernet ports.
- Daisy-chain network capability.
- PoE or external 48 V power.
- Low-latency Dante network audio.
€349.99 – previously €899.
For someone who already has a Dante network, four professional analogue outputs at this price can be a very useful way of expanding the system.
But even if you do not currently own a Dante mixing console, Dante Virtual Soundcard means the NBB-04T can still be relevant as an output device for a Mac or Windows computer.
UNiKA NBB-1616 – a full 16 x 16 Dante stagebox
The UNiKA NBB-1616 moves into a completely different category.
This is a 3U professional Dante break-in/break-out interface with 16 balanced XLR analogue inputs and 16 balanced XLR analogue outputs.
It can be used as a stagebox with a Dante-enabled digital console, as part of a networked studio, as a multi-room audio interface, or as the analogue front end for a computer recording system using Dante Virtual Soundcard.
In a recording system, the NBB-1616 can place sixteen microphone/analogue inputs and sixteen analogue outputs away from the computer while the audio travels digitally over Ethernet.
Each analogue input provides up to 60 dB of gain together with an -18 dB pad, 180-degree phase inversion and individually switchable +48 V phantom power.
Input and output PPM metering with clip hold provides visual level monitoring directly on the front panel.
The digital side is equally serious. The NBB-1616 supports uncompressed 24-bit PCM audio from 44.1 kHz all the way up to 192 kHz.
Two Gigabit Ethernet connections allow the unit to operate with either redundant networking for increased system security or in daisy-chain mode, depending on the application.
As a live Dante stagebox
For live sound, the concept is straightforward. Microphones and other analogue sources connect to the NBB-1616 on stage. The audio is converted and sent through the Dante network to a compatible digital console or other Dante destination.
Return channels from the console can then travel back over the same network to the sixteen analogue outputs.
Instead of a traditional large analogue multicore between stage and front of house, the main audio transport takes place through standard network cabling.
As a 16 x 16 studio interface
This is where the NBB-1616 may be particularly interesting to people who have never considered Dante for recording.
With Dante Virtual Soundcard running on a Mac or PC, the computer becomes a Dante audio device. The sixteen analogue inputs from the NBB-1616 can therefore be routed to recording software while playback channels from the DAW can be routed back to its sixteen analogue outputs.
From the perspective of the studio, this can function much like having a large multichannel audio interface – except the analogue I/O is connected to the network rather than physically tethered to the computer by a short USB or Thunderbolt cable.
As a point-to-point digital snake
The NBB-1616 platform can also be used in a point-to-point configuration with another compatible NBB-1616, creating a bidirectional digital snake without requiring a computer or digital mixing console in between.
That makes the hardware useful beyond conventional Dante-console applications.
What the NBB-1616 provides
- 16 balanced XLR analogue inputs.
- 16 balanced XLR analogue outputs.
- Up to 60 dB input gain.
- -18 dB input pad.
- 180-degree phase inversion.
- Individual +48 V phantom power.
- Uncompressed 24-bit PCM audio.
- Sample rates up to 192 kHz.
- Dual Gigabit Ethernet.
- Redundant or daisy-chain network modes.
- PPM input and output metering.
- Professional 3U rackmount chassis.
€1,999.99 – previously €4,499.
A 16 x 16 professional Dante stagebox with microphone gain, phantom power, redundant network capability and audio up to 192 kHz represents a very different proposition at this outlet price than it did at its original retail level.
Do you actually need a Dante mixing console?
No.
This is perhaps the most important point in the entire article.
A Dante-enabled console is one possible part of a Dante network, but it is not a requirement for every system.
A Mac or Windows computer running Dante Virtual Soundcard can send and receive Dante audio directly. Dante Controller is then used to define which channels are connected between devices.
For example, a small recording system could consist of a computer, Dante Virtual Soundcard, a suitable Ethernet connection and an NBB-0202.
A larger recording system could replace the NBB-0202 with an NBB-1616 and provide sixteen analogue inputs and sixteen analogue outputs.
Or a playback system could use the NBB-04T to distribute four analogue outputs somewhere else on the network.
It is a network audio transport and routing system. The devices connected to it can be computers, mixers, stageboxes, amplifiers, processors, loudspeaker systems and many other types of professional audio equipment.
Why network audio changes the idea of an audio interface
Traditional computer audio has trained us to think of an interface as a box sitting next to the computer.
That makes sense when the physical connection between computer and interface is USB or Thunderbolt.
Network audio removes much of that physical relationship.
The computer needs access to the network. The analogue I/O needs access to the network. They no longer necessarily need to be next to each other.
This can have practical advantages in many environments.
- A studio computer can remain in a control room while microphone inputs are located in the recording area.
- A live recording computer can receive channels without being positioned beside the stagebox.
- Analogue outputs can be positioned beside amplifiers or powered loudspeakers.
- Additional Dante devices can be added to the network later.
- Audio routing can be changed in software instead of repatching every physical cable.
This does not mean Dante is automatically the best solution for every small studio. A simple two-channel USB interface may still be the easiest choice for many users.
But once distances increase, channel counts grow or audio needs to move between several locations, Dante becomes much more interesting.
Which UNiKA NBB interface makes the most sense?
The three models solve three different problems.
Choose this when you need two analogue inputs and two analogue outputs on a Dante network. It is the most natural option for a small studio, remote I/O point or compact Mac/PC Dante recording setup.
Choose this when you need four analogue outputs from the Dante network. It is ideal for distributed playback, amplifiers, active speakers, monitor systems or analogue equipment located away from the source.
Choose this when you need serious multichannel I/O: sixteen analogue inputs and sixteen analogue outputs for live sound, stagebox applications, recording or larger Dante systems.
Why are the ScaleNordic prices so low?
There is a very simple reason why the current prices on these UNiKA Dante interfaces are so unusually low.
ScaleNordic previously operated as a Scandinavian distributor for UNiKA from Norway. As part of that distribution business, we purchased and stocked professional UNiKA products for the Scandinavian market, including the NBB Dante series.
When ScaleNordic later ended this Scandinavian distribution activity, the remaining inventory was moved from Norway to our operation in Spain.
We are not rebuilding the former distribution business around these products. The objective now is simply to sell the remaining stock.
These are not demonstration models or used products. They are new units remaining from our former Scandinavian distribution inventory.
This is also why the prices can look almost unusually low compared with the specifications and original retail positioning of the products.
These are not products that were originally intended to sell at today's outlet prices. They are remaining stock from our former Scandinavian distribution operation, and we no longer need to maintain the normal distributor margins that would previously have been built into the sales price.
The products themselves have not changed. The NBB-0202, NBB-04T and NBB-1616 are still the same professional Dante interfaces that were originally sold into the Scandinavian market at considerably higher prices.
What has changed is our reason for having them in stock.
Rather than keeping capital tied up in products from a distribution operation we no longer run, we would rather sell the remaining inventory at prices that make these professional Dante interfaces genuinely attractive to studios, engineers, installers and musicians who can make use of them.
At the time of writing, the outlet prices are:
- UNiKA NBB-0202: €399.99 – previously €1,199.
- UNiKA NBB-04T: €349.99 – previously €899.
- UNiKA NBB-1616: €1,999.99 – previously €4,499.
For anyone already working with Dante, the value is fairly obvious.
But the more interesting group may be musicians, studios and engineers who have never previously considered Dante because they assumed the technology required a large console, an expensive installation or an entire infrastructure of specialised equipment.
The low prices are a consequence of clearing new, boxed distributor stock – not a reflection of the technical quality or original market position of the products.
Once the remaining stock is sold, individual models may not return.
A few things to know before building a Dante computer setup
Dante is powerful, but it is still a professional network audio system, and it is worth understanding a few basics before building a system.
- Use wired Ethernet. Dante Virtual Soundcard does not use Wi-Fi for Dante audio transport.
- Dante Virtual Soundcard requires a separate Audinate licence.
- Dante Controller handles routing and configuration.
- The computer and Dante devices must be configured on the appropriate network.
- For larger channel counts, Gigabit Ethernet and a suitably capable computer become increasingly important.
- Professional network design still matters. Large mission-critical systems should be planned accordingly.
For a simple NBB-0202 setup, however, the basic concept can be surprisingly straightforward: computer, wired Ethernet, Dante software and the interface.
Frequently asked questions about UNiKA and Dante
Can I use Dante as an audio interface on a Mac?
Yes. Dante Virtual Soundcard allows a compatible Mac to send and receive Dante audio over its wired Ethernet connection and presents the audio through Core Audio. A Dante hardware interface such as the UNiKA NBB series can then provide the physical analogue inputs and outputs.
Can I use Dante as an audio interface on Windows?
Yes. Dante Virtual Soundcard supports ASIO on Windows for professional DAWs and WDM for conventional Windows audio applications. This allows the computer to send and receive audio directly through the Dante network.
Do I need a Dante mixing console?
No. A Dante console is only one possible device on the network. A computer running Dante Virtual Soundcard can communicate directly with Dante interfaces such as the UNiKA NBB-0202, NBB-04T or NBB-1616.
Does Dante Virtual Soundcard work over Wi-Fi?
No. Dante Virtual Soundcard requires a supported wired Ethernet network interface for Dante audio transmission.
Can the NBB-0202 provide phantom power for condenser microphones?
Yes. Each of the two inputs provides individually switchable +48 V phantom power and up to 60 dB of input gain.
Can the NBB-0202 be powered over Ethernet?
Yes. It can be powered by PoE from a suitable Ethernet switch or by an external 48 V DC power supply.
Does the NBB-04T have microphone inputs?
No. The NBB-04T is designed as a four-channel Dante-to-analogue output interface. If you need analogue inputs as well as outputs, the NBB-0202 or NBB-1616 is more appropriate.
Can the NBB-1616 be used for recording?
Yes. The NBB-1616 can communicate with Dante-enabled DAW systems and provides sixteen analogue inputs and sixteen analogue outputs. With Dante Virtual Soundcard, a compatible Mac or PC can receive and transmit those Dante channels through recording software.
Are the ScaleNordic outlet units used or demonstration products?
No. The remaining UNiKA units are new products supplied in their original boxes. They are remaining inventory from our former Scandinavian distribution operation, not used or demonstration equipment.
Why are the ScaleNordic UNiKA prices so low?
ScaleNordic previously distributed UNiKA from Norway into the Scandinavian market. When that distribution activity ended, the remaining stock was moved to our operation in Spain. We are now clearing that remaining distributor inventory rather than maintaining normal distribution margins, which allows us to offer the products at unusually low outlet prices.
How far can I run Dante over Ethernet?
With standard copper Ethernet cabling such as Cat 5e, individual Ethernet runs are generally limited to approximately 100 metres. Larger Dante networks can extend considerably further through suitable Ethernet switches, fibre connections and appropriate network design.
Is Dante only useful for live sound?
No. Dante is widely used in live sound, but the same network-audio concept is useful in recording studios, broadcast, education, houses of worship, installed sound, conference systems and other environments where multiple audio channels need to move between different locations.
Our view on the UNiKA NBB series
The interesting thing about these products is not simply that they are Dante compatible.
It is the combination of professional analogue I/O, established Dante technology, flexible Ethernet networking and UNiKA's long background as a professional audio manufacturer.
The NBB-0202 gives smaller systems a practical entry point into Dante. The NBB-04T solves the very specific problem of placing professional analogue outputs somewhere else on the network. And the NBB-1616 provides the kind of channel count required for serious recording, live and installation work.
At their original retail prices, these were clearly professional network-audio products aimed at professional applications.
At the current ScaleNordic outlet prices, the calculation becomes rather different.
If the real problem is getting professional audio into or out of another room, another part of a venue or another location in your system, putting the audio connections on the network may be the more interesting solution.
Our final advice
Do not buy Dante equipment simply because the current outlet price is attractive.
Buy it if networked audio solves a problem in your system.
- If you need a compact 2-input / 2-output Dante interface, look at the UNiKA NBB-0202.
- If you need four professional analogue outputs from a Dante network, look at the UNiKA NBB-04T.
- If you need a serious 16 x 16 stagebox or networked recording interface, look at the UNiKA NBB-1616.
And if you previously ignored Dante because you thought you needed an expensive Dante mixing console just to get started, take another look.
Your Mac or PC may already be much closer to becoming part of a professional Dante system than you realised.
Our current UNiKA Dante interfaces are new, boxed units from our former Scandinavian distribution inventory and are now available at significantly reduced outlet prices. Remaining stock is limited, and individual models may not return once sold out.