Adat/Edit - Other Adat transfer cards?

I have two ADAT Blackface units. I purchased ADAT/Edit to transfer tracks from the ADAT to my PC for subsequent mixing using n-Track software. Unfortunately, ADAT/Edit does not work properly with my system (866Mhz,128MB RAM, 40GB ATA100 hard drive) and/or older ADAT's. I receive pops and clicks for any track I move.

I am able to record tracks thru my soundblaster live card with no problem and can move digital video via firewire flawlessly.

I have contacted Alesis support about the ADAT/Edit. After several attempts at fixing these pop/click problem to no avail, the ADAT/Edit product seems no longer an option.

My goal is to record via ADAT and mix and master on my PC. Also, to transfer older tape archives to disk for re-mastering.

Is there another card out there that anyone can recommend for transferring ADAT Tracks (preferrable at least 8-16 SYNC'd tracks at a time) to PC?

Help!
 
Ha!!!

I have been going round and round with Alesis about that piece of junk card for over a year and a half now!!! Screw that card. To get it to work, you will need to purchase SCSI LVD drives. A very expensive proposition at best. Basically, their device driver is totally wacky, and doesn't use ANY buffers at all!

You might look into the MOTU 2408. Haven't really heard any complaints yet about it. For moving that many tracks at once, it may be your only option that is under US$1000.

Good luck.

Ed
 
That's the response I thought I'd get! Alesis just confirmed about the buffers when I mentioned I have no problem moving 12GB of digital video via firewire and they also mentioned SCSI is best....like no kidding. Any amount of decent SCSI space and speed will cost up and over a $1000.

I'll check around about the MOTU 2408. I could move less tracks at a time if I were sure I could sync up another 8 without causing an out of phase condition.

Has anyone heard anything on the RME Hammerfall 9652?

Thanks for your help.
 
Well....

In all fairness, I just seen a Quantum 30GB 160MB SCSI drive for like $400. The card to run that puppy would only be about $150. 30MB is a lot of space for audio.....

I bet you could get away with about 20GB, and probably get a LVD drive that size for around maybe $300 or less if you shopped around a bit.

But, screw that Alesis card. Word on the street is that Alesis is moving away from digital multi track recording anyway, so you can expect NOT to see any significant improvements in their device drivers, even though they claim that they are working on a Win2K driver (they said a year and a half ago that they were working on a NT4 driver, and it never came to be...I can't see a 2K driver being any easier to write.....:( )

And you are right about sample accurate transfers. As far as I know, no other card offers it. You would have to get into a ProTools system, or something similar to get that. Entry level there is around $10,000!

Leave it to Alesis to muck up a good idea! Hell, there ML 9600 has NO graphical user interface. Imagine how much easier it would have been to use if they would have had a port so you could view your processing on a computer screen, and possibly control the unit from software.

Good luck.

Ed
 
OK, SO....Let's say I really want to go with PC-based recording and get away from my 16-track ADAT system.

Currently, I have 2 ADAT's, a bulky Tascam M2600 24-channel analog mixer, Alesis RA100 power amp,Tannoy near field monitors, a few outboard effects devices. My software development computer is an 866Mhz, 128MB RAM, 40GB ATA100 Maxtor drive, CD-RW, Soundblaster Live, and a FireWire card. I also own a kiosk touch screen.

Do I.....

1) Sell or trade-in the ADAT's and Tascam Mixer
2) Based on what I've read on this BBS, throw the 3630 in the fireplace?
3) Keep my other outboard effects, such as my Alesis DM5 drum machine. How good are PC-software effects?
4) Need to upgrade my computer system? (maybe add a firewire drive?)

I would like to handle at least 16 tracks (the most I record at the same time is about 4 tracks) and require at least the same quality sound.

I need something with minimal down time, easy to maintain and setup. This means I do not want anything too cheap, nor too expensive either (eg ProTools).

What equipment and software do you recommend?

Thanks for your previous input!
 
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