Midas DL16

Midas DL16 Digital Stage Box — 16 PRO-Series Preamps Over a Single Cable

The Midas DL16 is a 19" / 2U digital stage box that puts Midas' flagship PRO Series microphone preamplification on stage while keeping the front-of-house desk clean. Sixteen preamps feed eight balanced line outputs, with all audio transported over a single shielded CAT5 cable via the Klark Teknik AES50 protocol. The unit is the right choice for live sound engineers, touring bands and houses of worship who need PRO-Series preamp quality from a road-ready chassis. Built in England, it pairs with M32, X32 and Wing consoles as a standard upgrade path for compact digital mixers.

What Sets the DL16 Apart From Generic Stage Boxes

Two design choices separate this unit from generic digital snakes. Every input runs through the same Midas PRO preamp circuit that has defined the brand's live-sound reputation for over four decades. Dual Cirrus Logic DACs on each of the eight balanced outputs deliver a lower noise floor than single-DAC designs at this tier.

On-Stage Microphone Preamp Performance

Sixteen Midas PRO preamps handle balanced and unbalanced signals with switchable +48 V phantom power per channel, and a sensitivity range wide enough for ribbon microphones, hot condensers and line-level sources.

• Microphone Preamplifiers: 16 × Midas PRO — the same preamp circuit used in Midas' flagship PRO Series consoles
• Phantom Power: +48 V, switchable per channel — status LED on every XLR input confirms engagement
• Input Sensitivity Range: −2.5 dB to +45 dB — covers ribbon, dynamic and condenser microphones plus line-level sources

Balanced Outputs and Digital Multicore

Eight electronically balanced, low-impedance line-level outputs feed stage monitors, in-ear transmitter packs or a recording split. Dual Cirrus Logic DACs per output pair keep the noise floor low enough for direct-to-recording use.

• Line Outputs: 8 × electronically balanced, low-impedance — handle balanced and unbalanced loads without crosstalk
• DAC Architecture: Dual Cirrus Logic per output with post-DAC filtering — reduced wide-band noise compared with single-DAC designs

AES50 Transport and On-Stage Workflow

AES50 networking from Klark Teknik carries all 16 inputs and 8 outputs down a single shielded CAT5/5e cable up to 100 m, with deterministic low latency. Three units can be daisy-chained without a merger or external router for 48 channels in and 24 out.

• AES50 Ports: Dual Neutrik etherCON — daisy-chain up to three units for 48 in / 24 out without extra routing hardware
• ULTRANET Port: 1 × Neutrik etherCON — feeds a Behringer Powerplay P16 personal-monitoring system directly
• Cable Reach: up to 100 m via shielded CAT5/5e — covers most venue stage-to-FOH runs on a single cable

Who Should Choose the Midas DL16

This stage box is the right choice for live sound engineers, touring bands, churches and AV production companies who already run a Midas M32, Behringer X32 or Wing console and need more on-stage I/O than the desk's built-in head amp count allows. It also fits studios and broadcast facilities that want to place microphone preamps at the source. Engineers who value the Midas PRO preamp character will hear the difference on vocals and drum overheads.

Midas — Four Decades of Live-Sound Preamp Design

Midas has been designing professional microphone preamplifiers for live sound for over 40 years, and the PRO Series preamp circuit has been the reference point for generations of touring engineers. The unit brings that same preamp into a compact, road-ready 2U chassis engineered in England.