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 Dolby Atmos music mixes. It supports our workflow in five key ways:
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, and A/B referencing with absolute precision.
2. Flexible Digital Routing with DADman
Thanks to the DADman control software, we can route audio between the control room and vocal booths, outboard gear chains, multiple DAWs (Pro Tools, Ableton, Logic), Dolby Atmos speaker paths, and remote sessions via Source Connect or Zoom. This flexibility eliminates manual patching and allows for fully custom signal flows, saving time and maintaining rock-solid routing during complex sessions.
3. SPQ Speaker Processing for Calibration
With SPQ integration, the AX Center provides precise EQ and delay settings for each speaker, bass management, and seamless switching between monitoring profiles. This is essential to our PMC monitoring system, ensuring room translation and mix decisions are consistent across stereo, surround, and Atmos formats.
4. Immersive Ready for Dolby Atmos Music
In our Dolby Atmos setup, the AX Center handles routing for LCR (PMC mains), surrounds, sub, height speakers, and fold-down paths. Its tight integration with Pro Tools Ultimate and Dolby renderers gives us real-time spatial control without the need for additional monitor controllers. That makes it an essential part of our immersive music workflow, where accuracy, phase alignment, and translation are paramount.
5. Built for Expandability and Reliability
As Sonatune grows, so does the AX Center. It supports Dante for future networked audio, MADI and ADAT expansion, Thunderbolt for low-latency performance, and redundant failover paths for mission-critical sessions. Whether it’s long-form audiobook editing, post-production, or immersive music, the AX Center adapts without compromise.
Final Thoughts
The DAD AX Center isn’t just a piece of gear — it’s the backbone of everything we do. It connects rooms, preserves audio integrity, simplifies complex setups, and allows us to focus on what matters most: capturing, shaping, and delivering outstanding sound. At Sonatune, it’s the quiet hero of the control room — always running, always stable, and always ready to meet the demands of modern production.
Want to hear your music through a signal chain powered by world-class conversion and monitoring? Book a session or get in touch with the team at Sonatune.