From: braithwa@remus.rutgers.edu (Darren Braithwaite)
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
Subject: Alesis ADAT and BRC
Keywords: Alesis, ADAT, BRC, multitrack, recording
Date: 12 Apr 92 04:36:30 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.


Followup-To:
Subject: Alesis ADAT and BRC
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth,rec.music.makers
Distribution: na
Keywords: Alesis, DAT, ADAT, BRC, recording


A few weeks back, I noticed a few people writing about the
Alesis ADAT 8-track S-VHS recorder and arguing over whether a
deck as such would be any good.  I recently sent to Alesis
for a perspectus concerning their ADAT recorder.  The object
of this article is to share information about the capabilities
of the recorder and to clear up some of the confusion in
readers' minds.  Take all of the following with a grain of
salt because these claims are made by Alesis and not me.

Specifications:

Recording Time:  40 minutes per S-120 cartridge
FF/Rew Rate:  20 times play speed; Fast audible scan rate = 3 times play sp
Audio Conversion;  16-bit linear, 64-time oversampling record A/D;
	18 bit linear, single converter-per-channel D/As
Sample Rate:  48 KHz nominal, user variable from  40.36 - 50.85 Khz
Frequency response;  20 Hz - 20 KHz +/- 0.5 dB
Dynamic range:  > 92 dB
Distortion: .009 THD
Channel crosstalk:  Better than -90 dB at 1 Khz
Wow and flutter:  Unmeasurable
Digital I/O:  Two EIAJ fiberoptic jacks using Alesis Proprietary multichannel
	interface, optional AES/EBU and S/PDIF interfaces
Analog I/O:  sixteen 1/4'' jacks 

Features:

Autoplay
Loop
3 Point autolocate
pitch control +100, -300 cents
Perfect digital crossfading
---> Seamless, glitch-free punch in/out   <----
No audio tracks required for sync
Foot switch punch in/out
BRC Reads and generates SMPTE, MTC.

     Alesis says that the reason that it can make such a deck for such
a low price is that they use four proprietary chips.  They say that
their syncing system, which is compatible via the BRC with the other
mentioned syncing systems, is much more accurate than SMPTE or MTC
since it allows syncing down to 1/48 thousandth of a second--down to
one sample that is.  The reason this type of accuracy is needed is to 
rid incoherent phase differences between tracks.  Using the BRC and
stringing on more and more recorders, 128 tracks can be used.

     Alesis says that using an S-VHS medium is much cheaper than
other reel-to-reel formats, plus, another advantage of their 
recorder is that one may use a single 8-track recorder(s) in an home/
project studio and import the tapes to a larger, master studio to
cut studio costs--all at CD quality.  The optical interfaces allow
quick deck-to-deck copying to backup tapes.  Also, one may continuously,
degredation-freely bounce from track to track.  As for editing
capabilities, they seem to be almost as extensive as your typical Otari,
using the BRC as the helm:  assembly edits, fly edits, move or duplicate parts,
substitute a phrase or note, track offset, "...any edit imaginable
can be rehearsed on the BRC, time located, and then executed effortlessly
in the digital domain."  For instance, if you like the first chorus 
on track 8 and want to replace the second chorus on track 24,
you can do it (if you have the optical hook up, too, with the BRC).

Not concerning the ADAT though, Alesis is also planning
to bring out new products such as mixers and
editors which work entirely in the digital domain (hopefully for
much less than what some of these HD, Sound Tools systems cost).

     What do I think about the recorder (regardless of what Alesis
says)?  It will make professional, multitrack, analog recording obsolete.
We're talking a 24-track, digital recording system which costs less than
some low-end analog recorders with a noise reduction unit (about
14 grand for 3 ADATs and a BRC).  Your typical Studer, Sony,
or Mitsubishi digital multitrack can run between $100,000 - $300,000,
yet the Alesis performs at the same quality.  This means that the
little guy (project, post production studios) can get their feet in
the door where the big boys are.  Why do I think it'll phase out
analog multis?  Recording engrs wouldn't have to worry about noise
reduction and recording tracks hotter, etc like they do with analog.
Complexed instrument parts can be done at home then mixed down w/ vocals
at the studio thus cutting recording costs tremendously (like what Thomas
Dolby track-by-track did with a plain old DAT when making his past album).
Even though a lot of people say that analog stays around because
it has character, warmth, and no brick-wall frequency response--
let's do be realistic, most professional recording engineers/
producers who stick with multitrack analog probably aren't sticking with it
because they actually think it sounds better, but probably because
their wallets are too small.  ->Keyboard<- says that it will radically
reduce what people expect to pay for digital multitrack recording.
The little guy will be able to master triple D CDs.  The machine
should give Sony, Studer, Mitisubishi a run for their money.

     I'd wait until they come out with a second model just in case
their are any bugs with it, though.  I wouldn't be surprised if
Sony, within the next three years, offers to buy Alesis out like they
did with Kurzweil.  They don't seem to like anyone catch up with them
with DSP recording technology.

						Darren
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth