I basically have the same setup. Adat XT20 MOTU 828 firewire. I've experimented past your video here. It works coming from a mixer (Soundcraft Ghost) all 8 tracks direct out to adat analog in (Multi pin snake connector) then through lightpipe to Motu to DAW record. That works all day. I'm trying to reverse back out from DAW to Motu FW to lightpipe to Adat xt20 out to mixer, to re-amp guitars bass etc and eq with mixer , compress drum tracks with Joe Meek compressor then record the new effected tracks back to DAW and save plugin resources (old slow PC with only 4GB ram). I can't get the recorded DAW tracks to Adat. Tried all button combinations on XT20. Nothing. What works is Adat tape tracks going through no problem. But that's not gonna help. Any ideas? Thanks, man.
Nice Video... I own one of the Alesis HD24 (XR version w/higher bit rate AD/DA convertors). It is basically an ADAT Hard Drive recorder w/24 tracks in and 24 out), which Alesis came out with this recorder after the tape based 8 Track recorders were dicontinued. * Anyway, I have been considering using my HR24 model as an interface by using the Optical ADAT Input and Output connections (on the back of the machine), to interface with a RME Digiface USB 66-Channel ADAT to USB Optical Audio Interface, then sending the signal to my DAW (via USB from the RME unit). This way I can have 24 analog TRS in and 24 TRS outs to my Analog mixer coming from the Alesis Recorder TRS jacks on the back panel. * The question would be are those ADAT Optical connectors on the back of the HR24 active all the time even when not actually recording or playing back audio. It would seem the Optical Connections are active all the time even when not in Record or Play mode based on your video. * The RME is $629 w/32 Optical Inputs and 32 Optical Outputs. If I can find the Alesis USA Home office phone again, I may call and ask them about those Optical Connection being active all the time. Thanks. Phil Jersey Shore Area
Man, that’s a good question about the Adat being continuously active. That might be a question you have to e-mail Alesis directly. That would be a great I/O. Just make sure you have plenty of ram on your computer and you should be good.
@@ThickCutOhio I talked to them once on the phone at their office in Rhode Island, but I don't see a phone listed anymore on their website...I will keep searching. Phil
You don't need to use Adat tape. You don't even need the tape transport. Just record enable all adat tracks so you'll hear the audio coming through and registering the meters. Just make sure all tracks are assigned the proper corresponding In/Out on the DAW. My problem is the reverse. (See above).
@@sonicbrush im having trouble understanding the point!!the sound quality is better when recording through the adat instead of the pro 40?the converters are better than the focusrite even if its an older machine?
@@reversalstudio the point of this guy's video is to add an additional 8 tracks on top of the 8 preamps of the focusrite to record 16 tracks into the DAW simultaneously. You'd still need more preamps or mixer to feed the Adat converters (RCA inputs unbalanced -10db. Use DB25 snake to 1/4 inch trs balanced +4 db signal). If you want to re-amp or use analog compressors on your recorded DAW tracks, you can output those from DAW to focusrite analog outputs to the mixer channels with compressor inserted then assign back to the DAW to record the new compressed tracks onto new tracks in the DAW in sync with everything. You cannot do this with the Adat XT20, which explains my frustration. it won't output the DAW tracks. If you have another interface like a MOTU 2408, stand alone mode not connected to the host card or USB/firewire, connected to the focusrite with optical lightpipe toslink. You'll have 16 tracks in and out all day and not need the Adat XT20.
@@sonicbrush yeah thats how i work i have the focusrite pro 40 as main interface and a motu 896 in standalone connected with optical!!i bring it back from cubase into my console and do the magic there!!
@@reversalstudio I'm experimenting with asio4all, I want to add my mastering card, an older Lynx2B, into my input options. 2 in 6 out, year 2005 tech but sounds light years ahead of my MOTUs. So far no luck, but would be nice for delicate tracks. I can still use as-is by itself with its own asio but not with existing MOTU asio tracks.
OK, so here’s what I wanna do. I want to use the alesis as extra I/O going into my Rme interface. I also want to use the hard drive Spaces as a raid type situation for backups instead of my main hard drive….. two questions are the converters? And can these be set up as a raid type situation?
Do you need to have a cassette in order to record what you're playing? Meaning, do you need to record on tape first and then transfer to DAW, .... Or you can capture it directly with the DAW from the inputs of the channel?
@@ThickCutOhio Yeah but you need a mixer why do you think the dat has in and out on the back the output of a mixer goes to input of dat and the output of dat goes to input of mixer. Then you record from the mixer not the pro 40 once you have a mix use the pro 40 to send the 8 tracks to pc to save them and then record over the tape The pre amps on the pro 40 are not loud enough vs a mixer using the pro 40 you still have to use vst pre amps to make the pro 40 signal louder i have a pro 40 they are good for standalone use. but look at the signal in mix control it's only half way very low signal recording onto the dat
im not sure i get the point...you get better results recording through the adat instead of the pro 40?arent both recording at 44khz?at 40$ its a cheap way to get more inputs but....
@@ThickCutOhio so its for adding more inputs only??i thought it was about sound quality bypassing the focusrite to record using the converters of the adat!!8 extra inputs for 40$ is great if you can find one but ive looked and they are around 200$ at that price you can get another pro 40 and you have your 16 inputs!!unless the converters are better in the adat!!are they??
Haha love it👌- I still have one of those 20 bits and a _Blackface_ . When SuperVHS tape got scarce I hot-rodded an old Dell optiplex with a Terratec EWS optical card and wordclock. Mixed with Samplitude or flew into a Mackie 24/4. Ran that frank-a-saurus well into 2000's XD. Those 20bit DACs are higher component quality than 24's you'll find on modern mid level, unfortunately no ASIO upgrades past early Windows XP era. In case you're not aware- that honeycomb input on the back is an _ELBEC_ I/O port. If you can get ahold of the patch bay that accommodates it, you'll have +4dBu balanced I/O - HUGE improvement. Otherwise, look up the pin configuration and make your own.
How do you reverse the process to reamp tracks and or compress drum bus, back into the analog mixer? More precisely which buttons to press on the XT20. I do have both Lightpipe in/out connected to adat and MOTU 828. Tried using Internal clock, optical, 9pin. No luck. Although, recorded Adat tape tracks have no problem getting to DAW. What's your experience on this. I'm running of hair to pull.🤔
@@ThickCutOhio yeah I guess probably won't make too much difference. Thinking of buying one, but I might just be better off with something in 1u format with adat... Will be more expensive, but yeah
Nice! Older ADAT Units are a great way to setup a multitrack environment. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching.
I basically have the same setup. Adat XT20 MOTU 828 firewire. I've experimented past your video here. It works coming from a mixer (Soundcraft Ghost) all 8 tracks direct out to adat analog in (Multi pin snake connector) then through lightpipe to Motu to DAW record. That works all day. I'm trying to reverse back out from DAW to Motu FW to lightpipe to Adat xt20 out to mixer, to re-amp guitars bass etc and eq with mixer , compress drum tracks with Joe Meek compressor then record the new effected tracks back to DAW and save plugin resources (old slow PC with only 4GB ram). I can't get the recorded DAW tracks to Adat. Tried all button combinations on XT20. Nothing. What works is Adat tape tracks going through no problem. But that's not gonna help. Any ideas? Thanks, man.
Nice Video...
I own one of the Alesis HD24 (XR version w/higher bit rate AD/DA convertors). It is basically an ADAT Hard Drive recorder w/24 tracks in and 24 out), which Alesis came out with this recorder after the tape based 8 Track recorders were dicontinued.
*
Anyway, I have been considering using my HR24 model as an interface by using the Optical ADAT Input and Output connections (on the back of the machine), to interface with a RME Digiface USB 66-Channel ADAT to USB Optical Audio Interface, then sending the signal to my DAW (via USB from the RME unit). This way I can have 24 analog TRS in and 24 TRS outs to my Analog mixer coming from the Alesis Recorder TRS jacks on the back panel.
*
The question would be are those ADAT Optical connectors on the back of the HR24 active all the time even when not actually recording or playing back audio. It would seem the Optical Connections are active all the time even when not in Record or Play mode based on your video.
*
The RME is $629 w/32 Optical Inputs and 32 Optical Outputs. If I can find the Alesis USA Home office phone again, I may call and ask them about those Optical Connection being active all the time. Thanks.
Phil Jersey Shore Area
Man, that’s a good question about the Adat being continuously active. That might be a question you have to e-mail Alesis directly. That would be a great I/O. Just make sure you have plenty of ram on your computer and you should be good.
@@ThickCutOhio I talked to them once on the phone at their office in Rhode Island, but I don't see a phone listed anymore on their website...I will keep searching.
Phil
I’ve seen this done before, the key would be is to record onto the Adat tapes then dump the recordings back to your daw for maximum results
You don't need to use Adat tape. You don't even need the tape transport. Just record enable all adat tracks so you'll hear the audio coming through and registering the meters. Just make sure all tracks are assigned the proper corresponding In/Out on the DAW. My problem is the reverse. (See above).
@@sonicbrush im having trouble understanding the point!!the sound quality is better when recording through the adat instead of the pro 40?the converters are better than the focusrite even if its an older machine?
@@reversalstudio the point of this guy's video is to add an additional 8 tracks on top of the 8 preamps of the focusrite to record 16 tracks into the DAW simultaneously. You'd still need more preamps or mixer to feed the Adat converters (RCA inputs unbalanced -10db. Use DB25 snake to 1/4 inch trs balanced +4 db signal). If you want to re-amp or use analog compressors on your recorded DAW tracks, you can output those from DAW to focusrite analog outputs to the mixer channels with compressor inserted then assign back to the DAW to record the new compressed tracks onto new tracks in the DAW in sync with everything. You cannot do this with the Adat XT20, which explains my frustration. it won't output the DAW tracks. If you have another interface like a MOTU 2408, stand alone mode not connected to the host card or USB/firewire, connected to the focusrite with optical lightpipe toslink. You'll have 16 tracks in and out all day and not need the Adat XT20.
@@sonicbrush yeah thats how i work i have the focusrite pro 40 as main interface and a motu 896 in standalone connected with optical!!i bring it back from cubase into my console and do the magic there!!
@@reversalstudio I'm experimenting with asio4all, I want to add my mastering card, an older Lynx2B, into my input options. 2 in 6 out, year 2005 tech but sounds light years ahead of my MOTUs. So far no luck, but would be nice for delicate tracks. I can still use as-is by itself with its own asio but not with existing MOTU asio tracks.
OK, so here’s what I wanna do. I want to use the alesis as extra I/O going into my Rme interface. I also want to use the hard drive Spaces as a raid type situation for backups instead of my main hard drive….. two questions are the converters? And can these be set up as a raid type situation?
@@apextraxx2903 well this model is a VHS tape style. I wouldn’t recommend using it for that application.
@@ThickCutOhio ok bet, yeah I'm looking for info on the HD24 with dual hard drives, appreciate the response tho 👌🏽
Do you need to have a cassette in order to record what you're playing? Meaning, do you need to record on tape first and then transfer to DAW, .... Or you can capture it directly with the DAW from the inputs of the channel?
If you do it this way it will record straight to your computer with no need for transferring
@@ThickCutOhio cool, then no need to buy svhs tapes. thanks!
@@ThickCutOhio Yeah but you need a mixer why do you think the dat has in and out on the back the output of a mixer goes to input of dat and the output of dat goes to input of mixer. Then you record from the mixer not the pro 40
once you have a mix use the pro 40 to send the 8 tracks to pc to save them and then record over the tape
The pre amps on the pro 40 are not loud enough vs a mixer
using the pro 40 you still have to use vst pre amps to make the pro 40 signal louder i have a pro 40 they are good for standalone use. but look at the signal in mix control it's only half way very low signal recording onto the dat
im not sure i get the point...you get better results recording through the adat instead of the pro 40?arent both recording at 44khz?at 40$ its a cheap way to get more inputs but....
@@reversalstudio individual A/D converters. How much would that be for 16 extra inputs?
@@ThickCutOhio so its for adding more inputs only??i thought it was about sound quality bypassing the focusrite to record using the converters of the adat!!8 extra inputs for 40$ is great if you can find one but ive looked and they are around 200$ at that price you can get another pro 40 and you have your 16 inputs!!unless the converters are better in the adat!!are they??
Haha love it👌- I still have one of those 20 bits and a _Blackface_ . When SuperVHS tape got scarce I hot-rodded an old Dell optiplex with a Terratec EWS optical card and wordclock. Mixed with Samplitude or flew into a Mackie 24/4. Ran that frank-a-saurus well into 2000's XD.
Those 20bit DACs are higher component quality than 24's you'll find on modern mid level, unfortunately no ASIO upgrades past early Windows XP era.
In case you're not aware- that honeycomb input on the back is an _ELBEC_ I/O port. If you can get ahold of the patch bay that accommodates it, you'll have +4dBu balanced I/O - HUGE improvement. Otherwise, look up the pin configuration and make your own.
Hey, thanks for all the info. Thanks a lot.
How do you reverse the process to reamp tracks and or compress drum bus, back into the analog mixer? More precisely which buttons to press on the XT20. I do have both Lightpipe in/out connected to adat and MOTU 828. Tried using Internal clock, optical, 9pin. No luck. Although, recorded Adat tape tracks have no problem getting to DAW. What's your experience on this. I'm running of hair to pull.🤔
So I assume, cos it's 16bit convertors, your DAW sessions are forced to be 16bit?
It won’t “up scale it” but may I ask why you want 24 bit so much?
@@ThickCutOhio yeah I guess probably won't make too much difference. Thinking of buying one, but I might just be better off with something in 1u format with adat... Will be more expensive, but yeah