Alesis masterlink
- Thread starter VOXVENDOR
- Start date
Bruce,
The first 2 just locked up totally when I put a CD in (no error message). I tried all sorts of CD's. Alesis tech just said either return the unit to where you bought it or return it to us directly. (For another unit of refund) These were the first ones shipped to Utah.
The third gave me an error on boot up (I don't remember the exact error) but it locked up all the front panel buttons and the cd tray door came without a spring to close it. I got my refund and bought the Tascam.
From all the posts is sounds like now (with later software releases) they are stable. I will reconsider.
Thanks for the mastering advice.
TGA
The first 2 just locked up totally when I put a CD in (no error message). I tried all sorts of CD's. Alesis tech just said either return the unit to where you bought it or return it to us directly. (For another unit of refund) These were the first ones shipped to Utah.
The third gave me an error on boot up (I don't remember the exact error) but it locked up all the front panel buttons and the cd tray door came without a spring to close it. I got my refund and bought the Tascam.
From all the posts is sounds like now (with later software releases) they are stable. I will reconsider.
Thanks for the mastering advice.
TGA
VOXVENDOR
New member
TGA,
Not only are they now reliable, according to sjoko2, they seem to have added a few interesting programs......On another note, i've been wearing orthodontic braces for months now, and in return for my suffering, the little yellow laughing guy, represents me as having buck teeth.... SHEESH!
Not only are they now reliable, according to sjoko2, they seem to have added a few interesting programs......On another note, i've been wearing orthodontic braces for months now, and in return for my suffering, the little yellow laughing guy, represents me as having buck teeth.... SHEESH!
skippy
New member
Version 2.0. I got it, installed it, and made my earlier machine much more useful. It's been out since about July of 2000, so the chances of you getting a new one with the older software are near nil: I just got unlucky, or got a box off of the bottom of the pile...
http://www.alesis.com/downloads/software/ml9600/index.html
http://www.alesis.com/downloads/software/ml9600/index.html
Blue Bear Sound
New member
Skippy my man...
...sorry, but you is behind the times!
Version 2.02 is the latest rev....
Bruce
...sorry, but you is behind the times!
Version 2.02 is the latest rev....
Bruce
skippy
New member
Dayum. Now I have to go see what's on my machine- serves me right for looking at the web site for the rev number. I slept since I installed it...
And 2.00 it is. Now I've got to go slurp down 2.02 and install it. Luckily, it's no great shakes to do. The files on the web site are actually 2.02, not 2.0 as their labels would imply. Think I'm gonna go burn me a CDROM and update mine tonight.
And 2.00 it is. Now I've got to go slurp down 2.02 and install it. Luckily, it's no great shakes to do. The files on the web site are actually 2.02, not 2.0 as their labels would imply. Think I'm gonna go burn me a CDROM and update mine tonight.
Last edited:
skippy
New member
Never being one to dally, I went right downstairs and did it. Download, burn CD-R, update to 2.02: 8 minutes.
Cool.
The OS disk Alesis sent me last year when I originally upgraded was 2.0, not 2.02. That was before I had the DAW with its cd burner. You learn something new every day. In any case, would-be Masterlink owners need not fear the upgrade process. And you can tell what version software is on a Masterlink (in a store, for example) by just using the Utility button on the front panel to bring up the version display...
Now, I get to play with it to find out what's different between 2.0 and 2.02!
Cool.
The OS disk Alesis sent me last year when I originally upgraded was 2.0, not 2.02. That was before I had the DAW with its cd burner. You learn something new every day. In any case, would-be Masterlink owners need not fear the upgrade process. And you can tell what version software is on a Masterlink (in a store, for example) by just using the Utility button on the front panel to bring up the version display...
Now, I get to play with it to find out what's different between 2.0 and 2.02!
Blue Bear Sound
New member
Should have mentioned... there are no user-feature improvements in version 2.02. It is an "enhancement release" to improve the DSP algorithms. There was also some reported DSP glitches that this version also fixes...
Bruce
Bruce
Gentlemen, if you would be so kind to indulge my curiosity? I have no interest in purchasing the Masterlink, but even after reading numerous posts about it I have yet to get clear just what is unique about it.
Like a lot of folks on this board I record my original tracks to computer (using Cakewalk in my case), then mix them internally to a stereo "Master" track, then convert that to 44.1/16, then burn that to a CDR. Done.
Is the particular intent of this device to:
A: Do all of the above with having to use a computer,
B: Record strictly to two tracks, i.e. mix to a stereo master track with particularly good quality,
C: Create "Master" CDs for mass duplication
I have seen stand alone recording solutions from Tascam, Mackie, and others. Is this unit superior just because it works better, or does it do different things?
Like a lot of folks on this board I record my original tracks to computer (using Cakewalk in my case), then mix them internally to a stereo "Master" track, then convert that to 44.1/16, then burn that to a CDR. Done.
Is the particular intent of this device to:
A: Do all of the above with having to use a computer,
B: Record strictly to two tracks, i.e. mix to a stereo master track with particularly good quality,
C: Create "Master" CDs for mass duplication
I have seen stand alone recording solutions from Tascam, Mackie, and others. Is this unit superior just because it works better, or does it do different things?
skippy
New member
In my case, A. When I had my original analog studio, I had a 2-track mastering machine: quarter-inch, half-track, 30ips. I'd master to that. I'd edit with a razor blade, splice on paper leaders and tails, get bloody fingertips. I was happy. When I built my new studio, it originally had no computers in it at all: just a standone digital multitrack HDR, the Masterlink (which I thought of as my 2-track), and my board. I was *still* happy: nothing bad ever happened, just like with tape.
Since then, I've learned some new tricks, and I now have a DAW with a CD-R drive, Cubase and Wavelab for editing and MIDI sequencing, and a lot more knowledge of modern computer recording techniques. I also experience the Blue Sceen Of Death on the DAW occasionally. Sometimes it eats my data.
Frankly, I still wouldn't even think of trying to do anything really *important* on the DAW, when it comes to recording and mastering: it's still a toy to me, and will remain so for another couple of years at least. The only mission-critical function it really has in my studio is to act as a gateway from my standalone HDR to my data backup system. The important recording tasks I leave to the standalone boxes, which just flat *never* fail me. I take the Masterlink out to do location recording, live to 2-track, and it is stone reliable: there's no half-hour setup trying to get Windows to boot while the talent is on the stage and the meter is running, and there's never a glitch that suddenly results in losing half a show that can't be recovered. Your mileage will almost certainly vary, but I'm a dinoasur: the less computerlike my recording hardware is, the happier I am.
Like I said: sure, you can do all of this with a software package on a DAW. It just takes time that I don't feel inclined to invest to get good enough with it to get usable results. And the risks are too high for me, personally. I'm a throwback, and my working style evolved over many years of analog tape-based recording. You know, I never once saw a Studer get a "General Protection Fault", turn its VU meters blue, and stop pulling tape. (;-)
I want digital boxes that are equally stone reliable, and fit my working style. The Masterlink fit my needs better than any of the other offerings you mention, which required either software support or external processing hardware to work at all. It does just a handful of things, it does them well, it does not crash while doing them. And it sounds good.
For those of you who really love computer recording, and are good at it, more power to you. Please don't be offended by my attitude towards it: if you can make it work for yourself, then I freely admit that you're a better man than I am. I just don't care to go that route, except to play with it in my copious free time: the extra money I spent up front to go standalone has *already* paid for itself in Tagamet, I figure. Nothing gives me ulcers like worrying about the damned machinery quitting mid-take and wrecking hours or days of work, or missing a one-chance-only live performance...
Since then, I've learned some new tricks, and I now have a DAW with a CD-R drive, Cubase and Wavelab for editing and MIDI sequencing, and a lot more knowledge of modern computer recording techniques. I also experience the Blue Sceen Of Death on the DAW occasionally. Sometimes it eats my data.
Frankly, I still wouldn't even think of trying to do anything really *important* on the DAW, when it comes to recording and mastering: it's still a toy to me, and will remain so for another couple of years at least. The only mission-critical function it really has in my studio is to act as a gateway from my standalone HDR to my data backup system. The important recording tasks I leave to the standalone boxes, which just flat *never* fail me. I take the Masterlink out to do location recording, live to 2-track, and it is stone reliable: there's no half-hour setup trying to get Windows to boot while the talent is on the stage and the meter is running, and there's never a glitch that suddenly results in losing half a show that can't be recovered. Your mileage will almost certainly vary, but I'm a dinoasur: the less computerlike my recording hardware is, the happier I am.
Like I said: sure, you can do all of this with a software package on a DAW. It just takes time that I don't feel inclined to invest to get good enough with it to get usable results. And the risks are too high for me, personally. I'm a throwback, and my working style evolved over many years of analog tape-based recording. You know, I never once saw a Studer get a "General Protection Fault", turn its VU meters blue, and stop pulling tape. (;-)
I want digital boxes that are equally stone reliable, and fit my working style. The Masterlink fit my needs better than any of the other offerings you mention, which required either software support or external processing hardware to work at all. It does just a handful of things, it does them well, it does not crash while doing them. And it sounds good.
For those of you who really love computer recording, and are good at it, more power to you. Please don't be offended by my attitude towards it: if you can make it work for yourself, then I freely admit that you're a better man than I am. I just don't care to go that route, except to play with it in my copious free time: the extra money I spent up front to go standalone has *already* paid for itself in Tagamet, I figure. Nothing gives me ulcers like worrying about the damned machinery quitting mid-take and wrecking hours or days of work, or missing a one-chance-only live performance...
Blue Bear Sound
New member
Skippy's bang-on...
"yeah.... what HE said!"
Bruce
"yeah.... what HE said!"
Bruce
When I researched the masterlinx I found 2 problems. The first problem is how it burns the CD. For a pressing plan to press CD’s the need A red book master. A red book master is a CD that is burned at 16bit, and 44.1khz, which the masterlink can do. The problem comes when you fiscally burn the CD you can only burn it at only 2 times speed max. Most pressing plants will not except a CD burned at more than 2X Speed because they say there is a greater risk of errors on the disk.
The outer problem is printing the subcods for the CD. The manufacture also usually wants a printout of the burnt information on the disk telling how the CD was burnt. The manufacture doesn’t want to be responsible for any errors on the disk.
Other than that the masterlinks is good. Just be careful if you plan to send your project to a manufacturer.
Andy
The outer problem is printing the subcods for the CD. The manufacture also usually wants a printout of the burnt information on the disk telling how the CD was burnt. The manufacture doesn’t want to be responsible for any errors on the disk.
Other than that the masterlinks is good. Just be careful if you plan to send your project to a manufacturer.
Andy
Blue Bear Sound
New member
Not so... a pressing plant doesn't give a damn what speed the master was burned at, as long as the BLER is extremely low...ADS said:
True, that's the 1 feature they should have added - the ability to write the subcode info...
On the other hand, I don't think it was designed to be a "glass master" production unit. It was intended as a mixdown unit, the resulting CDs of which can be sent to a mastering house for final processing. The mastering house will then provide a subcoded production master.
The Masterlink gives you the convenience of producing CD24 mixes for mastering, and snapshot pre-production Red Book copies for demos, band-members, reps, etc...
It's intent was NOT to eliminate the Mastering House from the production chain...
Bruce
skippy
New member
Is it a good time to buy an Alesis product? Sure, why not? Just because the company is currently in deep financial trouble and undergoing reorganization does not imply that their existing products have no merit.
Their mature products are well understood, and well supported in the industry. ADATs will continue to sell, so will the Masterlink, and so will their keyboard products like the QS8.1 I just bought a while back. These products *work*, and they aren't dependent upon a rumored/promised vaporware update to fix the Last Great Bug and make them functional.
I don't think that I'd go for one of the new or not-fully-developed products in their line right now, like the not-highly-regarded ADAT/edit interface, or (regrettably) the HD24. Those products strike me as being pretty immature, and there are no longer going to be development resources focused on them (in the short term, anyway). If the company survives, development may very well be picked back up. If Alesis is broken up, maybe its successors will pick that development up,and maybe not. That does represent a significant risk.
But that's much less of an issue with the mature products: what you see is what you get, and they are not likely to suddenly stop working simply because the parent company is on hiatus.
I have a very relaxed attitude about this because I worked in the MI business for a while, and grew accustomed to waking up every morning and wondering if I still had a job. There are very few MI/pro audio manufacturers that are really what I'd call solid, blue-chip, guaranteed-to-be-there-tomorrow companies: it is a very, very hard business, and the margins can be razor-thin. I've bought, and will continue to buy, hardware from companies that were teetering right on the brink. Or had already gone belly up and had their assets liquidated, ending any chance of a recovery.
Bottom line for me: if the stuff works well and sounds good, I don't really care if the parent company still exists or not. If the stuff is immature and has glitches all over it, or requires obvious work in the software department to implement promised functionality, I probably wouldn't buy it even if the parent company was _sound_. Just because they haven't gone belly-up *yet* doesn't mean that they will still be there tomorrow to support (or complete!) any given product. The MI/pro audio business is a crapshoot, support-wise: ask anyone who ever bought a Chroma.
Anyway, having said that: I'm actually thinking of buying another Masterlink for the location-recording rack, so that I don't have to take my main one out of the main room.
All capital expenditures involve risk. Laying out the green for a mature product that works is *much* less risky than laying it out for the hot new rigged demo flavor-of-the-week product from NAMM, believe me.
Just my opinion: your mileage may vary. Caveat Emptor very definitely rules here!
Their mature products are well understood, and well supported in the industry. ADATs will continue to sell, so will the Masterlink, and so will their keyboard products like the QS8.1 I just bought a while back. These products *work*, and they aren't dependent upon a rumored/promised vaporware update to fix the Last Great Bug and make them functional.
I don't think that I'd go for one of the new or not-fully-developed products in their line right now, like the not-highly-regarded ADAT/edit interface, or (regrettably) the HD24. Those products strike me as being pretty immature, and there are no longer going to be development resources focused on them (in the short term, anyway). If the company survives, development may very well be picked back up. If Alesis is broken up, maybe its successors will pick that development up,and maybe not. That does represent a significant risk.
But that's much less of an issue with the mature products: what you see is what you get, and they are not likely to suddenly stop working simply because the parent company is on hiatus.
I have a very relaxed attitude about this because I worked in the MI business for a while, and grew accustomed to waking up every morning and wondering if I still had a job. There are very few MI/pro audio manufacturers that are really what I'd call solid, blue-chip, guaranteed-to-be-there-tomorrow companies: it is a very, very hard business, and the margins can be razor-thin. I've bought, and will continue to buy, hardware from companies that were teetering right on the brink. Or had already gone belly up and had their assets liquidated, ending any chance of a recovery.
Bottom line for me: if the stuff works well and sounds good, I don't really care if the parent company still exists or not. If the stuff is immature and has glitches all over it, or requires obvious work in the software department to implement promised functionality, I probably wouldn't buy it even if the parent company was _sound_. Just because they haven't gone belly-up *yet* doesn't mean that they will still be there tomorrow to support (or complete!) any given product. The MI/pro audio business is a crapshoot, support-wise: ask anyone who ever bought a Chroma.
Anyway, having said that: I'm actually thinking of buying another Masterlink for the location-recording rack, so that I don't have to take my main one out of the main room.
All capital expenditures involve risk. Laying out the green for a mature product that works is *much* less risky than laying it out for the hot new rigged demo flavor-of-the-week product from NAMM, believe me.
Just my opinion: your mileage may vary. Caveat Emptor very definitely rules here!
Well.... thanks for the info. However even after reading these further replies, I still get the idea that the Masterlink is a very nice 2 track recording device that does not rely on a computer and thus cannot crash. Wouldn't a portable DAT or stand-alone CDR recorder fit this description too? I'm still not clear what makes Masterlink so special .... oh well.