are you using a mixer for playback?

Comping was a thing when we didn't have DAWs or recording units that can record a great amount of tracks.
The principal is that you always need an available track(s) to record new stuff in.
So let's say I have a 4 track recorder:

1. I could record the drums in stereo using a mixer on 2 of the tracks of the recorder. (let's say track 1 and 2)
2. Then I would playback the drum and play bass on top of it and record the result to track 3 and 4
3. Then I can playback the 3 and 4 which is bass and drum together and add a guitar and record the mix of it all to track 1 and 2 (at that time I'm erasing the drums that is alone but I have it mixed anyway in 3 and 4)
   So you can go on and on but the thing is, with every generation, you loose quality to the playback being recorded over and over...

   Now, today with a computer, you only need a 1 or 2 i/o audio interface and a DAW software (often one is comming with the unit).
   The Daw will let you record every passes on seperate tracks ... no need to delete the drum to add the guitar.

   I had an alesis adat in my first years of opening my studio. They were handy but a trouble to sync with the computer. Long wait and not so high quality compared to basic audio interfaces available today.

Hello and welcome.

It's absolutely possible to listen to tracks while recording to any combination of the remaining tracks.

To figure out what you're doing wrong there are so many questions...

I can get the ball rolling, but might be too busy right now to follow-up.

Is there a mixer involved?
Input source set to "Digital", or "Analog"?
What is your "Input Mon" set at?
You're sure you haven't 'record protected' the tape?

Kurt Foster, post: 454082, member: 7836 wrote: are you using a mixer for playback?

yes.. I am running the adat out 1/2 channels to two mixer input channels and hearing the recording thru studio monitors.. The recorded mix is going from my mixer control room out to the channels I am recording to.. example.. I have a patch panel and I have all 8 inputs and all 8 outputs available. I have the mixer control room out available to plug into any input to the Adat.
The playback is being managed thru my patch panel to line in on my mixer. I have my main outs from my mixer going to my amp that powers my monitors. I am using the Analog ins/outs on the Adat.

The Alesis Adat doesn't have an internal mixer.. You will need to bring the 8 output to your mixer.
Then if you record 1 and 2 and you push play back you will hear them and can record them along with other instruments to track 3-4.
Then playback 3-4 and record more instruments to 1-2 .. ( it could be 1 2 3 4 and 5 6 7 8 comping too or record 123456 and comp to 7 8)
Does that make any sens ?

pcrecord, post: 454087, member: 46460 wrote: The Alesis Adat doesn't have an internal mixer.. You will need to bring the 8 output to your mixer.
Then if you record 1 and 2 and you push play back you will hear them and can record them along with other instruments to track 3-4.
Then playback 3-4 and record more instruments to 1-2 .. ( it could be 1 2 3 4 and 5 6 7 8 comping too or record 123456 and comp to 7 8)
Does that make any sens ?

Yes.. So to recap.. I have all the 8 channels ins and outs going to a patch panel where I can determine which channels I am recording on from my mixer. When I go to record on a different track where is the source of the recording playing back from? Right now I hear it on my monitors but while the adat is playing the music I cannot engage the record. Is it possible that I need to disengage the record ready buttons on the two channels I have recorded on and am now listening to and engage two other channels to record on in order to listen to the recorded music and simultaneously record on the new tracks?

It works.. Brilliant.. Thank you pcrecord & dvdhawk.. you woke me up.. The light just came on..

The ADAT XT was a multitrack, so any combination from 1 to all 8 could be selected. It's late 90s when I had 2 ADATs and one XT and they did the job rather well. The original ADAT and the XT had different lock up times which mean it too a few seconds for them all to sync themselves together, but it only cause grief when you needed to go forward maybe 5 minutes, and then hitting play was a bit strange waiting for them to sync up and unmute.

The stock system was 24 independent playback tracks, but output from the desk was linked, being an 8 track desk - 1,9 &17 all fed from group fader 1, 2.10 and 18 from fader 2 etc. This didn't matter because on playback, each track came back on it's own channel. Desk inputs on the inline desk had 4 group selectors, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, using the pan. So you didn't record in stereo pairs, you simply used the pan for the routing fore the correct destination channel, or in a lot of cases, you just left the pan central, and then hit say 1-2, but only enabled recorder track 2 to record something - it was, looking back, a bit strange, but it did work.

I started with one Alesis XT and one of the Panasonic MDA-1 equivalent, and eventually added two more Panasonics. The Panasonic version featured XLR ins and outs, which beat the hell out of the Elco 90-pin on the Alesis. When you would open them up to service them, you would see the same techs and Q.C. inspector signed off on both the Panasonic and the Alesis. The exact same machine with more useful connectors. They're all still here and working ok last time I checked (a couple years ago).

Do anyone dealed with JL Cooper units to sync with a computer? That was something ! ;)

the ADAT tape system was a great idea. it just didn't work very well. with one unit it is fine but try to sync 3 machines over a 12 hour session with punches and lots of shuttling back and forth and they will give you problems. the drive tires were constantly needing to be changed and dirty heads were a constant issue. i kept my ADATS on sliding shelves with the top panels held down by one screw for easy access.

they had a remote called the BRC that did all the edit offsets and provided midi and SMPTE chase and generation. like i said, a great idea that didn't work as good as one would hope.

memories! We had a JL Cooper sync and it worked great and I still have some carillon computer cases with JL Cooper tape controls on them that I can't make work with the newer motherboards which is a shame as the headers aren't on modern board for them.