ADAT or Gadget Labs Digital Interface?

  • Thread starter Thread starter LTG
  • Start date Start date
L

LTG

New member
I already own a computer, mixer, mics, effects, and all, but I am not satisfied with my sound because i am running it into a sound blaster live sound card. I am looking to make a change. Which is better sounding......an ADAT recorder which I would buy an interface and edit on the computer, or a gadget labs digital interface. I understand that ADAT is 20 bit and Gadget labs is 24 bit, but I was wondering which would definitely have better sound.
 
Which would definitely have better sound?...
You're splitting hairs at this point. The difference in sound would probably be more apparent because of the quality of the two different a/d, d/a converters more than the fact that one is 20 bit and the other is 24 bit. They'll both sound excellent and you shouldn't have any complaints/problems with either (in terms of sound).

HOWEVER!!!... The process of recording and editing between the two systems will be vastly different. This will be a MUCH larger issue than the way the two sound. It depends on the recording situation you're most likely to encounter... If you're sitting in your room recording parts one at a time, you're probably better off buying the 8/24 and a good sequencer/recording program... If you're gonna be multi-tracking live music then you might be better off with an ADAT.

...Imagine you had both systems available to you, and then imagine going through the recording-editing-mixing process on both of them.
Which one would allow you to create your product better? They both have their limitations and unique attributes.

In the end, when people are listening to the final product, the MUSIC is way more important than the quality of sound. If you use both products well, they'll both sound great... It's just a matter of which one allows you to create your vison better.
 
I'm sort of in the same boat. I want to record onto ADAT because of sound quality and ease of use, but I also want to edit those tracks on pc. When it comes down to it, once I get everything necessary to transfer the tracks to pc, I could just bypass the ADAT altogether and record direct to pc, saving about $700. BUT - read some of the pros and cons of this method in the PC REC & SOUNCARDS forum, and you may be seriously turned off by it (I am).

Adam
 
thanks for the great responses. I'm leaning more toward the gadget labs hardware because of expense and the fact that I already am used to using computer audio software. Vurt, I can't find the pros and cons section you mentioned about computer recording. Can you post a link or post the bad things about it?
 
Have any of you tried the gadget labs interface? Any comments on it?
 
I have a Gadgetlabs 424 and I love it......... it sounds so great and I haven't had any probs with it.

Sabith
 
I've got the 824 and it sounds great. However, recently, I bought the S/PDIF add-on card, and I'm having a very hard time getting it to talk via my software (Cool Edit Pro) to my external reverb unit (which was the reason I bought the add-on card). I think I'm about a day away from finding out whether I can get it to work, or whether it's an incompatibility issue. Either way, rest assured that I'll be posting something about it. What a hassle computer recording can be sometimes!
 
ok, i know that winamp isn't the best judge of anythin, but I want to know if the gadget labs device will help me: When I record music it only shows on winamp on the left side of the "spectrum". When I play professionally recorded songs in winamp they fill the whole "spectrum". Would the gadget labs device help this, otherwise what am I doing wrong?
 
Check around before you leap. I thought I read on some other forums that Gadget Labs is going belly up. This could be a real problem for future drivers for future OS and the like.
 
This is posted on their website. Maybe they are changing over to store/outlet sales?


IMPORTANT UPDATE:
At this time, Gadget Labs is no longer selling products direct to end-customers. More status will be posted on this web site within a few weeks.
 
I'm still not getting the Gadget S/PDIF card to work right. Their tech support has been relatively unhelpful (very unusual) and really dragging their feet. I'm getting way more help with this from Syntrillium tech support!

Aside from whether Gadgetlabs is going through a change right now, this problem highlights the downside of computer recording very neatly, I think. I've invested hundreds of dollars in an expensive soundcard, software and a really nice reverb unit, and I can't get them to work with each other, despite having spent a *lot* of time with it. If it turns out to be an incompatibility issue, it means that I'm going to have to abandon either the soundcard or the reverb unit to get reverb on my tracks, and either way means I lose a lot of money. Gadgetlabs *assured* me that the S/PDIF card was exactly what I needed to use the Lexicon reverb. Yeah, right. And if it is an incompatibility issue, and if I somehow get my money back from Gadgetlabs for selling me a card that doesn't do what they said it would, I'm still without the use of the Lexicon, I've still wasted loads of time trying to get it to work, and not to mention the aggravation.

Okay, let's not be so pessimistic. Let's say that eventually I get everything up and working just right. That's nice, but what a lot of time and what a pain in the ass in the meantime to achieve it!

On other parts of this board, I've been asking questions about the Akai dps16. Give you three guesses why.
 
Gadget Labs

I am using the Gadget Labs 824 along with a Alesis Studio 32 mixer and various other gear. My PC is a Pentium IIIEB 553, 256 megs RAM, 40 gig data drive. I am using Cakewalk Pro 9.0 software. I have been very happy with the unit - if you want extreme detail, check some of my posts from the last 60 days. With either the Gadget Labs or the ADAT you will want an external mixer of some sort, but this can be a fairly inexpensive unit if you dont need lots of inputs.

I checked the Gadget Labs site also. Since selling direct is/was the only way they sell their product in the US, I would want to know what was going on with that before ordering. But I give a big thumbs up to the product - I honestly think it cannot be beaten for the price.
 
Gatgetlabs

I bought the wave 824 /cakewalk P/A 9.0 bundle...
I haven't had any problems relative to the 824.
Dobro...maybe you got a lemon. Besides the lexicon problem do you have any other problems with it?
Have you tried a new s/pdif cable?
The 20 foot S/PDIF connectors/cable I bought from them looked a little home made.The six foot one is machine made.They both work great.I did run into a problem where BOTH of my xlr cables were bad going into the I/O. I was frantic thinking that the I/o or soundcard was fried.
I am running it in to a pc with a 750Mhz processor,128mb ram,and 30gig hd.I have no complaints whatsoever of the quality of the sound that I am getting. I have a mackie 1402 and wanting to step up with a better,larger mixer.
The cost difference is what steered me to Gadgtlabs.
The quality sold me.
The last time I checked the 824's were on backorder.
I don't blame them for being a direct only outlet,takes away the middle man for both gadgetlabs and you.
If you have a problem you don't take it to the music store, then they send it off.
They don't have to train store personnel to fix it.
The music store isn't making a hundred or so bucks off of you. Thats why its cheaper.
I Hope your hair stays in your head and keeps its natural color for many recordings : )
Good Luck and happy recording !

gidman
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top