Alesis ADAT-XT - Manual

Setting Up: Chapter 1 ADAT XT Reference Manual 9 L INE C ONDITIONERS AND P ROTECTORS Although the XT is designed to tolerate typical voltage variations, in today’s world thevoltage coming from the AC line may contain spikes or transients that can possiblystress your gear and, over time, cause a fail...

Chapter 1: Setting Up 10 ADAT XT Reference Manual B ASIC A UDIO H OOKUP J When connecting audio cables and/or turning power on and off, make sure that alldevices in your system are turned off and the volume controls are turned down. The XT provides eight -10dBV analog outputs via phono connectors. T...

Setting Up: Chapter 1 ADAT XT Reference Manual 11 “T HREADED ” VS . “U NTHREADED ” Analog audio recorders typically move tape past the heads at any where from 1-7/8 to30 inches per second. Higher speeds result in a higher bandwidth, or an ability to record high-frequency signals. The XT’s digital au...

Chapter 1: Setting Up 12 ADAT XT Reference Manual O PERATING E NVIRONMENT T HERMAL C ONSIDERATIONS IN R ACK M OUNTING The XT can be mounted in an equipment rack (taking up 3 rack spaces) or placed ona table or shelf. When you install it, keep in mind that heat is the major enemy of electronic equipm...

Your First Session With The ADAT XT: Chapter 2 ADAT XT Reference Manual 13 C HAPTER 2 Y OUR F IRST S ESSION W ITH T HE ADAT-XT P OWER - UP , AND T APE I NSERTION Connect the power cord which accompanies the XT between the three-prong powersocket on the back panel and an AC outlet receptacle. Please ...

Chapter 2: Your First Session With The ADAT XT 14 ADAT XT Reference Manual F ORMATTING A T APE – A MUST! Formatting prepares a tape for 8 channels of audio, and adds a master timecodereference and sample rate information to the data section. Similar to formatting afloppy disk to use on a computer or...

Your First Session With The ADAT XT: Chapter 2 ADAT XT Reference Manual 15 M AKING A R ECORDING Recording on the XT is very similar to most multitrack tape machines. The processinvolves formatting a tape (see previous tutorial), putting one or more tracks intorecord-ready, adjusting record levels on...

Chapter 2: Your First Session With The ADAT XT 16 ADAT XT Reference Manual T RANSPORT B UTTONS During recording and playback, the following transport buttons are used frequently.Get familiar with them by using them while watching the TIME counter. REWIND High speed reverse. Press with [PLAY] to init...

Your First Session With The ADAT XT: Chapter 2 ADAT XT Reference Manual 17 P LAYBACK There are several ways to quickly play back your recording. You’ll use the transportbuttons first. To play back a recording: ¿ Press [REWIND] to locate back to a tape position before you engaged recording.The [REWIN...

Chapter 2: Your First Session With The ADAT XT 18 ADAT XT Reference Manual L OCATING Up to 10 tape positions can be stored for easy recall. These are called Locate Points, and can be stored either “on the fly” while the transport is engaged, or when thetransport is stopped. Once a Locate Point is st...

Chapter 2: Your First Session With The ADAT XT 20 ADAT XT Reference Manual C REATING A L OOP The Auto Return function causes the XT to automatically rewind back to a specifiedtape position (Locate 1) when playback or recording has reached a specified position(Locate 4). Both Locates 1 and 4 are assi...

Your First Session With The ADAT XT: Chapter 2 ADAT XT Reference Manual 21 A UTOMATED R ECORDING So far, all of your recording has been done manually — you pressed the transportbuttons when you wanted to start and stop recording. Auto record ing stops and startsrecording automatically at predetermin...

Chapter 2: Your First Session With The ADAT XT 22 ADAT XT Reference Manual P ITCH C ONTROL The Pitch function controls the speed of the tape, and thus the pitch of the audiorecorded on tape. The XT’s Pitch control has a range of -300 to +100 cents whenusing a sample rate of 48kHz, and a range of -20...

Your First Session With The ADAT XT: Chapter 2 ADAT XT Reference Manual 23 T RACK C OPY It is possible to copy the audio material from one track to another on the same tapewithin the XT without leaving the digital domain and without the need for any audiocables. In fact, you can copy up to 4 tracks ...

Connections: Chapter 3 ADAT XT Reference Manual 23 C HAPTER 3 C ONNECTIONS A NALOG A UDIO – U NBALANCED I NPUTS I NPUT JACK CHARACTERISTICS The XT includes eight unbalanced , phono jack inputs. These are compatible with low -impedance, unbalanced, -10 dBV outputs typical of equipment such as mixers,...

Chapter 3: Connections 24 ADAT XT Reference Manual A NALOG A UDIO – B ALANCED I NPUTS AND O UTPUTS The +4 dBu balanced line inputs and outputs use an ELCO® multipin connector. Thebalanced in/out connector wiring scheme is as follows: Larger Key Notch INPUTS OUTPUTS Note: The larger of the two outer ...

Chapter 3: Connections 26 ADAT XT Reference Manual S YNC I N /O UT The two DB 9 connectors marked [SYNC IN] and [SYNC OUT] are used forsynchronizing two or more XTs together, or a combination of XTs and ADATs. Thisrequires a male-to-male, 9-pin D connector cable for each additional machine in thecha...

Connections: Chapter 3 ADAT XT Reference Manual 27 D IGITAL A UDIO I N /O UT The Digital input and output carries all eight tracks on a single fiber optical cable. Thisallows you to bounce audio between multiple machines within the digital domain. Thisalso lets you route digital audio between multip...

Chapter 3: Connections 28 ADAT XT Reference Manual F OOTSWITCHES The XT provides two footswitch connectors using 1/4" mono (T/S) jacks. One, labeled[LOCATE/PLAY/LRC REMOTE], allows locate and play commands; the other,labeled [ PUNCH IN/OUT], is for punch in/out control. The two footswitch jack f...

Basic Operations: Chapter 4 ADAT XT Reference Manual 29 C HAPTER 4 B ASIC O PERATIONS This chapter is designed for operators who may not have experience working withdigital audio. All functions of the XT (with the exception of synchronization and digitalaudio) are explained here in detail. If you ar...

Chapter 4: Basic Operations 30 ADAT XT Reference Manual Be sure the tape is completely rewound. ¡ Press the [FORMAT] button.If the tape was unformatted, the FORMAT icon will have been flashing prior topressing it. Once pressed, the FORMAT icon will stop flashing and remain lit toindicate that format...

Basic Operations: Chapter 4 ADAT XT Reference Manual 31 the last valid time-stamp it reads from tape. This insures continuous time-stampingwhen a tape plays from beginning to end. To extend the format on a partially formatted tape: ¿ Use [FAST FWD], [REWIND] and/or [PLAY] to locate to the section of...

Chapter 4: Basic Operations 32 ADAT XT Reference Manual R EADING T HE D ISPLAY The XT’s display serves many functions. It shows the current level of each of theeight audio tracks, it shows the current tape position numerically in hours, minutes,seconds, and 100ths of seconds, and shows the current m...

Basic Operations: Chapter 4 ADAT XT Reference Manual 35 TIME C OUNTER & ABS/REL B UTTON The TIME Counter (found at the top left section of the display) is used to indicate thecurrent tape position. ABS 0 H 15 M 48 S 21 The [ABS/REL] button toggles the TIME counter between Absolute Time mode andR...

Chapter 4: Basic Operations 36 ADAT XT Reference Manual B ASIC E DITING EDIT V ALUE B UTTON The [EDIT VALUE] button is used to turn Edit mode on and off. When turned on, theEDIT icon will light indicating you are now in Edit mode. At this point, you can pressany one of the [LOCATE 0] - [LOCATE 9], [...

Chapter 4: Basic Operations 40 ADAT XT Reference Manual M ETERS The XT provides two buttons for meter display options: [PEAK MODE] and [PEAKCLEAR]. P EAK M ODE B UTTON The [PEAK MODE] button selects the peak hold mode of the eight level meters. Eachtime the [PEAK MODE] button is pressed, the peak me...

Basic Operations: Chapter 4 ADAT XT Reference Manual 41 R ECORD E NABLE To record enable a track, press the track’s RECORD ENABLE button. When you press a track’s RECORD ENABLE button for the first time, the track’s redREC LED will flash, indicating the track is in record-ready, and its INPUT LED wi...

Basic Operations: Chapter 4 ADAT XT Reference Manual 45 is similar to the audio you are recording. The longer crossfade time allows for asmoother transition and is more useful when punching in new material that is verydifferent from what is already on tape, or when punching in low-frequency signals....

Chapter 4: Basic Operations 48 ADAT XT Reference Manual A UTOLOCATION C ONTROLS The XT’s autolocation controls consist of 10 Locate Point memories which can be seteither manually or “on the fly”, and recalled instantly. J Each Locate Point’s address can be displayed and set using either Absolute orR...

Chapter 4: Basic Operations 50 ADAT XT Reference Manual A UTO L OOPING Auto Looping is not a feature in and of itself, but is made up of two important featuresthat, when used together, provide a very useful tool. These two features are: AutoReturn and Auto Play. When both are enabled, and set correc...

Basic Operations: Chapter 4 ADAT XT Reference Manual 51 A UTO R ECORD The Auto Record function lets you determine exactly where recording should beginand end beforehand, so that the machine automatically takes you in and out ofrecord. Locate Points 2 and 3 determine the in and out points. After sett...

Chapter 4: Basic Operations 52 ADAT XT Reference Manual automatically recognizes the shorter length of the ST-60 because the hubs used inthe cassette are larger. However, there is no way for the XT to tell apart a ST-120,ST-160 or ST-180 tape, since these all use the same, smaller size hubs. In this...

Basic Operations: Chapter 4 ADAT XT Reference Manual 53 F OOTSWITCH C ONTROLS The XT provides two footswitch jacks: [LOCATE/PLAY/LRC REMOTE] and [PUNCHIN/OUT] . Both accept any momentary, single pole/single throw, 1/4-inch mono (T/S)footswitch. During power-up, the XT checks the footswitch to determ...

Chapter 4: Basic Operations 54 ADAT XT Reference Manual U SING THE XT R EMOTE The XT hand-held remote provides the following functions: • Transport functions: Rewind, Fast Forward, Stop, Play and Record. • Autolocation functions: Locate 1, Locate 2, Locate 3, Locate 4, Set Locate andAuto Loop • Trac...

Multiple ADAT-XT Operation: Chapter 5 ADAT XT Reference Manual 55 C HAPTER 5 M ULTIPLE ADAT-XT O PERATION O VERVIEW By itself, a single XT provides a lot of flexibility. However, in a multiple ADAT systempresents a whole new set of possibilities. Keep in mind that since the XT is an ADAT -compatible...

Chapter 5: Multiple ADAT-XT Operation 56 ADAT XT Reference Manual Synchronization requires a dual male, 9 pin D connector cable for each slave to besynchronized. Use only Alesis cables. Alesis Sync Cables are available in threedifferent lengths: 8", 30", and 30' from your dealer. Other types...

Multiple ADAT-XT Operation: Chapter 5 ADAT XT Reference Manual 63 C OMBINING XT S AND ADAT S XT T RANSPORT S PEED The XT’s transport speed has been improved to be four times faster in engagedmode than the original ADAT. Because of this and other unique features, it isrecommended that you make the XT...

Chapter 5: Multiple ADAT-XT Operation 64 ADAT XT Reference Manual P OLARITY D IFFERENCES The original ADAT was designed to invert its analog input signal internally before theaudio was sent through the A/D (analog-to-digital) converter and recorded onto tape.The digital representation of the data (a...

Applications: Chapter 6 ADAT XT Reference Manual 67 C HAPTER 6 A PPLICATIONS O VERVIEW This chapter is designed to give you an idea of the multitude of applications for theXT. These applications are not broken down into great detail. Therefore, whereapplicable you will need to refer to other section...

Chapter 6: Applications 68 ADAT XT Reference Manual L IVE /L ONG -T ERM R ECORDING The XT is excellent for live recording because of its compact size and easy operation.Eight tracks allow for recording audience sounds, ambience, and individual soloistsas well as a stereo mix of the PA. Of course, mu...

Chapter 6: Applications 70 ADAT XT Reference Manual If your sequencer generates MMC commands, you should be able to put yoursequencer into play and have the XT follow along. However, don’t be surprised if theXT does not immediately go into play. When a PLAY command is sent from thesequencer, the XT ...

Digital Recording Concepts: Appendix A ADAT XT Reference Manual 73 A PPENDIX A D IGITAL R ECORDING C ONCEPTS A NALOG R ECORDING B ASICS Digital recording works very differently from analog recording . With analog recording,tape containing millions of tiny magnetizable particles move past a record he...

Appendix A: Digital Recording Concepts 74 ADAT XT Reference Manual Digital audio requires lots of numbers to represent an analog version of the samesound. Analog signals may require at least 20kHz frequency response to reproduceaudio faithfully. Digital signals for the same 20 kHz audio requires a f...

Appendix B: Troubleshooting ADAT XT Reference Manual 75 A PPENDIX B T ROUBLESHOOTING T ROUBLE -S HOOTING I NDEX If you are experience problems while operating the XT, please use the following tableto locate possible causes and solutions before contacting Alesis customer service forassistance. Sympto...

Appendix B: Troubleshooting 76 ADAT XT Reference Manual C HECKING S OFTWARE V ERSION The current software version may be determined by holding [SET LOCATE] andpressing [FAST FWD]. The XT will momentarily indicate the current operatingsoftware version installed in the TIME counter. E RROR R ATE D ISP...

Appendix B: Troubleshooting ADAT XT Reference Manual 77 should also be aware that it is extremely easy to damage your heads and othersensitive parts of your ADAT. Do not open up your ADAT to clean the heads.What it comes to is this: ADAT is a very sophisticated piece of digital technology. It isgoin...

Appendix B: Troubleshooting 78 ADAT XT Reference Manual D RUM T IME D ISPLAY The XT keeps track of how long the head has been actively spinning against tape(i.e., threaded in stop, or play, or cue/review). This can help determine how long ithas been since the last time it was serviced or cleaned. To...

Appendix D: Specifications ADAT XT Reference Manual 81 A PPENDIX C E RROR C ODES The following errors codes may appear from time to time in the TIME counter display.Use this reference to learn the possible cause of the error code before attempting tocontact Alesis Product Support. dv Dew Sensor: The...

Appendix D: Specifications 82 ADAT XT Reference Manual Er 7 Clean Heads: If this error message is seen, it may indicate that the headsare in need of cleaning. See page 75 for information about cleaning yourheads. Er 8 Sync Lost: Error message 8 normally occurs when the tape reaches the endwhile form...

Appendix D: Specifications ADAT XT Reference Manual 83 2. Turn off the POWER switch. Hold REWIND and FAST FORWARD while turningthe power back on again. The display will read "CALIbrAt". 3. Insert the tape into the transport. 4. At this time the unit will adjust the brake tension automaticall...

Appendix D: Specifications 84 ADAT XT Reference Manual Heads: 4 (2 Read, 2 Write); Read before Write Approximate Recording Times: ST-60: 22 minutes ST-120/SE-180: 40 minutes ST-160/SE-240: 54 minutes ST-180/SE-260: 62 minutes Fast Wind Rate: 40 x play speed (Threaded) Audio Number of Audio Channels:...

Appendix D: Specifications ADAT XT Reference Manual 85 Digital Inputs/Outputs Connectors: Two EIAJ fiber optical jacks (1 in, 1 out) Communications Protocol: 8-Channel Serial Communication General Power Requirements: 90V–250V AC, 50/60 Hz Power Consumption: 80W Operating Temperature: 10–40∞ C for sp...

Glossary 86 ADAT XT Reference Manual G LOSSARY A A/D or Analog-to-Digital Converter The device that converts an analog audio signal to digital audio. Once encoded, allaudio is stored or processed as a series of numbers rather than as the audio itself. AES/EBU Interface A two-channel, digital audio h...

Glossary ADAT XT Reference Manual 87 Bouncing means taking audio from one track and placing it on another. The term,sometimes called “bouncing down,” also describes the process of mixing severaltracks onto one or two. Bus A bus generally refers to any common signal pathway. In a mixer, a bus is usua...

Glossary 90 ADAT XT Reference Manual by the motion picture and television industries. A complete description of LTC can befound in The Time Code Handbook , by Walter Hickman. SMPTE timecode is the standard sync reference for professional audio and video post-production. S/PDIF Interface Similar to t...

Index ADAT XT Reference Manual 91 INDEX ABS/REL Button 15, 35Absolute Time 35, 48ADAT 55, 59, 63-65AI-1 61AI-2 69All Input 39Analog Recording 71Auto Input 39Auto Play 19, 50Auto Record 20, 50-51Auto Return 19, 50Autolocation 48Backup 60Bandwidth 72BRC 52, 68Chase 34Clock 44, 61, 69Copying Tapes 60Cr...