
Core 256 Entering ‘The Hot Seat’ with Willie Linton
We recently caught up with live sound audio engineer Willie Linton, who has been on tour with renowned artists such as Post Malone, Bryson Tiller, PLC, and Jack Harlow, among others. During a recent Post Malone tour, Willie relied on three Core 256 units to address the extensive connectivity challenges that are now commonplace in modern live sound environments.
Why was it crucial for Willie Linton to integrate Core 256 units into his playback station? The answer lies in the importance of minimizing latency.
“I initially ran playback through Dante Virtual Sound Card, but the latency was a major issue,” Linton recalls. “With a live band, I needed 4ms latency, but at that setting, I kept experiencing audio dropouts during rehearsals. My only option was to run at 6 or 10ms, which wasn’t acceptable. I needed a reliable solution to replace Dante Virtual Sound Card.”
Linton embarked on a search for an alternative, testing various USB-to-Thunderbolt, USB-to-Dante, and USB-to-MADI interfaces. However, these setups often caused dropouts after 30 minutes of use. With showtime just days away, he discovered the issue stemmed from USB driver limitations. Realizing Thunderbolt offered lower latency, he turned to the DAD Core 256, the only solution that didn’t require an overhaul of his entire I/O system.

“During a 24-hour stress test, every other interface failed with dropouts,” Linton explains. “But the Core 256 was flawless. It saved the day. It reduced Front of House latency by 8ms, dropping us from over 20ms to 16ms. On Ableton Live, I achieved latency as low as 2.77ms and, in some cases, under 1ms—unheard of for stable playback over Dante.”
Core 256 also solved latency issues for the monitor engineer, allowing triggers to remain unmuted. “Before, muting was necessary because of latency, but now the engineer could keep everything open without disrupting the mix,” Linton adds. “It’s my favorite solution.”
Another critical aspect of Linton’s workflow is his commitment to recording every show on multitrack. Though not typically part of playback, this practice ensures he captures every unique live moment. “Preparation meets opportunity,” he explains. “Some of my live mixes have even been released. Between tours, I edit and mix in studios, always ready if someone says, ‘Let’s release this.’”
Even in recording, latency plays a role when overdubbing vocals. “Artists notice even minimal latency. With the Core 256, I reduced latency to under 1 ms for seamless overdubs. It outperformed other Thunderbolt interfaces, making it the perfect recording solution.”
Linton’s rig now includes three Core 256 units—two for playback and one for multitrack recording. Their low latency and unmatched reliability ensure smooth shows every night while capturing the magic of live performances without missing a beat.
We certainly understand that position and are thrilled to know that Willie keeps on rocking arena tours all over the world with his Core 256 units in the rig!