Beginning my ADAT quest.

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tws

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Im afraid im gonna head to the dark side and go with adats instead of getting a new standalone recorder. They can be had cheap on ebay and I'll just need a mixer and a cd recorder to output into i think. Im looking for 16 tracks. Im really clueless otherwise. Can anyone help me pick out any one of these components? What should i watch out for. Thanks
 
I wouldn't consider this going to the dark side! personally, I like Adats. Easy to use and exceptional sound quality. My only bitch is that their size. Too bulky for my pathetic studio space to add another. But, If I had more space.............
You're not from KC, are you?
 
I like my ADATs, too. I usually use one in conjuntion with Pro Tools to give me 8 more inputs (through lightpipe), but its kicks booty having them as a hardware recording backup system.

Its saving my butt tomorrow. My computer's power supply is defective and I'm waiting on a replacement- 5-7 business days. :mad: Its a laptop, so I have battery, but it doesn't always charge or recharge. I have to let the &^%# thing cool down and try again, even then it might not work for more than a few minutes.

So tomorrow, a really good bassist is volunteering his time and talent to lay some background music down for a story CD we are working on. Killer bassist, his time is pretty valuable. Computer won't be reliable...do I feel like an unprofessional fool?

No, I'm just gonna use an ADAT. My mixer is already routed in and out of it, I bought and formatted some tapes today. I'm pretty excited, actually. :)

Enjoy them! BUT be warned about used ADAT's: their tape heads are fragile and easily worn by impropper use (i.e. using regular VHS tapes, use in smokey coniditions, etc.) Look for ADAT's with low hours. I can't remember for sure, but I think 1500 is a reasonable age for "too old." And I can't remember how much they are to replace, but I recall it being in the hundreds. :eek:

Happy hunting.
Chris
 
LRC

It isn't necessary to have a BRC to run a pair of ADATs, a LRC will work just fine. BRC's make it easier if you later decide to sync to an analog multitrack or to a computer DAW.
 
I have a 32 track ADAT system all purchased off Ebay. I love the ADATS, Super easy to use and requires no degree to operate. Each ADAT is similar to having 8 Cassette decks (remember those) all runnng in sync (same time). You can reocrd on all 8 channels at once or on just a few while listening to the others. Simple concept. Ensure you request the number of hours on the ADAT prior to buying. All mine were under 600 hours and cost me around $150 to $180 a piece.

I have the BRC and multiple LRC's. The LRC is basically the base controls on the ADAT itself (Play, Record, Rewind , fast forward, locate and set locate). The BRC has all the controls on the ADAT but allows you to perfrom these functions away from the ADAT machines or on a desk instead of having to lean over to push buttons on each individual ADAT.

Mike
 
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