Installing a Dante card to the Wing internal slot.

Everything to do with the Dante Audio Networking aspect of the digital eco-system
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GaryH
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Re: Installing a Dante card to the Wing internal slot.

Post by GaryH »

This is an updated version of the original post that covers several more recent “discoveries” and a few edits for clarity. This thread still has a LOT of other great info in it but it wanders about here and there. This post is meant to “cut to the chase”

Installing an internal Dante Card in a Wing console
(Updated October 2021)

I figure there will be many owners of the Wing-Dante card that will soon decide to take the card out of the external frame and put it into the internal slot. There also will be some people who may buy or already have bought aftermarket cards. This post is meant to help in that process. If you have Wing-Dante, you must remove the actual Dante card from the frame. Carefully spread the 2 clips that secure it in place, the card will then angle up and will then come easily come out of the slot. Use an antistatic wrist band or first ground yourself to the metal frame to make sure of no ESD, don’t touch the contacts on the card.

MY Dante Wing internal INSTALL NOTES

Performing this task is NOT for everyone but it also is NOT rocket science. Anyone with reasonable mechanical skills should be able to do it without ANY damage to their mixer or themselves. You really need just one tool, a Phillips screwdriver (ok and probably an antistatic wrist band too). Doing this installation could possibly void your warranty, it should not-but it could. Know this going in and there will be no one else to blame if something happens (it should not). As you probably already know, Behringer requires a MTASC to do this work. So despite providing this little guide, it is my suggestion that you do just that. Have a certified service center install your card! BUT for those of you who are more adventurous, impatient or perhaps just don’t care there is this. FIRST and foremost make sure you unplug the mixer from the power source. My personal opinion is the risk of possible shock is the main reason Behringer (or any company) does not want you inside their mixer. Use caution! I consider removing the power source (removing the plug!) using a screwdriver and proper antistatic precautions all to be reasonable things to do. That said if you choose to do this, you ALONE are responsible for all outcomes. I have been through the process for one reason or another 5 or 6 times without any problems. Go slowly and carefully and you will be just fine.

To start with you will need to get a 64x64 ch Brooklyn II Dante Card. Several companies use this card in their products. It appears that all version Dante cards can be flashed to only work within certain systems, so some may work in a Wing and some not. The 4v1 version will be the one in the Wing-Dante expansion card. it should still work ok as an internal card if you decide to do that. (It DOES) Behringer 4v1 cards should not be locked out for Wing internal slot use. Notice I said “should” not. I have heard there are minor networking differences. Edit: I just learned it’s a third networking option available for the internal firmware version of the Wing Dante Card. I think Audinate may have now updated all their new Brooklyn II cards to be 4v1 versions. The 3B version (like mine) may only be available in older products so they could be pretty scarce! I did try the new and old Yamaha NY64, they will NOT work in the Wing! The issue being Dante Controller would NOT recognize the cards. All the internal Wing settings related to a Dante card were all functioning as they should. But without Dante Controller, no communication can be established in a Dante network-rendering it useless. There may be a flash process of some sort to get around this but I do not know how to do it or if that’s even really possible without special equipment. It could be the A+H 64 ch card and the Protools 64 ch card work, both have B3 pcb versions BUT both are very expensive and I have NOT tested either. So be forewarned. The Wing-Dante card will work. EDIT: Protools 64 ch card DOES also work! School is out on the A+H version, I have not heard if it will work and have not tried one myself.

You may need to remove the actual Dante daughterboard from an expansion card frame, if that’s indeed how you get yours (Wing-Dante) you most certainly will. Maybe 2 screws need to be removed on some devices, then release side clips and out. Easy. It appears Behringer does not screw down their card in the Wing Dante expansion frame, so you just need to release the 2 side clips! Use an anti static wrist strap or similar product or anti static safe process to remove, handle and install the card in the Wing!! ESD can destroy electronic devices so use caution. The cards are pretty bulletproof really but still extra care will ensure success. This is an expensive item. With reasonable care it should not be a problem. Take precautions going in and all should be fine.

Ok, on to the fun stuff! Turn the Wing over on its front side making sure you properly PROTECT all the faders, knobs and the touch screen. Use a soft padded surface to support it. Choose something that is still firm but has some soft give to it. The mixer as you probably already know is quite heavy so have someone assist you in turning it over if possible. I first used 2 thick folded moving blankets which worked out very well. I then later ended up using a living room recliner, which might be a better way if you have one available. This way the mixer surface can be almost upright in the chair, knobs, faders resting against the cushioned chair back and still remain secure and well protected. It also allows the back cover to swing down (on the recliner seat) and out at the best angle which imo is much easier to navigate and correctly place the new Dante card. Don’t over extend the cover when it swings out. It can scratch the back of the mixer surface where the 1/4 in jacks meet the mixer back. I suggest using some tape loosely over either the jacks or the case to help protect the underside. I also used a few pillows to help protect the faders while in the chair and to offer a way to get a more upright angle.

Remove the 21 screws from the black center section (it’s the section the feet are attached to) There are 5 screws along each side, 6 along its bottom edge and 5 along the top edge. Once the screws are ALL removed the back will swing open on a hinge like mechanism. The hinged part is on the widest side of the wedge shaped cover. I left the 2 middle screws in the bottom (narrow) section in until it was all ready to open up. The black cover is pretty much a wedge shape, if you keep the narrow side of the wedge at the top as it faces you, (screen side of the mixer facing back into the chair) when it swings open it will lay flat down in front of you and in the best position to install the card, leaving the mixer surface itself still mostly upright. The videos I’ve watched do it just the opposite. I find doing it this way is MUCH easier because putting the card in while the slot is upside down is very hard. You may not find it so. Looking from the rear of the Wing, the card slot sits just behind the rj45 “control” jacks. When opened it sits at the lower rear edge where the back hinges against the mixer. Though quite accessible there, it is also in a bit of an awkward spot. It therefore takes a little bit more effort and extra care to install the card correctly. The card itself installs just like laptop computer memory, the contacts insert on a slight angle fully into the slot. 2 clips, 1 on each side of the slot secure and lock the card flat into position. The card has a keyed slot, make sure you install it with the slot on the correct side. It will really only go in one way, so don’t force it. If you had to remove the card from a manufacturers card frame like the Wing-Dante frame, or you have ever installed laptop computer ram, you know already how this works. The card needs to be angled into the slot under the metal cover before you get it in, otherwise it will end up hitting against that metal shield while trying to get it flat in the slot and will not go. Once the card is secured flat down in the slot, swing the back cover to normal position making sure nothing, cables etc, gets pinched in the process. Now reinstall just 2 screws. I suggest only installing a few screws (2) in order to check for full operation, once you are sure it is working as it should, then install the rest. 3 easy checks to determine this. 1) In the setup/audio page you will now see Dante in the clock drop down menu. 2) In the routing menu Dante will now be specific named category listed as a routing option. The last and most important test is to connect via lan cable to a computer with Dante Controller installed on it. I used the control port nearest the plug FWIW but either should work. That may change in future firmware. I did try the other port and it also worked fine, at least it does for now. When connected to an ethernet computer network, Dante Controller should see the card pretty much right away but it can take several seconds. If so you are all set, other than routine subscriptions and other things you may want to setup in Dante Controller. Reinstall any remaining screws. That’s it! Turn your mixer back on and you now should have 64 ch’s of Dante installed internally with full use of original 64 ch Wing-Live card as well!

Additional info:

Since this was originally written (April 21) several other things closely related have come to light: I will put links to some of them below.

First of all with the use of Dante Controller and its included updater section, compatible non Behringer 64 ch Dante cards can be flashed to the “official” correct Wing firmware. The Protools version (Avid-Pro Tools MTRX 64), the Kevic version and the Wing-Dante version all can be flashed correctly for sure. Other makers cards may possibly work as well. I have no info on any of these at this time. (The Yamaha NY64 still is not working) The correct Wing firmware files are now posted at the Wing product page and have just recently (Sept 21) been updated. They can also be found at the Audinate site with Dante Controller using the search function of the manufacturers firmware library.

The Wing expansion card Dante daughter board works 100% if removed and placed internally in the Wing BUT it needs to be flashed to the correct internal firmware file to work properly. There are different network issues that make the internal version and external versions work differently, it matters which firmware file is used to match where the card has actually been installed.

Link to the firmware flashing process using Dante Controller:

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=252&sid=d1c7c8d22b ... f99de99b55
JasonHowes
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Re: Installing a Dante card to the Wing internal slot.

Post by JasonHowes »

For anyone interested, I purchased a used Hear Technologies Dante card that goes in the Hear Back Pro System. The card uses the Brooklyn II -32 channel version. Interestingly enough, Hear Technologies' firmware is written to only utilize 16 channels. Dante Controller confirmed this by showing only 16 channels. The Brooklyn II took the Wing64 firmware and works perfectly as a 32 channel card in the Wing. I am very pleased as a bought the card for a very good price. Just a note for anyone else that may come across this and maybe this has been discussed here and I missed it. For some reason I had to switch the network mode to redundant instead of switched for the update to not fail. I would have thought the opposite would have been the case. Anyways, another confirmed working card. Not 64 channels but it's better than zero channels.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... ro-systems
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GaryH
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Re: Installing a Dante card to the Wing internal slot.

Post by GaryH »

One more horse in the stable! Thanks for reporting it. Very interesting on several levels. It makes a tiny bit of sense regarding redundant mode required to update it, as this may be how Hear was using only 16 of the 32 ch’s. Redundant being 2 separate but identical networks, it may be was how they somehow configured it, as 2 16 ch networks? I'm only guessing. Even in redundant mode one would think a 32 ch card would be seen as 32 ch’s, but oh well. I’m sure Audinate and Hear worked that out for their own use perfectly and without any of my help :-)

Did you put it back to switched once updated? It’s in the Wing internal slot and it was when updated? More interesting is that it accepts the 64 ch firmware at all, wow. I know an X-Dante (32) card works AS IS in the Wing I don’t recall trying to update it to Wing firmware. but I may have. You do need the correct firmware file to make full use of the 2 network control ports on a Wing. The 2 control ports do very different things depending on the network config setting in Dante Controller. The internal Wing file adds a third option called “Separated” to Switched and Redundant. There is a thread about this here
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GaryH
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Re: Installing a Dante card to the Wing internal slot.

Post by GaryH »

Yamaha NY64 card.

A useful new bit of info; A user in the FB Wing forum just confirmed the use of the Yamaha NY64 dante card as a Wing internal card choice. BUT (as I had suspected way back when) It has to be updated while inside a Yamaha TF mixer and will not work if not done that way-and why it was reported by me and others as an option that would not work at that time. Basics of the situation: With the card in the TF mixer, you can flash the firmware to the Wing int Dante file version. Otherwise, if you do not have access to a TF3/5 or TF Rack, it still will NOT work by taking it from the NY64 frame and just placing it in the Wing. SO, if you have access to a TF Yamaha mixer easily, these are now a confirmed workable card option. That said, I think the Wing-Dante expansion card is still the cheapest option now out there AND you can use the card as is OR for the internal slot by removing the card itself.
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pmaillot
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Re: Installing a Dante card to the Wing internal slot.

Post by pmaillot »

Here's Behringer quick install guide for the internal DANTE module.
Install at you own risk. It is advised to use the services from an authorized dealer.

-Patrick
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PacketCollision
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Re: Installing a Dante card to the Wing internal slot.

Post by PacketCollision »

A word of warning to anyone trying this in 2023, my Wing-Dante expansion came with a Brooklyn 3 Dante card, which is not capable of being flashed to the internal firmware. Maybe eventually they'll make updated firmware, but for now, you need to find a Brooklyn II card.

Installing it in the internal slot with 1.13.9 Wing firmware caused the Wing to fail to boot (yellow and green lights on both network ports were on solid). On 1.12.8 and earlier Wing firmware, the mixer booted, but did not recognize the internal card at all.


Here's a pic of my Brooklyn 3 card in the Wing sled
Image
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pmaillot
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Re: Installing a Dante card to the Wing internal slot.

Post by pmaillot »

Have you tried flashing it when in the expansion slot (i.e. in place of the WLive card)?
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GaryH
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Re: Installing a Dante card to the Wing internal slot.

Post by GaryH »

@PacketCollision See my update:

https://behringer.world/viewtopic.php?t=252

Sorry for your trouble.

section/step #4 Should have shown you a list of compatible imported firmware for your card, the new cards are supposed to be 100% compatible with Brooklyn II. (per Audinate)

Not saying you did not BUT it might be worth looking through the updated steps and info to double check. You should be able to roll it back too.

Also to be fair I did not ever try a new Brooklyn III

** also in the latest firmware notes somewhere is discussed the registering of dante firmware by the Wing...I have no issues with my cards but was very suspicious of what was really going on with what appeared to me as an unneeded or asked for step....so maybe they nixed the III updates somehow. They DO now sell an internal card, so just sayin....

Lastly IF the above is true you may be able to update it if placed in another device, not a Wing
Lastly (really) Did you happen to try it with an earlier Wing firmware version (thinking the registering process not there)?
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MJKlein
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Re: Installing a Dante card to the Wing internal slot.

Post by MJKlein »

GaryH wrote: Wed Aug 30, 2023 1:31 pm They DO now sell an internal card, so just sayin....
Naturally the question that needs to be asked is: Can you order a Wing with the card already installed?
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pmaillot
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Re: Installing a Dante card to the Wing internal slot.

Post by pmaillot »

I think I read this was not [currently] possible from Behringer but authorized resellers would perform the install for you (for a fee of course) at order time.
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