Allen & Heath GX4816
Allen & Heath GX4816 is available from Bsound Pro Audio in Excellent condition. The price is €1,700 per unit, with 4 units available. Each unit is offered individually.
GX4816 remote audio expander
The Allen & Heath GX4816 is a 96kHz audio expander with 48 inputs and 16 outputs. Its purpose is to place a substantial block of physical audio connections remotely within a supported Allen & Heath system. The manufacturer identifies a freestanding or rack-mountable chassis and two DX expansion ports.
An expander changes where audio connections can be located; it does not by itself replace the host mixer’s processing engine. This distinction is useful when comparing the GX4816 with a dLive MixRack. The appropriate choice depends on whether the system needs additional remote I/O or a central mixing/processing core.
Connection planning
The GX4816’s GX connection and DX ports are described in the official system guide. The second DX port can serve a DX expansion or ME personal-mixing role in the supported arrangements, with system-specific restrictions. Those details should be checked for the exact host mixer, installed interface and firmware before selecting a configuration.
For a stage or installation plan, identify the sources that need nearby input sockets and the destinations that need output feeds. Then consider the physical route to the host system and any further expansion required. Keeping those decisions distinct makes it easier to assess whether one large expander or several distributed I/O locations best serves the application.
Manufacturer guidance
The official GX4816 page provides the model identity and hardware overview. Allen & Heath’sDX/GX System Guide explains supported system connections and relevant restrictions. Consult both when planning an addition to an established rig, particularly where different generations of mixer or expansion hardware are involved.
A high-input-count connection point
The GX4816 places forty-eight mic preamps and sixteen line outputs at a remote location in a supported Allen & Heath system. This can be useful where many sources need to connect in one area while the operator works elsewhere. The starting point is the physical source and destination list: which signals need sockets near the stage or installation point, and which feeds need to leave from that same location?
The answer determines whether the GX4816’s particular I/O balance suits the application. A project with many incoming microphones and a smaller number of outgoing feeds has a different requirement from one that needs numerous distributed outputs. Compare the actual requirement with the forty-eight-input/sixteen-output arrangement rather than selecting only by the total number of connectors.
Recallable preamps and local indication
The manufacturer specifies recallable preamps, individually configured phantom power and an indicator at each input. The preamp controls belong to the connected mixing system’s operating arrangement, while the physical sockets remain at the expander. That relationship is important when more than one engineer needs to understand where a source is connected and where its gain is controlled.
The local indicators provide information at the rack, but they do not replace a clear patching record. Give each source a meaningful identity and relate it to the input socket and mixer channel. When a patch changes, update that relationship so that the remote hardware and the operator’s view remain aligned.
GX connection and host-system choice
The GX connection transports the expander’s audio and control relationship with the host system. The supported connection depends on the actual mixer or interface arrangement. The official guidance describes SLink and gigaACE-based connections in the appropriate systems; the exact host should be confirmed before planning the link.
This distinction is particularly important for dLive. The manufacturer describes use through a gigaACE card installed in a Surface or MixRack. That is a specific expansion arrangement and should not be replaced by an assumption that every network socket on a dLive product is the correct connection for a GX4816.
The model family names also span equipment generations. Use the manufacturer’s current compatibility guidance for the exact host, interface and firmware. An Ethernet-style connector shape alone does not establish protocol compatibility.
Two DX ports and further expansion
The GX4816’s two DX ports provide routes to compatible DX expanders. The guide describes the connection arrangements and channel mapping for these ports. They should be planned as defined expansion paths, with the attached I/O represented in the mixer’s patching arrangement.
The DX ports are not a redundant pair for the connected expanders. That is a useful limitation to understand when a project includes a resilience requirement. More than one connector on a product does not automatically mean that the connectors provide duplicate backup paths.
Before adding expansion, decide where the additional physical sockets are needed. A single large input point and several smaller distributed points may solve different cable-layout problems. The system design should explain why the chosen DX devices are placed where they are, rather than adding them merely because an unused port exists.
ME personal-mixing arrangements
The manufacturer describes ME personal-mixing use through the second DX port in the supported SQ and Avantis arrangements. It also states that ME use through this route is not supported with dLive or AHM. This is a specific system limitation, and it matters if the planned installation includes performers controlling their own monitor mixes.
A personal-mixing requirement should therefore be included in the system plan from the outset. Identify the actual host and the intended ME connection before selecting the expander layout. Do not assume that a feature available with one host system behaves identically with every other supported host.
Patching additional I/O clearly
Remote expansion introduces another layer between the source socket and the internal mixer channel. The GX4816’s local inputs and outputs have a defined mapping, while attached DX devices occupy further channel ranges in the supported arrangement. The official system guide gives the model-specific reference for that mapping.
For practical operation, maintain a list that connects the physical socket, the transported channel and the mixer’s patch. This makes a change at one end easier to understand at the other. It is particularly useful when a system combines local mixer sockets, the GX4816 and additional DX expansion.
Firmware and first connection
The getting-started guide describes firmware matching between the expander and the connected mixing system. Follow the current manufacturer instructions for the exact host when commissioning the link. An automatic update process is an operating feature, not evidence that a used unit already carries the software version a buyer intends to use.
Keep software information together with the equipment record, especially where several mixers or expanders are used in different combinations. A record of the intended system helps an engineer distinguish a connection problem from an unsupported hardware or firmware arrangement.
Installation and service access
The manufacturer identifies both freestanding and rack-mounted use. Physical planning should consider cable access, strain relief and how the connectors can be traced once the unit is in place. An orderly installation makes the remote I/O point more useful to the people who will set up or maintain it.
Four individual GX4816 units are available in Excellent condition at €1,700 per unit. Assess the required source count, output count, host connection, additional DX requirements and any personal-mixing role before selecting a configuration. The correct combination is the one that fits the actual system plan.
Cable planning follows the actual host connection
The current GX4816 product guidance gives cable and distance requirements for the supported connection types. It distinguishes the Qu SLink gigaACE/GX arrangement from other listed systems, including a requirement for the appropriate shielded cable category. Use the exact current instructions for the host being installed rather than a general rule based on connector appearance.
A cable plan should identify the required route, the connection type and the intended maximum length. This is useful information for a permanent installation and for a mobile system alike. Retain the plan with the equipment record so that a replacement cable is selected for the actual link it needs to carry.
Rack space and airflow
The manufacturer identifies the GX4816 as a 5U rack-mounted unit and also permits freestanding use in the documented arrangement. Physical planning should retain access to the connectors and adequate airflow around the unit. Those requirements should be considered before deciding how closely other equipment will be positioned.
A high-density I/O point also benefits from orderly cable management. Leave the signal paths traceable so that a source or output can be identified without disturbing unrelated connections. The useful aim is an installation that remains understandable after the initial setup, when another person may need to inspect or adapt it.
The GX4816 therefore contributes both an audio-connection capacity and a physical installation requirement. A good selection decision considers the required input/output balance, the supported host relationship and the place where the unit will actually operate.
Allen & Heath specifies shielded Cat5e or higher for the stated GX connection arrangement up to 100m. For Qu SLink gigaACE/GX, its current guidance specifies shielded Cat6a or higher and a maximum 80m connection. Select the cable for the exact host arrangement.
Manufacturer information and related equipment
Official manufacturer information · Additional official documentation. Explore stage racks & audio interfaces at Bsound Pro Audio for related equipment.
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