Seeking advice...

[ear2ear]

Alright, I'm looking to take advantage of the ADAT i/o with my 001 so that I can send 8 individual signals out of my MPC-2000 (unbalanced 1/4"). I'm not really interested in the Digimax or products like it b/c I don't want any additional level controls, etc. I just want something that will just convert the signal.

I was looking at the Alesis AI-3 and the Frontier Design Tango 24, but I'm now thinking that I might not need 24-bit converters. I'm also trying to keep the price below $500US ($800 CAN). The AI-3 is around $750 CAN, and I believe the Tango is more.

I initially wanted 24bit converters so that it would be equal in quality to the Digi ones (somewhat equal), but if I use it only the MPC, which is 16bit, I could get away with lesser quality ones. I may occasionally use these for the Karma I'm getting, but only for the MPC 95% of the time.

Anyone agree/disagree with this logic?

As far as getting something to do this conversion cheap? I need someone whos used this to tell me if this is possible: If I picked up an older 16bit blackface ADAT, could I just use it to roue the signal? From what I've read it looks possible, but would I have to have a tape forever in record mode or something? These ADATS seem pretty cheap nowadays so this is what draws me to them, but I'm open to hearing other ideas if you got them.

I guess I've conditioned myself to believe that buying anything 16bit would be a complete regression, but at the end of the day, 90% of my work is dealing with hip-hop that is sampled from records or other less-than-hi-fi sources. [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

As always, any thoughts you care to contribute are greatly appreciated.

peace

[Bastiaan]

As fas as i know you can mix different bitDEPTHS in a session. So your session is 24-bit, and your adat-device is 16. That will just mean that the extra definition and resulotion of the 24 bit compared to 16 bit is discarded. See it as not saying 3.7897658 but 3.79. If i am wrong here....please respond!!!

If you get an old adat with busted transport that will be fine. The old blackface ADAT doesnt need a tape to act as a a/d or d/a converter. Be aware though, that it cant do the two at the same time!!! So it will either act as an 8-channel input-device or an 8-channel output device.

Fostex also made some boxes that will do the job for you. The inputs are standard RCA-connectors. I cant help you with the model, but i do know they exist. I have no idea about the price either....

[Freeheel]

You cannot actually mix bit depths in a session - but you can convert 16 bit files to 24 and vice versa .. and then use them in sessions of that bit rate.

[ear2ear]

Hmmm, I forgot about mixing the conflicting bit depths. I'd assumed that PT would do some sort of instant conversion, since there are some devices that operate at 20bit that I believe do work with PT. Also, I have a Sony Discman that has an optical out that I am able to use in 24bit sessions, so it must be converting somewhere. Anyone know for sure?

Glad to know you can't use the ADAT ins and outs simultaneously. I wouldn't really need to do this as I wouldn't even be using the outs initially, and if I did I could figure out another work-around.

Thanks guys

[where02190]

Bit depth is a non issue when comparing the MPC-2000 to the 001, since the signal you are sending from the MPC-2000 is analog. Maybe I'm missing something, but why not just patch the 1/4" outs of the MPC-2000 to the 1/4" ins of the 001? ANy cheap converter will not be better than the 001's, and you can record 24 bit directly...

[soundboy69]

-I'd record at 24bit anyway (just in case you would decide to add acoustic instruments or something else). I also agree that the analog factor does come into play...$0.02...

[ear2ear]

Okay I guess I was somewhat vague originally,

I'm looking for 8 additional inputs and outputs since the ones on the 001 itself are filled up. I know I could use a patchbay, but my setup is going to stay as is for a while and I'd prefer to set things up so I'm not plugging things in all the time (and not be able to axcess everything at once). Its also more the inputs that I'm concerned with as I really only need the 8outs I already have, but it wouldn't hurt to have more just in case.

As far as the bit-depth factor, I realize the MPC's bit depth is a non-issue, but the bit-depth of the unit between the MPC and the 001 in the chain is (that which will take my 8 analog lines and convert them to ADAT lightpipe). The only reason I brought up the MPC's bit rate is because I was wondering if it really made sense to insist on 24bit when everything coming out of the MPC (even though analog) was originally 16bit. What I'm suggesting is that there is no other quality of the sound that will be captured under 24bit as opposed to 16bit, because the sampling quality was so low in the first place. In this case, 24bit would only more accurately represent the actual noise and other artifacts left with the signal from the MPC, cables, interference, etc. Again, I could be wrong but I just wanted to clear up the confusion.

And for argument's sake, lets say the MPC is the only that will EVER be passed through this unit. I have budgetted inputs for all my other hardware processors, etc from the 24bit ones on the 001 itself. (I know I mentioned early about using the new inputs for a Korg Karma as well, but I'll have 2 free on the 001 which will probably suffice for most of the time.)

peace