Masterlink

  • Thread starter Thread starter DTheriot2
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OK guys, I stand by what has been said by me. Maybe I should have never mentioned the Alesis rep monicker, because my feelings have most certainly fallen on deaf ears in here with some folks, most certainly because of my announcement. I'm with you, I see no reason to continue to "beat a dead horse".
I've said what I said based on what I know and believe, not because I'm an rep.

Nevertheless, I do want to thank the folks who have sent me personal e-mail and I hope that I answered their questions and comments most fairly.

I still know that you must understand a product completely before you become so adamant in your conclusions. I still don't believe that you have personally checked one out. That is a big mistake on ANY Product that is introduced. Many people from designers, software developers, engineers, etc. go into the design of even the worst piece out there. Do you think that any of those people thought that they were bringing out bad product?

It is also interesting to find that many of the most desired comps, eq's, amplifiers of yester-year come from a past where they didn't make a big splash upon introduction, but rather were probably "written off" much the way that this product seems to have been with some. Of course, today, I see that the very same pieces bring almost amazing prices in the audio world. I have some pieces in my studio that are fantastic pieces that don't have "the big name" association, but by studying and applying what is available, I have achieved excellent results.

That's the difference now... You don't check it out, you don't learn. As I said all along, I respect everyone's opinions and also suspect that you are very qualified as engineers. Your points are valid, but so are mine. There's just one one "little missing link"...it's called studying and applying. It wouldn't bother me a bit, if after checking one out thoroughly, that you voiced your feelings. If you didn't like it, then so be it. At least I would feel that it was given some serious thought. Hey, I can take any new product that comes out and "add a 1 to it" :) Everything can have just one more feature...

Get off the spec sheets and touch. I'm sure that we've all, at some time in our lives, finally pulled out a manual or just got into equipment that we had been ignoring; only to find that there was very real value for specific applications in there. Sometimes, you don't even think about all the applications of a product until after you've gone through this exercise many times over.

I've got Focusrite Red 1,2,3, Pultec EQ's, LA 2-3-4a's and I also have some really cheap pieces all in the same racks. Is that a crime? I think not! Some of those cheaper pieces have managed to occasionally take one of my mixes right "over the top" when I needed just a little bit "something" for the mix. Do you always go for the same snare sound or do you "look" for the weird overtone that makes that snare special? Do you use the same microphone all the time for vocals, acoustic guitar? I'm sure that you understand my point. Variety is the spice of life.

I too, will continue to hang around, I'm not going to run away, but I do think that I'll stay away from posting any of my own personal thoughts since I feel that they will be considered "suspicious". That's disappointing to me, since I think that I could add something that might be useful every once in a while to the group... and I too just wanted to be "one of the group"... Instead, I will only try to answer or help anyone who is having a problem with MasterLink to the best of my ability. That's what I do as a rep! So the new rule appears that "if you're a rep, then your motives are questionable"... FYI, I'm a straight salary man and numbers don't drive my weekly paycheck.

Of course, I do support Alesis, but guess what, I hate my MEQ-230 EQ (which is in a box somewhere in my vast land of "dead" equipment), nor am I expecially fond of 3630 Compressors. There I've said it! I would have said it anyway... But the MasterLink...well, I respectfully suggest that you've got this piece all wrong. You mention plug-in's that should be there, well let me concure that I would love to have the ability to connect it right up to my computer or have an RGB monitor output right on the back! All of these things could be done, but at what cost? When does a company decide that they have to stop adding features? The answer most certainly lies within this fact: When the price excludes a large number of people who can benefit from the product. The concept is to bring pro recording pieces to the masses...

Alesis has always been great at making affordable products and as mentioned in my other posts, they brought digital reverb, digital recorders & drum machines along with many other products and put them in the hands of the majority of up and coming musicians. Creating affordable and in most cases, innovative new products... Not a bad concept huh? When was the last time that you saw the big boys put out really innovative products... Remember, it's always easier to wait for someone else to introduce a new concept. Would you want to bet that lurking right around the corner are "MasterLink Copies"? No, the MasterLink won't be $1000 street price but you can bet your booties that variations from other manufacturers will be coming :)

Maybe we'll do a MasterLink Pro that will address some of your thoughts??? I don't know,but until then, please consider checking out one before you consider it as not acceptable.

Best regards...and I really mean it!!!
Alesis Rep because I am... and just a regular guy who has been "branded"...

Originally posted by Recording
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uhhh...Tony,

I was replying to a specific person. Not for a moment did I mean to imply this comment to anybody else :) As a matter of fact, it looks like you've got a pretty happening rig going there!

-glen
Originally posted by tutton:
Hi Guys

**Quote from majormid**

<I have found that you really don't have a good opinion of anything unless it is totally computer based>



[This message has been edited by majormid (edited 06-24-2000).]
Click to expand...
 
Ummmmmmm...tutton was refering to my mobile rig, Echo Star Studio ( www.echostarstudio.com ) there. He just copy and pasted my equipment list off of my website, and the point I think he was trying to make is that I own many pieces of gear that are not computer DAW based. This was of course in reply to your comment that I don't seem to like ANYTHING that is not DAW based.

To tell you the truth, I hate digital audio mostly. I own a lot of it because it is what I can afford. But, if I had my choice for mastering, I would only accept 1/2 track tapes, use Manleys, GML, etc....and fly into the computer using converters by Lucent, or Apogee. Once their, I would really prefer a SADIE system, or even a Sonic Solution for actually arranging the CD, and performing start/end fade in't and out's, and for any editing.

I don't NEED to hear a Masterlink to understand it's potential. The spec sheet says it all really. Initially, everyone must look at the spec's when considering a digital audio device. On paper, the Masterlink is not all that impressive at the price, IF, you already have a somewhat decent computer and look at the software/soundcard solutions available. Since it is proprietary, the computer DAW starts looking better because it allows much better upgradability, and a wide array of choices for the DSP. Computer hardware and software prices are declining, as they usually do. Currently, there are many hardware/software solutions for mastering audio that offer AT LEAST as good of processing as the Masterlink, and if one was to shop around a little, can do a little better. Plus, I keep coming back to the better options available in the computer DAW route. I agree that Alesis should come out with a version of Masterlink that will allow third party plug in's to operate in it. They should also look very seriously into double and triple bit processing, because as CPU and hard drive speeds start going up, many of the software solutions are going to offer that. Hell, the AKAI DSP 16 offers a 56 bit EQ!!! This is the trend, higher bit processing. Masterlink is fixed at 24, and it is not evident that Alesis ever plans to make this box more capable. But let's not even try to argue whether double bit processing is better or not, it simply is.

I like to work towards improvement in audio. My current mastering setup reflects a lot of research on my part to follow a lot of the stuff I learned reading Bob Katz articles concerning DSP. I initially asked the questions about the Masterlink that any engineer would consider when purchasing a "mastering solution" box. I wanted to know the internal bit precision, it is 24 bit. I started debating initially on those grounds. From there, a little discussion about A/D/A converter quality ensued. From there, how the combined product compares to other solutions available. I say again, I don't NEED to try out the Masterlink to know that for around the same money, I got a better solution.

I can't figure out why you are very defensive about being a rep and posting here about the value of that product. You know, I own an $80k mobile rig with a bunch of crap equipment that is far behind the times at this point (well, not everything is that far behind, just most of my Alesis products... :) ). I ALWAYS try to put a good spin on it's capabilities compared to other recording solutions to people. I HAVE to do this, even when I know that there are other solutions out there that are maybe a little better value to the client. So my point is that, when people call me on it, I have to conceed the good points they make. If they feel that a Tascam 1" machine with a Mackie console is a better multi track recording solution then my ADAT's with a Soundcraft Ghost, well, I may disagree with some of that, but would be forced to admit that it really could be a better recording solution then mine is. This is even more of a point if the analog studio is charging about the same money, and offering an experienced engineer that is around my same skill level.

So, there it all is. sonusman doesn't think the Masterlink is worth the $1300-1500 price tag compared to a computer DAW solution at around the same price. majormid thinks it is a value at that price. No winners, no losers, just the debate..... :)

Peace

Ed
 
And that's just the thing. When it came-out, I looked into it, but never went to the point of hands-on because I wanted to wait until I found-out what the internal-bit resolusion is to see if I should really consider it. why? Because I too read the articles by Bob Katz at www.digido.com and found-out how important it is.

Thank You Ed for driving the question and Thank You majormid for honestly answering the question.

I have now FINALLY made my decision and I will most definately being going you know how for my applications; just as soon as I can pull myself out of debt because my damn micaholic problem.

Wouldn't be a bad idea to buy a new car by the end of the year either. Damn!!!
 
Attention: Sonusman and Recording Engineer

While your initial analysis of Masterlink features was of theoretical interest to me in your first postings, your repetition, and unremitting negativity toward Majormid simply because he is a company rep, are not appreciated. I, for one, am open to information from reps, especially when they appear to be knowledgeable. You have clogged up this topic with ranting to the extent that I have now decided it is no longer useful to me. Accordingly, I am starting a new topic, titled "Masterlink Users", with the goal of bringing together people who actually use the product. Perhaps if users work together, we can learn how to achieve maximum results from this product.
 
Attention AEL.

Good luck with your purchase. Of course, having read your new post, I can see that this wonderbox is not coming through for you. Gee, I wonder if these points I keep hammering in again and again are valid... :)

You know, if you ever get a chance, try out a Card Deluxe, of a Lynx One card, and try out Wavelab, and try out the Waves Native Power Pack plugin's. Also, give the QMetric plug in a try. While you are doing that, go ahead and use the internal CDR burner in the computer you are trying this stuff out on and save the mixes you mastered with the stuff listed above in just about any audio format you would like to a CDR disk, so you can take them anywhere you would like. Even send them to a mastering house as 24 bit files! Of course, go ahead and send the mastering house a track list as a text document on the same disk (something Masterlink can't do). And even another document describing what you would like for them to do. While you are at it, go ahead and burn an enhanced CD to give to a A&R person at a label, so they can listen to your stuff on mp3 format if they desire, and, view html documents, or any other graphic document you would like to show them all on the same CD as you audio is on (this is another thing the Masterlink cannot do). While you are at it, go ahead and make a little more room on your hard drive by backing up files you don't use very much, but none the less you would like to save for future use to a DATA CD (yet another thing Masterlink cannot do for you).

Oh, if you ever want to have your mastered CD replicated that you mastered with the Masterlink by a professional duplication plant, you are going to need to pay a little extra for them to create a PQ time sheet, since Masterlink does not do that for you. They will need that data to duplicate your CD's. There is of course no assurance either that when they do recieve your CD minus the PQ time sheet that they are not going to go ahead and fiddle with the audio a bit... :) I never have that problem because they just verify my master I send them to the PQ time sheet I sent, and once they see that all is accurate, they begin the duplication process without messing with the audio at all. I have heard many horror stories of bands sending down disks, or DAT tapes that they didn't want any changes in the audio to happen on, to find that the duping plant DID in fact fiddle with the audio. A problem that doesn't occure when the proper documention is included (Masterlink does not provide a way to send this data).

Remember. Buy cheap, buy twice....or three, or four times.... :) But really, I hope you are happy with your Masterlink.

Ed
 
BTW if you want to send me your crap aging gear(sure) feel free mate....Just 1 of each of the Alesis rack units will do for a start

Ahh you do know where I live :)heh heh


Tony
 
AEL:

If you want anyone to take you a little more seriously, you might want to read the entire thread again and let everyone know where I diplayed "...unremitting negativity toward Majormid simply because he is a company rep...".

You seem to not be happy with the repition...

And again I will repeat: Even with all the repition, Ed's points still aren't being understood and maybe they will be in a few years down the road when you're kicking yourself because... Well... You'd know why if you understood Ed's points.
 
right i was doing a search for something, and this thread came up so i apologise for adding to it. i think it's a bit old now.


the producer i sometimes work with wants to get rid of his masterlink cus he's heard what im doing with Nuendo.


man.... nuendo is AWESOME for doing mastering. i bought the waves mastering bundle the same day because i was reccomended this setup and i think it sounds killer compared to the masterlink.

plus... i mean, once you get a masterlink there's not really any MAJOR upgrades you can do is it? once it's old, it's old.
 
Masterlink Application Manual

Does Anyone have a Alesis masterlink application manual? I have the manual that came with the masterlink but would be nice to have an application guide.
 
Never heard of it........ why would you need one? It's a 2-track recorder with some DSP...
 
I must say, we have a Masterlink at my school studio. and I really dont get the hoopla about it. One particularly annoying thing is that to delete a playlist, you must delete every track within it?? Why can't you just kill the playlist?? The interface is rather annoying, and I doubt I would touch any of the DSP when computer processing allows a much wider variety and higher quality. Really, I'd rather use something like CD Architect, which is much more visual; I'm sure there are others out there. . . I really can't stand chincy LED screens. The methods for ripping tracks from CD are also rather obtuse. . definately not worth 1300-1500 in light of the computer options (which don't require that much processing, you could do the same on a 700mhz Pentium or Athlon or so, which are discontinued and thus CHEAP. . )
 
MasterLink Error HELP!

Hello ALL,

I am receiving an error message on my masterlink and hoping someone out there can help me!

I've moved a song from CD to my masterlink HD. I've hit the "Create CD" button, the display gives me the following error: "Redbook error initializing"
"System error CD Write HDCD to reset CD Write TOC"

What the hell??

Any thoughts?

Dave
 
Yup... bad disc..... or a bad sector on the hard drive.... transfer the song and try again......
 
I picked one up about a month ago.
As usual, it's complicated and frustrating. It took me a week to figure out what kind of cables to use, and I'm still not postive I have them right.

The manual, or pamplet, doesn't make it any easier, for me anyway.
Slowly, ever so slowly, I'm learning.
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
What's the prob, BG? Ask away!!!
Click to expand...

Ummm. OK!

I guess it's the lack of 1/4" jack inputs that has bogged me down. So I bought a 16 channel mixer, don't ask me why. I guess I thought there would be some magical connection between the two pieces of hardware.
There ain't.

It's the "Input" Jacks that have my guts in knots.
Do I make a cable from my guitar, bass, and keyboard that will connect to a balanced input like my Mic cables?

I looked around Olympia for a cable with a female input for a 1/4" jack and the other a one of those balanced connections, but everyone looks at me like I'm crazy. I can't find one.

I did find a two foot long, 1/4" male at one end and a RCA at the other. But that's a bit short.

I seem to be missing something here.
Where do I plug in my guitars, bass and keyboard?
What cable do I need?

Yeah, I'm be dense, I admit it. :(.......
Thanks Blue Bear.
 
The XLR analog inputs expect a balanced +4dBu signal, so if your mixer has a balanced 2-track output, that's where you connect it (either XLR --> XLR, or 1/4" TRS to XLR). Cables are readily available for both without having to create custom jobs.

If you don't have balanced 2-track outputs, then you can use the RCA inputs on the Masterlink. These are -10dBV inputs. In this case, it is likely that your mixer would have 1/4" TS unbalanced outs and you can easily get 1/4" --> RCA cables without a custom job.

AS to the question of the gtrs/bass/etc... I suspect you run those into the mixer! (You do realize that the Masterlink is a 2-track recorder and not a multitrack recorder, right?)
 
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