Alesis Adat machine(older) question

[orksnork]

on the advice of someone on here, i may be picking up an adat machine for use of the converters. but in my travels, i may have stumbled on two from the same seller for a good price (the transports are broken, which i was told i'd find, for cheap adat machines that do exactly what i need them to do).

this might just be a silly question, but i'd rather just ask.
if i took the adat digital out of a device, and plugged it into the adat digital in of the alesis machine....would the signal pass through the converters and come out of the 8 analog outs of the machine??

thanks

 

[ez_willis]

Huh?

Are you asking if you can send a digital signal into an Adat, then output an analog signal?

If so, yes.

 

[orksnork]

yes, that was the question
and thanks

 

[Chris Shaeffer]

Works like a charm.

Only thing I don't like is that I can't use both digital and analog ins at the same time. For example, you can't monitor the digital outs of your DAW through the ADAT's in and record another channel via the analog ins on the ADAT...

Easy enough to work around, though.

Chris

 

[RefD]

if you just want the converters, nab an Alesis AI-3 off ebay.

i'm pretty sure it's same thing without the tape transport and ELCO hassle.

gives lightpipe out up to 20/48.

 

[orksnork]

ive already picked up one adat machine

nabbing an ai-3 isn't much of a money saver...they usually go for 300 on ebay

 

[Chris Shaeffer]

I've managed to save my butt having the full ADAT vs. the AI-3, as well.

I had the opportunity to record a visiting artist a while back. The only trouble was he was on the mainland for only that day and my Pro Tools rig (digi 002) was at a different site on a different project...

The ADAT was already wired into the board so I just dug out an SVHS tape and continued as if nothing was out of place.

Doesn't hurt to have a back up system or 2 around. REALLY hurts if you need one and don't have it.

I do have an AI-3 in my mobile rig. MUCH easier to carry around than an XT-20.

Take care,
Chris

 

[orksnork]

true, as far as the portability. but i have no intention of hauling around this shit.

edit:// actually, i may do some recording upstate...but as far as portability goes...if im ripping my huge board up and humping computers, lcds, monitors, microphones, snakes...fuck it...a little extra weight in a few rack spaces isnt going to kill me

 

[aarowsmith]

You can't beat ADAT machines for portability

true, as far as the portability. but i have no intention of hauling around this shit.

edit:// actually, i may do some recording upstate...but as far as portability goes...if im ripping my huge board up and humping computers, lcds, monitors, microphones, snakes...fuck it...a little extra weight in a few rack spaces isnt going to kill me

I would hate to rip out my studio equipment/soundcard/laptop/cords and software just to record live somewhere, ADAT machines are so convenient and portable. And when you get back to the studio you can transfer your live recordings into your computer to edit and master the tracks.

All you need for portable use is a SKB case or equivalent carrying rack case with all your 1/4 plug cables/elco snake and enough room for one or two ADAT machines and a small 8 or 16 XLR input microphone mixer, your favorite mics, and your good to go record live somewhere. The advantage is you don't have to worry about it not working.

Allot of people still use ADAT machines 16/20/ and the newer 24 bit machines, the Alesis HD24 bit machine records 24 tracks on a hard drive, and it is the easiest and best recording quality you can get with ability to record simultaneous 24 tracks at once live.

But the older ADAT SVHS tape machines work well too, you should use them just in case for a back up recording source, and or for a master. If you like the way DAT machines sound and CDR, then the old ADAT machines are fine for you, they still sound decently good. Allot of your favorite 1990's albums were probably made on older ADAT machines not just Alanis Morrisette's album.