Tech Tools / Dante Flows
Dante Flow Calculator
Pick a chipset or common piece of gear. Enter channels and destinations. See how many unicast or multicast flows you burn — and get a multicast suggestion when you hit the ceiling.
Use at your own risk. Flow limits and channel packing can vary by firmware, OEM configuration, sample rate, and AES67/ST2110 modes. This tool is a planning aid only. Always verify against the manufacturer documentation and Dante Controller (Device View → Transmit / Receive) before deploying to a show.
Flow budget
—
- Flows used
- —
- Device max
- —
- Per destination
- —
- Remaining
- —
—
Unicast default = 4 channels per flow · Multicast classic = up to 8 (newer devices may allow more)
Device reference
TX / RX flow limits used by this calculator. Rows marked Unverified are listed for reference but omitted from the picker until an official figure is confirmed.
| Device | Platform | TX / RX flows | Channels | Status |
|---|
Sources
- Audinate Ultimo datasheet — Transmit/Receive flows: 2 (getdante.com, 2024)
- Audinate Brooklyn 3 datasheet — Audio Flows In/Out up to 32×32
- Audinate Dante IP Core datasheet — up to 128×128 simultaneous flows; up to 512×512 channels
- Audinate DVS datasheet (2025) — Flows “Up to 16” / Pro “Up to 64”
- Audinate Support — Designing Dante Networks at Scale; Multi-subnet Systems and Flow Count Limitations
- Audinate Dante Controller — Multicast Transmit Flow Configuration (channels per multicast flow)
- Shure MXA920 / MXA910 / ANI4IN user guides — “Dante Flows for Shure Devices” table
- Biamp Tesira Dante documentation — Brooklyn II 32×32 flows
- Powersoft Dante I/O capabilities — chipset TX/RX flow table
- Yamaha CL / QL / DM7 / R Series / Tio official specs — channel counts (flows via chipset class where noted)
Omitted from the calculator until verified: Yamaha DM3-D and DM7 exact flow budgets; generic DEP (OEM-configured). PCIe flows marked chipset-class.
What this Dante flow calculator does
It estimates how many Dante transmit or receive flows a subscription will consume and warns when you exceed a device’s published limit.
Formula
Unicast flows = ⌈channels ÷ channels_per_flow⌉ × destinations. Multicast flows = ⌈channels ÷ channels_per_flow⌉ (independent of destination count).
Worked example
8 channels to 4 destinations, unicast at 4 ch/flow: ⌈8/4⌉ × 4 = 8 TX flows. The same 8 channels as one multicast set uses 1 TX flow (at 8 ch/flow) for all receivers.
Common mistakes
- Counting channels instead of flows.
- Forgetting each unicast destination burns its own TX flows.
- Deploying without checking Dante Controller after patch.
FAQ
How many channels are in a Dante unicast flow?
By default, up to 4 channels per unicast flow (Audinate). Flows used ≈ ceil(channels ÷ 4) × destinations.
When should I switch to multicast?
When unicast TX flows hit the device limit. One multicast flow set can feed many receivers and saves TX flow budget.
Do Yamaha CL/QL publish exact flow counts?
Channel counts are public; exact flow budgets are often chipset-class (e.g. Brooklyn II 32×32). Verify in Dante Controller on the show network.
Does sample rate change flow count?
Higher sample rates can reduce channels per flow on some devices. Always confirm in Dante Controller Device View.
Networking a show?
Kynetic designs Dante systems for corporate, medical, and live events — clocking, switch config, and flow planning included.