Alesis ADAT-XT A

Applications: Chapter 6

ADAT XT Reference Manual 67

CHAPTER 6

APPLICATIONS

OVERVIEW

This chapter is designed to give you an idea of the multitude of applications for the

XT. These applications are not broken down into great detail. Therefore, where

applicable you will need to refer to other sections of this manual for instructions on

how to setup the XT for a particular job.

COMBINED MULTITRACK/M ASTERING DECK

The XT can serve as a combination 6-track multitrack recorder and 2-track mastering

deck. Record your audio onto tracks 1–6, then run them through a mixer, using the

sub or group outs to send them back to tracks 7 and 8. Tracks 7 and 8 will contain

the stereo master recording; their outputs should then be connected back to the

mixer’s 2-track playback inputs.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

OUTPUT

INPUT

OUTPUT

INPUT

LOCATE/PLAY

LRC REMOTE PUNCH

IN/OUT DIGITAL SYNC

OUTIN OUTIN

Mixer Inputs Bus Outputs

In addition, an external synchronizer connected to the XT’s [SYNC OUT] can output

SMPTE or MTC to simultaneously synchronize a MIDI sequencer to tape. This way,

you can mix down not only the first 6 tracks from the XT but your “virtual” tracks on

the sequencer as well, all onto tracks 7 and 8.

If you are using a multiple machine system (with one or more XTs and/or ADATs),

you can dedicate any two tracks in the system for a stereo mix. Because all machines

are perfectly synchronized to one another, you can punch-in and -out of the mix itself.

This opens up all sorts of possibilities, like changing the EQ, effects and other mix

settings for different sections of the mix.

Contents

Main I H OW T O U SE T HIS M C Page I HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL Page C 1: SETTING UP7 2: YOUR FIRST SESSION WITH THE ADAT XT 13 3: CONNECTIONS 23 4: BASIC OPERATIONS 29 5: MULTIPLE ADAT-XT OPERATION 55 6: APPLICATIONS 67 APPENDIX A: DIGITAL RECORDING CONCEPTS 73 APPENDIX B: TROUBLESHOOTING 75 Page CHAPTER 1 SETTING UP any UNPACKING AND INSPECTION AC POWER H OOKUP AVOIDING GROUND LOOPS Page LINE CONDITIONERS AND PROTECTORS ABOUT AUDIO CABLES BASIC AUDIO HOOKUP INPUT NORMALING THREADED VS. UNTHREADED bandwidth Making Backups premium quality, name brand A WORD ON ADATS S-VHS CASSETTE TAPE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT THERMAL CONSIDERATIONS IN RACK MOUNTING MOUNTING ON A SHELF OR NON-R ACK ENCLOSURE AVOIDING ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE YOUR FIRST SESSION WITH THE ADAT-XT FORMATTING A TAPE A MUST! SAMPLE RATE SELECTION F ORMATTING A N RECORDING WHILE FORMATTING MAKING A RECORDING TRACK SELECTION AND SETTING LEVELS TIME COUNTER TRANSPORT BUTTONS R P REVIEWING AND CUEING L Page CREATING A LOOP D AUTOMATED RECORDING D R 1 70. 0 mS D TRACK COPY DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS C ANALOG AUDIO UNBALANCED INPUTS ANALOG AUDIO UNBALANCED OUTPUTS ANALOG AUDIO BALANCED INPUTS AND OUTPUTS Larger Key Notch Note: INPUTS OUTPUTS ANALOG AUDIO INPUT MODE SYNC IN/OUT DIGITAL AUDIO IN/OUT F THE XT REMOTE CHAPTER 4 BASIC OPERATIONS T APE F J FORMATTING CONSIDERATIONS COMPLETE FORMAT RECORDING WHILE FORMATTING FORMAT EXTEND WRITE PROTECT OVERRIDE READING THE DISPLAY DISPLAY ICONS format extend Page TIME COUNTER & ABS/REL BUTTON The Locate Points addresses are displayed in the format of the display mode youve selected. 0 : 03 : 28 : 15 Autolocation minutes seconds 100ths-of-seconds BASIC EDITING EDIT V Examples: s AND t BUTTONS ENTERING NUMERIC VALUES INPUT SELECT ANALOG INPUT TRACK COPY Digital In/Out DIGITAL INPUT Page INPUT MONITOR AUTO INPUT MONITOR ALL INPUT MONITOR Transport Function Auto = Off All = Off Auto = On All = Off Auto = Off/On M PEAK MODE B UTTON PEAK CLEAR BUTTON FINE METER MODE RECORDING A B ENCHMARK TAPE RECORD ENABLE Transport Controls SETTING LEVELS Be sure the output level of your mixer matches the inputs connected to the XT (+4 or -10). TRANSPORT CONTROLS E The button will not operate while recording or formatting to avoid interrupting these processes. REWIND/R EVIEW RECORD/PUNCH IN OR OUT S SAMPLE RATE (CLOCK) before , and , Each time the DISPLAYING FRAMES VS. 100THS/SECONDS PITCH CONTROL The icon should be off. Note: This is not possible while recording. TRACK DELAY D Repeat steps through D AUTOLOCATION CONTROLS Each Locate Points address can be displayed and set using either Absolute or Relative Time. ABSOLUTE (ABS) TIME VS. R ELATIVE TIME LOCATE 0 SETTING LOCATE POINTS L AUTO LOOPING AUTO RETURN only AUTO PLAY LOOP LIMIT AUTO RECORD LOOPED RECORDING R FOOTSWITCH CONTROLS FOOTSWITCH CONTROLLED PUNCHING FOOTSWITCH CONTROLLED AUTOLOCATING USING THE XT REMOTE CHAPTER 5 M O O SYNCHRONIZING MACHINES Combining XTs and ADATs Sync In/Out MASTER/SLAVE INTERACTION but do not have any master tracks record-enabled A CHIEVING L INDEPENDENT SLAVE MODE F ORMATTING MULTIPLE T MASTER FORMAT ENABLED, COMPLETE FORMAT MASTER FORMAT ENABLED, FORMAT EXTEND MASTER FORMAT DISABLED MASTER FORMAT DISABLED, FORMAT EXTEND RECORDING DIGITAL AUDIO B MAKING DIGITAL BACKUPS is selected and there is no optical input, the If RECORDING DIGITAL AUDIO FROM OTHER SOURCES clock DIGITAL CLOCK CONSIDERATIONS TAPE OFFSET D COMBINING XTS AND ADATS XT T after S INPUT MONITORING POLARITY DIFFERENCES Possible problem: C Here are some possible solutions: Page Page CHAPTER 6 A O COMBINED MULTITRACK/M ASTERING DECK LIVE/LONG-TERM RECORDING continuous recording Note: and , LOCKING TO VIDEO: CODE ONLY MASTER C OMPUTER C MIDI SYSTEMS: VIRTUAL TRACKING MIDI MACHINE CONTROL: VIRTUAL REMOTE CONTROL LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES MODULAR RECORDING USING TRACK COPY AS A DIGITAL ROUTER CALCULATING TAPE OFFSET USING THE LOCATES D APPENDIX A D IGITAL R ECORDING C ANALOG RECORDING BASICS DIGITAL RECORDING BASICS A/D WHY S-VHS? APPENDIX B T TROUBLE-S HOOTING INDEX Symptom Cause Solution RE-INITIALIZING CHECKING SOFTWARE VERSION E RROR RATE D error rate The TIME counter will briefly read: ADAT HEAD MAINTENANCE D RUM TIME D The number of drum hours will briefly appear in the TIME counter. TAPE MAINTENANCE: SAFE TAPE MAINTENANCE/SERVICE C M R EFER ALL SERVICING TO A OBTAINING REPAIR SERVICE Page APPENDIX C ERROR CODES Automatic Brake Calibration Procedure STEPS TO TAKE BEFORE CALLING FOR HELP APPENDIX D S Transport Audio Analog Inputs/Outputs Digital Inputs/Outputs General G A B C D Page N O P Q R S Page INDEX