Can I convert Alesis optical
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Posted on Feb 22, 2005 10:00 pm
jmail
jimmie neutron
Member Since: Feb 14, 2005
After days of painstaking research at multiple web sites, in product documentation, posting message boards, etc., I've come to discover that an Alesis XT-20 ADAT optical (TosLink light pipe) interface transmits in Alesis's proprietary Alesis Multichannel Optical Protocol. My computer interface (ISIS) has a S/PDIF optical interface (TosLink, also), which is stereo. Of course. Near as I can tell, there is no way to transmit just 2 tracks at a time from the XT-20, and there is no way for my interface to interpret the Alesis 8-track data. Now, light pipe is light pipe is light pipe...
I'm wondering if anyone knows of a software solution to my problem? I DO NOT want to purchase the Alesis interface ($400?), I do not want to purchase an Otari UFC-24 (I doubt if I could sell the house, both kids & the car and be able to afford that) just to do something I'm sure can be done with software. Will my Cool Edit do it by itself? I have no way to test my set-up prior to the day of the gig. I own the PC & interface, another guy 250 miles away owns the ADAT, and we rehearse Friday, record on Saturday, travel home on Sunday. We want to be able to exchange data.
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el musicoFreeleance Producer/Engineer/GtrMember
Since: Aug 11, 2002
Feb 22, 2005 11:19 pm they sell pci adat cards that will allow 8 tracks to be recorded in most multitracking software apps. I think a cheaper one is the one from EZ Adat.
***oh.. as i read your post again i realized i misunderstood the question. Software like Cool Edit Pro should be able to record all 8 inputs discretely.
jmailjimmie neutronMember
Since: Feb 14, 2005
Feb 23, 2005 05:36 am Thanks. I didn't realize someone else had made a card for an 8-track fibre optic besides Alesis. I can't find the EZ ADAT on the manufacturer's web site, but I'll look around at the stores.
I'm worried about Cool Edit looking at the port, the way it's implemented by the ISIS hardware (S/PDIF) and seeing it as a stereo only port and only interpret 2 streams out of the 8 received. But I know that fibre optic can carry many more "channels" of data than just 8.
j8xMember
Since: Feb 23, 2005
Feb 23, 2005 08:48 am First post here, great site....
I was looking around for answers to that question myself recently so I figured I would post my 2 cents to "get my feet wet" here. The replies I got were that you can't convert Adat to spdif with an adapter but there is a box, I believe it's made by Midiman or similar company, don't hold me to that, it's a small mixer and it only accepts Adat optical and outputs stereo spdif optical and maybe coaxial. It has simple controls for volume and pan as well. About 250$ US. I've seen it at a few online sellers. There are a few firewire audio boxes with Adat input, but it's on the more expensive ones, and some of the PCI audio cards have Adat input, like the Emu 1212m. 200$US. Those were some of the answers I got to my inquiries at other message boards. Hope it helps you somewhat.
Feb 23, 2005 08:55 am Welcome to HRC j8x, good input, thanks for that.
j8xMember
Since: Feb 23, 2005
Feb 23, 2005 11:10 am No problem dB Masters.....
I have a question for jmail, are you looking to re-place the ISIS you have now and not want to spend a ton of $? Or find what will work with it? I'm trying to decide myself between the RME Hammerfall Lite 400$, or the FrontDesign Wavecenter/PCI, 270$. Both are Adat input but I can't see getting something that I will only use for my Adat since I'm phasing that out. I do have a Fostex VM200 (VM800? it's in a closet)mixer that I use from the Adat and it can send out spdif but it's 20 bit. My optical input on my computer doesn't like it. Can your ISIS accept 20 bit spdif? If it can then you could find one of these for probably as low as 100$ on eBay. It has all the other stuff (reverb, chorus, fader recall) since it's one of the first digital mixers.
jmailjimmie neutronMember
Since: Feb 14, 2005
Feb 23, 2005 04:21 pm Thanks all for the replies. Light pipe is light pipe, BUT, S/PDIF is S/PDIF & Alesis Multichannel is... you get the idea. Yeah, the Alesis probably won't even want to talk to the ISIS (or anything else but another Alesis, for that matter). I'd buy the Alesis PCI interface, if I'd use it for more than once, but who wants to buy old technology, anyway, that'll end up in the closet next week? I've gotten to the point to where if I don't have the money to purchase the whole she-bang for an interface and links, I'll not do it. Trying to use equipment from several manufacturers together is like trying to get a band to work together (actually, probably harder). I'll try a digital to analog to digital conversion from the XT-20 to the ISIS and see how that sounds. The ISIS only does 16 bits; light pipe, AES/EBU, or multichannel. Yes, I want to dump it. It's been nothing but a pain since I purchased it many moons ago. But, it works fine if it's by itself and I don't want to do more than 8 tracks at a time, or anymore than 48kHz at 16 bits. What more could I ask for? Well...
jmailjimmie neutronMember
Since: Feb 14, 2005
Feb 23, 2005 10:25 pm For those interested, I have "found" some solutions. There are several interfaces that have ADAT inputs. That are several interfaces that can convert the older proprietary Alesis Multichannel Optical via ADAT input. The old "recommended" Alesis solution, which I found buried in the bowels of their web site, is to use the ADAT-PCI/Edit package. A $400 interface that was apparently junk and died with Win98 (similar to my ISIS, but 8 digital in, not analog). Another way was to use their AI-1 interface, where a person can choose any one or two tracks of the ADAT to bring through a S/PDIF or AES/EBU interface, co-ax or optical. Wow. It was hardware that sat between the 2 machines, so you needed 4 cables instead of 2. I've been unable to find the old retail price on that 16-bit puppy, but e-bay auctions are going no-bid at 90 bux. There was an AI-2 that was more wiz-bang, but is gone, also. Now the Alesis "solution" is the $400 AI-3, available at Zsounds. Just in case you're curious.
