The DAD AX Center: The Heart of Sonatune’s Audio Routing and Conversion
Introduction
Behind every world-class studio lies a signal chain built on more than just microphones and preamps. At the core of that system is the audio interface — and when your workflow spans recording, mixing, Dolby Atmos, remote collaboration, and detailed outboard chains, a basic interface just won’t cut it.
Enter the DAD AX Center.
At Sonatune, the AX Center serves as the nerve centre of our entire studio — handling ultra-low-latency monitoring, high-end AD/DA conversion, advanced digital routing, and seamless communication between rooms, gear, and software. It’s more than an interface — it’s a fully-fledged audio infrastructure tool, and a big reason we’re able to deliver such consistent, high-fidelity results across every project.
What Is the DAD AX Center?
The AX Center is a high-end audio interface and monitor controller developed by Digital Audio Denmark (DAD) — a company known for creating mission-critical converters and routing systems used in film post-production, mastering suites, and immersive mix rooms around the world.
It offers:
- Transparent AD/DA conversion with super-low latency
- Flexible I/O for both analogue and digital formats
- Built-in SPQ speaker processing for room calibration
- Tight integration with Pro Tools | HDX, Dante, and Thunderbolt systems
- Deep routing flexibility via DADman software
In other words, it’s built for precision, reliability, and scale — exactly what a hybrid studio like Sonatune needs.
Why We Use It at Sonatune
The AX Center sits at the heart of every session, whether we’re tracking a band, editing film dialogue, or delivering final Atmos stems. Here's how it supports our workflow:
1. High-End Conversion You Can Trust
The AX Center delivers pristine AD/DA conversion with incredibly low noise and distortion, making it perfect for critical listening and high-headroom recording.
When paired with our top-tier mics and outboard (like the Neve 1073, CL1b, Grace m501, and Coles 4038s), it ensures no bottlenecks in quality — what goes into the mic is exactly what comes out on playback.
This level of clarity is essential for:
- Capturing detailed acoustic recordings
- Mixing dynamic material with confidence
- Ensuring consistency between sessions
- A/B referencing with absolute precision
2. Flexible Digital Routing with DADman
Thanks to DADman control software, we can route audio between:
- Control room and vocal booths
- Outboard gear chains
- Different DAWs (Pro Tools, Ableton, Logic)
- Dolby Atmos speaker paths
- Remote sessions via Source Connect or Zoom
It gives us custom signal flow without patching, saving time during setups and ensuring rock-solid routing during complex sessions.
Whether we're doing a dry hire, recording to picture, or running multi-source Atmos playback, the AX Center keeps it silent, stable, and precise.
3. SPQ Speaker Processing for Calibration
With SPQ integration, the AX Center offers:
- Precise EQ and delay settings for each speaker
- Bass management and room compensation
- Seamless switching between monitoring profiles
This means our PMC monitoring system is perfectly tuned to the room, ensuring translation and mix decisions are consistent no matter what you're working on — stereo, surround, or Atmos.
4. Immersive Ready for Dolby Atmos Music
As part of our Dolby Atmos setup, the AX Center handles routing to:
- LCR (PMC mains)
- Surrounds
- Sub
- Height speakers
- Fold-down monitoring paths
Its tight integration with Pro Tools Ultimate and Atmos Renderers gives us real-time spatial control — with no need for separate monitor controllers or converters.
This makes it a key part of our immersive music workflow, ensuring Atmos mixes are accurate, immersive, and delivery-ready.
5. Built for Expandability and Reliability
As the studio grows, so does the AX Center. It offers:
- Dante support for future networked audio
- MADI and ADAT expandability
- Low-latency Thunderbolt performance
- Redundant systems for mission-critical work
That means it’s equally suited to long-form music sessions, complex post-production setups, and remote collaboration, without ever getting in the way.
Final Thoughts
The DAD AX Center isn’t just a piece of gear — it’s the reason everything else works flawlessly. It connects our rooms, preserves audio integrity, simplifies complex setups, and allows us to focus on what matters: capturing, shaping, and delivering outstanding sound.
At Sonatune, it’s become the quiet hero of the studio — always running, always stable, and always ready to support the creative process, no matter how complex the project.
Want to hear your music through a signal chain powered by world-class conversion and monitoring? Book a session and step inside the Sonatune control room.