S
stevieb
Just another guy, really.
About to purchase a used one, have several questions.
First, please, guys, let's keep this focused on help and facts, rather than flaming and gut opinions. Some opinions are okay, maybe even good, but if your intent is to rag on me for not knowing jack, or because you hate Alesis and/or HD24 and ADAT, etc., please, keep it to yourself, okay? I admit, right off the bat, I am NOT the world's formost expert on ANYTHING having to do with or related to HD24's- not recording, computers, hard drives, Alesis, ADAT, nothing.
That out of the way (I hope for good) here we go:
Some assumptions I am making- correct me if I am wrong or off track:
One can use two or more HD24's together, at the same time.
HD24's are completly compatable with the BRC.
HD24's are completly compatable with tape-based ADATS.
Is there a way to backup the data on a HD24 to a DVD disc, directly, without going thru a computer? To a CD disc? (that would be our archival copy.)
What are the alternatives to the firewire interface (it's kinda pricy, budget is maxed out at the time)? It seems there are, but some are slow- is it possible to start the transfer process at the end of the day, letting it run overnight, and coming to a completed transfer (to a computer's HD) in the morning?
Is is possible to purchase and install, on a PC, a docking port that would allow us to remove a HD from the HD24, and plug it right into the PC? Failint that, is it possible to remove the HD from the HD24 cradle and install it into a PC, with the PC then (with little or no additional work) able to access it?
I understand the Fostex HD2424 is inferior to the Alesis, but I would think they sell for less- would one work as a backup, or second unit to a Alesis HD24? Do they sell for substantially less? (Just did a ebay search, NO HD2424's posted right now.) If we went with all HD2424's, what problems should we be prepared for?
This is probably a noob question, so hold on to your hats: I assume we could run from the outputs of the HD24, to a board with at least 24 inputs and 8 busses, to, say, a Digi001, and thus mix down from 24 channels to 8 (or 7, or...1), doing some remastering on the fly if desired. Pick this apart- why would we want to/not want to do this?
I understand one can run a lightpipe cable from a ADAT to a digi001, and thus record in 16 channels. I am also told one can run some number of ADATS, via lightpipe cables, to an optical router and then into a PC, and do the same basic thing (assuming the computer has all the "guts" to support it, natch) HD24's have lightpipe, too, right? Could one not do the same with a HD24?
I recently saw an Alesis meter bridge, attached to a BRC. Kinda cool, but it had serial plugs on the back, marked "Channels 1-8," "Channels 9-16," "Channels 17-24" below them. If I had such a meter bridge, I am betting it would not work completly (for all 24 channels) with a HD24, as the HD24 has only one serial output. Am I wrong? How to get it to read all 24 channels? We have a meter bridge on our analog main board, that has more than 24 meters- would the Alesis bridge be redundant, or is there any benefit to having it, too?
The afore mentioned bridge is being sold with the BRC. We already have a BRC. Any benefit to having two, besides having a backup? Could they both be connected to the HD24, with, say one in the control room and the other in the studio room, so if the engineer could control the basic functions of the HD24 from either location, he would not have to leave that room? (I once connected two keyboards to one computer, one via the older keyboard plug, the other via USB- the computer saw and responded to them both, and had no issues with that setup- I could type on one or the other, AND someone else could type on one while I typed on the other, no problems. I am thinking of that sort of setup. 'Course, the studio room BRC would have to be HANDS OFF to the band...) I don't recall how everything is connected to the BRC, so there may be connectivity issues making this unworkable? If so, could the same thing be done with one BRC and one LRC? Will the LRC work with a HD24?
Whew. I realize some of these questions might be better answered by the support folks at Alesis, and I will ask there, too. But wanted to get the benefit of the knowledge here, too.
Thanks in advance. General advise, on-topic, is appreciated, too.
First, please, guys, let's keep this focused on help and facts, rather than flaming and gut opinions. Some opinions are okay, maybe even good, but if your intent is to rag on me for not knowing jack, or because you hate Alesis and/or HD24 and ADAT, etc., please, keep it to yourself, okay? I admit, right off the bat, I am NOT the world's formost expert on ANYTHING having to do with or related to HD24's- not recording, computers, hard drives, Alesis, ADAT, nothing.
That out of the way (I hope for good) here we go:
Some assumptions I am making- correct me if I am wrong or off track:
One can use two or more HD24's together, at the same time.
HD24's are completly compatable with the BRC.
HD24's are completly compatable with tape-based ADATS.
Is there a way to backup the data on a HD24 to a DVD disc, directly, without going thru a computer? To a CD disc? (that would be our archival copy.)
What are the alternatives to the firewire interface (it's kinda pricy, budget is maxed out at the time)? It seems there are, but some are slow- is it possible to start the transfer process at the end of the day, letting it run overnight, and coming to a completed transfer (to a computer's HD) in the morning?
Is is possible to purchase and install, on a PC, a docking port that would allow us to remove a HD from the HD24, and plug it right into the PC? Failint that, is it possible to remove the HD from the HD24 cradle and install it into a PC, with the PC then (with little or no additional work) able to access it?
I understand the Fostex HD2424 is inferior to the Alesis, but I would think they sell for less- would one work as a backup, or second unit to a Alesis HD24? Do they sell for substantially less? (Just did a ebay search, NO HD2424's posted right now.) If we went with all HD2424's, what problems should we be prepared for?
This is probably a noob question, so hold on to your hats: I assume we could run from the outputs of the HD24, to a board with at least 24 inputs and 8 busses, to, say, a Digi001, and thus mix down from 24 channels to 8 (or 7, or...1), doing some remastering on the fly if desired. Pick this apart- why would we want to/not want to do this?
I understand one can run a lightpipe cable from a ADAT to a digi001, and thus record in 16 channels. I am also told one can run some number of ADATS, via lightpipe cables, to an optical router and then into a PC, and do the same basic thing (assuming the computer has all the "guts" to support it, natch) HD24's have lightpipe, too, right? Could one not do the same with a HD24?
I recently saw an Alesis meter bridge, attached to a BRC. Kinda cool, but it had serial plugs on the back, marked "Channels 1-8," "Channels 9-16," "Channels 17-24" below them. If I had such a meter bridge, I am betting it would not work completly (for all 24 channels) with a HD24, as the HD24 has only one serial output. Am I wrong? How to get it to read all 24 channels? We have a meter bridge on our analog main board, that has more than 24 meters- would the Alesis bridge be redundant, or is there any benefit to having it, too?
The afore mentioned bridge is being sold with the BRC. We already have a BRC. Any benefit to having two, besides having a backup? Could they both be connected to the HD24, with, say one in the control room and the other in the studio room, so if the engineer could control the basic functions of the HD24 from either location, he would not have to leave that room? (I once connected two keyboards to one computer, one via the older keyboard plug, the other via USB- the computer saw and responded to them both, and had no issues with that setup- I could type on one or the other, AND someone else could type on one while I typed on the other, no problems. I am thinking of that sort of setup. 'Course, the studio room BRC would have to be HANDS OFF to the band...) I don't recall how everything is connected to the BRC, so there may be connectivity issues making this unworkable? If so, could the same thing be done with one BRC and one LRC? Will the LRC work with a HD24?
Whew. I realize some of these questions might be better answered by the support folks at Alesis, and I will ask there, too. But wanted to get the benefit of the knowledge here, too.
Thanks in advance. General advise, on-topic, is appreciated, too.
You'll still need a place to connect the caddy, the dock can be purchased from VIPower.