You are not logged in. [Log In] VS-Planet » Forums » Our Archives » VS-Machine Archive » ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
Register       Forum List       Calendar       FAQ
Page 1 of 1 1
Topic Options
#482683 - 03/17/04 03:58 PM ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
chumbo Offline
Planeteer


Registered: 05/18/02
Posts: 424
Loc: Belgium
Hi,
I'm not too familiar with ADAT and I'm kind of confused because I've seen some machines that have an ADAT connection for (8) INs and a separate ADAT connector for the (8) OUTs. But then you have something like the RME/Nuendo 96/52 PCI card which as it name states has 48 channels (+4 thru S/PDIF= 52) with only 3 ADAT connectors which clearly means that each connector can carry 8 I/O?!
So, does that mean that there are several types of ADAT connections? Also, that RME/Nuendo card also has a separate ADAT to only carry the sync signal. There too I was under the impression that ADAT was like RBUS in that it carried already the sync info in its signal therefore not requiring a separate connection? Please help.
Cheers,
Chumbo
_________________________

Top
#482684 - 03/17/04 04:37 PM Re: ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
Popmann Online content
Loquacious Planeteer


Registered: 05/23/02
Posts: 33081
Loc: Twangville, TN
No. A single Adat lightpipe connection carries 8 channels. You can have as many of these as you want.

The RME card counts 24 ins and 24 outs as 48 channels. There is a proprietary ADAT sync.

Rbus is the more advanced standard(ADAT is easily 15 years old)...carrying both in and out and word clock down one cable-not to mention 8 channels of IO at 96k. Too bad no one actually adopted Rbus.
Top
#482685 - 03/17/04 04:39 PM Re: ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
Popmann Online content
Loquacious Planeteer


Registered: 05/23/02
Posts: 33081
Loc: Twangville, TN
To complete my thought...the proprietary sync was prior to WordClock standard..Alesis needed some way to maintain sync between multiple ADAT machines(8 tracks). It really remains on the RME stuff for transfers from ADAT machines. It also has Word Clock for interfacing with more modern gear.
Top
#482686 - 03/17/04 04:42 PM Re: ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
chumbo Offline
Planeteer


Registered: 05/18/02
Posts: 424
Loc: Belgium
Hmmm, well how do you explain that the RME can carry 48 channels with only 3 ADAT connectors then? 48 divided by 3= 16 channels (8 I/O) per connector?!
Chumbo
_________________________

Top
#482687 - 03/17/04 04:42 PM Re: ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
Alterboy Offline
Planeteer


Registered: 11/28/01
Posts: 437
Loc: Vancouver, Canada
The original ADAT lightpipe specification is one-way. There are two optical connectors on the ADAT. Two separate lightpipes are required for transfer of data back and forth. One for 8 tracks of digital input, the other one for 8 tracks of digital ouput. This is what is on the DIF-AT as well...

Greg
Top
#482688 - 03/17/04 04:45 PM Re: ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
chumbo Offline
Planeteer


Registered: 05/18/02
Posts: 424
Loc: Belgium
OK, so you are saying that 1 ADAT cable can carry 8 I/O, correct? Or at least in the case of the RME card, right?
Chum'
_________________________

Top
#482689 - 03/17/04 04:55 PM Re: ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
Alterboy Offline
Planeteer


Registered: 11/28/01
Posts: 437
Loc: Vancouver, Canada
The original ADAT lightpipe specification is one-way. There are two optical connectors on the ADAT. Two separate lightpipes are required for transfer of data back and forth. One for 8 tracks of digital input, the other one for 8 tracks of digital ouput. This is what is on the DIF-AT as well...

ADAT's required a separate sync cable to lock each ADAT to the master or BRC. However, digital data exchange over the ADAT lightpipe requires no additional cabling i.e. from an ADAT to protools. If you wish to control the transport of the ADAT from an external clock source while transferring digital data, such as the 2480, use the sync connector on the DIF-AT.

Regardless, the connected devices will have to lock to the same optical clock for data to be transferred. This occurs within the lightpipe and digital clock sources must be appropriately selected.

So two different "sync" signals are associated with ADAT: one for digital transfers contained within the lightpipe and one for transport control through the 9pin sync cable.

Greg
Top
#482690 - 03/17/04 05:00 PM Re: ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
Alterboy Offline
Planeteer


Registered: 11/28/01
Posts: 437
Loc: Vancouver, Canada
Chumbo,

No, each optical cable carries either 8 tracks of digital input or 8 tracks of digital output. I am not familiar with the RME, perhaps someone else can respond to that...

Greg
Top
#482691 - 03/17/04 05:03 PM Re: ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
Alterboy Offline
Planeteer


Registered: 11/28/01
Posts: 437
Loc: Vancouver, Canada
Chumbo, Popmann

Sorry for the delayed responses here. I'm in a time warp.

Greg
Top
#482692 - 03/17/04 05:39 PM Re: ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
chumbo Offline
Planeteer


Registered: 05/18/02
Posts: 424
Loc: Belgium
I guess there are also ADAT with 8 I/O. Just look at the Nuendo website and tell if I'm stupid or crazy but this looks like to me that each ADAT connector carries 8 I/O, right?
http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/hardware/nuendo9652/index.php?sid=0
Chumbo
_________________________

Top
#482693 - 03/17/04 06:10 PM Re: ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
themuzic Offline
Planeteer


Registered: 06/20/01
Posts: 2384
1 Adat cable only carries 8 channels. The direction of those 8 channels is determined by how it's programmed at the factory.

The card you're looking at, in that link you posted, has 3 sets (2 connections each) of ADAT. It's hard to see the other connections in the pic as they are under the 2 that are visable.

Here's a better look at the card. 96/52 DSP
Top
#482694 - 03/17/04 07:00 PM Re: ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
Popmann Online content
Loquacious Planeteer


Registered: 05/23/02
Posts: 33081
Loc: Twangville, TN
One cable=8 channels one way.

My HDSP card has 6 toslink optical connections-for 24(3x8) in and 24 (3x8) out.

Is there still an unanswered question here?
Top
#482695 - 03/17/04 09:12 PM Re: ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
chumbo Offline
Planeteer


Registered: 05/18/02
Posts: 424
Loc: Belgium
Nope, that there aren't any additional connectors. 3 ADAT + 1 ADAT (sync). I know, 'cause I have one in front of me right now. I wish somebody else would chime in here, just to settle this mystery once and for all.
Chumbo
_________________________

Top
#482696 - 03/17/04 11:26 PM Re: ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
Popmann Online content
Loquacious Planeteer


Registered: 05/23/02
Posts: 33081
Loc: Twangville, TN
 Quote:
Nope, that there aren't any additional connectors. 3 ADAT + 1 ADAT (sync). I know, 'cause I have one in front of me right now. I wish somebody else would chime in here, just to settle this mystery once and for all.
You have one what in front of you?
Top
#482697 - 03/18/04 02:25 PM Re: ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
chumbo Offline
Planeteer


Registered: 05/18/02
Posts: 424
Loc: Belgium
Yes, I do have one in front of me. I would have uploaded a photo if there was way to do that. However, I've checked the manual of Nuendo 96/52 card and it confirms what you all said, it's 8 channels in OR out, but not both. How the hell do they get to advertising it as a 52 channel card is beyond me?!
Anyway, thanks for your patience and sorry for being so stubborn in this matter. ;\)
Cheers,
Chumbo
_________________________

Top
#482698 - 03/19/04 03:35 PM Re: ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
Duardo Offline
Planeteer


Registered: 12/29/02
Posts: 273
Loc: My Basement
The 96/52 is actually two cards. You must have only one of them. The card you have actually has four ADAT connectors plus the ADAT sync connector (which is that nine-pin connector, not a separate optical port) and the second card has the last two ADAT connectors plus word clock I/O and a serial port which breaks out to S/PDIF and MIDI I/O. You can see a better picture of it here .

-Duardo
Top
#482699 - 03/19/04 03:59 PM Re: ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
chumbo Offline
Planeteer


Registered: 05/18/02
Posts: 424
Loc: Belgium
Actually I do have the complete 96/52 with the 'sister' card as well. I didn't read the manual carefully enough, I thought the connectors on the sister card where s/pdif only. Thanks for clearing that up, finally everything makes sense! ;\)
Chumbo
_________________________

Top
#482700 - 03/19/04 04:26 PM Re: ADAT question: is it 8 or 16 channels?
Popmann Online content
Loquacious Planeteer


Registered: 05/23/02
Posts: 33081
Loc: Twangville, TN
So we're good? We now understand the 8 channels=one cable?
Top
Page 1 of 1 1


Hop to:
Top Posters
75344
AL
55952
Ismellelephant
55387
Jazzooo
43387
Timster
40001
Silversmith
37201
Mooseboy
36518
C Jo Go
33081
Popmann
32942
Tom Mix
31832
moontan
31439
gonzo
29756
flatcat
28813
NOK
27443
Memphis Monroe
26863
Doughboy
26522
Marty Gilman
24315
RGR
24116
fabulousthunderbird
23691
paulb
21555
Vanillagrits
21125
fonts
20757
MadGuitrst
20147
ulank
19624
glensimonds
19598
vvvm
19468
String Jammer
19109
Xenophile
19047
Dave Morris
18923
T57Strat
18911
slotz
18894
GAMBLE
18791
Jammer
18693
Liquidirt
18405
SteveW
18011
JazAddict
17848
motown59
17600
GAWZDigitalUnderground
17522
Geo
17325
Hano
Forum Stats
21370 Members
26 Forums
159732 Topics
1849450 Posts

Max Online: 386 @ 01/18/23 04:57 AM
Newest Members
AncientJuan, jairo santos, drshum, Selfish, VSDeadHead77
21370 Registered Users
My Cookies · Mark all read Powered by UBB.threads™ Contact Us · VS-Planet · Top

Generated in 0.021 seconds in which 0.001 seconds were spent on a total of 12 queries. Zlib compression disabled.