Allen & Heath CDM64 Stagebox

Allen & Heath CDM64 Stagebox

Allen & Heath CDM64 Stagebox is available from Bsound Pro Audio in Excellent condition. The price is €4,500 per unit, with 2 units available. Each unit is offered individually.

CDM64 dLive MixRack

The Allen & Heath CDM64 Stagebox is formally a dLive C Class MixRack. It combines local audio I/O with the dLive processing engine, so its role extends beyond that of a simple remote connector panel. The manufacturer identifies 64 mic/line inputs, 32 line outputs and one I/O expansion port for the CDM64.

Within dLive, the MixRack is the core of the audio system. A Surface provides a familiar operator interface, while the processing and the local I/O reside in the rack. That architecture is useful to understand when comparing this product with a stand-alone I/O expander.

Inputs, outputs and processing

The local input count and output count describe the physical analogue connections on this model. They should be distinguished from the dLive engine’s processing capacity. Additional system routing and expansion depend on the chosen arrangement and the exact hardware connections available.

The manufacturer’s getting-started guide describes control from a dLive Surface and other supported control methods. Choosing an operating interface is therefore part of the system plan, alongside the number and location of the required audio connections. This listing names the CDM64 itself and does not assume a separately supplied Surface or networking card.

Integration into a dLive system

For an existing installation, record the current Surface, firmware and expansion arrangement, then compare the CDM64’s local I/O and available port with the intended routing. For a new application, start by identifying the sources and destinations that need physical connections at the rack location.

The official CDM MixRack guide provides the model-specific hardware and connection reference. Read it together with the wider dLive system documentation for configuration and mixing functions. This keeps the physical stage-rack plan aligned with the processing and control arrangement.

Sixty-four local inputs and the dLive mix engine

The CDM64 combines a substantial block of physical I/O with the central dLive processing engine. Its sixty-four local mic/line inputs and thirty-two local line outputs describe the sockets on this MixRack. The processing architecture is a separate characteristic, and the two should not be confused when assessing system capacity.

Allen & Heath’s dLive documentation describes a common 128-input, 64-output mixing engine across the MixRack family, with models differing in physical I/O and other hardware provisions. The CDM64 therefore needs to be considered both as a place to connect audio and as the processing core of the system. It is not simply a larger version of a passive connection panel.

Physical input count and processing channels

A physical input is a socket to which a source can be connected. A processing channel is part of the mixer’s internal signal structure. The relationship between the two is established through patching. Keeping these terms distinct helps a system designer compare local analogue connections with digital sources and any proposed expansion.

For a project based on the CDM64, begin with the actual source list. Identify which signals need analogue preamps at the rack location and which arrive through another documented route. Then allocate the processing channels and the required output destinations. This makes the overall design clearer than treating every source as though it must correspond to a local socket.

The same approach is useful for outputs. A mix or signal destination inside the system is not automatically the same as a physical line output. The patching plan determines how the intended feeds reach the devices that need them.

Where the MixRack is located matters

Because the MixRack houses the processing and local connections, its physical location affects the cable plan. Decide which sources should reach the rack directly and where the outgoing feeds need to go. The control position can then be planned in relation to that audio layout rather than forcing every signal to follow the operator’s location.

This separation is one of the useful ideas in the dLive architecture. The operator’s interface and the main audio-processing location need not be treated as the same object. A clear system drawing shows how the selected control method relates to the MixRack and how the audio connections relate to the sources and destinations.

Surface control and other operating interfaces

The manufacturer’s getting-started guide describes use with a dLive Surface and other supported control arrangements. That gives the system designer a reason to consider the required operating workflow as a separate decision from selecting the I/O size.

A permanent venue may place different emphasis on the operator interface from a mobile rig. The useful questions include who will operate the system, what needs to be adjusted during a performance and where that operation should take place. The chosen interface should support those requirements while remaining consistent with the actual MixRack configuration.

This listing identifies the CDM64 itself. A Surface, computer-control arrangement or networking option should be selected according to the system plan and the actual components specified for the sale.

Expansion-port and connection planning

The CDM64 has one I/O expansion port. The available port is a hardware provision; the capabilities of an installed option depend on the exact card. That distinction matters when an application needs digital splitting, networked audio or another particular interface format.

Before selecting an option, identify the required signal count and the equipment at the other end of the connection. Match that requirement with the manufacturer’s supported arrangement. The presence of an expansion slot should not be treated as proof that an unspecified networking card is already fitted.

Managing patching and show information

A large local input block makes accurate naming particularly useful. Retain a clear relationship between the source list, the socket numbers and the mixer channels. If a source is repatched, update the record so that an engineer can trace it without relying on an old label or a remembered setup.

Stored show information should also be tied to the intended application. A configuration prepared for one stage layout may need deliberate changes for another. Review patching, output destinations and the operating interface together when adapting a system, rather than copying only one part of an earlier arrangement.

Compatibility and firmware context

The manufacturer notes that operating functions depend on the system firmware. That is a reason to check the relevant current guidance when integrating a MixRack with existing equipment. The model name alone does not describe every software feature or every possible expansion arrangement.

A practical inventory record should identify the MixRack model and the related system components. Keep that information alongside the show and patching records. It gives the next engineer a starting point for checking the actual configuration before a production is loaded or a connection is changed.

Buying a processing core rather than only a socket count

The CDM64 is worth assessing where a project needs a dLive processing core together with a large local analogue I/O complement. Compare the planned physical connections, the required processing structure and the intended control arrangement. Those three views describe the product’s role more accurately than the supplied Stagebox shorthand alone.

Two individual CDM64 units are offered at €4,500 per unit in Excellent condition. The manufacturer’s documentation provides the hardware and system reference, while the listing gives the seller’s condition, stock and unit price.

Control, audio transport and physical I/O

A dLive system contains several kinds of connection that should be identified by their role. A connection carrying system audio has a different purpose from a control-network route, even where both use familiar networking-style hardware. The exact manufacturer connection diagram should be used for the chosen arrangement.

For the CDM64, a useful system drawing distinguishes the local analogue sockets, the Surface relationship and any additional expansion or control route. This gives the engineer a clear way to identify what should happen at each point. It also helps prevent a connector’s appearance from becoming the basis for an unsupported protocol assumption.

The same drawing should identify the location of the operator’s interface. If the control method changes, review that part of the arrangement while keeping the audio requirements visible. If the physical patch changes, update the socket and channel records so that the control view continues to correspond to the actual sources and destinations.

This separation can be valuable in an established venue where a system has grown over time. A clear record makes it possible to distinguish the intended architecture from a collection of cables whose original purposes are no longer obvious. The CDM64 is then assessed as the identifiable processing and I/O core within that architecture.

Before an additional MixRack is incorporated into an inventory, decide which role it will serve and what other system components are needed for that role. That turns the purchase comparison into a concrete plan covering inputs, outputs, processing and operation.

One core, several views of the system

Keep the CDM64 socket schedule, processing-channel plan and operator layout together. Each describes a different view of the same system. Reviewing those views together makes a proposed change easier to assess and keeps the physical stage-rack plan connected to the mixing workflow.

Manufacturer information and related equipment

Official manufacturer information · Additional official documentation. Explore stage racks & audio interfaces at Bsound Pro Audio for related equipment.