Connecting a adat preamp to a Mac Studio

[ajazzie]

Hi

I am running a Focusrite Scarlet 18i20 with a Clarret Oct pre off it via adat,
All going into my Mac Studio via usb , no issues and running well.

I just want to know if there’s a way to add my old Mackie 800r onyx pre into this scenario?

I don’t know if I can daisy chain it via adat to the Clarret?

Or is there a way to use aggregate in the Mac and some kind of adat to thunderbolt converter ?

[Darryl Ramm]

Nope.

There is no such thing as daisy chaining ADAT. And your interface here takes at most 8 input channels on ADAT (regardess of it havign seconf ports which are only for S/MUX support, i.e. same 8 channels or less at higher speeds). So that accommodates either one of, but not both of, your ADAT mic preamps.

If the 18i20 had extra line inputs you could take the analog line outputs from the Mackie and connect those to line inputs on the 18i20, but since it has no line inputs that are not shared with a Mic input so that's pointless.

You could connect two channels of S/PDIF output from the Mackie to the 18i20 (I believe the S/PDIF coax work while the ADAT is in use but check the doc). And you need a DB-25 to S/PDIF coax adapter and that all may not be worth the hassle for just two channels more.

And how will aggregating anything help? You only have one interface so you don't have anything to aggregate. And aggregate I/O is asking for problems.

If you want more I/O you need to look at larger more capable and potentially much more expensive interfaces. Can I interest you in a Focusrite Red 16Line, Avid MTRX or MTRX Studio, or maybe an RME Fireface UFX III?