The Midas DL153 is a digital stage box designed as a remote input/output expander for compatible digital mixing consoles, delivering the sonic signature of 16 discrete Midas microphone preamplifiers directly to the stage. It functions as the critical analog-to-digital interface in live sound and installed audio systems, capturing high-fidelity audio from microphones and instruments and converting it for transmission over a robust digital network to a mixing surface, thereby replacing long, susceptible analog multicore cables. This unit provides 16 balanced analog inputs and 8 balanced analog returns in a compact, road-ready package, making it an ideal solution for medium-scale concerts, theatrical productions, corporate events, and houses of worship where channel count and sound quality are paramount.

Each of the 16 input channels is equipped with a dedicated Midas-designed preamplifier, known for its transparent gain structure, musical clarity, and low noise floor. These preamps feature remote-controllable parameters including gain, phantom power, a 75Hz high-pass filter, and polarity reverse, all adjustable from the connected console's surface or software. The stage box digitizes all signals at up to 96 kHz resolution and transmits them via its primary AES50 digital audio network port, which carries all 16 inputs and 8 returns on a single shielded Cat-5e cable to the mixer at distances up to 100 meters. This digital link ensures a clean, noise-free signal path from the source to the console's processing engine.

Housed in a rugged 1U rack-mount steel chassis, the DL153 is built for the demands of touring and fixed installation. It includes dual AES50 ports for daisy-chaining multiple units or creating redundant network loops to enhance system reliability. The unit can be powered directly through the AES50 connection from a console equipped with a dedicated power supply or locally using an external power adapter. By combining a significant number of premium preamps with reliable digital networking in a single, efficient unit, the Midas DL153 offers a scalable and sonically superior method to extend a digital mixer's reach, ensuring optimal audio capture at the source while streamlining stage setup and cable management.