I need a ADAT interface, help!

  • Thread starter Thread starter powerkor
  • Start date Start date
P

powerkor

New member
the facts:

I have a fostex vm88 with an adat lightpipe capiability. I have a hercules fortisimmo II sound card which has an optical-in connection which i use to hook up the fostex to. I currently then use adobe audition to record my tracks.

the problem:

I want to be able to record seperate tracks (up to 8). I'm a bit confused about this whole thing. I was told I need an ADAT interface for my computer. So, first, I assume it is a new sound card that has the capiability to split the light into seperate tracks. My next thought was, could it be just a program on the computer that can take the data coming in through the lightpipe and split them. This second idea, would be most idealistic, because it would surely save me some cash.

im confused about:

I don't understand why if the fortisimo II card can accept the lightpipe connection but why it can't split the data up. or why couldn't a program seperate the tracks... it sounds fesible, but probablly not how it works.

If I do have to get a new sound card with 8-track adat capibility, what brand/model do you recommend and what price should I try to stay under or come close to.

what I need:

I need someone to help me understand how the ADAT and lightpipe works or atleast the concept of it, so I can understand how the data is processed.

Please help :)
 
ADAT and SPDIF are two entirely different formats. They both happen to be transferrable over optical, but that doesn't mean an optical interface is capable of reading both. You can't just split the light a different way; ADAT litepipe and SPDIF are totally different stream formats. It's like...CDs and DVDs are both data on polycarbonate discs, but a new program doesn't allow the CD drive to be able to read DVDs. Or RCA cables are capable of sending a variety of different data types, from composite video to video sync to analog audio to SPDIF audio. Just because the cabling is the same doesn't mean the hardware is capable of handling it.

In any case, if it doesn't say ADAT, you're out of luck. Consumer cards, which your Hurcules falls squarely into, don't handl ADAT; it's not a consumer format. :) The cheapest thing available is the Terratec 88D.

http://www.jdsound.com/store/product1.asp?SID=2&Product_ID=449

At 125 bucks, it's a great deal, and it's stackable in a system for when you need more adat devices. it also has analog in and out for your normal listening needs. Your next closest things will be the E-mu 1212M, which does analog, SPDIF, and MIDI connections as well and sounds very good, but is a pretty immature product driver wise. I personally like E-mu but your mileage may vary. Then there's the Steinberg VSL 2020 which accepts 2 ADATs (16 channels) and has some analog connections on there too. Not the mastering grade card that the E-mu likes to make itself out to be, but the ASIO drivers are...well, they're from the creator of ASIO, so working seems like a sure thing. (I personally haven't used it...) :) These are both at 200 bucks.
 
The Toslink optical connection is used for several formats: the ADAT one allows 8 independent I/O. I use the Terratec EWS88D (as noted above, they are pretty inexpensive) with no problems and I can record/play back 8 separate channels.
 
Honestly, I would shy away from ST Audio. Ego Sys recently bought them out, and I have no idea how they will handle support for the drivers for the ST Audio line. And, anyways, at 179 pounds, that's more expensive than the solutions that I noted below.
 
I'd like to have a midi connection as well because I have a casio 7-pad drum set that I may like to mess around with with the midi connection. So of the cards you know, which has a stable and strong driver w/ atleast 8-channels of ADAT and 1 midi?

i have around 250 to spend. Thanks for all the responses :)

looks like the link you gave me:
http://www.jdsound.com/store/product1.asp?SID=2&Product_ID=449
has midi inputs, but how good is the driver?

and does it work with adobe audition?
 
The driver is solid. I think it's especially notable that my friend has no problem working with two of the cards at once. Good multi-card is always a plus.
 
powerkor said:
I'd like to have a midi connection as well because I have a casio 7-pad drum set that I may like to mess around with with the midi connection. So of the cards you know, which has a stable and strong driver w/ atleast 8-channels of ADAT and 1 midi?

i have around 250 to spend. Thanks for all the responses :)

looks like the link you gave me:
http://www.jdsound.com/store/product1.asp?SID=2&Product_ID=449
has midi inputs, but how good is the driver?

and does it work with adobe audition?
Click to expand...

While I've never tried it with Audition, I can say that in Sonar and GigaStudio the card is excellent. I actually have four of them (two in my Sonar box and one in each of my GigaStudio boxes) and I NEVER have problems with them. They're rock-solid, and I highly recommend them.

IIRC, Audition will use the standard WDM drivers for audio. That's what I use in Sonar, and the drivers are great. So I suspect that it'll work very well (again, with the qualification that I have not, in fact, tried it in Audition).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top