Issue 3, June 2023 Model 5421 User Guide
Page 6 Studio Technologies, Inc.
Model 5421
DANTE INTERCOM AUDIO ENGINE
dictate how many devices and associated users can be
part of any one party-line. Five choices allow a range
of group congurations to be selected with the default
setting being two 8-channel groups.
Group Labels
From the factory, the Model 5421 will assign a unique,
although somewhat-generic name (Dante label) to
each group. However, using the Dante Controller
application the name of each group can be edited as
desired. A revised label would typically reect how the
specic group is going to be utilized. Labels such as
Camera PL, Lighting, Pyro, IFB Mix, or Engineering
would typically be used in broadcast- or live-event-
oriented intercom applications. The congured labels
are automatically used by the Model 5421’s Dante
interface and can provide clarity when routing Dante
channels using applications such as Dante Controller.
Each group label can be a combination of up to 14
alpha or numeric characters. Channel numbers are
automatically appended to the entered labels to provide
identication of the specic channels within the Dante
environment. A label of up to 12 additional characters
can also be added to each specic group channel,
providing further details about an application.
Group Operating Modes
While the primary application for the Model 5421 is to
create party-line (PL) intercom circuits, each group can
be independently congured from among ve operating
modes: Party-Line w/Auto Mix, Party-Line, Summing
Bus w/Auto Mix, Summing Bus, and Pass-Thru.
Party-Line
When a group is congured for either the Party-Line w/
Auto Mix or the Party-Line operating mode, the Model
5421’s audio processing circuitry creates a series
of independent “mix-minus” outputs, one for each
channel in the group. These specialized outputs allow
each intercom user assigned to that specic group (a
“party-line”) to hear all members of that group except
for themselves. (This is the origin of the term mix-minus
and indicates a mix of all sources but themselves.) By
each user receiving a mix-minus signal precise control
of each user’s sidetone audio level and overall audio
quality can be maintained. Selecting the Party-Line
w/Auto Mix operating mode oers Model 5421 users
a level of audio performance that is unique among
intercom applications.
Summing Bus
When a group is congured for either the Summing
Bus w/Auto Mix or the Summing Bus operating mode,
audio sources assigned to the group’s input channels
are mixed (summed or combined) at unity gain. (No
gain or attenuation is applied to the input signals.) The
resulting mix is routed to all the output channels asso-
ciated with that group. Either summing bus operating
mode can be useful for general-purpose audio mixing
applications where multiple Dante channels need to
be combined. However, when the Summing Bus w/
Auto Mix operating mode is selected, it may allow a
Model 5421 to be useful in many applications that go
well beyond broadcast intercom. This mode may prove
especially useful in audio applications that require com-
bining many voice sources. Press conferences, sports
interview configurations, and government meeting
situations may all benet from this capability.
Pass-Thru
Each group can be independently configured for
a unique operating mode called Pass-Thru. This
implements an audio function that routes each Dante
receiver (input) channel directly to an associated Dante
transmitter (output) channel. This simple but sophis-
ticated function will allow any Dante signal to utilize
the Model 5421’s capability to support up to 16 Dante
ows. This can be useful as a “ow expander” when
used in an application that includes Dante-compatible
products that utilize Audinate’s Ultimo™ integrated
circuit. (Many products from Studio Technologies use
Ultimo.) While an excellent cost-eective means of
implementing Dante, using Ultimo has several limita-
tions. The rst is its ability to support only two Dante
transmitter (output) and two Dante receiver (input)
flows. Routing Dante signals through Model 5421
pass-thru channels can facilitate integration with
applications that require additional ows. With the unit’s
ability to support AES67 and the Dante Domain Man-
ager (DDM) application, many specialized interfacing
tasks can be accomplished.
Applications
The Model 5421 is compatible with many Dante-
compliant devices including the extensive range of
intercom beltpacks from Studio Technologies. These
include the single-channel/dual-listen Model 372A and
Model 373A, the 2-channel Model 370A and Model
371A, and the 4-channel Model 374A. The Model 5421
