ADAT? Am I Mental?

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marshall409

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for some reason these things just really appeal to me. maybe 150 bucks each for 8 in AND 8 out (hardware mixing). i hate computers. i spend enough time with them in normal life and i think id like to get started on hardware recording before switching to computer recording. would it b at this point to actually buy an ADAT for anything other than like a secondary system?

also

hows the quality really like? if i were to record something completely dry on an adat and transfer via like a delta 44 or something would it sound the same as if i just recorded right into the 44? same? worse? better somehow?

150 bucks per 8/8 tracks just seems like a steal when i look at the prices of firewire interfaces. i cant afford, and dont want, a laptop. a desktop system is not portable enough for me, plus i'll probably be transferring the tracks to the computer in the end anyway.

so what do you say. in the world of cheap and mobile:

is the adat dead?


Adam
 
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For all practical purposes, yes.... the ADAT is dead. If it weren't, you wouldn't be able to buy them for next to nothing. But a lot of times decent tools are cast aside as yesterdays obsolete technology when they are still perfectly good tools. I always thought the converters in the ADATs sounded pretty good, especially for the time, and I think they stand up OK today. Mostly I just would'nt want to give up non-linear editing and instant locate and loops. Just having to rewind back to the song start would drive me crazy after being accustomed to disk based workflow.
 
I still have a setup that involves Adats. A couple of things you might consider.....

-The parts are not easy to come by. Service by techs is pretty ridiculous at the places I have used. I know of two that are $80 an hour. The units go for about $150.00 used so it is basically cheaper to buy a new one than trying to have them repaired.
-When you decide you want to incorporate a Computer, an interface that involves more than 8 channels of Adat with Adat sync, is either outdated or more expensive than the entire Adat setup itself.

If you are absolutely set on not using a DAW, then you might consider something like the Alesis HD 24. Just a thought.....
 
hd24

ya that thing looks pretty sweet also.

ive worked with adat before. well i havent recorded with it, but ive been recorded with it. it did seem kinda lame rewinding but i dont know if thats enough to put me off. my main concern is the repair maintenance side of things.

im constantly building imaginary rigs in my head and i always look at adats on ebay once in a while.

so basically is it just not worth it? i also like the standalone systems like the tascam 2488. i guess it all comes down to the fact that the pc is the unmatched editing machine. not to mention expandability issues.

anyone else got some thoughts? i know this has been discussed over and over again but...do it anyway.

Adam
 
I just dusted mine off and cobbled together a mobile recording rig out of my two old LX20's, a MOTU 2408 mkII and a computer. I'll just be using them as converters though and not tracking to S-VHS. I'm taking them out to where we practice so we can track there if we want to. I'll burn a Cakewalk bun file to CD-R and take tracks home and load them into my system here. Granted, I already had the ADATs and they've been sitting idle for years now, but they aren't too horrible.
 

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cool Mike

thats exactly what ive been imagining. for the most part id just take them to the rehearsal space, track and bring everything home and work on the computer. then i need a card with adat. ive been eyeing a m-audio 1814 for a while, so i do a couple tracks at home at a time for solo stuff and use the adat to transfer tapes.

you know the smart thing to do would be forget about all of this and go out and get a job already. :D

anyone else on the pros and cons of adat vs. standalone vs. pc

Adam
 
I dunno, to me ADAT is/was just a stepping stone from analog tape to PC-based DAW. It was great at the time, but considering the ridiculous editing capabilities of the PC, the infinite "UNDO" (big one in my eyes), the ability to pay $100 for another 20+ projects worth of space, and the ability to rack-mount it, it just seems kinda silly to do anything else. The only pro of going the adat route is price, but considering how much you're giving up compared to a PC, it really doesn't seem like a logical choice anymore.

Keep in mind, this is coming from someone who's been building PC's as a hobby for over 10 years. :p
 
well im good with computers. i didnt mean to imply i wasnt when i said i didnt like them. if i were going to buy a laptop, that would be a grand right there, canadian btw. and a laptop alone really barely gets me any where nearer to recording music. me gots lots of thinking to do. and lots of time!

Adam
 
Whever I think of ADAT's I think of the time I went into a repair shop here in LA to have a mixer worked on. As I was standing at the front desk I looked into the next room and saw several floor-to-ceiling stacks of ADAT's, all waiting for repair. It was at that point that I decided that I would never have anything to do with ADAT machines.
 
ADAT's kick ass, if you dig sitting around waiting for the tapes to rewind and fast forward, then sync.

IMO, fuck that!
 
most certainly a bad idea. its funny.. the first thing that comes to mind when i think of an adat project is a particular 7" that is so thin and compressed sounding that i reference my mixes against it just to feel good about how much better my stuff sounds.
 
For me, ADAT is a cheap, simple means to an end. I use an XT20 for remote recording, then rerecord to my PC via an old Aardvark 8-i/o card and edit and mix from there.

I've re-used S-VHS tape with no problems. Good thing too because I hear several mfgrs will stop making S-VHS. I think ADATs days are numbered. :(
 
For recording rehearsals, I reckon a cheap Adat is fine. Reliability issues are minimized if all you're doing is pressing Record/Play and letting the tape run while you rehearse. It's the shuttling back and forth that adds the most wear and tear.

My original Adats are still going strong after years of frequent use (and they were second hand when I bought them). Lucky, I guess.

I'm not a DAW guy either, so I'm somewhat biased, but to simply press ON, load and tape and press REC/PLAY is all I want to do if I'm actually making music. Sounds like you have editing options at home.

Beyond that scenario, as others others have said: not worth it.
 
treymonfauntre said:
most certainly a bad idea. its funny.. the first thing that comes to mind when i think of an adat project is a particular 7" that is so thin and compressed sounding that i reference my mixes against it just to feel good about how much better my stuff sounds.
Click to expand...

What's a 7" ?
 
I don't understand the ADAT. :confused: It combines the headaches of a mechanical transport with the sound of a clean room. You may as well go
with a r2r if you're willing to undertake the maintenance of moving parts. You'll be happier in the end. Otherwise, I'd just take the plunge into a computer based daw.
 
Reel-to-reel multi-track has outlived the ADAT that once seemed poised to replace it. You will generally find older open-reel recorders in better condition than the early Alesis or Fostex S-VHS ADATs.

If you’re up to going to the trouble of a tape-based system, think analog. IMO, digital tape, whether ADAT or anything else is the worst of both worlds.

The only reason I would have an ADAT around these days is for transferring old mixes in that format. Yeah, all those $150.00 Alesis XTs on eBay look tempting, but just remember you get what you pay for and those things have a mean time before failure rate on the order of a home VCR.
 
Beck said:
Reel-to-reel multi-track has outlived the ADAT that once seemed poised to replace it. You will generally find older open-reel recorders in better condition than the early Alesis or Fostex S-VHS ADATs.

If you’re up to going to the trouble of a tape-based system, think analog. IMO, digital tape, whether ADAT or anything else is the worst of both worlds.

The only reason I would have an ADAT around these days is for transferring old mixes in that format. Yeah, all those $150.00 Alesis XTs on eBay look tempting, but just remember you get what you pay for and those things have a mean time before failure rate on the order of a home VCR.
Click to expand...

You're more clued up than me on the R2R stuff, but here's my take on that suggestion:

1. It's being used to record rehearsals: probably similar recording time per tape in either format, right? Tape cost is much cheaper with Adat; that said, if he's throwing it all onto computer (?) I guess the same tape can be reused. But if you're archiving, then Adat (properly handled) seems like a better option somehow.

2. Cost: Since when has the bottom line for an Adat been $150? I've seen Blackfaces for $75 on numerous occasions. 8-tracks of reel to reel machine is going to be comparably priced and probably more so.

3. Expandability: An Adat system could be upped to 16 tracks - nice if rehearsals are going well and the drummer's getting pissed off with only 3 mics on his kit! You're stuck with 8 tracks in reel to reel format, since 16 track in that format is going to be way more expensive (see also #1 regarding this point).

4. Reliability: Sure, Adat isn't perfect, but neither is reel to reel, although I have to agree with you that the latter has the advantage of being solid analog format (no drop outs). But a well handled Adat tape won't have any dropouts.

5. Cool factor: Reel to reel all the way baby (^:

6. Portability: He's carting this thing back and forth between the studio and home. If the r2r machine doesn't weigh more than an Adat, see #4.

7. Convenience: Adat all the way, especially if they'll be handling multiple tapes both at home and in the rehearsal room.

8. From tape to computer. Adat lightpipe remains a solid standard. Don't think you'll find one of those on a fostex.

Beck, this is not a mud sling. I love reel to reel, it's cool, and sounds the business, but I'm just thinking that an otherwise obsolete format (adat) would actually have the advantage in this situation.
 
My Alesis XT stays in the rack as a backup to my stand alone DAW. It gets used quite a bit, considering that it's a backup...I've never had an issue with it other than the expansion thing--I'm too lazy to have to keep track of two S-VHS tapes...Balanced analog inputs would have been nice too, instead of the RCAs...

Eric
 
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