What to do with an ADAT?

vsr600 · Post by **vsr600** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:52 am

I just did some recording for a friend and he didn't have much money so he offered me an Alesis XT20 as payment instead. And me being a good friend, I accepted. I don't really need an ADAT recorder as I can record 14 channels at 96k 24bit into my computer already. Thinking about using it to record live shows or ebaying it. Any ideas?

joelpatterson · Post by **joelpatterson** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:56 am

Send it to me, at the address below. I'll give it a good home.

vsr600 · Post by **vsr600** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:22 am

hmm I don't know if that's a good deal... hehe

Would there be any advantages to mixing down to the ADAT. Like run 12 outputs from my computer to my mixer and then into the ADAT recorder for a final mix. Or would it be better to "keep it all in the box" in this case?

kayagum · Post by **kayagum** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:37 am

Definitely a good live/remote recording options.

There seem to be a lot of recent threads about people trying to work around the fact that their DAW based recording is not very mobile.

You can use it as the remote rig; dump in your DAW for editing.

TooLoFi · Post by **TooLoFi** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 12:11 pm

use it for rehearsals. You can listen back, and mix whatever turns out good to your hard disk. then you can use the same tape for the next rehearsal.

stinkpot · Post by **stinkpot** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 12:21 pm

TooLoFi wrote:use it for rehearsals. You can listen back, and mix whatever turns out good to your hard disk. then you can use the same tape for the next rehearsal.

That's what my band is using my old ADAT's for. One lives at the rehearsal space all ready to go, the other is in my studio for mix down of rehearsal tapes. It's pretty great.

jmiller · Post by **jmiller** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 1:14 pm

If you need to change a tire and can't find your cinderblocks, an ADAT is just about the right height...

Actually, the suggestions about using it for remote recording aren't bad at all, if you do that kind of stuff.

;ivlunsdystf · Post by **;ivlunsdystf** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 1:39 pm

Has ANYBODY ever made a looped ADAT tape by dissecting a VHS? I can just imagine the shrill digital cacophony...

or (probably) the machine gobbles up the tape and ends the fun immediately....

Mark Alan Miller · Post by **Mark Alan Miller** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 3:50 pm

Tatertot wrote:Has ANYBODY ever made a looped ADAT tape by dissecting a VHS? I can just imagine the shrill digital cacophony...

or (probably) the machine gobbles up the tape and ends the fun immediately....

I wouldn't even consider it. Aside from the obvious likelyhood of transport failure, the ADAT would look at the control code track and just freak out. And even if that weren't an issue, the likelyhood of lining up the helical scan properly so the unit would track across the edit would be minimal at best.

On the original topic, I further concur that it's a great thing to have for little remote recordings, practice sessions, whatnot.

joelpatterson · Post by **joelpatterson** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:50 pm

The machine gobbles tape even under the best of circumstances.

What a wonder and a marvel a brand new ADAT was, what a miracle in its way, opened the door to our world of today. As the fleets of ADATs get older and older, they are all breaking down, it's sad really, like the dying Veterans of World War One, soon there will be no more, except for perfectly preserved museum pieces.

TheGreatOne · Post by **TheGreatOne** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 5:31 pm

what I use my old xt16 for is tape backup for 8 track stuff...probably not a politically correct thing, but until my son catches the bug and the adat becomes his first recorder, it serves that useful purpose

Garthplinko · Post by **Garthplinko** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:03 pm

Yes yes yes, hang on to the blasted thing - recently a friend of mine and I had a conversation along the lines of that in 10 years hipsters will be combing the internet looking for working versions of them so they can properly capture that "90's sound!" It will be worth a fortune!

"What you didn't record yours on vintage ADATs and 3630 compressors and mix on Monitor Ones? Phffff - Philistine. ADATs are CLASSIC man....it's got the vintage sound - so many great records were recorded on them...."

I know we weren't the first ones to figure this out, but you watch. It'll happen.

vsr600 · Post by **vsr600** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:53 pm

Thanks for your ideas. Although i really like the idea of using it for a cinder block, I think I've decided to keep it in one piece and use it for mobile recording occasionally.

;ivlunsdystf · Post by **;ivlunsdystf** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:57 pm

ADAT: Too cheap to sell, too small to mind keeping. Save it as a potential gift to be given to any aliens who might land in your suburb in future times.

Jupiter 4 Studio · Post by **Jupiter 4 Studio** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:55 pm

Garthplinko wrote:Yes yes yes, hang on to the blasted thing - recently a friend of mine and I had a conversation along the lines of that in 10 years hipsters will be combing the internet looking for working versions of them so they can properly capture that "90's sound!" It will be worth a fortune!

"What you didn't record yours on vintage ADATs and 3630 compressors and mix on Monitor Ones? Phffff - Philistine. ADATs are CLASSIC man....it's got the vintage sound - so many great records were recorded on them...."

I know we weren't the first ones to figure this out, but you watch. It'll happen.

As crazy as this sounds that's exactly why I haven't gotten rid of the 3 that I have. Shit I have the space to store them so why not. What am I gonna get $200 a piece for them right now????? If I'm lucky. Maybe in 10 years someone will want them and be willing to pay. They are in the original boxes with all manuals so might as well store them well, you never know.

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What to do with an ADAT?

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