Matt Ion wrote:

Looking at replacing/augmenting a 24-track ADAT setup with an Alesis
HD24 in the very near future. I went through the online PDF manual
but
it left me with a question; maybe someone here has some experience
with
this setup that can enlighten me.

They go into lots of detail in the manual on transferring files over
ethernet, but note that the ethernet connection can be slower than
transferring over lightpipe; however they don't say much about
transferring via lightpipe other than diagrams showing how to connect
it.

We've got an ADAT PCR card in the machine now, to interface with the
ADATs and dump tracks via ADAT Connect, but Connect only handles up
to
eight tracks at a time. I notice from the manual that the HD24 also
apparently divides lightpipe I/O into three groups of eight.

Does this mean I'm still limited to transferring tracks eight tracks
at
a time using the same old Connect software, if I elect to use optical

transfer? Is it still a realtime dump, as with tapes?

I know there's a firewire option available for the HD24, but that's a

relatively hefty extra cost, in addition to needing to add a firewire

card to the PC ($25 for a PCI firewire card, $300+ for the HD24
adapter,
pffft).

Ah, one other question: anyone know if Alesis plans to update drivers

for the PCR to something a little more modern than Windows 98? Or is

there any other option for syncing the ADATs/HD24 with something like

Logic or Cubase that'll work with a newer platform? Will the HD24
sync
to MMC via the MIDI ports, maybe?

The PCR card suffered from lack of development and updates.

The Frontier Dakota will do 16 tracks at a time,
24 with the add-on Montana.
RME cards are very well regarded, the HDSP 9652
handles 24 tracks, the Digi9636 does 16 and can be
upgraded to 24.
You are still limited to real time transfers.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

The Fireport seems like the popular way to go, very fast.

rd