Alesis digital audio tape (ADAT) is a magnetic tape format introduced in 1991 as a way to simultaneously record up to eight tracks of digital audio. Today, ADAT recorders are largely being replaced with computer-based recording software, such as the industry standard Pro Tools program. The company that created Pro Tools also made several proprietary analog/digital hardware interface devices given the name DigiRack. Microphones, musical instruments, ADAT machines and other audio devices can be connected to a DigiRack to interface with a computer running Pro Tools. Connection of an ADAT machine to the DigiRack is typically done through a "lightpipe" cable. A lightpipe is an optical cable that uses fiber optics for transferring data to move digital information at high speeds. Because the cable uses no metal, lightpipe cables avoid problems with ground loops between different pieces of equipment.
- ADAT recorder
- DigiRack interface
- Pro Tools recording software
- 2 lightpipe cables
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Instructions
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1
Locate the I/O (input/output) optical connectors on the back of the ADAT recorder. There will be two connectors, one labeled "In" and the other "Out."
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2
Locate the "In" and "Out" optical connectors on the back of the DigiRack.
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3
Connect a lightpipe cable between the "Out" connector on the ADAT and the "In" connector on the DigiRack.
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4
Connect a lightpipe cable between the "In" connector on the ADAT and the "Out" connector on the DigiRack.
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5
Click on "Setup," then "Hardware" when running the Pro Tools program on the computer. Click on the radio button for "Optical" to configure the I/O for Pro Tools.
