ADAT – What is it and why do you need it?

Just like MIDI, AD/DA and FLAC – ADAT is another four-letter acronym that you will often hear thrown around in the world of audio. Although the first three mentions are by no means insignificant, for many people, ADAT (and this isn’t an understatement) will change your life!

Before we go any further, let me explain what it is and where the term came from…

What does “ADAT” stand for and where did it come from?

‘Alesis Digital Audio Tape’ or ADAT was an eight-track recording machine released by (you guessed it) Alesis in 1992. This unit would go down in history as a major catalyst for the home-studio revolution that would sweep the world. 

The machine’s concept was a simple one. An affordable eight-track recorder for hobbyists and musicians. They likely wouldn’t have the capital of a record label to afford session time in a professional recording studio. What really made it special was its ability to be linked in sequence with other ADAT recorders. This would increase the number of tracks available. 

Up to 16 recorders could be connected, giving the user a whopping 128 tracks (Abbey Road, eat your heart out!). 

An expander like the Clarett+ OctoPre saves having to unplug and replug all your hardware synths when you want to switch between them.

Getting Optical

Recorders were connected using a ‘Lightpipe’ cable, which carried an optical signal from one device to another. Although ‘ADAT Lightpipe’ or ‘ADAT Optical Interface’ is the correct name, ‘ADAT’ is the colloquialism that everyone started to use, and before long it was being used by some of the biggest names in Pro Audio and Hi-Fi. 

In short; ADAT is the name of the protocol (or language) that is used to send and receive information between one or more devices. As a convert to ADAT myself, I want to give you four reasons why ADAT is so important today.


Reason # 1: Eight Channels, One Cable

The beauty of it is that you can send 8 channels of audio via a single cable, making setup a breeze.

There are a few caveats worth mentioning here: 

  • These eight channels will always be sent at 24-bit resolution, regardless of how your project is set up. 
  • You will only have 8 channels of audio available if your sample rate is set to 48kHz or lower. On many devices, you can still use ADAT if you’re looking to work at higher sample rates, but generally at the cost of reducing the number of channels available over ADAT. 
  • ADAT signals can only be sent in one direction, this is why you will sometimes see a device with both ‘ADAT IN’ and ‘ADAT OUT’. 
With an expander in your home studio, you can run a multi-track session with ease.

Reason # 2: Double the Inputs, Half the Price

Because it’s become more ubiquitous, a lot of modern audio interfaces will come equipped with at least one ADAT input (and maybe even an output if you’re lucky!). This allows you to expand the number of channels on your audio interface using devices like the Focusrite Clarett+ OctoPre

While you still need an expander unit like the Clarett+ OctoPre to add additional channels to your interface, this option often works out cheaper than upgrading to a larger audio interface.

Focusrite’s Scarlett 18i8 is the most affordable interface in the range with an Optical port.

Reason # 3: No Need for Duolingo, ADAT is a Universal Language

Although it’s a digital format, it doesn’t require the user to install software to use it, meaning almost every device that uses it can be used in conjunction with one another, regardless of the company that made it. However, the only setting you may need to change is the ‘Clock Source’ if your interface comes with any sort of companion software.

Expanders are a convenient and affordable way to increase the channel count in your home studio.

Reason # 4: Sending Sound at the Speed of… Light? 

Not quite, but it’s still incredibly fast. Adding an expander to your home studio setup won’t make any noticeable impact on your recording latency. This will always be capped by how fast the connection between your audio interface and computer are – Thunderbolt 3, PCIe and USB 3.1 (USB C) being some of the fastest.

A Clarett+ OctoPre provides enough inputs for detailed micing of a drum kit.

Summary

ADAT is found in so many facets of the audio world today. Indeed, it’s an often overlooked feature on many audio interfaces in the home recording world. Here are just a few interfaces and expanders that make use of it.

Expanders – Our Top Picks


Interfaces – Our Top Picks

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