ADAT Value

[tle4]

I just got 2 low hour Alesis XT series ADAT 8 track recorders with snakes
for input and output to mixer, lightpipe cables, and a serial cable to hook
them together and make them work together to record 16 tracks and a remote
control . I am thinking of upgrading to something more modern...Maybe a
Firepod. How much could I look to get as a fair price for these with
everything included.

Is there ay other low cost alternatives that do not require a computer like
the Fire Pod does that we can get at least 8 inputs so we can mic out band
as a group and record?

Thanks

[Mike Rivers]

tle4 wrote:
> I just got 2 low hour Alesis XT series ADAT 8 track recorders with snakes
> for input and output to mixer, lightpipe cables, and a serial cable to hook
> them together and make them work together to record 16 tracks and a remote
> control . I am thinking of upgrading to something more modern...Maybe a
> Firepod.

You just got this and already you're thinking of upgrading? Why did you
buy the ADATs if they weren't what you want?

> How much could I look to get as a fair price for these with
> everything included.

About 20% less than you paid, unless you paid too much. They're really
hard to sell and I'll bet the person you bought them from was REALLY
happy to find you. Check eBay.

> Is there ay other low cost alternatives that do not require a computer like
> the Fire Pod does that we can get at least 8 inputs so we can mic out band
> as a group and record?

You could look for a used Fostex hard disk recorder, but to be honest,
even though they're chronologically newer than your ADATs, they're more
outdated. Assuming you have a suitable mixer to use with the ADATs, I'd
suggest that you spend some time working with them to record your band.
You have them, the media is cheap, they don't sound that bad - chances
are there are worse things in your recording chain. You should be able
to get a couple of years use out of them while you learn what your
limitations are, and learn about other recording setups.

[tle4]

I dont think I paid too much for them... A friend gave them to me for free.
He just got a new ADAT with a 500 gig hard drive in it. He had no use for
these and the where just taking up space. I have a cheap old mixer he gave
me also that he said would work with it. I may try working with it and see
what I can do but it seems you need to be an engineer to figure out how to
set the things up. I was looking for something a little easier.


"Mike Rivers" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> tle4 wrote:
>> I just got 2 low hour Alesis XT series ADAT 8 track recorders with snakes
>> for input and output to mixer, lightpipe cables, and a serial cable to
>> hook
>> them together and make them work together to record 16 tracks and a
>> remote
>> control . I am thinking of upgrading to something more modern...Maybe a
>> Firepod.
>
> You just got this and already you're thinking of upgrading? Why did you
> buy the ADATs if they weren't what you want?
>
>> How much could I look to get as a fair price for these with
>> everything included.
>
> About 20% less than you paid, unless you paid too much. They're really
> hard to sell and I'll bet the person you bought them from was REALLY
> happy to find you. Check eBay.
>
>> Is there ay other low cost alternatives that do not require a computer
>> like
>> the Fire Pod does that we can get at least 8 inputs so we can mic out
>> band
>> as a group and record?
>
> You could look for a used Fostex hard disk recorder, but to be honest,
> even though they're chronologically newer than your ADATs, they're more
> outdated. Assuming you have a suitable mixer to use with the ADATs, I'd
> suggest that you spend some time working with them to record your band.
> You have them, the media is cheap, they don't sound that bad - chances
> are there are worse things in your recording chain. You should be able
> to get a couple of years use out of them while you learn what your
> limitations are, and learn about other recording setups.
>

[animix]

Are you computer savvy? If so, the Firepod will be easier to use if you also
have an audio software program that you're familiar with, have a basic
understanding of how to configure a computer for audio and how to configure
a firewire interface on said computer (usually simple, but not always). If
the answer to the above is no, then if the ADATs work, I doubt you'll find
anything easier to use right out of the box except maybe a portastudio style
standalone DAW of some sort..

"tle4" > wrote in message
news:s1DGg.5844$jX.4403@trndny06...
> I dont think I paid too much for them... A friend gave them to me for
free.
> He just got a new ADAT with a 500 gig hard drive in it. He had no use for
> these and the where just taking up space. I have a cheap old mixer he gave
> me also that he said would work with it. I may try working with it and see
> what I can do but it seems you need to be an engineer to figure out how to
> set the things up. I was looking for something a little easier.
>
>
> "Mike Rivers" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> >
> > tle4 wrote:
> >> I just got 2 low hour Alesis XT series ADAT 8 track recorders with
snakes
> >> for input and output to mixer, lightpipe cables, and a serial cable to
> >> hook
> >> them together and make them work together to record 16 tracks and a
> >> remote
> >> control . I am thinking of upgrading to something more modern...Maybe a
> >> Firepod.
> >
> > You just got this and already you're thinking of upgrading? Why did you
> > buy the ADATs if they weren't what you want?
> >
> >> How much could I look to get as a fair price for these with
> >> everything included.
> >
> > About 20% less than you paid, unless you paid too much. They're really
> > hard to sell and I'll bet the person you bought them from was REALLY
> > happy to find you. Check eBay.
> >
> >> Is there ay other low cost alternatives that do not require a computer
> >> like
> >> the Fire Pod does that we can get at least 8 inputs so we can mic out
> >> band
> >> as a group and record?
> >
> > You could look for a used Fostex hard disk recorder, but to be honest,
> > even though they're chronologically newer than your ADATs, they're more
> > outdated. Assuming you have a suitable mixer to use with the ADATs, I'd
> > suggest that you spend some time working with them to record your band.
> > You have them, the media is cheap, they don't sound that bad - chances
> > are there are worse things in your recording chain. You should be able
> > to get a couple of years use out of them while you learn what your
> > limitations are, and learn about other recording setups.
> >
>
>

[Mike Rivers]

tle4 wrote:
> I dont think I paid too much for them... A friend gave them to me for free.

That's hard to beat. You're very lucky.

> I have a cheap old mixer he gave
> me also that he said would work with it. I may try working with it and see
> what I can do but it seems you need to be an engineer to figure out how to
> set the things up. I was looking for something a little easier.

There's nothing easier than connecting real cables and seeing what you
actualy have. If you think this is complicated, just try tweaking
Windows to get rid of clicks and dealing with latency when you're
overdubbing.

You don't need to be a degreed engineer to undertsand this, but you do
need to recongnize what the gozintas and gozoutas are, and what the
controls do, and there's no better way to learn that than with real
hardware. It will help you to understand software-based systems better
when you're ready to go there. Few people have the opportunity that you
have - to learn on free equipment that can make reasonable recordings.

Use the money you didn't spend on recording equipment to get a copy of
the Mackie Compact Mixer Reference Guide, or download it chapter by
chapter for free at:

http://www.mackie.com/support/compactmixer/index.htm

It's published by Mackie but it contains a lot of information that's
common to all mixers, including multitrack recording setups.

[Matt Ion]

Mike Rivers wrote:

> You don't need to be a degreed engineer to undertsand this, but you do
> need to recongnize what the gozintas and gozoutas are, and what the
> controls do, and there's no better way to learn that than with real
> hardware. It will help you to understand software-based systems better
> when you're ready to go there.

I'll second that - most (I'd venture to say, almost all) computer-based
recording systems try to emulate the look, feel, and operation of a "standard"
recording setup - "tape" transport controls, mixer layout, etc. It can be handy
if you've learned to work that way in the first place, but I find there are
often limitations to how the software COULD or SHOULD function because of
compromises made to the "old school".

One of the best sequencing programs I've ever used was good old SMPTETracks (and
its non-SMPTE little brother, EditTracks) on the Atari ST - it was designed as a
dedicated sequencing package and its primary functionality reflected that... NOT
a need to emulate a tape recorder. Despite a background in standard analog
tape/mixer systems, I found it far better than anything else for sequencing
BECAUSE the interface catered to that function, rather than trying to force it
into a "skin" that didn't quite fit it.

Anyway, the point of this little rant is that in your case, learning on a real,
physical tape-and-mixer system should help you better understand what's going on
your software once you get to that point, because it allows you to SEE and TRACE
the connections between the different parts of the chain; you can physically
follow signal paths, see how signal flows, how it's processed and how each part
of the chain affects the sound. Software systems typically "hide the wiring"
and don't allow you that kind of "connection" to what's happening.

[jt]

In article <s1DGg.5844$jX.4403@trndny06>, tle4 > wrote:

> I may try working with it and see
> what I can do but it seems you need to be an engineer to figure out how to
> set the things up. I was looking for something a little easier.

Almost the same thing happened to me!

I was trying to fix my car, and I just couldn't figure it out.

It's like you have to be a freakin' mechanic just to fix a car these
days.

Who has time to learn how to be a mechanic?

They should just fix themselves!

[[email protected]]

jt wrote:
> > I may try working with it and see
> > what I can do but it seems you need to be an engineer to figure out how to
> > set the things up.


Maybe it's a sign that we should go back to the days when only
"engineers" had the right to own the things.