Adat

A special tool helps us record music.

It uses a small tape. This tape holds many sounds at once. It was made by a company called Alesis.

One tape can hold eight tracks of sound. You can connect many machines together. This lets you record many sounds at the same time.

This tool was not very expensive. It helped many people start home studios. It was a big help for music makers.

Some machines use a small remote to work. Others use a big remote with more parts. It is a fun way to make music.

ADAT is a way to record music.

A company called Alesis made it. They first showed it in 1991. It used S-VHS tape. This is the same tape used in home video players.

One tape can hold eight tracks of digital sound. You can link 16 machines together. This lets you record 128 tracks at once. This tool was not expensive. It helped many people start small studios in the 1990s.

There are different types of ADAT machines. The first ones were called Type I. They recorded 16 bits per sample. Bits are small parts of digital sound. Later machines were Type II. They could record 20 bits per sample. These new machines can also use different sample rates. A sample rate is how often the machine checks the sound.

Users can use remotes to work the machines. The LRC is a little remote control. The BRC is a big remote control. It has more features. You can also use locate points. These help you find exact spots on the tape quickly.

ADAT is a special way to record music. It uses digital audio tracks to store sound. This system changed how people make music at home. It used S-VHS tapes for storage. These are the same tapes used in home video players.

This tool made recording much more affordable. It helped many people start their own small studios. Because of this, it joined the TEC Hall of Fame in 2004.

Recording with ADAT works in a very clever way. One single tape can hold eight tracks of sound. You can connect many machines together to do more. Up to 16 ADAT machines can link together. This lets you record 128 tracks all at once. The timing stays perfect across every single track. This makes it easy to build big songs. It is like building a giant puzzle of sound.

A company called Alesis created this system. They first announced it in January 1991. This was at a big show in Anaheim, California. The first machines began shipping in early 1992. The original model recorded 16 bits per sample. Later models like the XT-20 were even better. They could record 20 bits per sample instead. This is known as Type II recording. These machines still use high-quality S-VHS tapes.

There are different types of ADAT machines to know. The first ones are called Type I. The newer ones are called Type II. You can play old tapes in new machines. However, new tapes will not work in old machines. These machines use different sample rates for sound. They use 44.1 or 48 kHz rates. You can also change the pitch of the music. This happens by changing the tape speed. It is a very useful way to work.

Using the machines is simple with the right tools. You can use a small remote called the LRC. It plugs in with a 1/4 inch plug. There is also a big remote called the BRC. The BRC has many more features for the user. You can also use special locate points. These points help you find exact spots on the tape. You can even use auto play for recording. This helps you hit the right timing every time.

ADAT is a magnetic tape format used for digital audio recording. It allows users to record eight digital audio tracks onto a single S-VHS tape. These tapes are the same ones used in consumer VCRs for home video. The term ADAT originally described this tape-based system. Later, the name also referred to hard disk recorders like the Alesis ADAT HD24. This technology was very important for the music industry. In 2004, it was inducted into the TECnology Hall of Fame. This honor recognized how ADAT began a revolution of affordable recording tools.

The mechanism of ADAT relies on digital data stored on magnetic tape. One standard S-VHS tape cartridge can hold eight separate tracks. A user can connect multiple machines together to expand their recording capacity. You can link up to 16 ADAT units to work as one system. This allows for the simultaneous recording of up to 128 tracks. All these tracks maintain sample-accurate timing across the entire system. This ensures that every part of the recording stays perfectly in sync.

There are different types of ADAT recording formats based on bit depth. The original ADAT and the ADAT XT use Type I recording. These models record 16 bits per sample. Later generations include the XT-20, the LX-20, and the M-20. These newer machines support Type II recording. Type II recording uses 20 bits per sample for higher quality. All these machines use the same high-quality S-VHS media. There is a specific rule for using these different types. You can play Type I tapes in a Type II machine. However, you cannot play Type II tapes in a Type I machine.

The history of ADAT began with the company Alesis. They first announced the first ADAT model in January 1991. This announcement happened at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, California. The first physical recorders began shipping to customers in early 1992. This was likely in February or March of that year. The low cost of these machines changed the music world. It helped lead to the rise of project studios during the 1990s. These were smaller, more affordable places for people to record music.

ADAT machines include several technical features to help musicians work. They can record at sample rates of 44.1 or 48 kHz. These are common rates used throughout the audio industry. Users can also control the pitch of the audio. This is done by varying the sample rate and the tape speed. The machines also feature locate points for the user. These points allow you to store sample-exact positions on the tape. This makes it very easy to find specific parts of a digital recording quickly.

To help with timing, ADAT uses auto play and auto record functions. These functions allow for a process called punch in/out. This means the machine starts or stops recording at predetermined points. It helps musicians avoid relying on human timing to hit the exact instant. For extra control, users can use external remote controls. The Alesis LRC, or Little Remote Control, is a small option. It attaches to the machine using a 1/4" tip/sleeve plug. It provides transport controls and the most common functions.

There is also a larger option known as the BRC, or Big Remote Control. The BRC includes many more features than the stand-alone ADAT machine provides. These tools allow for much more complex control over the recording process. By combining affordable tape media with digital precision, ADAT changed audio storage. It bridged the gap between professional studios and home recording. This system remains a significant part of the history of digital audio transport.