The Adat Optical Interface And Hard Disk Recording; Digital Audio Transfer Options - Alesis ADAT-LX20 Reference Manual

To set up a system for MMC control, first lock the sequencer to the LX20's time code;
the transport commands you issue from the sequencer act like a remote control.
Here's the basic hookup:
Make sure your sequencer is receiving MTC from the LX20.
Connect your computer's MIDI interface's MIDI OUT to the time code interface's
MIDI IN
Connect the time code interface's SYNC OUT to the LX20 SYNC IN (in a
multiple ADAT system, this should be the master LX20)
Enable MMC control by editing the appropriate parameters in your time code
interface and computer-based sequencer (refer to their respective manuals for
more information).
If your sequencer generates MMC commands, the LX20 should follow along when you
select Play on the sequencer. However, the LX20 may not immediately go into play,
as it may have to fast forward or rewind to reach the same location as the
sequencer. Once this is done, the LX20 should resume playback when its time code
reaches the time code interface, as the interface converts this to MTC, which in turn
causes the sequencer to go into play.
T ADAT O
HE
R
ECORDING
Two major limitations for hard disk recording have been media and file format
incompatibility. Some people save to Jaz drives, some to magneto-optical, others to
CD-R or DAT...some systems like AIFF file formats, while others use WAV or a
proprietary format. As a result, projects created on one system often remain within
that system. Yet it doesn't have to be that way.
D
IGITAL
Transferring multichannel digital audio has never been easy. The S/PDIF and
AES/EBU digital audio protocols, which are ancient by today's standards, are
limited to a stereo pair. (They do have the advantage of universality; a DAT deck
can receive signals from a CD player, which can then transfer over to a computer
using a sound board with a SPDIF interface.) MADI, a 56-channel protocol, is little-
used. Firewire (IEEE 1396) has tremendous potential, but as of this writing is not
common.
However, these problems are becoming less vexing as the ADAT Optical Interface
becomes incorporated into more and more equipment.
ADAT LX20 Reference Manual
I
PTICAL NTERFACE AND
A T
UDIO RANSFER
Chapter 11 - Applications
H
O
PTIONS
D
ARD ISK
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