Exchange tips and tricks for the Akai MPC4000
By FUBARd Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:21 pm
I apologize in advance if this is a repeat question but ive searched n found nothing directly relating.

As I understand it, ADAT is limited to 4 tracks per light pipe at 24/96khz.

first of all does the MPC's ADAT card work in 24/96?

secondly and more on my topic, can I install 2x ADAT option cards for a total of 8ch of ADAT in AND 8ch of ADAT out at the full 24/96khz?

the high sample rate is kind of the reason im going with either this or the new one though i do strongly prefer detected hardware lately.

any and all help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
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By Ian Canefire Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:38 pm
I have never used ADAT on the MPC4000 but I have added everything else to my mpc4000 and I only see one socket for the ADAT board inside the 4000. The socket for the ADAT board is of a different size than the SPDIF digital i/o and the analog expansion out. All three sockets are of a different size. In the video you will see the sizes. The Akai Z4 and the MPC4000 use the same add-ons
see the interior and go to 4:20 for the MPC...earlier in the vid (3:02)you see the sizes better but its in the Z4.
So I doubt you can use two ADATs.



peace
Ian
By FUBARd Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:40 pm
thanks for the response!

hmmm.... thats quite peculiar. ive done ADAT cards that had way less pins... maybe they have a daisy chain plug on the exp card? looking at the card online, it doesnt look like it.

craaaaaapppp....

i really wanna maintain the purest signal w the highest sample rate i can get. (obviously)

i sure hope this renaissance thing delivers the biz, otherwise, i might have to settle for digital to analog n back to digital again. but then again, analog outs can be better w enough $$$. guess i could start saving for a mixer recap n upgrade. like i haven't spent enough on music stuff already, lol!

oh, sweet conundrum...
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By Lampdog Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:45 pm
adat is 8 mono chnls.

no u can't "install" 2 adats in the 4k.

4k adat, sampling in gets you 2 chnls.

no daisychain of adat
By FUBARd Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:10 pm
Ok i can see how the MPC would only sample 2x channels. No real use in a drum sampler having 7.1 surround :P

Buuut, are you sure it does 8outs ADAT while in 24/96khz?

I thought there was a physical limitation of 4ch in ADAT while at 24/96 thats inteinsic to most hardware involved. It was a few years ago when i was big into ADAT. PLEASE make sure, n tell me im dead wrong!!! I really hope i am cause i really love the 4K n want to get back into hardware after being frusterated by computers for so long.

Thanks!!!
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By Lampdog Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:02 pm
I'll try it and let you know.
By FUBARd Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:07 pm
Oh hell yeh, thanks buddy! :-D
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By Lampdog Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:15 pm
4k 48khz adat locks sync with 48khz audio interface.
Nothing else. No 4k adat multiplexing. Just regular ole 8 channel adat at 48khz.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADAT_Lightpipe

Cables and interface

Lightpipe uses fiber optic cables (hence its name) to carry data, with Toslink connectors at either end, making them identical to S/PDIF optical cables. However, the data streams of the two protocols are totally incompatible. S/PDIF is mostly used for transferring stereo or multi-channel surround sound audio, whereas the ADAT optical interface supports up to 8 channels at 48 kHz, 24 bit. Recently, Lightpipe devices have been successfully interfaced via FireWire.


Data transfer

Lightpipe can carry eight channels of uncompressed digital audio at 24 bit resolution at 48,000 samples per second. Initially used for the transfer of digital audio between ADATs, the protocol was designed with future improvements in mind. All Lightpipe signals are transmitted at 24 bit resolution, no matter what the depth of the audio; information is contained within the Most Significant Bits and the rest of the bits remain a string of zeros. For example, if a 16 bit signal is sent via Lightpipe, the first sixteen bits contain the audio information while the other eight are simply occupied by zeros. The receiving device ignores information it cannot process. For example, a 20 bit signal going from a Type II ADAT to a Type I (which only operates at 16 bits) will simply ignore the bits below the sixteen MSBs.

Higher sample rates can be used with a proportionately reduced number of channels, although the original ADAT machines did not support this. Known as SMUX, this connection allows 4 channels at a sample rate of 96kHz on one optical cable. The Alesis HD24 recorder demultiplexes high sample rates across multiple ADAT channels. A signal with a sample rate of 96 kHz is thus effectively split up into two signals of 48 kHz each, maintaining audio compatibility with the original ADATs.
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By Lampdog Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:17 pm
FUBARd wrote:No real use in a drum sampler having 7.1 surround :P

Yes it is.

You can use any sound you want in any channel going into any daw for surround processing.
By FUBARd Fri Jun 22, 2012 12:22 am
Ahhh...

Thanks for clearing up that terminology thing, my bad.

I maybe guess its wrong to assume a machine that says it does 24/96 n has an adat option actually does adat in 24/96. I mean most 24/96 gear w adat will but that's why I asked, right?

I appreciate all yalls help, thanks a million!
By FUBARd Fri Jun 22, 2012 12:28 am
Lampdog wrote:
FUBARd wrote:No real use in a drum sampler having 7.1 surround :P

Yes it is.

You can use any sound you want in any channel going into any daw for surround processing.



Hah! Yeh I guess that's true then. Might require some seriously creative mixing though.
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By Lampdog Fri Jun 22, 2012 1:15 am
I've done 5.1 tracks before from 4k adat to Sony Vegas daw, it's not hard but you will NEVER get a 5.1 mix if you don't have enough monitors/speakers, enough outputs on your audio interface/mixer.

And the one peep in another thread that only cares about mono and wants 1 monitor will never be able to do this :lol:
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By Lampdog Tue Jun 26, 2012 6:02 pm
Lampdog wrote:4k 48khz adat locks sync with 48khz audio interface.
Nothing else. No 4k adat multiplexing. Just regular ole 8 channel adat at 48khz.







Meaning, I also tried locking 4k+RME UFX @ 96 also, nothing.
By FUBARd Wed Jun 27, 2012 6:07 am
Lampdog i know this is going to sound like im trying to be a jerk but im really not. Just making sure, i trust youre pretty well being a mod n all, but everyone forgets lil stuff from time to time. Here goes; when you tried to synch in 24/96, you did make sure the MPC was operating in 24/96 mode right? I Remember the MPC 2000xl only vaguely and cant remember if its like a computer like that or not. Would there maybe be a sub setting menu for the ADAT card thats worth looking for? Maybe theres a sync rate setting? I know im really 'reaching' here, i just really want it to be possible.