whats the best ADAT?

I want to pick up an ADAT recorder I think....since they go for like $150 on Ebay these days.

definitely need 8 tracks simultaneous record, digital out (S/pidf if possible but don't really care). What about MIDI clock sync (since I have the MPC 1000)?

Anyway, anyone have opinions on what ADAT machine has the best sound/ ease of use? Also what should I be aware of/ questions to ask when buying one of these?

Prolly the Alesis M20---------if u can find one--------


But Why Do U Want one ?????

Even pro studios R lettin' ADAT Go!!

I want to record 8 tracks simultaneous without bringing my CPU places, I figure with a DAT, mixer and some mics I could even record some live shows

and I just bought my MPC so I can't afford a digital harddrive recorder

since I have an okay outboard mixer (Mackie 1402) I figure it'd be nice to record straight to DAT?

any good reason not to get one?

btw other than the XLR inputs, what makes an m20 better than a blackface Alesis that costs like a third as much?

Alesis ADAT XT20... doesnt have XLR inputs, has ELCO connector and RCA inputs and outputs... ELCO connector allows connection of an ELCO snake which will route 8 inputs and 8 outputs thru the same jack.... the snake i have has 16 1/4 inch cables(8input/8output) on the mixer side and one ELCO connector on the ADAT side... the difference between the XT20 and the Blackface is that the XT20 is a "type 2" ADAT which you can choose between recording at 16-bit(type 1, same as Blackface) or 20-bit(type 2), type 1&2 are compatible sync-wise in that you can sync them together for multiples of 8 tracks of recording, BUT if you are using a type 2 and a type 1 ADAT synced together, you must record at 16-bits(type 1) on both of the machines since the Blackface doesnt record in 20-bit...

also, i might be mistaken, but...

DAT refers to a 2-track recorder which records on a HI-8(small size) video tape...

ADAT refers to an 8-track recorder which records onto Super-VHS(regular VHS size) video tapes...

the tapes for ADAT are getting harder to come by and are much more expensive than DAT tapes... DONT USE REGULAR VHS TAPES IN YOUR ADAT MACHINE... they may work at first, but it is extremely bad for your ADAT machine, and you dont wanna fukc the heads up on your ADAT, itll cost about 3 to 4 times as much as a used ADAT to replace the heads in an ADAT machine!!!!


GOOD LUCK!!!

no adat is thebest adat. the sound is garbage

Beat God wrote:no adat is thebest adat. the sound is garbage

Beat God wrote:no adat is thebest adat. the sound is garbage

Yeah ....................ThanXXX............................

mmmmm......MPC is 16 bit/44.1khz ADAT is 20bit/48khz.


I question those who say it sounds bad.

Hip hop production has always been made via lo-fi.

in the words of PE "Don't believe the hype!"

exacto hype is the funny business

jaem wrote:mmmmm......MPC is 16 bit/44.1khz ADAT is 20bit/48khz.


I question those who say it sounds bad.

Hip hop production has always been made via lo-fi.

in the words of PE "Don't believe the hype!"

Without getting technical simple numbers do not tell the whole story.
1. converters a/d d/a
2. clock- the more jitter the worse the sound

so if u are going to question then question why a motu 828 is $750 and a rme fireface 800 is $1450 and a little investigation would have yielded what i just explained

ADAT requires a lot of maintenance to keep going for the long term. plus it is very limited. for $150 i would buy myself an M-Audio Delta 44. no need to worry about track counts, calibrating tape heads, REWINDING etc.

convertors huh?!?!??!


So you mean to tell me an entry level I/O box 1394 or USB has better convertors???? RME, Apogee..yes, but most ppl ain't got $$$ for high priced convertors. Don't forget the aesthetic! Its hip hop sampled from old vinyl you're processing not a jazz quartet in an acoustically treated studio with an API legacy.

oh teej how about those pristine convertors on the MPC (yeah right?!?!?!?)

yeah most people dont have money for good converters hat is wht there music sounds the way it does, and then they hear my music and say wow. the best investment i made in my studio was getting the rme fireface 800. the problem isn't with the mpc or any other sound source that a person likes. the problem is if u like the sound of something then u want to track it as-is. now when u run it through shitty converters u then have changed the quality of the sound and it now sound different to what u liked in the first place

So the point is that if u are tracking u want to record what u hear and not have that sound degraded.

Oh and if u think hip hop is so lo-fi check your cd's to see where they were recorded. U will see a lot of the hit factory, unique, chung king, cello, oceanway, criterion, and south beach studios in there. these aren't lo-fi studios.

I never said the studios were lo-fi. Hip hop is lo fi. It was created due to lack of instruments and music education in the inner city.

Sampling old vinyl into an MPC then onto a recorder is definately lo-fi