Basically, the analog outputs on the ADAT use the analog inputs to monitor. There is a way to monitor the A/D converters at the analog outputs, but Alesis does not recommend this way of monitoring because of the DC offsett recalibrations that that happen create some nasty sounds...
Now, to your question.
Basically, I think you want to know if for instance if you can use ADAT tracks 1&2 for A/D conversion, then use ADAT tracks 7&8 for the D/A conversion, with tracks 1&2 running to a soundcard which will output to ADAT tracks 7&8. Am I correct?
Here is the problem. ADAT's can only use either the digital or analog inputs at one time. It will output through the digital out's at all times. So, if you where wanting to use the digital in's to monitor stuff from the lightpipe out of a soundcard that was actually getting it's signal from the ADAT's A/D converter, you could not because the ADAT cannot be in digial and analog input mode at the same time. Do you understand what I am saying?
So, you could not use one ADAT for A/D conversion going to a soundcard as well as using the same machine for D/A conversion of the same source, or any source coming from the soundcard at the same time as using the same ADAT for A/D conversions since the ADAT can only input digital or analog, but not both, at the same time.
If you had two different machines, you could put one machine in analog input mode for A/D conversions, and the other in digital input mode for D/A conversions. I have not tried this, but it seems like it would work.
Does this help?
Ed