Midas DL16 16-Input 8-Output Stage Box Digital Snake

The Missing Link Between Stage and Front of House

The Midas DL16 16-Input 8-Output Stage Box Digital Snake closes the gap between stage and front of house, built for touring engineers and installed venues that want award-winning Midas preamp quality without running a long analog snake. Digital mixing has revolutionized virtually everything in the live entertainment production workflow, and the DL16 brings that same cutting-edge technology to live production signal distribution.

Designed to Replace the Traditional Analog Snake

This stage box is made for engineers who want to eliminate bulky, noise-prone analog cable runs. All it takes is a single, inexpensive CAT5 cable to connect the DL16 to front of house, replacing what would otherwise require a heavy analog snake. If your application calls for more inputs, or you simply want to keep your cable runs short and tidy, placing a second DL16 at the drum riser provides an additional 16 inputs for drum and guitar/bass amp mic'ing, all still riding back on that same single cable run.

Legendary Midas Preamps at the Stage End

The DL16 features 16 fully programmable and remotely controllable Midas mic preamps, the very same preamps found in the larger PRO Series consoles, equipped with switchable +48V phantom power. Midas has built an impeccable reputation for its no-compromise approach to audio and build quality, particularly for mic preamps considered by industry experts among the best-sounding designs available. Eight electronically balanced, low-impedance line-level outputs round out the box, with all inputs and outputs designed to handle both balanced and unbalanced signals to guard against noise and crosstalk.

Built for Monitoring and Expansion

An integrated ULTRANET output connects directly to Behringer P16-M personal monitor mixers, letting each performer take control of their own in-ear mix without additional hardware. Dual AES50 SuperMAC ports allow cascading additional DL16 stage boxes with no merger or router required, while dual ADAT outputs provide 16-channel digital output over optical TOSLINK connectors for routing into ADAT-compatible outboard gear. A front-panel headphone jack, assignable to any input or output, makes on-site signal checking straightforward.

Rugged, Road-Ready Construction

The DL16 ships in a rugged 2U rackmount chassis built to withstand the rigors of the road, with remote operation supported over shielded CAT5e cable runs of up to 328 feet (100m). Dual Cirrus Logic Digital-to-Analog converters reduce the noise floor and distortion, with post-DAC filtering to remove wide-band noise, and MIDI I/O supports bidirectional communication with a Midas M32 Series console and on-stage MIDI devices.

Key Features at a Glance

• Product: Midas DL16 Stage Box
• Configuration: 16 inputs / 8 outputs
• Mic preamps: 16 x Midas PRO, switchable +48V phantom power
• Outputs: 8 x electronically balanced XLR line-level outputs
• Networking: dual AES50 (Klark Teknik SuperMAC) ports for cascading
• Monitoring: integrated ULTRANET output for Behringer P16-M personal monitors
• Digital output: dual ADAT (TOSLINK), 16-channel
• MIDI: In/Out for M32 Series console communication
• Remote cable run: up to 328 ft (100m) via shielded CAT5e
• Build: rugged 2U rackmount chassis
• Headphone monitoring: front-panel 1/4" jack, assignable to any channel

A Strong Choice for Touring and Installed Live Sound

The Midas DL16 is a smart choice for engineers who want Midas-grade preamp quality at the stage end, connected to front of house over a single digital cable run. It offers reliable, road-tested performance and flexible expansion, making it a practical foundation for touring rigs, houses of worship, and any venue looking to modernize its signal distribution.