How to expand your audio interface with ADAT

In this video you will learn how to expand your audio interface with ADAT to get more inputs and outputs from your audio interface without breaking the budget!

Let me know what you think about the episode!

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// Mattias Holmgren
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CONTENTS
00:00 Intro
00:19 What is I/O?
00:35 Main Audio Interface - Zen Tour by Antelope Audio
00:49 Aggregate Device - Watch my previous video
01:04 What is ADAT?
01:18 SPDIF vs ADAT
01:44 Zen Tour + AudioFuse 8Pre
02:22 Why I use Antelope Audio Zen audio interfaces
03.07 How to connect ADAT with toslink optical cables
03:40 Digital Clocking Lock
04:39 Recording a synth via ADAT
05:13 Zen Tour mixer
07.04 Conclusion
07:37 Questions?
07:52 Outro music

#homestudio #audiointerface

[seanwilkins]

Nice video. I have two ADAT machines, both Fostex, A RD8 and a CX8. I have used them with a MOTU Traveler audio interface. I use the light pipe from the ADAT's and firewire i/o from MOTU into my computer. Using my DAW I am able to record 16 channels in to the DAW. With use of a serial cable sync connection between the ADAT's, you can record 16 tracks simultaneously on tape. I like vintage equipment. 😊

[MattiasHolmgren]

In this video you will learn how to expand your audio interface with ADAT to get more inputs and outputs from your audio interface without breaking the budget! Let me know what you think about the episode! Enjoy and share! ☕

[mglohmeyer]

ADAT expansion is great since it allows you to expand your system (start small and grow). But no matter how I added up my eventual needs for my synths and microphones, I realized I needed more than 24 I/Os, and devices that allow that (using multiple ADAT inputs) get very expensive very fast (if they are available at all). I could use patch bays and swap my hardware back and forth, but I really want to just hook everything up, and as my studio grows, not feel like I am running out of I/O's. So I bought a Presonus StudioLive 32R.

The 32R is a 32 channel Presonus StudioLive Series III mixer in a rack mount box, with expandability using AVB Ethernet up to 64 channels. You control it using an app on your computer or iPad connected by Ethernet, WiFi, or USB. It is a class compliant USB 2.0 audio interface, so I can even use it as an audio interface for my iPad or iPhone (32 channels in AUM!). The app provides all the features of a normal StudioLive Series III mixer console including FX but without the space needed by a huge mixer. You can use it as a mixer/USB audio interface (routing channels to your computer as needed), or switch it to audio interface mode and all in/out channels route directly to your DAW.

There are better audio interfaces like the Zen Tour device Mattias presents in the video, Universal Audio, or other high end audio interfaces, but the Presonus devices are the cheapest cost per port I could find for a configuration that allows more than 20 ports. It isn't a slouch on high end features either, and cost about the same as a Zen Tour 8 channel interface (when I bought it - prices recently jumped unfortunately).

They have 16, 24, and 32 channel versions. The 16 channel version is cheaper than some high end 8 channel audio interfaces and equivalent or cheaper in price to almost all setups using ADAT to get 16 channels.

I am just a happy customer, not trying to sell anything. I didn't like the options using ADAT and then found stage/studio mixers which offer a better option for my needs. Behringer has a similar series of mixers/audio interfaces as well as several other brands that cater to stage and highend studio needs using AVB instead of ADAT.

For those that don't know, AVB is an IEEE 802.1 network standard for sending audio and video over Gbit Ethernet. It has been around for about a decade and many devices support it (Behringer, Motu, Presonus, etc.). AVB came from the stage setting where they wanted to replace 100 ft long analog cable snakes with a single cheap and reliable wire over great distances. I could put one AVB mixer in my office and the other in a studio and send audio back and forth with one cable, up to 100 meters apart. And that is what got me onto the idea of using a stage/studio mixer with AVB for an audio interface. Expandability isn't hampered by the number of ADAT ports anymore.

I have heard many people say, why are we still using ADAT when AVB is available. I hope to see AVB replace ADAT eventually, even for lower end home studio devices. Instead of feeling limited by how many ADAT ports you have (which is usually 1, maybe 2 if you bought an expensive audio interface), AVB allows multiple devices to connect together like a network. A downside of this is AVB switches are expensive. You can connect 2 AVB devices together directly using a single cable, but hooking 3 or more together requires an AVB compatible Gigabit Ethernet switch. You might get away with using a normal Gigabit switch, but the AVB switches understand how to route audio/video first (highest priority) over data, and also maintain ultra accurate clock pulses. Most normal switches won't do that reliably.

If you read this far - congrats and sorry for the book. I think AVB is a game changer and I wish I knew about it years ago.

[chrisperpina]

Hello Matthias, thanks for the videos… Matthias how did you configure the syncing of the clock? And why Dont you use the thunderbolt with fx 2 daw with the Antelope ?

[marcdeschryver]

My Focusrite Clarett 8Pre (thunderbolt) had connection issues with my new computer (Lenovo Thinkstation P620). It often wasn’t discovered by Windows 10 so, I bought a Steinberg UR16C and hooked up my Clarett with ADAT to use as expansion. That worked like a charm. Focusrite also has Clarett+ OctoPre and Scarlet OctoPre pre-amps that work great as expansion units. Funnily enough, after upgrading my OS to Windows 11, my Clarett starting working fine again as audio interface.

[christopher-miles]

my zen tour has the old matrix... how did you get this one? help! hahaha

[TheDougSpot]

Can you use the audiofuse as an adat insert box?

For example, have a bus compressor connected to the input and output of the audiofuse, and have the signal be controlled through the zen tours software adat controls?

[vladagordanic]

Have one question about ADAT connection, do one need to instal software of both interfaces on PC or just software of master interface, not the slave?

[worshiplifeteamwithjoseph]

Thank you for the video, I have two focusrite saffire pro 40 but one doesn't connect to my computer. Can I use adat by connecting it to the one that is able to connect to my computer?

Thank you

[massimilianoasara]

Nice useful video, thanks. Now, the matter of interface expansion is often treated as the need of having more inputs available. But I can't find examples of both ins and outs expansion. For inserting outboard eqs and compressors one would need a converter for an output getting into the outboard unit, then converting processed audio back in. The Arturia AudioFuse is capable of 8 ins and 8 outs working at the same time, but is it possible to use all them as expansion channels of another interface? Is Adat capable of it?

[MattiasHolmgren]

CONTENTS
00:00 Intro
00:19 What is I/O?
00:35 Main Audio Interface - Zen Tour by Antelope Audio
00:49 Aggregate Device - Watch my previous video
01:04 What is ADAT?
01:18 SPDIF vs ADAT
01:44 Zen Tour + AudioFuse 8Pre
02:22 Why I use Antelope Audio Zen audio interfaces
03.07 How to connect ADAT with toslink optical cables
03:40 Digital Clocking Lock
04:39 Recording a synth via ADAT
05:13 Zen Tour mixer
07.04 Conclusion
07:37 Questions?
07:52 Outro music

[dipankarbanerjee]

A video on expanding the I/O of Antelope Zen Go or Zen Q (preferably Zen Go)

[TheSoundtec]

with an Adat unit as expansion there is a problem. Adat will require you to select your input analog or digital . On analog input your mixing console will supply the signal, on Digital input your computer will supply the signal. Within your DAW you will have no way to Monitor a recorded track while recording a new track as the ADAT will have its input set to Analog. what would be the solution??

[JesusPiano]

Hi Mattias can I make you a question?
I only have USB-C connection on my Pc. Can I connect a thunderbolt interface (an Apollo X6 Heritage Edition) to my USB interface, (An Arturia Audiofuse Studio, the one that its connected to my Pc) via just ADAT?
Thanks very much in advance :)

[TropicIslandMusic]

The ADAT connection I seem to get - I have an Audient ID44 I want to expand, connecting to my Zoom U-44. The trouble I'm having is getting the software to recognise my extra mic inputs from the Zoom.. So frustrating!

[billymack]

Great info!!! Do you know how to connect Burl B2 Bomber ADC to Apollo 6x for tracking? I'm using using a Neumann 103 into bae 1073 preamp MacBook pro m1 Cubase 12 Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[francoismendes]

Hello, I'm working with mac and ucx2 rme and an id14. do you think it's possible to merge 2 interfaces with a pulse 16 ferrofish (2x8 adat outputs) Thanks for your very useful advice.

[andynonimuss]

Everyone needs to put a solid PAUSE on buying anything Antelope right now. Marcel James (former 14 year engineer from Antelope Audio) is laying down the ugly hammer on all of the hidden software and hardware problems Antelope has been having over the years AND all of the negative social media comments they have been deleting. Marcel has one video out on YouTube already. I have the Discrete 8 Synergy Core and for the last two years had multiple software issues and the LED panel text is now pixelated with dark orange and white text.

[ilthurynel]

I have the same table in my studio than you have in there ;-)

[trevormadsen]

It is Zen Tour, not Sen Tour!
Are you originally Scandinavian?