ADAT Channel 5 and 6 record ok but no playback

[ido1957]

I recently bought a used ADAT LX-20 with low hours. I recorded on all 8 tracks but tracks 5 and 6 have no output. Any ideas as to what might be the problem and what it will take to fix it?
I am a newbie ADAT user and I thought I got a deal but hopefully it won't cost me too much to get this fixed....
Thanks for your help......

[ez_willis]

When you are tracking are you seeing levels on the track 5 and 6 display?

[ido1957]

Yes there are levels on the meters for all 8 channels including 5 and 6.

[xstatic]

Have you checked your cabling yet? Try tking whatever cables you are using for the outputs of 1&2 and plug them into 5&6. If that works, than its your cables. If not, then it's something with the ADAT.

[ez_willis]

Which inputs/outputs are you using, lightpipe, analog...?

[Shoestring]

Hey ido, I have had the same problem before with my lx20's. It may be something as simple a using the head cleaner cassette that Alesis recommends. I think its called Black Watch. It should only be used for a few seconds, though(I have heard that overuse can kill your heads). Just make sure you don't use any old head cleaner. If you don't feel comfy doing this yourself, you might want to think of having thr unit cleaned commercially. Since you just got it, who knows when it was serviced last.

Peace

[ido1957]

I am using a HOSA RCA to RCA Snake (brand new) to connect to an Alesis Studio 24 board. The cables are good - I connected the output from 1 and 2 to the cables for 5 and 6 and got signal so the cables and board are ok. I even had a friend come over and check out the connections etc. and he also determined that the problem is no output from channels 5 and 6 from the back of the ADAT.
I haven't bought a head cleaner yet but I will look for one - probably on eBay. I'll need it later anyway assuming this can be fixed.

[Blue Bear Sound]

That's definitely nothing to do with a head-cleaning... my guess is a problem with the connectors/jacks themselves on outputs 5/6....

[EddieRay]

Originally Posted by ido1957

I recently bought a used ADAT LX-20 with low hours. I recorded on all 8 tracks but tracks 5 and 6 have no output. Any ideas as to what might be the problem and what it will take to fix it?
I am a newbie ADAT user and I thought I got a deal but hopefully it won't cost me too much to get this fixed....
Thanks for your help......

Mind if I ask how many hours is considered "low"? I need a point of reference. I also bought some used ADATs builled as low hours. They have around 1200.

[ido1957]

Low Hours = 75 - at least that was what I was told when I bought it. I haven't checked it on the machine to confirm yet (guess I should have confirmed hours before I bought it, but I bought it from a friend and just assumed the hours were correct).

[xstatic]

Friends don't sell friends ADAT's

[ido1957]

Well the unit is in the shop now - so it will likely be a few days before I find out the problem and the $$ damage. I'll post when I get it back.......
Thanks for all the replies.

[ido1957]

That only took 4 months.....

Just wanted to let everyone know that the problem was an output IC. I'm not sure what they do or how they work but that was what was replaced.

All channels are a-ok for input and output now.

It cost me ZERO DOLLARS too - covered under in-store 30 day warranty.

(Wonder what the Alesis repair center charged the store? Hmmmmm...)

But I guess I am getting into recording a bit behind the times now. ADAT is probably last year's flavour for recording being replaced quickly by DAW.

I can't afford a new computer and interface(s) for hard disk recording just yet - maybe next year.....until then I have some recording to do.....

Cheers
G

[Chris Shaeffer]

Don't be ashamed of that ADAT. It works. I have 2 in my studio. One does duty as a convertor for my pro tools rig, the other goes in the mobile rack for recording the bus stems (8 tracks submixed) during live recordings.

Yeah, they are yesterday's technology, but they still work well. (When they aren't broken that is- the other reason I have 2.)

Enjoy!
Chris